| | Hey Meg and everyone else that reads this! This is going to be a lot of cutting and pasting so don't try to read this in one seating or you might waste too much time reading this all at once. I was asked by a friend, Shereta, to share all the details of my delivery so I am still in the midst of telling her the story but decided to put it here also at my xanga page. So here is what I have been sharing with her (started June 13): I'm so sorry. I thought I had written more about my delivery at xanga. It was only a paragraph there (I had recently checked for you). Okay. I have both hands free at this moment. So, before Armando wakes up, here's my "detail" story.
It happened early Sabbath morning (May 23rd) around 1:30am. At least, I think that was the time. My previous awakening was close to midnight. I had emptied my bladder as usual with no complications. Now, I felt a bit "off". I felt my underwear and noticed a light soakness.
"My water broke" I thought. Softly, I woke up my husband to let him know what I had discovered. Not remembering his response (I think he was answering me in his sleep, actually), I checked the smell of this "spot". Yep! No smell of urine here! It was indeed the smell of something sweet. It must have been from my water breaking.
I called the Feathers residence knowing that I would be at least talking to my dad since he had recently got off of work. I told him what happened and he blankly said "uh-oh" and gave the phone to my mom. She told me to call the hospital and see if they wanted me to come in.
I called the Triange (spell check?) nurse and they said for me to come in to see if my water did break. I was due the next day so they said since I'm at the end of my term, they wouldn't do anything to stop the labor. If my water did break, then they were going to keep me. After hanging up, I called the Feathers once again so that one of my parents could get me out to the UC Davis hospital. Surprisingly, they both came. I can't remember which car they used but I do believe it was my mom's.
Checking in was easy. I had went through their birthing suites tour a few months ago with Alex, my husband, and mom. Speaking of Alex, we left him behind because we didn't want to wake up Xavier (my step son) and then they would have to deal with a cranky three year old during church. That is, if nothing (as in the labor) wasn't going to be for a while. So, Alex and Xavier slept on during this time.
Is this too much detail? I think I will have to send this to you in pieces. This is the end of part one. [Next entry written the same day] My dad wheeled me to the birthing suites with mom leading. I signed a few papers and received my one of three "bracelets" that I was going to have during my stay there.
I was sent to the exam room. They told me to undress and, if I wanted to, I could leave my bra on. I was instructed to wear a pretty cool girddle (spell check?) that was going to hold the ends to a machine that monitored the baby's heart beat, my heart beat, and contractions. They checked to see if my water broke and how much, if any, I had dialated. They gave me a number in which I think it was barely a one.
They, as in a doctor and a resident (I think that's what they are called before they are called "doctors"), left and the nurse came back in between times. This was a dance that I was going to get familiar with during my long stay there. When the doctor came back, she told me that they do believe me when I had said that my water broke. My mom was like "Okay!" and my dad was no where to be found. Actually, he was just not in the room because when they had stated that I had to get out of my clothes, he gave me the privacy that was needed. My mom just stayed in the room. They had given me an IV (which was going to be my friend of annoyance until I was grately disconnected from the beast a little over 24 hours before I was discharged) and had catched another ride for me on those hospital chariots of four wheels that make me look so tiny that it embarasses me sometimes to sit in them!
Before this exciting ordeal, I had asked the nurse if I could have something to eat. Yep! I was still craving food at the time! ^_^ She went and got a snack meal with healthy apple pieces, baby carrots, and some kind of juice. I think it was apple. It also came with condiments and crackers. Yum! Grahm crackers! How I love them! This same nurse that graciously gave me the meal was the same one who wheeled me to the labor room. I think they actually call those rooms birthing suites. I have the paper but who cares to know the actual name! If I get up now, I might now finish my story!
When the nurse got me settled, I asked her if she could bring the rest of my meal into the new room. She was so nice to go and get it for me. God bless her! Now, from here on, there are quick blurs.
My mom had left to drop dad back home (who was sleeping in the waiting area) and to pick up Alex. When they had returned to my room, my mom mentioned that Xavier was at her house with dad. Dad was going to watch him until mom and Alex returned.
Whew! Shereta, I'm going to have to tell you more of my story later. I'm beat! End of part two. [After Shereta explained that she liked details and that it makes her feel like she is actually there with me, I continued in another message the following on June 15] You know what's funny? Right when I was just about to type you, Armando started to cry. I was like "not again!" but my husband stepped in and changed his diaper. He was just circumcised last Friday so when he pees, it hurts him. I will be so glad when the pain is no more! It's heart wrenching to hear him cry because he's in pain.
