A Grand Entrance

Nora's entrance into the world was an exciting one. Obviously that's true for every baby, but Nora came into our lives in a way that I never imagined.

I posted on Friday about how I was disappointed that nothing was really happening in terms of labor. I had been experiencing some Braxton Hicks for sure, but it never progressed beyond that.

What was weird is that during the day on Friday, both Michael and I had expressed a "feeling" that we would somehow end up with a 9/11 baby. When I left work that day, I felt like I wasn't going to be back, so I actually stayed an hour late to wrap up some things just in case.

When we got home, we went on a nice 2-mile walk. Then, we made bourbon chicken for dinner (a bit spicy!). Since I had worked late and we had walked before dinner, we didn't sit down to eat until 8:30ish. After dinner and clean-up, we settled onto the couch for the evening. We decided to watch a DVRed episode of House (we STILL have a few episodes to watch from the end of last season--oops!). As we watched, I received texts from one of my cousins and one of my girlfriends, asking how I was feeling. I responded to them at 9:55 and 9:56 p.m., telling them that I had been having Braxton Hicks for two days, but that they kept going away! No news to report.

Right around 10 p.m., I felt this cramping in my lower abdomen. It honestly felt like diarrhea cramps, so I wasn't sure what to make of it. Still, it got my attention enough to make me look at the clock, and when I felt another one 8 minutes later, I started to wonder. By 11 p.m., I had experienced several more of the cramps, and they had grown closer together. Michael and I started to think that this was probably the real thing.

I was not entirely convinced, though, so we decided to wait it out longer. I brought up Contraction Master on the computer, and spent some time tracking these "cramps." Sure enough, they were coming at 3-4 minute intervals.

Initially, I wanted to try to labor at home as long as possible, so I suggested that we go lie in bed and try to get some rest. Once I was lying down, however, I realized that the contractions were even more uncomfortable, so I got back up. Also, we started to discuss calling our parents--my dad wanted to drive up from Virginia right away, so I wanted to give him as much notice as possible. The problem was that I didn't want him to start driving until I had my labor "confirmed" at the hospital. So, essentially just for my dad's sake, we decided to get ready to head to the hospital.

Still, we took our merry time. We both showered, I gave Michael a haircut (seriously--between contractions!), we finished packing, etc. At a little after 1:00 a.m., Michael had packed up the car and we were ready to leave.

Hospital Bound from Heather K on Vimeo.
After parking and getting up to the L&D ward, then getting signed in (The lady at the desk was S-L-O-W. Helloooo, I'm in labor, here!), by the time we got settled into triage, it was probably close to 1:45. I was hooked up to monitors and had my vitals taken, and the nurse told me that a doctor would be in soon to check me.

As we waited, I called my dad to let him know that while I hadn't been checked yet, we were pretty damn sure that this was the real thing. My contractions had been getting stronger and stronger. The call history on my cell phone shows that I made that call at 2:14 a.m. As I was talking to my dad, I felt a warm gush and said, "Um, I think my water just broke!" I told my dad to hit the road.

A minute later, a doctor poked her head in my curtain and said, "Did I just hear you say your water broke?" I told her yes, so she said she would check me. When she did, she told me that I was already at 5 cm. I was so happy to hear that I was making good progress. However, with the broken water came contractions that had heavily increased in intensity. Instead of being able to easily manage them with breathing techniques, I was suddenly gripping the sides of the bed and writhing in agony through every single one of them. I wanted so badly for them to get me into a real room so that I could use a birthing ball, walk around, and possibly get into the tub. Unfortunately, the L&D ward was extremely busy, and they were having trouble clearing people out of rooms fast enough--they didn't have a room to get me into!

The doctor came in and asked me if I'd be wanting an epidural. I told her I wasn't really sure, but after a few more contractions, I said yes. She said they'd get my IV started in triage, then have the anesthesiologist meet me in my room when I was moved.

