Since we are in countdown mode (six more days) till Mae's First Birthday, I think it is about time that Flashback Friday talks about Mae's actual "birth" day.
Mae was born on September 2nd at 3:05 pm. That moment was probably the happiest of my life while also filled with a rush of relief that it was all over. I remember thinking that I totally underestimated how hard labor was going to be and that I was never EVER going to go through it again.
It all began at about 10:30 pm on Tuesday, September 1st. I started contractions or what I thought were contraction. You really don't know if IT is IT until it really happens. Pearson, the ever supportive husband, kept telling me not to get my hopes up and try to go to bed. I tried my best but the contractions were keeping me up and I knew that if I didn't get out of bed I would be keeping Pearson up. So I headed down to the couch to try to get more comfortable. For about three hours I had contractions coming about every 20 minutes or so (I think!). Then I started to feel sick like I might have the flu. I was starting to get worried because Pearson and I had gone to a new restaurant that night and I thought I might have food poisoning. Again, you don't know IT is IT till you are really in the midst of it.
I tried to hold off the vomiting but once I started I couldn't stop. I threw up for the next couple hours and decided to call the doctor to see what I should do. The doctor told me to try to tough it out at home and come in if I couldn't handle it any longer. That opened the door for me to get my bag and stand by the door. In the meantime, Pearson was up and said he needed to walk the dog, take out the trash, shower, and get his things. When he came back from taking Ditka around the block, I was standing by the door ready to go. We left (no shower for Pearson). It was about 5 am at this point.
We got to the hospital, me with a trash can in hand. I was admitted to triage where they checked me. I was only 1 centimeter dilated. I couldn't believe it. At this point my contractions were happening every three minutes. Reason being, I was so dehydrated. Dehydration causes contractions to happen quicker. They told me they were going to get me some medicine for the nausea and send me home. I stood a little shocked that I would have to go back home but was hopeful to feel well enough to go home for a little bit.
They said they needed to start an IV on me, which I said 'let's get this going.' Also not to be too graphic, I was in a tank top and nothing else. I was heaving and not to my knowledge my water was also breaking. So every time I threw up (by this time it was the color of orange juice and very painful), my embryonic fluid would come out. I was quite a sight. Back to the IV, the first nurse came in to get a line started. She failed three times trying to find a viable vein. The second nurse came in, she poked me a couple of times and also failed at finding a viable vein. After these unsuccessful attempts they decided to call in the IV specialist. She came in and also failed. Finally they decided to send in the anesthesiologist, she initially had success and left the room. Then I notice all this fluid pooling in my wrist, again another failure. She came back and finally had success. Although this might seem like it happened in a matter of minutes but this took over three hours. Those three hours felt like 30 minutes. Pearson was surprised I didn't yell at anyone during this period. Honestly, I was so sick and felt so crummy I didn't have any energy but to focus on getting through this experience.
After the successful attempt by the anesthesiologist, they decided to check me again. And I was only at 3 centimeters. I couldn't even believe it. However, at that point, they decided to admit me instead of sending me home. I got sent to a room and given my nurse. Swedish, where we delivered, is one nurse per one patient. The nursing staff is also on 12 hour shifts so that you can hopefully have the same nurse the whole time. The anesthesiologist was still with me and asked me what else I wanted in terms of drugs to take the sting away. At that point, I decided to get the epidural (a decision I regret now but nothing I can do now, to change it). After getting the epidural and/or laying down, Baby Cummings heart rate kept decreasing. This required a lot of nurses to come in to the room to flip me back and forth, me having oxygen, many visits by Dr. Block [my OB], and of course worry by both Pearson and I. Despite all this, I was happy to not be sick anymore. This went on for awhile (I lost track of time). Mae's heart rate would stabilize, then it would plummet. After the third incident of her heart rate plummeting, Dr. Block came in to discuss the potential of a C-Section. Also, my labor was stalled and I had only dilated to 5 centimeters. We discussed with Dr. Block the risks if we didn't go forward with surgery. I wanted to avoid a C-Section if possible, however, I was not willing to risk my or Mae's safety. Dr. Block, Pearson, and I made a deal. We would wait one hour and see where we were at. One hour later, she came in and there had been no incidence of heart rate dropping and I had progressed to 8 centimeters. I felt I was on my way.
Shortly thereafter (or what I thought), I was at 9 centimeters. A new nurse had come in to take over the duties of my other nurse who was having lunch. I believe her named was Megan and I couldn't have asked for a kinder woman. I also started to feel sick again and the epidural wore off. I pretty much started begging for more drugs. They helped me out with the sickness and gave me a little more drugs (though they didn't want to give me too much so that I could "feel" when I pushed). Yes, that is laughable now but at that point not so much. Then all of sudden folks were coming in and I was being moved to the OR. Doctor Block was there and Mae's heart rate had decreased again. Of course, I was freaked out because it was happening so fast and there wasn't much discussion. A whole team of people were in the OR (the NICU people were there since Mae had meconia), then all of sudden the room cleared. It was Dr. Block, my two nurses, and Pearson. Dr. Block decided that since our baby's heart rate stabilized, she was going to try to let me push for a little bit. I can not thank my doctor enough for being my advocate and being awesome during this whole experience. Not to go into too many details but I pushed for about 45 minutes and FINALLY, after 9 long months, at 3:05 pm, we found out we had a healthy, beautiful baby girl. She was (and is) perfect.
I know a lot of moms say giving birth was the best day of their lives and I am going to agree with them. I never knew that I was missing someone from my life until that moment.
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