Labor and Delivery....

After my update #2, Pedro arrived home at about 7:00pm. I told him that he should shower and eat some food before we went to the hospital, just in case we were told to stay. Or in case we would be sent home after being there for some time. I took a shower and my contractions were getting worse and were definitely about 5 minutes apart. It was probably because I was up and moving, showering and playing with the dogs. I finished packing my bag, while Pedro was getting done with eating/showering. He kept saying, "We can go I don't need to do this stuff, if it is painful." But I figured laboring at home for a good amount of time was better than being at the hospital. I called the doctor and told her that the contractions were 5 minutes apart and that they were quite painful, but manageable. She said to come in and be checked and that she would check with the nurses and see how things were going.

During the 20 minute drive I was having contractions exactly 5 minutes apart. I arrived at the hospital at 8:45pm. We got to Labor and Delivery and I was the only laboring person that night. They told me to change my clothes into a gown and they would check me. At 9:00pm I was at 5cm. I couldn't believe that I was only up 1cm from the day before, with all of the contractions that I had been having. I was thinking this could be a very long night. At this time I wasn't sure they would keep me there, considering I was only up to 5cm (up 1). However, I think some people are less when they are admitted. She said the doctor wanted me admitted because I was further than the day before and contractions were 5 minutes apart. She asked what my plan was concerning drugs. I said that I wanted to go naturally as long as possible but would be open to things, if I needed them. She asked about epidural and IV drugs specifically and I said I really didn't want an epidural and would consider the IV drugs, if it was very severe.

We walked around the floor a bit, but that was very uncomfortable and I had to stop every 4 minutes or so with a contraction. Nobody was around, but it was just uncomfortable to stop and have the contraction, so we went back to our room. They let me labor for 2 hours before they even checked me again! I was really thinking it would be a long night. At 11:20pm, I was at 7cm. She told me that this was really good and that I got there quickly. I figured she was just saying this to me, to help keep my spirits up, as the contractions were at about 3 minutes apart or less at this time, the nurse told me that things usually go quicker from this point on. She asked if I wanted to walk around again, shower, or have any IV drugs. I said I wanted to shower. I showered for 20 minutes. It felt good, well it felt good when I wasn't having a contraction! I prefer to be laying down some when I was having a contraction vs. the feeling of them while standing. While I was showering, Pedro came in and told me that they were bringing in the delivery stuff and setting everything up, so he said they must think it will be happening soon. I couldn't believe it. I felt like since I was only up from 5-7cm that it might still be a long time, again I figured any positive reinforcement the nurses/doctor was giving me was only to help me mentally, but not necessarily true! After I got out of the shower I asked the nurse about the IV drugs. I asked (because I remembered reading) that the drugs would go right to the baby and make her sleepy and drugged too. She said yes, but that it would help with MY pain. I said that I didn't want to have anything that would make her sleepy/drugged, so that I would just "suck it up."

After my shower at 11:50pm (30 minutes after my last check), I had progressed to 8cm! I couldn't believe the quick change. With my decision to "suck it up" I was getting a little defeated at this point. The contractions were horrible. They were coming every 2 minutes or so, so there was very little rest. I remembered thinking that 1 minute long contractions were manageable because they were so short, but they sure seemed VERY long at this point! I believe around this time, I started feeling like this might not be very manageable.

At 12:40am they checked me and I was 9cm and they broke my water. I figured I was at 9 and my water was broken, that this would be quick from here until pushing. They checked me after about 3 more contractions and I still was at 9. UGH! After a few more contractions I really felt like I needed to push. They said, that I couldn't push, of course you hear about this all the time, the urge to push and not being able to. But it is very real and almost uncontrollable! The nurse told me to roll on to my right side and that maybe that would help the baby move down and help me dilate. So, I rolled over and it was VERY painful for the next contraction. She checked me and said..."hmmm..." And left to get the nurse. I was thinking that can't be good. The doctor came in and checked me and they felt another (more?) sac of water that needed to be broken. So, she broke this water and it was even more than the first! I was still very unsure I was going to be able to do this. Two more contractions and now some back pain, I was at 10cm and ready to push, it was 1:15am.

I pushed in intervals of 3 pushes per contraction. I had remembered reading someone's post about laboring and pushing and they said they had a good first push but the second two pushes were not as good, so I focused on pushing even harder on each additional push, especially the last one. It felt like I pushed forever! Pedro kept saying, I see her hair! she has a lot! I was thinking she must be close if you can see her hair?!? I kept thinking that they needed to just GRAB her and PULL her out! Obviously, that would not have been good to do, but I really wanted them to because it felt like she was just on the edge!

After 23 minutes of pushing, Zurianna Jayla Malave, arrived screaming! She was 6lbs 7oz and 20 inches long. Pedro watched the entire birth. We were not sure he would want to or not, but he definitely did and said it was not "gross" or anything, like I figured it would be! Pedro cut the cord and took some immediate pictures. The doctor told me that she was impressed with how fast it went and drug free. She told me I would feel so much better because I didn't use any drugs. And I was (am). I was feeling fine just after delivering, as you can tell by my post at 4:55am.

Here are some pictures:


Not a pretty one...but this was during a contraction, my shoulder muscles are sore from pulling the top of the bed down!







This is my favorite one!





We have been home for 2 days, although it seems like weeks ago I delivered her! She has had high jaundice levels and so we have her under the lights at home, which is really hard because at night I can't pick her up if she is crying at all, because she has to stay under the lights. She can only come out of them for feedings and changes. We don't get retested until Friday, to see where her levels are.

Right now she seems to be most awake from 2am-7am, which is lovely. I take this shift as Pedro sleeps. I sleep in 2 hour intervals, when I get the chance. Surprisingly, I feel pretty decent. Pedro hasn't worked this week and my mom came one day, so that has been nice.