On Tuesday, June 25, I had my first "post date" appointment at the OB. The appointment consisted of a standard checkup and NST, with an ultrasound to check for fluids. During the NST I was informed I was having some contractions, I was just mistaking them for mega baby stretches. They weren't regular, or painful at all. Dr. K also indicated I was 2+ cm dilated (not at three, but definitely further than two) and 50% effaced. So I went to work as planned, and finished out the day.
That night, Hubs made pasta for dinner and we had a yummy ice cream treat for dessert. After dinner my back started bothering me a little, similar to the back pain I've experienced throughout my pregnancy, and so I blew it off, and we finished packing most of our things for the hospital, as the planned induction was now set for June 28. We were ready to head to bed around 10:30, but my back pain was now increasing, so I went for my heat pack. As I got into bed, I felt like Hugbug kicked, there was a strange popping feeling, and then my water broke (10:52 PM). I won't say it was like the movies with the big flood of fluids making a mess everywhere, but it was enough of a gush feeling that I jumped out of bed faster than I've moved in the last 9 months. I ran to the bathroom to clean up (we had to report directly to the hospital upon membrane rupture) and Hubs called the doctor to let them know we would be on our way shortly. We ended up a bit further delayed because my contractions started fast and hard, with only about a moment or so in between, and I lost my supper. Once I was able to control my nausea somewhat, we got in the car and off we went.
We went straight to the ER entrance to be escorted straight to L&D, and there was another couple heading in also going to L&D. My contractions were still really hard, and the pain was getting pretty bad, pretty quickly. The peaks of the contractions were really long, and the rise and fall was only a few seconds. I was beginning to think my med-free plan was quickly becoming a thing of the past. Our Childbirth educator was the head nurse in L&D, so she checked us into triage and helped direct me into my breathing exercises, giving me a short time of taking control of my labor back. In triage, I was examined and determined to be beyond 5 cm. Our nurse looked a bit concerned based on the mornings exam and the quick pace we'd described since my water broke. I was immediately given fluids and the antibiotics required for my strep positive.
The contractions were so close together at that point, that I was having trouble catching my breath in between and wasn't able to keep up with the breathing exercises. At about midnight, they tried to move me down the hall to my birthing suite, when the worst of the contractions knocked me to my knees and at that point, all caring about med-free was gone. I was settled into the birthing suite, and Dr. K and the anesthesiologist were contacted to head in our direction. They were in the process of completing a section, so upon Dr. K's arrival, she quickly examined my progress: 7 cm and nearly fully effaced. She said she would attempt to get me an epi, but at the rate we were going, it was possible that I may just have to push through the pain, and deliver med-free.
Dr. C did arrive shortly after and was able to administer the epi, with allowed me about an hour to rest in which time I was fully dilated to 10, with only a small amount of effacement to go. At 4: 15 ish I called out to the nurses station telling them I was feeling so much pressure that I wouldn't be able to resist pushing for much longer. Dr. K was in the process of delivering another baby in the unit, so our nurse returned to help me get started pushing. She and Russ each took a side, and we began pushing our baby into the world. She kept encouraging me that each push was being extremely productive, and Russ counted out the time for each push. We had been nervous he may pass out (as he does when he has blood draws/etc for himself), but he was a pillar of calm and strength once we had gotten into the car. They offered me the big mirror to watch her come out, but I declined. At that point, I still thought I might not be quite in love with all the lovely delivery fluids etc, so instead we just kept pushing. Dr. K arrived at about 10 after 5, and quickly determined we would soon have our little baby. Russ kept counting out pushes, and Dr. K began assisting Hugbug's head. Dr. K then indicated that one more push could be the last, and without realizing it, I stopped pushing with contractions, and pushed hard and strong with no contraction assistance, as Russ and our Nurse attempted to figure out why I was pushing. Our baby slid out quickly (5:27 am), and was suctioned and placed directly to my chest. Our Team Green baby was Team Pink!
I couldn't have cared less at that moment what she was covered in, I just pulled her close and looked into the most beautiful eyes I had ever seen in my life. She was looking directly at me, and then toward her Daddy. I looked up to see Russ had tears in his eyes too. The nurses had to keep reminding me they were trying to clean her up because I was holding her so close and giving such a small amount of room for them to do their work. We snuggled and Daddy picked from our top two names: our little Hugbug Arianna was given her name.
They then moved her over to the little Baby station in the room to weigh, measure, diaper and hat her. At that point it was determined that both she and I had fevers over 101, and it was determined she would be brought to the NICU shortly. We were given the time until the NICU doc arrived to cuddle her and tell her we loved her. Dr. F was extremely calming, and reminded us all of these measures were precautionary as a result of the temperatures, and we would be with her soon. Russ was reunited with her within about a half hour, and I had to wait until 3 pm to see her, after several normal vitals checks.
And now: gratuitous baby images!
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