At 39 weeks, I was more than ready to finally meet my second little girl.
I was already packed for the most part, the carseat was installed, Lorelai's things were organized and ready to go, all we needed was to get moving. We dropped Lorelai off at my mom's, waited a bit to hear for the "all systems go" from Labor and Delivery and then we were out the door. I felt for my little sweets, she did not want both Chris and myself to leave, and I wish I could take her with us. I knew that would never work, so we distracted her enough to slip out with the promise to see her soon...along with her baby sister.
At the hospital, I was in bed answering questions, getting an IV, and preparing my mind for the impending labor. Pitocin in, water broken, and we were on our way by 10:30am. The contractions came on stronger and stronger as the minutes/hours passed by. I received an epidural at some point (I lost track of time), and I was looking forward to the relief. It was not a fun process. I knew it wouldn't be, I had one with Lorelai, I should have gotten over it...but I still dreaded the whole procedure. I flinched, a few times; something you do not want to do while a needle is being placed in your spine. Somehow I was still enough to get it done and I waited for the sweet numbness.
It came.
It went.
My first suspicion that something was not working as well as I wanted was when I felt some discomfort (TMI alert) around my catheter. Within half an hour, the discomfort turned into pain. I called the nurse and she checked everything...it was okay, but I was still in pain. She said it was probably the baby settling down further and to press my handy-dandy pain meds booter button. I did that already...I did it again.
"Call me when you feel a lot of pressure." she told me, and stepped out.
17 seconds later I sent Chris out to stop her and bring her back.
The catheter pain was now intense pressure/pain in my groin. She checked my progress. 9 cm dilated. She told me to try pushing and she sent someone to call my OB. "You don't have to rush, but she's starting to push."
HA. I heard that and I knew she couldn't be more wrong.
That epidural? Completely unhelpful. I felt as if a large, heavy bowling ball was trying to escape my body. I was not happy. If I was going to feel labor as if I had no epidural, I might as well not have had one.
I pushed only once more before the same woman got back on the phone with my OB. "Um, yeah, she's going to need to hurry." Waiting for my doctor to show up while literally holding in a human-being was the longest, most painful experience of my life. My OB flew through the door and immediately started to gown up. I believe I pushed another 2-3 rounds. Every event felt in high definition...episiotomy and all. I remember my Dr. asking me during labor "Your epidural isn't working is it? You seem to be feeling all this."
Um. Yep. Exactly.
After a weird pop of relief, my second daughter was born...and my body relaxed in achieving its goal. She was placed on my chest screaming and I had never felt so happy not to be in pain in my life. I looked at her and thought "My pain was probably only a fraction of what she just went through...but we did it, together.
I watched as Adalaide was being wiped clean over by the baby bed and her dad. I watched as I felt my doctor stitch me up. Sigh. Not how I wanted it to go, but it was the way it went. It was over. 39 weeks, and my baby was here. Adalaide Olivia; 8lbs 0oz, 21 inches long...and oh-so perfect.
Lewis. Family of 4 ♥
M.LEWIS
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