Hello, world! A lot has been going on in Jeremiah's world lately, while at the same time nothing has "happened". In case you weren't on Facebook last Thursday, I'll give a quick summary of events to catch you up. Also, if you're a guy, you might not want to read this. Don't say I didn't warn you!
My sister-in-love Abby over in South Africa who is also pregnant (due June 7) went to the hospital Wednesday night our time and they sent her home. She went back a few hours later with major contractions and my niece Ellee Renee St. Clair was born Friday May 24 at 1:29am South Africa time (that would be Thursday May 23 at 7:29pm our time). She is the cutest little girl ever and if you'd like to see her, here a video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Y0a00Ky8Ifk
As all of this was occuring, I was laying on my mother-in-love's couch having contractions. They weren't awful, but hurt enough to where I felt them peak so we started timing them. They started at 10 minutes apart, then went to 7 minutes for about an hour, then got down to 5 minutes apart so she told me she thought we should go to the hospital. This is what my doctor had told me and even though I was only 37 weeks along, at my doctor's appointment the day before she checked me and told me I was 4 cm dilated and 90% effaced. Considering all of this, we thought it best to go to the hospital because I was probably in labor. We went to my house to pick up my bag and wait on my mom to get there, then headed on to Aiken Regional. Brad was at work and we told him we would get checked in and see if it was the real thing then tell him to come on so he didn't leave work for nothing.
They put me in a room, hooked me up to a monitor, and started an IV. Those of you who do not know me well do not know that I am absolutely terrified of needles. I hate them. I hate the thought of needles going inside me and even hearing people talk about them makes me want to puke. I'm fine at the sight of blood and other gross things, but there's just something about needles I can't stand. Anywho, I had to have an IV so I laid there as the nurse checked me and said I was still about 4 cm dilated. She called my doctor and came back saying that my doctor said to keep me for about an hour and see if I've progressed. If not, send me home. Okay, great...one of my biggest fears. I did NOT want to be the "rookie first-time mom" that rushes to the hospital at the first sign of a contraction only to be sent home. Keep in mind I had been dilated 2 cm and 80% effaced for the two weeks before that with a few little crampy feelings here and there, so this was not the first pain I had. Well I laid there having contractions and we watched them as I felt them and Jeremiah even started to react to them as well. Brad wanted to come on and be with me so he got there and held my hand like the good husband he is. :)
The nurse came back in after a little over an hour and checked me again and I was about 5 cm (more than 4 and could be stretched to 5) but that wasn't enough for my doctor to keep me. I have to tell you: I love my doctor. She is a hippie....very old-school, conservative, and a "let it happen as it needs to" kind of person. I love it. I told her on my first visit with her a few weeks ago that I wanted a natural birth. I know most of you are saying I'm crazy or I'm (again) the "rookie first-time mom" and I don't know how it feels or else I'd want an epidural/pain meds. I just know for a fact that women have been giving birth for...how long? Since there have been humans on the earth. That's a long time. There was no such thing as epidurals back then and obviously the human race has survived. Not to put down epidurals...I know they are wonderful tools, it's just not how I imagined having my child. Call me crazy but I want to feel everything so that I can push and be "in the moment", not drugged up so that I don't remember anything later on. I've done some research and studies have shown that women who have epidurals have longer labors due to the fact that they can't feel anything so therefore they can't push. Then doctors are forced to try to induce your labor or "help you along" by giving you artificial drugs. I'm just not into all of that. I know that after I deliver this child I might change my mind and want all of that next time, but for the first one I want to do it naturally and see how I handle it. My doctor knows this and told the nurse that night that I certainly didn't want to be induced so just send me home and home they sent me. They made me take an Ambien so I could get some sleep and I spent a few minutes at home laughing/crying uncontrollably before I passed out completely.
The funny part is that all of the nurses that came in and saw my contractions and how far along I am said "oh, you'll be back in a few hours, we're sure of it!" Tell that to my sweet baby boy who loves me so much he doesn't want to leave my womb. Brad and I woke up the next morning and went for a walk at 6am to see if we could help things along but nothing really happened. It was as if my body said "psyche! gotcha!". Since then I've had plenty of contractions, some painful and some not. I've also had a LOT of pressure in my pelvis, as his head (according to my doctor and all the hospital nurses) is "RIGHT THERE".
So let's recap: his head is very far down, I'm 5 cm dilated, 90% effaced, having painful contractions on and off, and he is straight chilling in there. My actual due date is June 12, two weeks from tomorrow. I am NOT going back to the hospital til I'm absolutely dying from pain or my water breaks. I go back to the doctor tomorrow for a check-up so hopefully we'll hear some good news. If not, there's nothing I can do about it so I'll just try to keep busy til he decides to make his appearance.
We're honestly hoping he comes on June 7, which was his cousin Ellee's due date. That day starts Brad's whole week off work (he works rotating 4 week on, 1 week off shifts) and my mother is pretty much finished with work for the summer after that day. Maybe he knows this and he's just being a good boy. Yep, that's definitely the case :)
If anything changes, we'll update.....
-Hannah Elise
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