It seemed like eternity was passing, and things were moving so slowly. A nurse did come and start an IV line in my hand, but didn't hook it up to any fluids. Meanwhile, I was moaning and groaning in horrendous pain, and started to find that I had barely any time between contractions. The doctor and nurses must've noticed, because next thing I know, the doctor is standing over me saying she's going to check me again. This was sometime before 3:00 a.m. She said, "Heather, I think the reason you're in so much pain is because you're about to have a baby." She checked me, and I was 8 cm.

I knew at that point that there was no way I'd be getting an epidural. I said as much to the doctor, and she said, "Well, we'll see. We'll call anesthesiology and they'll see what they can do." Even in my state, I knew she was a lying liar.

Because I was moving along so fast, they finally came in to get me to move me to an L&D room. I remember getting wheeled down the hall just grunting and whining because the pain was unbearable. They got me into the room and I remember looking up at the doctor and nurses and just BEGGING them to help me. I was saying things like "Oh my God, I'm going to die!" and "Someone just knock me out!" Looking back, the things coming out of my mouth were pretty hilarious. I begged them to give me something in my IV, at least to "take the edge off," but they said that I was so far along that anything they gave me could potentially affect the baby. Instead of giving me the drugs, they simply kept telling me that I could do this.

Shortly after getting into the room, they checked me again and I was 9.5 cm. She told me that if I started to feel pressure, I could start pushing. Sure enough, I felt tremendous pressure, so with my next contraction, I started to push.

Meanwhile, my mom was making her way to the hospital, taking her merry time as she thought that there was plenty of it! Later, she told me that her guest pass said she had signed in at 3:18 a.m. In the middle of pushing, a nurse came to me and told me my mom was there and asked if it was OK to let her in. I said yes and my mom walked into the room when the baby was crowning.

I pushed and screamed and pushed and screamed and soon enough, they were pulling my baby out and holding it up. The way they were holding the baby, I had a perfect view of the area between the legs, and I knew right away it was a girl. But I think it was my mom who first said out loud, "IT'S A GIRL!" We all cried a little and it was overall an amazing feeling. Honestly, though, the most amazing feeling was knowing that the baby was out. My pain immediately subsided. It's incredible how that works.

Nora Grace was born at 3:29 a.m.


Nora - Brand New! from Heather K on Vimeo.
If you're keeping score--contractions started at 10 p.m. Left the house at 1 a.m. Settled into triage around 1:45 a.m. Water broke and dilated to 5 cm around 2:15 a.m. Baby was born at 3:29 a.m. In other words, I went from 5-10 cm and pushed a baby out in a little over an hour.

Whoa.

In the end, I did not have a drop of drugs, which I never expected to do. When people would ask me what my plan was, I'd tell them that I was just going to go with the flow and see how things happened, but I was not at all opposed to the idea of an epidural and figured that I'd likely end up with one. I never imagined that I'd be one of those women who progressed so fast that I wouldn't even have the option!

I give major credit to all of the women who choose to go natural, and for those who do so while withstanding much longer labors. It was the most painful, hardest thing I have ever done and mine was so, so short! I told Michael afterward that it felt like someone was stabbing me in the abdomen with 1,000 knives. Or slowly and surely ripping out my insides. Neither one sounds very pleasant, does it?

The doctor I had been dealing with in triage was (I believe) a resident. She was the one who started the process of delivering my baby, simply because the on-call doctor from my practice was in another birth. However, my doctor did make it into the room shortly after I started pushing, and he was a tremendous help in delivering Nora. Anyway, because things happened so fast and he came in at the last minute, he didn't know much about me at all. Afterward, he asked me what number baby this was for me. Imagine his surprise when I said Nora is my first! Everyone was joking that next time, I better head to the hospital after my very first contraction!

I am so, so, SO glad we left for the hospital when we did. I shudder to think what may have happened if we had waited it out longer.

At the end of the day, I am so grateful for my birth experience and wouldn't have it any other way. Everyone keeps telling me how lucky I am, and believe me, I know.

This little face makes me feel oh so lucky. And so totally blessed.