Dear Sydney,
This is the story of how you were born.
My back was hurting in a new place on Friday, and I had some stronger contractions during the day, but I didn't think a whole lot of it. I did have enough intuition to think it would happen this weekend, so I was finishing up last minute work stuff and sending out a what if email at 9 pm. In fact I had talked to Grandma earlier in the evening and said I could go into labor now - we'd found daycare I was happy with, I finished up my work, and Grandma finished the beautiful layette set she was knitting for you. We went to bed, and I had a heating pad on my back, rolled over to take it off to go to sleep, and pop, my water broke at 11:50 P.M. Of course the mattress wasn't protected because a) I was still in denial that this could happen any day, and b) I knew only 15% of people have their water break before labor starts, and even less than that will have it break in bed. Luckily not that much got on the mattress. I called the doctor and she wanted me to come in to the hospital. I could shower, but she didn't want me laboring at home. Part of the plan already out the window.
We got to the hospital around 1:30 A.M., and I was checked into L&D around 1:50. My contractions were getting stronger at this point, but not too bad. I have no idea how far apart they were. They seemed to be every 4 min at home, but I think slowed down once we were at the hospital. I told them I wanted to walk around, use the ball etc, and they promised I could once they got me in bed and checked on the baby. Well, I never got up out of that bed. Your heart rate would drop with every contraction.
It would recover just fine, but they didn't like the drops and wouldn't let me off the monitor, not even to use the bathroom. I was only 1 cm at this point too. This was not encouraging news as I was almost a cm that past Wed. They checked me again, I think about 2 hours later and I was at 2, but my cervix had softened and moved forward.
They told me this was great progress, but it wasn't feeling like a lot of progress considering how much pain I was in. By the time my parents arrived at 5:30 am, I was in some serious pain. They had driven down from NJ on 2 hours sleep once I woke them up. It was comforting to have them there, but nothing would help the pain. The breathing techniques we tried weren't working because I couldn't get enough air in through my nose, which was now dry from the oxygen I was on. The nurse told me she'd check me again at 6 am and see how far I was and then I could decide then about the epidural. At 6 she told me I was 3-4 cm. I'm assuming by the time the epi went in I was the full 4 or even 5. God Bless the epi, is all I can say. After that I went to 7 cm very quickly, and then about a cm per half hour and by about 8:50 I was ready to push.
Grandma and Grandpa and Scott took turns helping me push, and you were born at 10:22 am with the cord around your neck. Now we knew the reason for the heart rate drops. You were no worse for the wear, as your apgars were 8 and 9, and you were breastfeeding as soon as I was able to.
You were 5 pounds 10 ounces at birth, and 20 inches
(though you were re-measured at 19 inches) By your first doctors appointment with my fabulous aunt Robin, you were already 5 pounds 12 ounces.
