On The Day You Were Born...

Since I was overdue with no inkling of her showing up, I set up my induction date for 4-10-09 at 5:30am. My mom and dad were coming from Muskegon to be at the birth and my mom was going to watch. The days came and past that week with no signs of her wanting to come on her own, so on Friday morning, I got up at 4am and got the rest of my things together for the hospital, and right before we were to leave I had to call ahead to make sure there weren't too many women already in labor for me to be induced. I called, but they said I would have to wait a little while before coming in. There were already a ton of babies born in the 2 days prior and all were being discharged that morning, so all the nurses were occupied. The nurse took my phone number and said she'd call me when they had an opening.

Both Doug and I went back to sleep since they said it wouldn't be until after 9am or so. I woke up again around 7 or 8 and felt much more rested for the day. Unfortunately, waiting the next few hours was excruciatingly boring. Doug kept bugging me to call them back to see if we could come in yet, but I thought "No, they said they would call me when they were ready". So I waited and waited, finally giving in on the phone call at 10:30am. The nurse asked if we could be there at noon, and I was so happy that it would be today.


We got there at noon, and to my surprise, Dr. Brad Irving was working, but unfortunately he was just finishing his shift. He ended up staying a little to make sure that I got set up alright before he left, and I was kind of sad that he wouldn't be there for my second baby's birth. After getting everything all set up, the nurse started the Pitocin and Amoxicillin at 1pm, and said that I had to be on antibiotics for 4 hours before I could deliver so that the baby would be covered. (I tested postive for Group B Strep, thus requiring antibiotics during labor so the baby wouldn't get sick).


The nurse said that after 1 hour they would break my water, and up until that point the contractions had been very manageable. But 2pm rolled around (I was 5cm and 70% effaced) and they broke my water, and my pain threshold along with it. Within 5-6 contractions after breaking my water I was begging for my epidural. Not only were they VERY strong, but they were coming VERY fast. I would finish 1 contraction and not 15 seconds later I was starting another contraction. The nurse even told me before the epidural to get up and use the restroom. I had to make Doug stay in there with me because I had to stop peeing twice to have contractions. Then when I thought I could make it, I stood up, but didn't even make it to the door before another contraction hit.

Once the epidural was in place and taking effect, at around 3pm they checked me again and I was already 6-7cm. Around 4:30pm, I got my second dose of antibiotics and my mom and dad said they were going to go get some coffee and they'd be right back. No sooner did they leave the floor and I felt tremendous pressure "in my bottom". I was getting VERY nervous because I felt like I was going to have a bowel movement. I even asked Doug to check for me to make sure I wasn't having an accident in the bed! After checking and finding nothing I was still very nervous because I really felt the need to go to the bathroom. The nurse came in a few minutes later and I asked her if it was normal to feel like you're going to poop, and she asked when I had been checked last. I wasn't sure, so she got the doctor in to check me. I was complete (10cm dilated and 100% effaced) and +2 station. She asked me to give her a litte test push, and before I could even really start pushing, she told me to stop and told the nurse to get the doctor in the room right away.

When we realized this was happening NOW, I told Doug to try to call my parents. When my dad answered the phone, Doug told him they were missing it. My mom (who had just had knee surgery the month before) and dad were running/hobbling back to the room and made it just in time for me to start pushing. I started pushing around 4:55pm, pushed maybe 5 times, and 10 minutes later at 5:05pm, Ellison Margery was born.

Now I have the sweetest most beautiful baby girl EVER! :-)