On May 8, which was a Wednesday, Samantha had a honors society induction ceremony at school. Our family went. I started having contractions about 6 p.m., and they were definitely hurting. The program began at 7, and the contractions kept coming. It was painful, but not so bad because I could sit through them. Although, I did start to time them…about 8 minutes apart.
At about 8, we all went home and I told Brian I was going to take a bath, figuring they would stop. (It was interesting to me how much I wanted to have the baby, but when labor started, I changed my mind). Anyway, these contractions were painful. And I started timing again. They were about 5 minutes apart now. Normally, I would have gone to the hospital, but I really didn't want another C-section, and my doctor wouldn't give me any Pitocin, so I knew I had to labor as much as I could at home. Ugh.
So after about an hour in the tub, I realized they were not going to stop. Brian was in the living room watching a game, so I told him I thought this was real and we needed to go to the hospital. Did he even acknowledge that I had spoken?? I can't remember. But he didn't move from the couch. So I continued on, rocking on my hands and knees through the pain. So weird, but it helped. A little while later, I told Brian again. He asked me if I was going to go to the hospital in what I was wearing?
WHAT???!!! Granted, I had on a ratty old t-shirt, but who cares! I take off my clothes in the hospital anyway! And still no movement off the couch. So I quickly change my shirt, throw some things into a bag (I never pack a hospital bag) and come out again. Through tears of pain this time, I say we need to go to the hospital. Brian looks at me and it finally registers that I cannot stay at home any longer. He jumps up and quickly gets ready.
We are in the car at 10 pm, driving the short distance (about 5 minutes) to the hospital. I call my doctor on the way. Contractions are 45 seconds long about every 2-3 minutes.
We park. As we walk in, a huge contraction hits and brings me to my hands and knees. Brian is pulling on my arm, saying we can't do this in public? Is this man for real? I could NOT get up. Not til the contraction passed. We get inside, and I immediately say I want an epidural. Brian asks who is on call, and doesn't know the anesthesiologist, so he calls one of his friends instead. At this point, I am crazy with pain. I think I was dilated to a 6. Who cares? It was awful!
I remember Brian telling his friend he can take his time, that I usually take a while. I turned to him and may have called him an idiot and a few other things…get that doctor in right NOW!!!!!
At this point, things change. I can no longer time the contractions because there is no time between them. They just keep coming, one on top of the other. They give me oxygen. Brian whispers to me, "You have to try to breathe, or this will be just like Norah." :( I cannot deal with the excruciating pain. I try my hands and knees, try lying down…nothing works. My ridiculous hospital gown is twisted all around me as I toss and turn through the contractions. The nurse keeps adjusting the monitors on my stomach…I cannot hold still for her to do it, so she and I engage in some crazy baby monitor dance as I writhe around in pain.
The anesthesiologist FINALLY walks in, and hurriedly sets things up. They keep telling me to hold still, but I cannot. The pain was so intense I don't know how he could get the needle in my back, but he did. I lay on the bed and was overcome with so much pain that I thought I would burst. I straightened my legs and then felt a huge pop…my water had broken.
My doctor asked if I was feeling better…NO! Only about 1 minute had passed since the needle went in, and I suddenly had to push. I said (screamed) "I've got to push!" I can no longer visually focus on anything, so I just am hearing voices. My doctor said to wait because she didn't have her gloves on…hahaha. Still makes me laugh.
"I'm going to push RIGHT NOW!"
And two pushes later, at 11 pm, out came the most bruised, purple baby boy I'd ever seen. It was so fast, so intense, and crazy. And I cried. The only birth where tears were shed.
What an ending.
