So, this a little late of a post, but I’ve been a bit busy… 🙂
As Chris mentioned, we thought we’d have an early baby since I was showing so many prelabor signs. But, Caleb didn’t come early. And as each day passed by, I stopped thinking so much about whether this would be the day… and I starting keeping myself busy. For example, 2 days before labor, I spent the day at Disneyland with Rosalyn. We met at 7:30AM and waited in the Finding Nemo Submarine Ride line for 3 hours. Crazy, eh?
On Wednesday, 6/27, I saw my OBGYN in the morning. Anytime, he tells me. Same thing he’s told me for the past 3 weeks. I ran errands all morning. Felt really tired in the afternoon. Tried to take a nap… and out of no where, my water breaks at 5PM. Poopers, on my comforter. First thought: Gotta wash my comforter. So, I start a load in the washer. Then I realize, oh I should call Chris and Nancy (our doula).
Call them. Nancy tells me she’s going to check back with me in the morning to see how labor’s progressing. I say ok… and figure most women take forever in the early labor stage. I tell Chris to take his time coming home… didn’t want him to get stuck in bad traffic. I go downstairs to see if I can watch some MacGyver episodes and finish my photo scanning project. And, I eat heaps of food, leftover desserts, and drinks (since they don’t let you eat in the hospital during labor).
Around 6:30PM, I start feeling pretty strong cramps in my lower abdomen. Strong enough to take my concentration off of Macgyver. But, Nancy told me that most women feel labor pains radiate to their back when they’re actively laboring. My pain was just in my lower abdomen. So, I must not be laboring yet. ok, I’ll go up and take a shower to relax. In the shower… ouch… these hurt more. I’m resting on all fours in my tub (just felt more comfortable for some reason). Man, I’m a wimp. I already feel like I have pain, and I’m probably not in labor yet, right?
Nancy calls back around 7. Says she just felt like she needed to call back and check in on me. Told her what I’ve been feeling. She says I still sound calm/cheerful, so she’s going to take a nap and check back with me in a little while. Man, these pains are coming every 4 minutes already. I’m sweating. Let me lie on this cool bathroom tile floor. Ah, better. Chris is home. Finds me on the bathroom floor. I go downstairs with him. These pains aren’t letting up. Still only in my lower abdomen. Sometimes they’re coming one on top of another. Chris calls Nancy. She comes over. I labor for an hour at home. But the pains are coming kinda quickly and I feel burpy and a little shaky already. Chris is eating leftover DinTaiFong dumplings. His food smells strong… making me nauseous. But I want him to eat, so I don’t say anything about the smell. I can’t be this far along in labor. I think to myself i must be emotionally causing myself to feel this way already. I don’t wanna go to the hospital and be one of those women who’s only 1-2 cm dilated and gets sent back home. Nancy tells us we should go to the hospital.
Car ride was no fun. In the 15 minute drive, I had 7-8 contractions. Had to stop for contractions on the walk into the hospital. They made me go to labor evaluation by myself. The nurse was task-oriented. put on this gown, give me a urine sample. What’s taking so long, she asks. I’m on the floor having contractions. Yuck! I would never be touching a hospital floor if I was of sane mind. At this point, it just doesn’t matter anymore. I want my husband. Where is he? On goes the fetal monitor. Why are you putting oxygen on me? You’ve got variables (stress on the baby during contractions usually due to cord compression). The heart rate looks fine, though? Yes. Vaginal exam – owh. Nurse tells me she thinks I’m 5-6cm. They roll me into my labor & delivery room. Where’s Chris? All these questions. Tired of talking. One nurse starts an IV. What are you hanging? LR. OK, I’ll take Lactated Ringers.
Finally, they let Chris & Nancy back with me. I’m feeling out of control already. I want to sit up to labor. The nurses tell me I have to lay on my left side with oxygen since the baby’s stressed. Too tired and in pain to fight. I’m clinging to Chris, who’s whispering how much he loves me. You better! (Hee-hee… I don’t remember actually thinking this at the time). Nurse says I’m only 5-6cm. Nancy tells them they should check me again. 8cm. In a few minutes, I begin to feel rectal pressure like I have to push. No, you can’t push yet. Where’s the doctor? They’re like 6-7 nurses in the room now. I have to push, or I’m gonna explode. Pant they tell me. uh, ok. i’ll try. i want pain meds, i want pain meds. (chris says i never said this out loud, but i was certainly thinking it.) ok, you can push. phew. 6-7 contractions with 6-7 nurses yelling out numbers at me as i push, caleb was born. and finally in came the doctor… just in time to clamp the umbilical cord. 10:45PM – less than 6 hours from when my water broke.
caleb was so alert. his cry was strong. and he pinked up in less than a minute. he took to the breast without a problem. so cute. this baby came out of me? yay, praise God caleb’s here!