DISCLAIMER: SUPER Long and graphic post!!!
On Tuesday, August 17th at 3:45 A.M. I was woken up by super strong "cramps." I got out of the bed, and I felt like something was "coming out." I immediately went to the bathroom to discover that my mucus plug was coming off, it was tinged with blood, and it really did look like a "bloody show," and let's just say that the name mucus plug is VERY appropriate. After that I started having contractions ALL OVER the place. Three minutes apart, five minutes apart, ten minutes apart, twenty minutes apart, two and a half minutes apart...Zane and I were timing them, but they weren't regular. At this point, they recommend that you relax and try to get some sleep so that you have the energy to go through labor. ARE YOU KIDDING ME!? I was SOO nervous and excited that sleep was the last thing on my mind. I got up, took a bath, and Zane and I realized that he needed a hair cut. So I gave Zane a hair cut at 4:30 in the morning while I was in labor. In the meantime, the contractions were still irregular. We didn't know whether I should go to work or not... or to the hospital. By 7:30 in the morning, I hadn't had a contraction for like 30 minutes, so we decided that I would go to work, since I was still training the lady who would be my temp, I had a Dr. App. at 11:00 that morning, and the hospital was right by my work, and Dr. App. I got to work, and by 8:30 A.M. my contractions had become pretty regular coming every 20 minutes. Laurie, who I was training, was SO cute! Every time I had a contraction, she timed them. It got to the point where I was having them every 15 minutes, then every 12 minutes, and then every 10 minutes, and they were getting more and more painful. It was then that she told me: You are having pretty regular contractions. You are having a baby today! I was shocked...could I be having my baby that day? I went to the bathroom at around 10-10:30 when I felt a "trickle" after I peed, it wasn't huge, but it was definitely there...I thought that my water had broken! By the time it was 10:50, Zane picked me up to go to our regular Dr. App., and my contractions were getting closer together and more painful! They were coming every 8-7 minutes. We got to the Dr.'s office at 11:00 A.M. and I had a strong contraction as I was coming in to the office, to what he said: GOOD! This is what labor looks like! I have girls come into my office saying: Dr. I think I'm in labor! And I tell them, oh no, you look way too happy to be in labor!. They checked me, I was dilated and effaced, had contractions every 5 minutes by then, and my water had broken! So, he gave me my L&D papers, and said: Just go to the hospital! I'll meet you there! Zane and I couldn't believe it! We were SO excited! We were having a baby!!! Zane called our families to let them know we were on our way to the hospital to have a baby! I have to admit that it was the LONGEST drive for me, even though the hospital was like 7 minutes away, it felt like Zane was driving 5 miles an hour, and I hated having contractions in the car. We got to the hospital at around noon, got checked in, and the real fun begun! By then, I was in a lot of pain. They brought me a wheelchair because I was bending over during contractions OH. MY. GOSH. Whoever told me that contractions are like really bad cramps was WRONG. Maybe that is the way it went for her, and they really felt like bad cramps at the beginning, but it was SO BEYOND ANY PAIN I HAD EVER FELT BEFORE after the initial contractions. And I have passed kidney stones, three times. Zane was SUCH an amazing support the entire time! We had decided to go with an un-medicated labor unless there were complications, or labor went on for a ridiculously long time. I changed into the hospital gown, and took some pictures. I really looked like a bi-polar person, I was in pain during contractions, and after they were over, I was happy and talkative. They monitored me and everything was looking fine. My mom and dad were there in the room with us at the beginning, but Zane was doing all the coaching. We started watching The Proposal on his ipad, until contractions were getting to be 3 minutes apart and I was dilated to a 6-7 and I was just in ridiculous pain so I couldn't watch anymore. I had terrible back labor, and Zane pushed my butt during every contraction, which helped SO MUCH. I threw up once, and I got to the point - during transition - where I didn't know if I was going to make it. Zane told me I had gone this far, and that I could do it! And that it was what I wanted. And his words really encouraged me! I could do this!!! We had decided that even if I asked for it, he would help me get through it. And I couldn't have done it without him. I got stuck at a 7 for a while, I think it was because I had stopped walking, I was lying on my left side because I was in so much pain, and I felt exhausted. They brought me ice chips and flavored ice chips, I quickly realized I preferred the ice chips with no flavor. By then, my dad left the room, and my mom was getting ready to record the birth and take pictures. I asked them to check me so often! And I HATED IT, it hurt SO much, but it was the only way to measure my progress, and I liked to make progress, it made me feel like that pain had a purpose! FINALLY I WAS AT A 10 at around 5ish, and they called the Dr. in. THE TIME TO PUSH HAD ARRIVED!!! By then I just wanted to get the baby out. I was in so much pain, shaking during contractions, but a TOTALLY different person in between contractions. My Dr. said he had never seen such a dramatic change like in a woman in labor! Hahaha, super happy and talkative in between contractions, and cursing Zane and the world in Spanish during contractions. I have to say that I never really got an intense urge to push (which I would like to feel with my next baby before I start pushing), but I was in SO much pain that I was looking forward to it. I have to admit that pushing brought SOOO much relief!!! Nurse Shannon and Zane pushed my legs back as I pushed. And I felt the "ring of fire" as Avery was crowning. OH. MY. GOSH. I kept yelling: IT BURNS!!! IT BURNS!!! I literally, LITERALLY felt like someone had lighted a match on my thing and put it right there in my "flower." Another very appropriate nick name for crowning!! And the baby started to come out. Zane was SOO excited! Telling me: Nany I can see her head! I can see her! She is coming!! And my mom got SO emotional her eyes filled with tears, as she was recording and taking pictures. The Dr. said I was making progress, and to keep it up! Apparently I wasn't pushing effectively, and what I ended up learning was that "pushing" was really like pooping! But I didn't quite get it until the very end. So I kept pushing but baby was not coming out...They asked me if I wanted a mirror...but I didn't think I was ready for what I would see, I did, however, touch her hair, it was the weirdest, most amazing feeling! My Dr. played with her hair the whole time! And I was like...get the baby out! Finally, I was making more progress, because he said: OK, I might have lied to you before, but now you are making progress! But...it wasn't enough, I wasn't stretching or ripping, so even though we had talked about not wanting an episiotomy, I knew that if it was necessary, I would do it. So, Dr. Lash cut an episiotomy, and Avery came SPITTING OUT. I saw my belly DROP, and I felt her fly out! I immediately felt all of the pain leave me. It was incredible! Zane then cut the cord, and they gave her to me. I cannot describe the feelings I had. WE HAD HAD A BABY!!! She was WIDE awake, with huge brown eyes, she was crying, but the moment I placed her on my chest she stopped. It was THE COOLEST FEELING IN THE WORLD!!! She kept looking at me, and I was in love! I breastfeed her, and then they weighed her and measured her, and performed the apgar test (in which she excelled, except for her purple feet!). At that time, the third stage arrived, and the Dr. had me deliver the placenta. I have to admit I was kind of grossed out by it, it was SO big! And Zane was SO fascinated by the whole thing! After that, he started stitching me up, the local anesthesia shot actually hurt! But I didn't feel anything else after that. (My butt hurt for weeks after that though!). We had our baby with us, she was OURS!!! What an amazing experience!!!
