Birth Story: Avery Margaret Part Three

The pushing phase was not at all how I had expected.  I thought it would be... noisier.  Instead it was me, Kyle, and our soft spoken and amazing nurse, Betsy.  My parents hid quietly in the corner by my head to take pictures but I totally forgot they were even there.  Betsy made me relaxed and focused because she was so soft spoken and calm.  She was just what I needed.

Thanks to the epidural, my right leg was totally dead.  Kyle was enlisted to hold it up for me so he got a front row seat whether he was ready for it or not.  Betsy had a hold of the other leg, which I could still move to some degree.  Betsy instructed me in the method of pushing and for the next 45 minutes I pushed along with the contractions.  It was quiet and everything was so calm and peaceful. 

Pushing was hard work but the 45 minutes went by fast and soon it was time to call the doctor in.  Avery's head was coming close and Kyle could see her hair.  I could see that he was really excited and seeing him so happy made me even happier.  The doctor praised me for my expert pushing abilities.  It's funny that when you're pregnant, comments from doctors like "You have a great cervix" and "You're a great pusher" are the best compliments in the world.  (Later, they just sound kind of weird) 

It all happened so fast: first her head was out and I could see elation in Kyle's face.  Another push and Avery was here.  It was 10:35 AM and I vaguely remember hearing the doctor talk Kyle through cutting the umbilical cord.  Avery was immediately placed on my chest and Kyle and I admired her for the first time.  I couldn't believe she was finally here!

Her little hands grasped our fingers and she tried to open her dark baby eyes.  Her top lip stuck out over her bottom lip and we joke now that she looked like a little fish.  We were surprised she had a lot of brown hair and noticed how long her hands and feet were for being such a tiny newborn.  She must have been born hungry because she immediately tried to eat everything near her face: her hands, our hands, my hospital gown, my chest... 

They told me whenever I was ready, they would take her back and weigh her but I didn't ever want to let her go.  I eventually gave in.  She weighed 6 lbs. 8 oz. and was 19 inches long. 

She is beautiful and perfect and she is ours.

Birth Story: Avery Margaret Part One

The day before Avery was born, I went to the doctor and had my membranes stripped in hopes that she would be more ready to come the following Tuesday, when I was scheduled for an induction. Before we left the office, the doctor said there was a 50% chance I'd go into labor within 24 hours. We went home expecting to be back later that night.

Our hospital bags were packed and we walked around the neighborhood in ridiculous heat. I got many mosquito bites and cursed myself for walking outside before the sun went down. We played cards and I beat Kyle (again). We drove to the gas station and ate ice cream cones in the parking lot. We drove to the lake and watched the giant moon rise over the water.

I did not have any contractions.

I did not go into labor.

24 hours passed and we were still home, waiting to time contractions to every 5 minutes. Still, nothing happened. My parents had planned to come Tuesday for the induction but we were bored and tired of entertaining each other so we asked if they'd come down Saturday night instead.  We spent hours in the morning heat walking around the farmer's market eating burritos hoping one or the other would get something going.

Nothing happened.

Just before 7:00 PM, I was changing my clothes for dinner when I thought for sure my water broke. I mean, I knew it wasn't unusual for someone 9 months pregnant to randomly pee their pants but this just seemed different. Only it wasn't very much, it didn't last long and nothing seemed to come of it. I chalked it up to incontinence and we went to dinner with my parents an hour later.

So here's a question: What do you eat when you want to go into labor? My answer to you is a Tommy's Burger hot dog loaded with sauerkraut, onions and chili (aka the Power Dog). That way, if you are inclined to vomit because of the pain, it will be that much more exciting. Also drink an entire Cherry Coke even though you have gestational diabetes because you figure this baby is coming sooner rather than later and maybe all that talk about blood sugar is just a joke anyway?  (Realize later that this was a bad idea)

An hour after dinner, on our way home via the freeway, I got terribly sick and made an emergency stop at the La Quinta bathroom. That's when the contractions started. (Very romantic, don't you think?)

The contractions weren't terribly painful (although the sauerkraut was) but they came every 4 minutes for a solid hour. When we got home, I packed the last of my essentials in our hospital bags while Kyle brushed up on labor by reading the birthing class book.

My parents followed us to the hospital and I started to think that maybe we were arriving a bit premature. I did not want to be sent home again but I figured that would probably happen. But still there was the question of whether or not my water had actually broke earlier in the day.

Kyle and I checked into a delivery room and my parents stayed in the waiting room. Shortly after I got hooked up to the monitors, the contractions started to die down and I thought "Crap. We're going home for sure." They did a quick test to determine if my water had broke. It came back negative. Just to be sure, they did another (supposedly more accurate) test and we waited for the results to come back from the lab while my contractions slowly dissipated into nothing to write home about. I was embarrassed for even coming in to the hospital and started to prepare myself to go home babyless. Again.

The second test came back positive! My water really had broke and I wasn't leaving until we had a baby. I suddenly freaked out a little: a mixture of excitement and elation and relief and terror of the unknown. It was just before 11:00 PM when we were admitted to Labor & Delivery.