A Baby Story

Monday, August 29--I was feeling fairly certain that little Opal was going to be an August baby when I started having contractions throughout the day on Monday. I even called the doctor, but they never became consistent. I was feeling desperate so Chris and I went to Provino's for supper and I ordered the eggplant parmesan. (I've never actually known anyone that it really worked for). I ate my leftovers again on Tuesday.
Tuesday, August 30--I had a chiropractor/massage appointment. My massage therapist had been telling me to let her know when I was close enough to my due date and as long as I consented she could hit some pressure points that may help get things going. Again I'm desperate...DO IT!!
Later that day....I saw my regular doctor. I'm 38 weeks pregnant, but my belly is 44 "weeks" pregnant! really??!!! I'm miserable!! Don't worry, kiddo (I don't know why she always called me kiddo) only one more week. You're not going into labor on your own anyway. You're not dilated AT ALL or effaced and she hasn't budged. She's not going anywhere.

I'm still feeling stronger contractions here and there all week and I'm taking a shower every night just in case I wake up in the middle of the night and have to go to the hospital.

September 1 comes and goes and I'm a little disappointed that she's going to miss the deadline for Kindergarten. Silly I know, but that's the teacher in me! I'm convinced that maybe the doctor is right after all and I'm not going to go into labor on my own so I DON'T TAKE A SHOWER THAT NIGHT!!!!!

Friday, September 2, 6:15 AM--I wake up with a crampy pain in my crotch and a strong urge to go to the bathroom. WARNING!! IT'S ABOUT TO GET GRAPHIC!!! So I go to the bathroom and I feel "something" come out. I look and there is what seems to be a big bloody ball about the size of a softball. yikes...is that my "water breaking"? I start calling for Chris and of course he doesn't hear me because he's been sleeping like a baby for the past nine months. I start banging on the bathroom wall and finally he comes in and I make him observe my passing. I then call for my mom who thankfully is already at our house. We all observe "it" as my cramping/obvious contractions are getting worse. These contractions immediately after the strange bathroom occurance. I call the doctor's office and of course they tell me to come on in. The whole thirty minute car ride the contractions are getting worse and worse and I'm getting crankier and crankier because my doctor told me I wasn't going to go into labor on my own no way no how. Granted I did eat the eggplant! We get to the hospital around 7 and Chris drops me off at the door. I enter the main entrance to the hospital because there are no signs for a labor and delivery section like luxurious Northside Atlanta. I'm obviously in pain and I tell the lady at the check-in counter that I need to get to labor and delivery (should have taken that hospital tour!). She asks if I'm in labor...YES! A nurse with a wheelchair FINALLY comes to get me after taking her sweet precious time getting there only to cart me off to a corner in the hallway because THERE ARE NO ROOMS IN THE INN!!! Now I'm thinking this is what Mary felt like! I'm put in a bed, given an IV, asked a lot of questions, etc. and the whole time I'm thinking "why am I in the freaking hall?" No fault of their own, but there is some major lack of communication going on between these nurses.

Anyway, I'm checked for dilation and I am already 6cm! Really? My water broke an hour ago and I wasn't dilated AT ALL two days ago? These contractions are coming hard and I'm crying because it wasn't supposed to be like this and I was thinking even if I went into labor on my own, I'd just go straight to the hospital and I'd get wheeled off to the ER for my C-section. NOPE. I ask for the epidural several times. We can't give you the epidural until you're in a room and there are no rooms! Luckily I have this private screen in front of me and tall people can see over it and it's not awkward at all hearing someone labor in the hall as you pass by! I get some kind of pain meds to take the edge off...not really! The nurses keep asking me if I just want to go ahead and have a VBAC because I'm so close. NO THANK YOU I am not trying to push this baby out and I'm not even a candidate b/c she's not completely head down. GET ME A ROOM ALREADY!! Well here we are TWO HOURS LATER. Two long hours that I've been laboring moaning and groaning in the hall no telling how dilated I am now and I finally get a room! Not just any room though. A triage room that's not even prepped for a C-section! Talk about chaos! Nobody knew what was going on!

Finally after all the shaking and nausea and tugging and pulling "little" Opal comes out looking just like Mommy (according to my doctor) at 9:19 A.M. so cute and perfect looking like her big brother with her little button nose only chubbier! 9 lbs. 4 oz. of perfection. Was it worth it? of course! Will I do it again? NEVER! Sweet sweet Opal, you'll always be my baby girl!