Okay. Where was I? Umm...what to type next? Did I already tell you about the fact that my contractions felt like cramps? When they told me that I was having a contraction by looking at my monitor, I was suprised. I know that every woman is different. That is, every woman's body handles labor in an enique way. But, for me, my body signals "cramps" when a contraction hits.
You know, I have such a blur in remembering what happened next. They say that it happens. Maybe it would be best for my mom or husband to tell you. I remember my mom falling asleep in the chair by the table while my husband fell asleep in the chair that pulls out into a bed.
Oh! There came a time when I could only eat light meals. That is, when I ate, it was juice, stuff that was like jello but it wasn't and something else but I don't remember now. They put this "ball" thing inside of me to make me dialate some more.
Well, Shereta, I will have to write some more later because Armando is hungry (I'm breast feeding him). [The following was written ten days later: June 25] Okay! Hands free! Did I tell you about the epidermal experience? *Scans previous writings* OH! I remember what I was going to tell you about next. The nurse had to insert this thing called a bub so that it would stretch out my cervix. The goal was to get to a certain centimeter. When it would receive a certain centimeter, the bub thing would fall out. Well, this was during the time when I still could go the restroom without being plugged up to the catether (spell check?). The catether is the thing that they attach to your bladder so that you just pee while still in bed (it's a tube that's connected to a bag that holds your pee in it).
Alright. Here's what happened. I had to go to the bathroom (a thing I so dred to do). Before being able to get into the restroom, I would have to unplug three things from their computer: the baby's heart beat cord, my heart beat, and the thing that monitors the contractions. I had a "buddy" that followed me everywhere I went—the IV. Weak-like (mind you, you're still having contractions while doing all of this since nature doesn't give you a break). I mean, it would be so much easiler if you can announce to your body the following:
"Okay, body! I need to go dump my bladder! Would you mind easing up the contractions for me?"
And then body would say: "Okay!"
But, sadly, the opposite can only happen! They only get stronger!!!
Anyhow, I, weak-like, dragged the stupid IV-on-wheels to the bathroom. Even though it's mobile, the thing wanted to make out with all three of the cords so I had to also make sure I didn't get all tangle up! I mean, whew! What a workout! The first time, I asked a nurse to help me. Then, I asked the nurse if this was something that I could do by myself and did I have to ask the nurse each time. She told me that I could do it myself. I was so grateful for that because waiting for the nurse just to go and pee made it so that by the time the nurse got there, I had to make my body want to get up again! The motivation to move was gone. I rather pee on myself than to get up and go.
I think I had already told you that I wanted a pee pan but the nurse said that it's much easiler to just get up and go. I guess you would have to trick your body extra time in order to go in that position.
Well! I was trying to tell you about the "bub" experience. *Deep breath* What do you think happened? I remember that my husband was there. I think he had went to get something to eat by the time I was yelling for him while in the bathroom. I was on the toilet (how graphic! Sorry!) and all I heard was a plop. My heart leaped inside of me. I thought that I just had my baby boy in the toilet! I felt something huge coming out of me so I placed one of my had to capture whatever it was before it hit the toilet. I only caught liquid so, bravely, I turned around to see what it was. It was a plastic, round ball that was attached to a tube.
"Alex!" I yelled out. He responded by coming to the door.
"Get the nurse!" I told him.
The nurse came into the bathroom to see what was going on. She congradulated me because I had hit the official centimeter that they considered is needed to be reached in order to offically say that I was in labor. What is it? Four centimeters? I forgot.
The nurse grabed some gloves and took care of the bub. I think she helped me back into the bed and told me that I was going to use the catether from now on in order to go pee. I was so thankful for that thing! No more getting up and down, now!
Will write more on another entry because I think I have maximized the number of characters to use here. [Next entry written on the same day] Alright! Where was I?
Those contractions! They felt like they were burning each time I had it. It was like an electric shock. I couldn't figure out what it was that was making it. My mom and husband was trying to get me to breathe and I wanted to clobber (speak check?) them. I didn't want to have anything to do with the deep breathing! I did the focusing on one thing in the room, though. I just breathed at my own pace. I knew that I had to keep telling my mind to breathe because, they say that a woman is typically focusing so much on the contractions and other things that they may forget to breathe. From experience, I can tell you that it's so true! This is why they recommend you to do lamaze (labor classes).
