More Heidt, More Fun

Here is the place where I am going to give in depth details about the day Gemma was born. I'm going to give it to you in three versions. Be aware, the long version is several things 1)long 2) not censored for words that might make you uncomfortable including cervix, dilation, and similar.

The short, short version:
We had a baby girl!

The short version:
We had a baby girl on 6/9/12! She was 7lbs 15 oz and 21.25 inches long. Both mom and baby are doing well!

The long version:

My parents arrived late Thursday night (6/8) around midnight. The running joke is that having my mom around puts me in labor. I have not ever had a baby unless my mom was already at our house. Granted, there is a small sample size (3), but it seems to be a trend.

Friday, John went to work as usual and my parents and I spent the day with the kids. The kids were thrilled to find Grandpa and Grandma had come while they were sleeping. We played in the morning before hitting up the park for a short visit just before lunch. I was riding the park bench hard. My hips and back were very sore and I had been having small, irregularly spaced contractions for several days. I am usually right there playing with the kids, but today I just didn't have it in me.

I stopped for some produce at the local market stand where the owner jokingly told me I needed to put back the watermelon I had stashed under my shirt. This caught me off guard (why? who knows!) and I found it totally hilarious. We went out for lunch and then came home where John soon met us about 3pm. We all went out for dinner at the Texas Roadhouse - usually one of my favorite places to eat. I just wasn't feeling it. I wasn't hungry and I didn't feel good. When we got home, I finally convinced John to take down the old storm door to prepare for installing the new one the next day. I helped carry the old storm door to the garage and then chased the kids into the house for bedtime.

We sat in our basement visiting with my parents. after putting the kids to bed. I don't really remember much. There was some computer discussion that I did not follow, but I don't recall much else. I chose to sit on our yoga ball, which helped with the hip discomfort. About 10pm, I noticed that I was feeling more...uncomfortable. I was having a lot of pressure and the contractions I had been having for a week stepped up in intensity. I was hopeful, but similar scenarios had played out almost every night for the last week. Poor John went to bed every night in the last week on the early side, sure that "this was the night" based on my level of discomfort and the intensifying contractions (still no regular pattern). However, every night for the past week, I had gone to bed and woke up the next morning with no baby. I was certain that "if it was real", I wouldn't be able to sleep.

Just before 10:30pm, my parents suggested a quick game of cards. I went upstairs to get myself a glass of water and to go to the bathroom. While in the bathroom, my contractions stepped up another level. They were not anywhere near the level I remember when I knew it was time with Amelia, but I decided it was time to start paying attention. I went to the top of the steps and called down to everyone that I wasn't going to be able to play cards. I also (half jokingly) added that if there was anything John wanted to do before going to the hospital, he should do it now.

I went to lay down, drink my water and tried to gauge what was happening. It was 10:45pm. My mom came to check on me after a few minutes. She helped me into some comfy clothes. Over roughly the next 15 minutes, I had 4 serious contractions. That was all I needed. It was time to go. John came in to our room where I was still laying on our bed and I asked him to call the exchange and TELL them we were going to the hospital (usual protocol is to call the after hours exchange and get advice regarding whether or not it was time to go). Luckily the oncall doctor (sadly, not the OB I usually see), called back almost immediately. John reported the conversation went something like this:

John: My wife is having contractions, we will be leaving for the hospital in a few minutes.
Dr: Is this your first baby?
John: No. Baby number 3.
Dr: See you soon!

-End conversation-

We gathered up the last minute items we needed and left pretty quickly. I am certain the first contraction came at about 10:45pm. We were driving by just after 11pm*.

This was the longest and most painful ride to the hospital. It wasn't until later I realized John took the opportunity to inform everyone via Facebook that we were on our way to the hospital while waiting at a red light. I think we hit every single red light. I really focused on listening to some music we had put on my phone for this express purpose. The heated seat was heavenly (heated seat! in June! Crazy!). It also helped to ride each "wave" with my body, especially the downward slope. It has always been easy to get lost in the peak and not allow my body to relax in between; to recognize the break between the contractions. This was very helpful, but it was still very difficult. We arrived at the hospital around 11:30pm. The music, heat and focused relaxation was very helpful, but I was still having to moan/groan/vocalize through each contraction by the time we got to the hospital. John parked in the drop off/pick up loop with the hazard lights on (obviously, this is not popular with the hospital as it is clearly labeled NO PARKING ZONE). A security person watched us, took one look at me and didn't say one word.

