At about noon, I gave up on her coming that day and just resolved to waiting a week until she was ready. My dad, step-mom, mother and father-in-law were all in town waiting, so I took the opportunity to do a little shopping while they cleaned and did their own version of nesting. I got a new duvet cover for my bed (long overdue, something I had been putting off) and a body pillow cover in giraffe print - cause I felt like having a little fun.
At about 4pm, I was out front talking to Leslie and Josh got a call that he almost ignored. He stormed out the front door saying, "They won't talk to ME" with a big sigh of frustration. I hesitated because I hate controversy and I said, "This is Kara..." to the phone. A happy voice on the other line confirmed it was me, then said, "How soon can you get here?" My heart leapt out of my chest and I said, "Oh, about 25 minutes." Which was a little bit of a white lie, we were TOTALLY not expecting to be called in!
Josh had just mowed, so he jumped in the shower and I washed my face and brushed my teeth in preparation for a long night. At about 4:30pm we hopped in the car and I began to get a little anxious. By the time we got to the hospital, I was just short of having an anxiety attack. It's a LOT harder getting into the gown and getting prepared for the IV (and having it inserted) when you're not in painful labor mode.
We checked in at 4:55pm, were brought to the delivery room at 5:20 or so, hung out and got basics out of the way until 6:30 and that's about the time they started a slow oxytocin drip. Did all the admission stuff, signed a few papers and watched 3 episodes of Bones on Netflix, laughed with the nurse, Jennifer, experienced the shift change, watched more Bones and then stuff happened.
The night-shift nurse came in to talk to us and she expressed her appreciation for keeping the "waters" in tact; that it takes a little while longer (hours) even on the drip, but it's less painful and traumatic. She was happy and informative - and we appreciated her information, I thought both views were interesting and I was indifferent - except for the fact that I wanted to get it over with. We talked to our parents while she was there and they wanted to know if we knew about when we were expecting this to happen and she told us she wouldn't expect anything until after midnight - so that's what we told the 'rents. She left after about 20 minutes and by that time it was only nearly 8pm.
We were prepared to settle in, when not 15 minutes later did Dr. Kirkman come in and says, "Alright, lets break your waters!!" in her peppy voice. Bing, bang, bong; what felt like seconds later it was done and it was gross. No one should have to feel like they were completely and uncontrollably peeing gallons of water in the "race horse gush" fashion - only to be sped up with each immediately more painful contraction. I don't remember this with the first kid.
Each contraction got increasingly more painful - I could no longer focus on Bones, so Josh put on a little music. The nurse kept coming in to check on me and I noticed between contractions that she was suddenly very NOT pleasant. I discerned that she was upset with Dr. Kirkman's choice to break the "sacred" waters. She actually asked me a question WHILE I was in the middle of a bed grasping - squirrel killing contraction and ROLLED HER EYES when I didn't answer immediately! Ugh.
After maybe an hour of contractions at 9:45pm, they ended up being a minute and a half a part, I decided to ask the nurse her opinion on when I should get the epidural. She did not react in a helpful way, "I can't feel your pain." with her arms crossed, she checked me and I was at 5cm.. So, I told her to shut up and quit being rude and that I was attempting to be civil amidst my pain! ... haha, jk... I actually just told her, "OK, why not, lets go ahead and get it."
The Anesthesiologist was next door applying the epidural to someone else, and he took what seemed FOR-EV-ER. So, I didn't get mine until 10:10 or so. He made Josh leave. BIG mistake. Evil nurse was the only one that could be in there to "comfort" or I'd say CONTROL me. She told me to scoot around on the bed to a certain position and evidently I wasn't doing it right - she sounded very impatient with my IVed, pregnant, weak and contracting body. And while the epidural was being applied, she repeatedly told me to not dig my nails in her hands, and more than once told me to hold myself up while the Doc told me to arch my back and put my elbows between my legs!!! What?! Massive pregnant belly + painful contractions + elbows between legs = not possible. She also ended up telling me to support mySELF with my hands on the bed between my legs, which - by the way - were dangling supportless over the edge of the bed.
The last epidural I had, Josh was able to support me and I could squeeze him claw him and dig my forehead into his chest as much as I wanted - the only way it made the contractions and the epidural tolerable.
Needless to say, I got through it, and I laid down and my left side wasn't getting numbed much so he had me lay on my left side. Nurse propped me up with a pillow and it started to work. However, within 9 minutes of getting it and laying there - the Doc JUST walked out the door and I called to the nurse, who was about to step out, too, and told her that I wasn't sure it was working all the way. I explained that I was feeling extreme pressure in my left rear and I was afraid I'd feel the bad stuff. She looked at me with a slight urgency and said, "I'm going to check you right now."
BAM - 9cm.
Had I hesitated a MINUTE longer about when to get the epidural, I would have missed it completely. 45 minutes of pushing and tug of war with Dr. Kirkman and June was born at 11:10pm. Only one slight complication happened that I noticed when Dr. K said, "SHOULDER!" and suddenly there were two nurses flanking the bed, one was instructed to get ON the bed and they lifted my hips up and did something - wish I knew. Evidently June's shoulder was stuck, but she came out just fine.
Two cries and she was ready to explore the world. No stagnant newborn eyes here, she was looking intently at everyone's faces and around the room with wide eyes. Minutes old, she was cooing like a dove and staring up at my face with those little chubby cheeks. 8lbs 8oz and 20.5" of Baby in my arms and my heart grew twice the size.
Now we're home after a relaxing 2 night stay in the hospital; seriously, Willobrook Methodist has it DOWN. They believe that you'll have to deal with the responsibility of the newborn inevitably, and that you're better suited to do so if you're well on your way to a full recovery and this includes a lot of rest!
I'm so happy.
