I can't believe my sweet (not-so-little) Addison is one week old today! I looked at the clock at 8:50am this morning and realized that one week ago I was in incredible pain and ready for it to all be over...now one week later it's funny how you "forget" about the pain.
First, a few pictures. Ruth, the midwife that did all my prenatal care, came on Tuesday and Friday to check on us. She weighed Addison (she's only lost 1/2 an ounce) and did the heel prick test (PKU). Addison just laid there. I'm telling you, so far she is pretty laid back. I hope it stays. Poor kid, being the last of 3 girls will not be easy.
I'm going to try and be as brief as possible because I don't want to bore you with all the details!
After having the baby monitor on for a while and checking me to see how far dilated I was - (still at a 3)- my midwife "B" gave me the medicine to start the induction around 11:30pm. Marc had already gone by this point. At the time, I didn't really think through the fact that he had to leave because it was hospital rules. I assumed he would be coming back soon anyway, had I known I would go all night without him I would have objected big time! Allowing a woman to labor alone all night is not cool. I don't care what the "rules" say. Anyway. I was told it could take up to 6 hours for the medicine to do anything, and if did not work I would have another one put in- if that still did not work I would have an IV drip of pitocin or something similar. So, after changing into my pj's, I just laid there listening to my ipod and praying that it would work! I would rather hear Chris Tomlin than the lady breathing through contractions next to me.
Around 2:30am, after only dozing for a bit I felt like I had cramps and tried to walk around in the hallway for a bit but that didn't really do much. About an hour I was having fairly strong contractions but nothing regular and they were not lasting too long. And this is where it all becomes a blur. I had put the ipod away at this point because I was just trying to concentrate on staying calm and not breathing too crazy for the sake of my roomies. (At this point only one other lady was progressing, the other two were probably cursing us behind their bed curtain!) I laid there for several hours breathing through each contraction as best as I knew how to, but asking several times when Marc could come back. I was told at 9am, when visiting hours started or unless I'm in established labor. Well, I'm not real sure what the heck that meant because I was fairly sure I was in "established labor" considering how I could hardly speak or breath while contracting. I'm not sure what time it was, but my midwife asked if I wanted pethidine, it's a shot given in your leg that will relax you and take the edge off. I had this with Cerys and I swore I would never have it again, it made me so sleepy I couldn't respond to anyone and felt so drugged. I was told I could have half a dose if I wanted and so I agreed to have it. It was the only pain medicine I could have on the ward, so I took it! It did make me feel a bit loopy but I was able to at least relax some in between contractions. That last about an hour.
I'm still unsure of the time all this took place, but I remember thinking I needed to push and I need Marc and I needed to have this girl out...NOW! I buzzed my midwife and told her and she checked me, sure enough I was almost an 8 and then the frantic activity began! It's humorous to think back now and realize what it all must have looked like for the my roomies. They were either horrified or mad they weren't progressing as fast as me, or maybe both? Anyway, I begged for someone to call Marc and as soon as I said that I heard "B" at the foot of my bed on her mobile phone telling Marc to get up here and do it NOW because I was progressing extremely fast. Poor Marc, he woke up at 7am thinking that the medicine had not worked since he had not heard from me. I thought about sending him a text during the night, but then I didn't want him to worry about me and know that I was pain and that he could not be there. So it was quite a shock for him to get a phone call saying he needed to come right then. Thank you Jesus we live right at the hospital. He said he just grabbed his coat and took off running. Hehehe. No time to find a parking place!
Another midwife brought me a wheelchair and told me to get in it. Are you kidding me? I can't move, much less SIT in a wheelchair. I objected several times until "B" stepped in and said, "Just take her in the bed, just take her in the bed!" Thank you B. Another lady started putting all my things- suitcase, baby's bag, coat, shoes, etc on the foot of my bed and I'm pretty sure I kicked some of it off. (I'm so sorry, whoever you are!) Then the next thing I know I'm flying down the hallway in my bed and I can remember thinking how wonderful the breeze felt while I screamed "I'M GOING TO PUSH!" And the midwives were saying back to me, "NO YOU ARE NOT, DON'T DO IT" Oh me, can you imagine what I looked like?!?! I wonder if there was anyone in the hall at the time? I sure hope not.
I got up to the delivery floor and they wheeled me into the room except that the bed would not fit so I had to get up and get in another bed. I saw the gas/air machine on the wall and begged for it, I needed something!!! "B" was bribing me saying, "Come one, get up and get in that bed and you can have all the gas and air you want!" Ha. So I made it to the bed and sucked air so hard, not really sure it did anything but make me dizzy but just having something to bite down on was good anyway. (I hope this is not too much detail?) As soon as I had the gas and air in my mouth, Marc comes running in and throws off his coat. I grabbed his hand and never let go, he told me later that I had a death grip on him and I'm sure I did! He missed almost all of the labor, but did come in on the worst part, poor guy. I remember thinking to myself, "Wow, I'm really loud but I don't care!" It is so embarrassing now to think about.
After 30 minutes of pushing (man, that was way too long!) her head was out and then the next contraction her little body was born. They laid her on me right away, all goopy and gross, but she was so sweet. She hardly made a sound so I kept asking if she was okay and they assured me that she was. I looked at Marc, who had a few tears coming down and he assured me she was okay too. Addison opened her eyes and just stared at us as if to say, "Well, here I am!" Then I asked to make sure she was a girl, and yes she was a girl. Ha. She was so quiet and calm and then I knew that is why she was 2 weeks late- she didn't really care!
I had to be stitched up and while that was going on, we just stared at Addison and talked to her, then she pooped all over me. Nothing like motherhood, right? I will say that not having an epidural for the after part- being stitched up- was almost as bad as giving birth without one. I was not ready for that.
So, sweet Addison was born at 9:09am, we were in the delivery room for a few hours. I got to have tea and toast- the toast was either the best toast I've ever eaten in my life or I was just so hungry and happy that it tasted that way. Then I got to take a shower which was awesome too. I didn't realize how much I used my lungs until I tried to walk to the shower, I could not take any deep breaths and the shower absolutely wore me out. Then I was moved to "THE WARD" (dum, dum, dum, dum). And that is an entirely different post. It was not as bad as I was picturing it to be or as bad as the stories I've heard. It was not ideal, but it was okay.
So, I think that is most of the story. If you are still reading, then well done, sorry for rambling on. I'm sure there is more to it that I either don't remember because I'm sleep deprived or that I have blocked out. Ha. God was near and I'm so grateful that everything turned out okay. As I mentioned before, it was not what I had planned or wanted but it's over and God blessed us with a wonderful midwife in the process!