Around 7:30 or 8:00 pm on Monday night (9/19) I mentioned to Leo that I didn't want to sound the alarms, but tonight or tomorrow might just be "it." I decided to start timing contractions and they were anywhere between 2 and 6 minutes. So I decided to hop in the shower and get myself ready to go. I called Labor and Delivery once I got out of the shower, then called my parents. I told them we would bring the kids to their house because I didn't think there was a rush to get to the hospital. Leo loaded the boys, who were both sleeping, into the car one by one. We did a quick check to make sure we had everything - mind you the bags had been packed for at least 3 weeks and were sitting in the car ready to go. We didn't have to do much but get ourselves out the door. Upon the advice of the L and D nurse to drink lots of water, I had Leo stop at 7-11 for something to drink. Then we were off...only until we hit Bascom/Hamilton when I realized neither of the boys had shoes for the next day. Oops, slight oversight. We had to turn around to get their shoes. After the detour back home we were headed to the hospital. I called my mom again to tell her to meet us at the ER since I didn't think we would make it in time at this point. Contractions were getting stronger and coming on quicker.
We handed the kids off to my parents, hugged, kissed, got well wishes, etc...and headed up to the Labor and Delivery floor of the hospital. Just after 9:00 pm I was checked in and checked out. 4 cm dilated. My contractions were coming on strong and fast now...I asked for a little something in my IV drip to help for a bit - nice that I don't know what it was, but I think it was Demerol. Anyways, it helped for about half an hour to dull some of the contraction pain but then I was back to feeling everything. The midwife said she wanted to break my water to speed up the labor. My options were leave the water and have a long drawn out delivery or get the water broken and have a more intense but fast delivery. Remembering how it all went down with Julian (water broken by midwife, crazy contractions, Julian out in 3 pushes) I was hesitant. So the midwife offered another dose of Demerol, then would break the water a few minutes after the medicine took effect. That sounded like the best option to me and it's what we did. It was around 11:00 pm and I was 6 cm dilated by now. The second dons of medicine didn't do a damn thing. I was too far along for it to make any difference. So the midwife broke the water with this medieval plastic "hook" (I was like what-what? Because the midwife who broke my water for Julian just used her finger). By what Leo says it was pretty awful to watch - it must have looked worse than it felt because I didn't feel anything at all. So literally once the water was broken the midwife left the room to attend an emergency in another room with the doctor on call. This was probably 11:22 pm. 11:23 pm I feel a massive contraction coming on. I rip off the fetal monitors because they are making me crazy uncomfortable and I'm holding the handrails pretty much lifting myself off the bed in pain by my arms alone. Leo is trying to talk calmly to me but I am growling in pain (think the T-Rex roaring scene from the first Jurassic Park). The nurse in our room sees the baby's head and starts frantically pushing the help button to get a doctor or midwife in the room to help because she is not the person to deliver the baby - she's just there to help. She is screaming for help and telling me not to push...Leo starts screaming for the doctor and telling me to push. So all 3 of us are screaming. The baby literally comes out in one push at 11:24 pm - onto the bed I am supposedly levitating over (as Leo tells the story) and starts crying. We delivered the baby with no help, no doctor, no midwife. Just me and Leo, a scared nurse and lots of screaming done by all.
And after all the drama and a story for the books...here is my beautiful baby girl, I love you with all my heart Naomi!
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