It is so wonderful to be a new mother...ok well I can't say that it's completely wonderful...it does have it's ups and downs.
But it is so completely wonderful to not be pregnant anymore! Yes! No more sickness and no more heartburn!
So I guess I will start with the labor, in the words of Adrian Monk...here's what happened:
It was about 11:00 pm and I started getting the small contractions I was used to getting so I didn't think too much about it. It started to worry me when they had been going on for fifteen minutes so I started to time them and they got stronger and longer. At this time I still didn't think that the baby was coming, I thought that it was just another fake out. However, around 12:00 things started to really get going, and I started hurting pretty bad, and I let those pains go on for about another half hour until I couldn't take the pain anymore. Ok so where was Mack during all this you ask? He was in bed asleep of course, as anyone would be doing at this time of night! So I walk in our bedroom and I loudly tell Mack to get up and we are going to the hospital. He didn't freak out at all. He was really calm and collected, and was like ok let's do this. Which was a really great attitude to take because I was really out of it. By the time we were checking in with the lady at the desk I felt horrible.
Ok so we get all checked in, and the first thing I do when we get in the room is change into the gown and then they strapped me in. I was hooked to the wall for the next 11 hours. They put these belt type things on to monitor the contractions and the baby's heartbeat. Then they checked me and I was dilated to five centimeters. Then there was that whole IV thing. Ok so the nurse preps me by saying...oh it usually only takes me two tries at the most...two? Yeah ok! So they try twice in my left arm...and then she goes to get the other nurse because she didn't want to try again she said the two times was her limit. So the other nurse pokes me twice in my right arm...which again was unsuccessful. So anyways...the last try they finally get it in my left hand. I had never been hooked up to an IV before that I could remember, so it was a really weird sensation when the liquid started to flow into my hand. It hurt worse then when they poked me with that huge needle. In addition to the liquids they had me on, I had to have three doses of penicillin before the baby arrived because I tested positive for a type of strep. Alright, so by this time I'm really out of it and I really need some meds. As soon as the penicillin got going they were able to get the anaesthesiologist in there and give me the epidural. I was so scared of the epidural but not because I couldn't move while he administered it, but because I thought it was going to hurt A LOT! Turns out...that hurt less then IV poking spree. Then they gave me a catheter, which probably would have been a lot more interesting if I was able to feel below my waist. It was so wonderful after that because the pain was GONE! I wasn't able to sleep...but Mack was able to get a few winks. During the whole process, I was able drink juices and have as much water as I wanted. However, drinking juice is not the equivalent to eating solid food. So I got to about eight centimeters, and my labor all of the sudden stopped. They gave me some drugs to get things moving again. Then the nurse walked in and said...it's time to push. I felt like crying I was so happy. So we did about five pushes and they called the doctor. When the doctor came I only had to push a few more times, and my darling Phoebe was here! It was a really great feeling. All of the pressure was gone. Then they stuck her on my chest and I had a strange mixture of feelings. I had forgotten what babies look like when they come out of the womb. She was all covered in white slime, and all I could think was eww...that's kinda gross. However, at the same time I was really elated and relieved.
It was a little while before I got the feeling back in my legs. The first time I got up to go to the bathroom, the nurse was helping me and asked if I could walk and I really thought that I could but my right leg was not cooperating and I ended up on the floor. The nurse asked if I was ok. I said, Yeah I can't feel anything, and then I thought to myself...duh! That is why I fell over! The rest of my stay at the hospital was pretty great. I was able to get a little sleep, and we were able to get things in order, and bring our beautiful baby back home with us.
All in all the labor went really smooth, and I feel very grateful and blessed that there was no complications during the delivery, and our daughter was whole and healthy.
Phoebe is a normal baby. She sleeps all day and is awake a good part of the night. Thankfully I am able to get a little sleep during the day when she is sleeping. It's hard for me to get up during the night, I often fall asleep while feeding her. I wake up and she is sleeping on my chest her mouth still a little bit open. I hope that soon her days and nights will fix itself. I'm starting to get used to it.
We are so blessed to have this little one in our lives. She has brought us so much joy in the very short time that she has been here. Here are some pictures, enjoy!
