Welcome to the world, Little One!

Birth Story

Well, hello there little Mira - you joined our family on October 30th, 2004 at about 7:56 in the evening, just one day past your due date. I really didn't have many signs of labor prior to my water breaking Saturday morning. The previous Wednesday, the nurse practitioner said I still wasn't dilated, but was about 90% effaced. So I planned on having you in November. You had other ideas! Mom got here Thursday night and on Friday we did some last minute shopping - went to the bank, lunch at Pepitos, Paper Source for your birth announcements, Babies R Us to look for a glider. We didn't find any we liked, so we went over to Hom furniture where we found the perfect rocker. Your daddy and I planned on picking it up on Saturday, but you made that absolutely clear that that was unacceptable. Instead, your Uncle Don picked it up Tuesday, while we were still in the hospital. I fed you for the first time in that rocker today, had you in the sun because your jaundice is still a little high, but we are working on that.

Friday night was left over pizza and a really bad documentary on the Davinci Code, then we went to bed. I woke up around 3:00am and couldn't go back to sleep - I guess that was my final burst of energy. The next morning, your daddy left to do some work for his old work around 10:00am. Mom and I puzzled and quilted until lunchtime. I got up at 12:35 to make a grilled PB & J (you'll like those) when I felt my water break loose. I made it to the bathroom and felt the gush of water that wouldn't stop! It was a cloudyish yellow color. I called your daddy to say that my water had broken, but not to hurry home - everything we learned told us to expect a longish labor. However, the contractions started right away and they felt like really bad menstrual cramps. I felt them mostly in the front of my big belly. They were difficult for me to time because I was excited and they seemed to be so close together. I called Mike 15 minutes later and told him to come home. Mom made me some toast and I was able to eat a couple of bites. We also called the dr and Emme, our doula. I got into my jammies and labored in bed for a while, using the birthing ball in a hands and knees position. I was a little scared because the contractions were so strong; I never got the chance to work out a way to deal with them - it was just riding each wave as it hit. I found it very difficult to relax through them. I had no idea when the next one was going to hit, so I couldn't prepare for it. But we worked through each one. Emme came over at about 1:00 I think, I quickly lost track of time(it was actually about 2:45). Mike started calling people to let them know you were going to join us that day.

I think it was around 3:30 we decided it was time to go to the hospital. I wanted to get into he tub and get comfortable without the worry of having to get there. I was still in my jammies and Mike was a champ driving us there. No valet parking on the weekends! and all of the patient transfer spots were taken, so we had to park in the ramp and I had to walk to the entrance, stopping at least once for a contraction to pass. I remember worrying about what people would think of me - standing in the middle of the road, in my pajamas, doubled over. It hit me at the height of the contraction that we were at a hospital and these things were commonplace! Once we got into the hospital, they put me in a wheelchair and we went up to labor and delivery. Admission was easy, but your daddy still had to fill out some paperwork. They took me to maternal assessment where they check to make sure you are really in labor before they admit you. Here, they hooked me up to an electronic fetal monitor to watch how you handled the contractions. There was one dip in your heart rate. They also checked to see how far dilated I was, 4 cm - I could stay! After about 20 minutes they moved us into the room and brought the tub in. Let me back up and say that thy asked about pain medication and we said we didn't want any and didn't want to be offered any. Looking back, there wasn't a time I wanted any, at least not seriously. So, we are in the room and the staff are having trouble hooking up the tub. I was on the bed and Mike or Emme sat on the birthing ball, helping me through each contraction. Emme, Amy and Mom ended up having to fill the tub by hand!

As they were getting closer to filling the tub, I was hit by a huge contraction. I was on the toilet and it hurt so bad I got sick. Emme said that it was good - it usually means that I opened another centimeter. After that I got into the tub and wow that helped so much. All of a sudden the contractions were manageable - I was lucid between them. According to Emme, I got in the tub around 5:30.

Oh I forgot that when we got to the room, they hooked me up to the EFM again to monitor you because of that little dip. But you did great and I was able to get that thing off me after about 20 minutes.

I'm not sure how long I labored in the tub, I think until about 6:30. Eventually the contractions got very strong again and I wanted out of the water. Emme and Mike adjusted the bed so that I could lean against it - like the birthing ball, and that helped somewhat. They told me that I held them in a head lock during one particularly strong contraction.

I was finally ready to push around 7:00 - 7:30 and the Dr came in to check me. She had me push through one contraction - it felt so good to push, but was still painful. When the Dr checked me, she found that I was at 10, but that you had turned breach at some point. There was some talk about giving me drugs to slow the labor down, but I refused. I didn't really understand what was being asked of me, so I thought it best to just say no. We also talked very briefly about the risks of delivering you vaginally, but I wasn't in any position to weigh the risks or talk to Mike about it, so off to the OR for an emergency c-section.

They brought in a gurney and wheeled me to the OR by myself - I had two more contractions and held out my hand for someone, I don't know who, to hold my hand. Once the spinal took effect, my legs got very warm and tingly, the shaking stopped and the pain melted away. Soon they let Mike and Emme into the room.

Your daddy watched them bring you into the world. Everyone said you were beautiful and that they weren't just saying that. They whisked you over to the warming table and suctioned your lungs and took your apgar score -9 and 9! They cleaned you up and your daddy was with you the entire time. Then he came back over to me and showed you to me. You indeed are beautiful. I cried the whole time - just couldn't stop crying. I was so happy you finally joined our family.

After the Dr stitched me up, they took us into the recovery room and you got to meet your Oma and your Auntie Amy & Uncle Don. I breast fed you for the first time - and I'm pretty sure I cried again. Then after about an hour they took us to our room. I was hooked up to an IV, catheter, and pulse monitor for about 18 hours. And that's how you entered this bright and wonderful world!

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