There was the longest walk on the planet to get to the elevators to take us to L&D. Luckily, there wasn't very many people around. When we got out of the car, I realized I felt like I needed to go to the bathroom - which made me extremely nervous. With every contraction I felt like I was going to wet my pants. I'm sure I was a sight to see - holding my belly and moaning with each contraction while trying to "hold it" like a preschooler with my other hand. I have read and heard that when the baby is ready to be born, the pressure can feel like having to go to the bathroom, although I've always heard it described slightly differently (having to poop, not pee). John offered to help me to the nearest bathroom, but I was more anxious to get to the Labor and Delivery area rather than have my understanding of the situation be wrong - I did not want to have a baby in a public restroom AT the hospital!

We arrived to a crowded labor and delivery area. The waiting room was FULL of people and I had to haul my groaning self past all the people waiting for baby news. Hurrying up was not exactly possible, but I tried to contain the groans/moans as I walked by. Also, I avoided eye contact**.

It was crowded at the check in area. I remember being surprised by how many other people were there waiting to check in. John remembers seeing 3-4 other couples/groups waiting to check into a room. No one working seemed to see us, despite me holding my crotch (had to GO to the bathroom) and groaning loudly. Finally, a nurse waved us down to another area. When I finally reached the area she had indicated, there wasn't anyone there to direct us. No one seemed like they were in any hurry. So, we stood there and waited...and I had a huge contraction (while it FELT like forever, I'm sure it was not. I'm sure we waited for less than 3-4 minutes before someone came to help us. However, in the waiting it felt as if we were completely invisible and no one acknowledged we were there an needed help). I doubled over and moaned my way through without holding back. I figured that by showing exactly how I felt SOMEONE had to do something, right?

In short order, someone appeared and told us to follow her. Which was good, because many of the other couples milling around now were starting to look a little panicked and moved away from us. We were given a room at 11:40pm according to John's notes and I had been in labor for almost an hour. The moment I felt a break in contractions, I got myself into the bathroom and quickly took care of the business. I was relieved (haha!) to just go to the bathroom and not have a baby in the bathroom. I had several big contractions in the bathroom. I could hear and see a lot of commotion going on in the room, but I didn't get a break between the contractions. I hung out in the bathroom hanging onto the grab bar for what felt like a long time.

When I got a break between contractions again, I went back into the room. A nurse undressed me and put me in a hospital gown as I was not capable of doing it myself. A very helpful person with wonderful hands applied pressure to my back during contractions. John jumped in and helped also - what was interesting is what felt good/helped during my labor with Amelia did NOT feel good or help this time. Poor John had no way of knowing this though, I was able to get the message across that I didn't like what he was doing. I just couldn't tell him what WAS working.

At some point, monitors were put on my belly and finger. A poor nurse tried to check my progress. It didn't go very well and resulted in one of the strangest internal exams I've ever experienced. She thought I was maybe 8 cm dilated with no cervix and thought she felt a bulging bag of waters. Someone somehow started an IV during a contraction. I elected for an epidural. After my two previous labors, I had requested a "light" epidural dose be given***. My OB had assured me that IF I decided to use an epidural, there wasn't any "too late" point until the baby was born. She told me "if you can hold still, they can put in an epidural".

At 12:10am, an epidural was started and I became immediately more pleasant and helpful. An internal exam after put me at 7cm dilated. Ten minutes later, the OB examined me and found that I was now 8/9cm dilated - 10cm during a contraction. He broke my water (although it just occurs to me now that I'm not really sure why).

At 12:55am I felt pressure (hurray! for light epidural!). At 1:09am, I started pushing. During the second round of pushing, our baby was born. It was 1:15am.

