I slept alright that night and got up the next morning and went to my appointment. Jared said he would drive me but it was an early appointment (we were still on summer break), and when I woke up I was having the contractions so I told him to stay in bed and I went on to my appointment. Being vain as I am, I didn't eat breakfast because I would have to weigh in at the appointment, and figured I would just eat when I got home!
I got there and was called back to weigh (total weight gain of 13 lbs) and get my blood pressure taken. Dr. Walter then came in and I explained to him how I had been feeling the day before. He said it was probably just false labor, and said he was going to do an internal exam. As he is checking me he has this weird look on his face. I am like "What?" To which he responds "You are dilated 3 cm!" I'm like "So what does that mean?" (I mean obviously it means that my body is preparing for labor, but some women walk around dilated for days without going into active labor) He said "I am going to send you over to L & D" (Labor & Delivery). I was like "I'm not ready!" He said "It doesn't matter. You are going!"
The hospital is right next door to my OB office so I got in my car and called Jared and said "Do you want to have a baby today?" He was like "Seriously?" haha I had actually just packed a bag for the hospital the night before because he was convinced that I was going to have this baby early. We didn't think it would be 3 weeks early though! So anyways, I told him to come up to the hospital and bring my bag. I also told him that I was going to ask if I could eat and wanted him to bring me some breakfast!
SO I get up to L & D and tell them that Dr. Walter sent me over. The nurse looked at me and said "Ummm are you having contractions?" I responded "Ummm I don't know!" I wasn't in pain and was having mild cramping similar to menstrual cramps. I explained that I was dilated and that Dr. Walter sent me etc. So she called him and came back out to the desk and said that they weren't going to admit me just yet, but that they would triage me and put me on monitors. So they did.
I was put into a little room where they hooked me up to 2 monitors, one for the baby's heartbeat and one for my contractions (which I was having by the way!) So the nurse was asking me all kinds of health questions and said that the monitor was showing that I was having regular contractions. I asked if Jared could bring me breakfast and was told NO! (Darn!) After about an hour she checked me, and I was dilated 5 cm. She said "You aren't going home. We are going to admit you!" So I then called my mom in VA and explained that I was most likely going to have this baby today!
I was then rolled up to a delivery room and my IVs were started. I had to have an antibiotic pumped in via IV because I was GBS positive. So in the meantime Jared and his mom showed up. It was about 11 AM at this point. I was just hanging out in the room, not in too much pain. My sister Christy called and said she was on her way from Daytona. Jared ate Taco Bell while I drooled jealously, just drinking my ginger-ale! I called people, posted on Facebook, paid my Cable bill online, and kept drinking giner-ale because I was STARVING!
Dr. Walter checked me and kinda laughed because I was having such an easy time dilating, with little pain. He explained that because of the GBS I had to have at least 8 hours of anitbiotics before they would break my water. So we just had to wait a while. I walked around the halls trying to get something more to happen. Around 5 PM, and 8 cm dilated, Dr. Walter came in and broke my water. That was a special experience! (Think uncontrollably peeing yourself!) Immediately the contractions intensified. Now it was time to concentrate. Jared watched the contraction monitors and told me when one was coming (Like I didn't already know!!!). I had to hold onto the bed and breath through each one. I am not going to lie, they were painful, but my goal was not to scream! I had to make the decision whether or not to have the epidural.
Finally I decided to get it. Dr. Walter told the anesthesiologist not to give me the full dose of the epi because I was going to have to push soon and he wanted me to be able to feel my legs so I could push better. The epidural didn't hurt. The hardest part was sitting still during a contraction, so they could put the needle in my back. Once the epi was in, the pain was a little less intense, but I could definitely still feel.
At about 8 PM my nurses started helping me push! They were awesome! So was my husband in helping me count and hold my legs as I pushed. I pushed for about half an hour before Dr. Walter came in. I pushed another half an hour once he was there, and my precious Caden Arthur was born at 9:00 PM!
I cried! It is such a surreal experience to have this baby growing in you for nine months, feeling his movements, not knowing what he will look like, and then to have him suddenly handed to you! I think I said "He's real!" He wasn't just some abstract thing anymore, he was my son! I was holding him, 3 weeks before I thought I would be!
As I was getting stitched and cleaned up, they weighed Caden and measured him. He was 7 lbs even, and 19 inches long. I was STARVING! I ate some cereal and drank another soda, and boy was that the best cereal I have ever had! I hadn't eaten in about 24 hours! My sister and mother in law went to Burger King cause I wanted a WHOPPER, LARGE FRIES & A REGULAR SODA! Those who know me know...I must have been reaaalllly hungry to eat that! I ate fries and tried to breastfeed Caden. He latched on like a champ!
My mom and sister and Drew were about 3 hours away. I was moved to another room and they arrived around midnight. That's when Caden's breathing was becoming a concern and he was taken to the NICU. That is another extremely long story. SO that will be another blog post! I think you should be worn out from reading this one! Congrats if you made it through the whole thing!
And for a picture that explains it all!
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