On 1/30/2013 I was having back labor type pains and ended up in labor and delivery. While I was contracting I was not progressing so they sent me home. The contractions spaced out to only 3-6 an hour and my obgyn said that some women have this prodomal labor for a week! But not every contraction was even painful so it wasn't a big deal. Just more of a tease than anything. I had my last ob appt on 2/8, I was still 3cm and 90% effaced. She said she would see me on monday 2/11 for my scheduled induction. I was coming down with a bad head cold and didnt want to mention that in case they would not induce me. I had my last day at work, got all my things in order and was looking forward to my last 2 days of pregnancy. Since my cold was getting bad, I showered and got in bed about 9pm. At 1015 a strong contraction woke me up, the kind that you can not mistake for false labor. I got out of bed and started to pace and time the contractions. They came every 3-5 minutes but were only 30-45 seconds long. I was grateful for that because it felt like I was being stabbed in my lower belly and cut open with each one. Since they were short I was not sure if I should go to labor and delivery or not. It took the on call ob 30 minutes to call me back and at that point I had already decided that I could not wait for her. I woke up Zoe and Josh drove us to the hospital about 1130. I checked in through contractions while Josh parked and he wheeled me up to labor and delivery himself :) They took me straight to a room and had me change. At this point I am begging for the epidural, but also notice that if I can bend over and get my belly between my legs the contractions hurt a whole lot less. However I could not be in that position while they hooked me up to all the machines, IV, etc. A quick cervical exam, 5 cm, and a call to my ob and I was allowed my epidural. I love the anesthesiologist. He is a great man :) So I was 5 cm around midnight and 6 cm at 1239am. The epidural was working and I was hanging out, with no real chance of sleeping. Josh's mom came down around 1 am ish. And at 224 I was 7cm. My nice nurse had to deliver another baby and my fill in nurse sucked. She didnt believe me when my water broke and said it was just my bloody show. So what time my water broke I am not sure. It was around 3 am. I know I was 8 cm at 252. It was sometime after 3 am that my epidural started to wear off. I pushed the dang button but nothing really happened. It started at my feet and worked its way up my legs. The feeling was returning. It sucked to know that I could feel cuz that was not the plan. I did not want to feel anything. The records say I was 10 cm at 342 am and I was determined to have my nice nurse back for delivery. The sucky nurse spent what felt like 10 minutes digging around looking for my bag of waters that had already broke when she didnt believe me awhile ago. So I waited and it worked out. The nice nurse came in and helped me push. It was so weird to feel Brooke move around inside me as she was being born. The nurse would push the top of my belly and Brooke would kick back :) So I could feel this whole part but the contractions felt different, so maybe the epidural was still having some affect on those. Brooke was born at 433 am after maybe half a dozen pushes. It was such a relief to have her out of me. It was so hard to push her out. It was really a lot of work. We spent some time with her alone before we called the family in. The nurses did all the cleaning, bathing, etc right in the delivery room. I'm not even sure when they took her to the nursery, but I think she was only gone an hour or two before she came back. Then she was with me until about midnight before they had to take her for some more monitoring. So I didn't need any stitches which is great news and I was able to get up and walk just a few hours after she was born. They said I was not very swollen and by the next day my uterus was already back to the size it was at 20 weeks pregnant. I went home about 30 hours after she was born and I honestly felt great, aside from that stinkin head cold. Brooke was breast feeding like a champ (she is still a good eater, in the 80th% for her weight on formula now) I was in good control of pain with a couple ibprophen. And after a week was barely bleeding anymore. Brooke started with supplemental formula by monday 2/11 as she was already down to 6 lbs 6 oz. She was a sleepy nurser and liked the ease of the bottle better. She also cluster fed every night from 8 to 11 pm; nursing for 10-15 minutes per side, every hour. The first two weeks were exhausting. I switched her to all formula at 3 weeks and the cluster feedings stopped. She slept in bed with us until about 8 weeks, her choice :) then she moved to a basinet next to our bed. By 9 weeks she would sleep 6-8 hours at night and now at 14 weeks is sleeping 10-11 hours straight at night. She still wakes up around 1 am looking for her binky and then gets fussy about 5 am. I can usually get her back to sleep until about 630 am when I need to get her up and ready for Nana's house. She smiled for the first time at 4 weeks and 2 days. Her first laugh was 5/3, at 12 weeks. In the last week she has started to reach for things and hold rattles in her hand. While she is not very stable she loves to stand with support. Because of her large appetite she is already eating baby cereal, applesauce and bananas.
Having a baby is really hard work. I was more tired being at home with her than I am working. But she is the cutest baby in the world :) And oh so very worth it. I would do it all over again tomorrow :)