Everyone was quiet until John announced it was a girl. He was much more confident and quick with his announcement this time (With Amelia, it took him a few beats to announce...). She was placed on my chest and I was able to confirm: YES. It was a GIRL. We delayed cord cutting**** and both John and I enjoyed the time admiring our girl while we waited for the cord to stop pulsing. She was so tiny and beautiful. She felt almost weightless in my arms. Her cry was quieter than Amelia's. Her fingernails were long enough to cut. She had dark wavy hair and deep blue eyes as both the other babies in our family at birth. Her toenails were almost invisible, they were so tiny. Once she started to pink up, we noticed her right ear had not become pink on the lobe. Our nurse thought due to the fast trip out, she probably got it bumped on the way.

Before she was born, John and I agreed that if it was a girl, I would cut the cord. If it was a boy, John would cut the cord. John cut William's and I cut Amelia's cord. It was the most fair way we could come up with as to settle who would cut the cord this time.

I cut the cord. This cord was much easier to cut than Amelia's. The baby was weighed and measured. When they put her on the scale, it read 7lbs 15ozs. I was surprised. Although she felt light in my arms, I had been expecting a bigger baby. William was 8lb 4oz, Amelia 8lbs 8oz. The ultrasound we had at 34 weeks indicated a larger baby - potentially in the upper 8 to 9lb range. Babies tend to get progressively bigger - so where did this little peanut come from?

I was able to feed the baby and we admired her some more. John texted my mom and posted on Facebook without me knowing. She was wheezing a little so the nurse inserted a tube and pulled out some fluid from her lungs. She was still a little wheezy, but the nurse didn't want to put the tube in again as it might irritate her ?

We requested to do an in room intake, which means the baby would be examined and kept with us as they logged her into the system. Sadly, this was not possible (see: crowded waiting room/couples waiting at the front desk). I considered throwing a fit and decided I didn't have the energy to fight it. This was the big reason I had struggled with hospital selection for this delivery. The hospital where Amelia and William were born did everything in room. Bathing, shots, weighing, measuring, doctor visits, hearing screening, blood testing, etc. Everything was done while we looked on and could ask questions.

I had been holding on to the hope we would be given in room intake for this baby, because I was NOT a fan of being separated from my new baby so soon after delivery (or any time for that matter). Baby girl was taken from me at 2:30 am. John followed with her to watch them give her her first bath and examine her while I stayed in the room for recovery a while longer. I would be moved upstairs to another room shortly and we were supposed to be back together in about an hour.

I'll admit, I'm terribly sad about missing her first bath and being with her during our time apart. It was lonely in recovery by myself and I just wanted the three of us to be back together again. At roughly 3am, I was transported upstairs to the room I would use for the rest of our stay. To get to the elevators, we wheeled right back past the area with all the waiting family members. It was still crowded and I briefly wondered if anyone remembered me from a few hours before. They wheeled me by the nursery where John was watching from outside the windows*****. Our baby was in a warmer, snoozing away. We stopped the wheelchair briefly for me to admire our baby again and then I was taken to my room just around the corner. I was in my room by 3:15am. Our hour apart was almost over and I was looking forward to having us all in one place and then getting some rest. John went back and forth between the room and the nursery several times. A nurse came to check on me - she thought baby would be brought to us soon, but couldn't tell us when. I finally called the nursery desk at 4:15am and the baby was brought to our room shortly after.

With us all together, I finally felt like I could settle in and rest. We slept.

*Also funny: my mom reported that a few minutes after we left, my dad came up the stairs looking for John. He was wondering if the cat needed the lights on at night or if we turned them off when we went to bed. My mom told him we were gone. My dad's response: where? When mom told him we had left for the hospital, he told her he hadn't realized it was already time to go!

**Yes. I don't remember huge chunks of the night/day before Gemma was born, but I vividly recall avoiding eye contact with ALL those people in the waiting area. Somehow, this made me feel slightly more dignified.

***There are a lot of reasons for this that I don't think many people will find interesting. If you want to know, I'd be happy to tell you. I just won't waste the space here with that information.

**** Go here or here or here for more information about delaying cord cutting.

*****Somehow I misunderstood this portion during our tour. I assumed John would be able to be in the room with our baby when the doctor looked at them and was given a bath so he could ask questions and hear first hand what was happening. I was disappointed to find that he had had to watch the whole thing from behind the windows.