Baby Love, My Baby Love

Hello out there!   I know some of you have been eagerly waiting for an update on the labor and delivery.  I figured I’d just go ahead and update the blog.   In the last entry, I mentioned that I was to be induced at 37 weeks, which was official on Tuesday April 18^th and I should deliver sometime the following day.

I was instructed to check in at the hospital Tuesday night, and advised not to eat or drink anything after 3 pm.  (Why do they insist on restricting the food intake of pregnant people?) My parents were in town and kept the kids, and Dave and I headed to the hospital.  I checked in at the registration desk, and they escorted me to the labor and delivery ward.  A strange set of emotions came over me as I stared at the hospital gown on the bed.  A little bit of excitement mixed with a sprinkle or two of anxiousness.

Into the gown and strapped up to the monitor to check baby’s heartbeat and monitor for contractions.  Surprise, I was having contractions and couldn’t feel them. The plan was to administer something to ripen my cervix overnight and then break my water in the morning, kicking me into labor.  Apparently, I was more dilated than anticipated, and the Dr. very simply asked how I felt about having a baby that night.  I asked if we could hold out until midnight because Owen wanted to share 19 as part his and baby’s birthdays.  Not a problem, the new plan was just to do Pitocin and wait for a few hours and break my water around 10 pm.  Based on past delivery times,  I should have a baby by midnight.

Due to some other women having babies that evening, the Dr. couldn’t get back to me until after 11 pm, which was fine because that pretty much guaranteed the baby would be born on the 19^th.   With my water broken, I’m now beginning to feel my contractions.  As I lie there waiting, and having the Pitocin ramped up, I thought to myself, this may not be a short process like I’m used to, why not just get the epidural now and save yourself the pain, you’ve delivered two babies naturally, you’ve earned this.  Well, right about the time I was ranking my pain level at an 8 and was supposedly only 7 cm dilated, I was informed that the Anesthesiologist was called into an emergency and there was no telling when he might be available again.

Okay okay, no big deal.  I have my labor playlist going, and it really hasn’t been that long.  I can totally do this, and the epidural just might still happen.  Only problem, with each contraction the pain level went up.  Now I think I have a pretty high pain threshold, but for those that work in the medical field, someone ranking their pain at 9/10 should realistically be passing out from the pain.  I genuinely felt a 10 contraction and about came off the hospital bed.  Bless my sweet nurse she was so encouraging and patient.  I squealed some nonsense about that contraction being wrong and demanded she get the doctor in right away.

I rolled over onto my back, as the nurse was scrambling to get the stirrups set up and page the rest of the delivery team.  She encouraged me not to push and after informing her that request was ridiculous, I complied and tried to breathe myself into a happy place.

Then Dave’s face did this….

And the nurse squealed “Oh my”!  Which prompted me to demand an explanation. The baby’s head is out!!!! What?!?!  Running shouting, and then there is me saying, “I think I need help!”  The nurse came back just in time as another contraction happened and out came the baby!   The doctor and the rest of the delivery team walked in a few seconds later.

To all of you that prayed for a fast and easy delivery, thank you!

She’s finally here, the little blessing of hope and life I’ve been carrying for 37 weeks!

Her name, Yuri Zane.  Yuri means grace in Japanese and Zane means God’s gracious/beautiful gift.   We are all absolutely in love with her!    She’s healthy and beautiful and we are both happy and resting at home.

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