When the contractions kept hitting, my mom reminded me that we wanted to have a baby. She said it so sarcastic like and at the same time with a grin on her face. Shereta, I tell you, your hormones are so off that during labor you are left to second guess how close to God you really are! I mean, you feel like cussing everyone out during this time. I had to keep singing "Jesus, keep me near the cross" in my mind because I couldn't feel the gusto to sing it out loud!
Finally, I called the nurse to explain to them the electric shock feeling. It was coming from the place where the round part of the monitering cord (which is placed directly on my tummy) that is used to moniter my baby's heart beat. I told her that the baby was pressing against the round, plastic thing. She explained to me that underneath the round thing, there is a button that sticks out. So, when I had the contraction, it was digging into my skin. Hence, the feeling of being electricuted. Simply put, she moved the round part on another part of my tummy to give that area of my skin a rest for a while.
After realizing that what was making me feel so much pain, my mom and husband was quiet. I felt the contractions like they were nothing! I guess mom and Alex were amazed on how I have a low tolerance for pain.
As the contractions kept getting stronger and stronger, my body was getting more and more tired. I realized that I couldn't have the birth naturally. The pain was tolerable but my body was too tired to keep feeling it. It was like a nagging little child who wouldn't let you go to sleep while you are awfully tired. I told the nurse I was ready for the epidermal.
When the anesthetic guy came in with an assistant, I had to sign a lot of forms. My husband was kind of disappointed in the fact that I was doing the epidermal. He really doesn't like "drugs" (as he calls medicine). I think he was nervous that I might get hook on those narcatic medicines. I think the side effects also alarmed him.
I will have to tell you more later on. I need to eat something before Armando wakes up and demands breast milk. I'm trying to introduce formula to him so he can be on both. It's been an interesting ride! ^_^ [This is today's entry: June 30] Okay! I'm up early before everyone starts to stir. Actually, my step son wanted to get up around 6:50 this morning so I told him to go back to sleep. He's not in school so why get a three year old up that early?
Back to the epidermal situation! They had my husband to sit with his knees facing the side of my bed. Then, they raised me up so high that my short legs dangled off the side and my feet were placed in my husband's lap. First, the anesthetic guy was to numb me and then I would feel some cool liquid going into my back. I felt instant pain instead! I said "ow!" and my back couldn't help but arch up. They told me to relax. No relaxation method was going to spare me the pain I went through in order to even be numb first for the medication to take effect! I started to sweat—how do they say it? Bloody murder? (What does that refer to anyway?)
The assistant had the job to get me to relax while the anesthetist (am I even spelling these words right?) was probing at my back. Can you picture this? A small frame as I enduring such agony? I was ready to be knocked out by then. I had no ray of sunshine to visualize. No decent waterfall came no mind. No windy breeze. Just a picture of something cold and distant. Was I really ready to have another child after this one comes into the world?
I screamed. The anesthetist told me to shh.
"Shh? "
That was the thought that came to my mind. Tears came down my eyes. How can one human be so cruel? I'M IN PAIN AND HE WANTED ME TO "SHH"!!!
My husband tried to comfort me. I know it must have been hard for him to watch this all happen. The assistant had to hold my shoulders down and back so that I would stay in a relaxed position.
Well, needless to say, when it was all over, I was grateful! I did get numb. A little too numb, actually. During her rounds, the nurse caught that something was wrong. I'm guessing the moniter told her so. She went to go get the doctor who, when he came into the room, reminded either my husband or my mom of "Mr. McDreamy" from a TV show called Grey's Anatomy. I'm guessing the doctor doesn't watch that show because he looked rather confused when the name was mentioned. I had to explain to him who "Mr. McDreamy" is. I told him to take it as a compliment.
Checking me over, he asked the nurse to get him some ice. He put some of it in a glove and placed the iced glove in various places on my skin. He kept asking me if I felt the coldness. Calmly, I kept saying no until he started to inch up towards my head. Finally, I was able to feel the coolness of latex.
The doctor knew what was going on and exclaimed to me that I must be "feeling good" right now. I laughed and said that I was. My husband wanted to know what that meant. Simply put, my "fight or flight" mechanism was turned off. I told my husband if a bear had came into the room right now. I would probably wave and laughed at it instead of running away. I felt so drugged that I doubt if I would have noticed if the bear was tearing off my limbs!
Maybe I should take this opportunity and cut and paste all that I have been sharing with you on my xanga page. I think I shall! I'll try to continue my story later. |
