April 21, 2004--LET ME OUT!!

After my shower on Sunday, April 18, 2006, the excitement continued. We threw together a belly cast with Emily, Mom, and Jonathan all in attendance. I was a fussy participant. We headed back to the hospital late Sunday night sure that my water had broken only to learn that we were wrong.....I was instructed to only get out of bed to go to the bathroom. Needless to say, I was not so happy. Monday and Tuesday were pretty rough days. Mom stayed with me while Jonathan went to work. Tuesday afternoon, my contractions got pretty uncomfortable and continued to get worse through the night. I really did not want to go back to the hospital to be sent home again. After several calls to my midwife, who instructed us not to come until my water broke with a "gush" I was at the end of my rope. She really did not want me to have this baby because I was only at 35 weeks but there was no stopping our girl!!
I knew it was time and threatened to KILL mom and Jonathan if they did not take me to have this baby. I was SURE I would not be sent home again. Well, I learned that not all water breaks with a "gush" so DO NOT wait for it! Mine was a trickle and I was already dialated 6cm when I got to the hospital. This was about 6-6:30 am on Wednesday morning. We met my doula and started the hospital portion of the laboring process. And Yes, it was a process.
I really wanted to wait for the epidural and try to do it without. Because none of us had slept AT ALL the night before, I gave in (or gave out) and got the epidural around 1:15pm. I was able to catch a short nap before Margaret's heart rate slowed and scared us all. After that, I was not able to turn from side to side and the pain meds settled in one side. I felt much more than I thought I would! My advice, if you are going to get an epidural get it early so it works. And if you can turn from side to side DO IT. I had a numb right leg for a good month after the delivery. Anyway, things finally progressed enough for me to start pushing around 3pm. WOW! Who knew pushing a baby out was so tough!!?? Melissa said that she was amazed by what what going on "down there" and she really thought I might break in half. The midwife did mention c-section if we did not have success pretty quick. After 1 hour and 16 minutes of pushing, our beautiful, blue, cone headed baby came out with the cord around her neck. She was born at 4:26 pm on April 21, 2004. Jonathan said he was pretty scared when he first saw her. She was a little quiet a first and her first cry sounded much like a baby goat!

This is the first time I held my sweet girl! Obviously, the day had been pretty tough on both of us! But OH MY it was worth it!
Here is the little angel getting checked out. Jonathan stayed with her at all times and helped to give her her first bath.
Margaret weighed 5lbs 13 oz and was 19 inches long. If she would have been even an ounce more, we would have had a c-section--per the midwife. Thank goodness she knew to come out early!
I look like I had been through a battle as they wheeled me to my room from labor and delivery.