The Night She Was Born (Part 2)

As we were waiting for the doctor to come in, contractions continued, and the nurse came back in.  She has a bunch of paperwork, and said that we could start filling it out since she was pretty sure we would be sticking around.  I wondered what she saw on the monitor that made her so sure.

With every contraction, I heard the baby's heartbeat loud and clear from the monitor.  I didn't remember hearing that sound when I was in labor with Reilly (I later found out from my mom that I was right, and the sound on the monitor was turned down with Reilly).  But that sound helped me so much.  I closed my eyes and talked to my baby.  I heard her heart beating, and willed it not to slow down at all as the contraction peaked.  I would concentrate on keeping that heartbeat strong, as we fought through the contraction together.  Then it would slow down, and the pain subsided.  That was how I got through every single contraction...silently praying and talking to my baby.  Telling her that it would be okay and we could do this.

The doctor came in and seemed kind of smiley in an odd way...if you have ever seen the Friend's episode when Phoebe gave birth to triplets, he TOTALLY reminded me of the Fonzie doctor that delivered them.  He checked how dilated I was, as we waited to hear the verdict.  Then his eyes got wide and said, "WOW! Guess how dilated you are!!"  I looked at Hubby, confused, wondering why we were suddenly involved in some type of strange labor game show.  I responded, "Umm..5 centimeters?"  To which he, still with a goofy smile said, "NOPE! Guess again! Higher!" 

Higher?? Why is this guy so strange?  Who says this to a woman in labor?  But I figured I would guess again anyway, what choice did I have?

"Um..8 centimeters?"  I hardly believed that this could be true, but I was already caught up in this strange guessing game and I just wanted to know the answer!

"YEP!" he responded, with a huge grin.  "Tell you what's gunna happen...I'm going to break your water, you're going to push twice, and we're gunna have this baby in 10 minutes."  Then he left.

I responded with an expletive, which I won't repeat, and Hubby and I looked at each other, laughing with excitement.  Proving, once again, that people can be in labor and still smile.

It was once again too late for an epidural, which I didn't even need or want.  But the nurses kept asking me what kind of pain medication I wanted, to which I told them none, and they looking confused and kept working.  A few minutes later, when I was in the labor room and out of triage, I kept fighting through the contractions.  My mom was next to me by now along with Brett, helping me breathe.  I kept asking where that doctor was who told me I'd have a baby in ten minutes.  They wanted to let my body work a little but more.  The contractions got worse, but not yet close to the pain I remembered with Reilly.  By the time the doctor entered, I was flat out scared.  I knew that as soon as he broke my water, the next contraction was going to be wicked.  I knew that the pain would increase exponentially in the coming minutes.  But I also knew it would be over soon, and I just needed to keep going.  After all, what choice did I have? 

My whole body started shaking, partially due to hormones and partially due to fear, I think.  The doctor asked me if I wanted pain meds.  I snapped at him.  I said, "No I don't.  Why does everyone want me to have pain meds so badly?!"  He told me it's because they don't want to see me in pain.  Oh.  Well, that's nice then.  But no thank you, let's just get this baby out please.  As he got ready to break my water, I asked if I was 10 centimeters yet.  He said it didn't matter, if I wanted to push I could push.  I think my story of how Reilly fell out of me, which I kept telling everyone, might have made an impression.

So he told me to tell him when I was ready, and he would break my water.  All the nurses were standing around, watching the monitor to see when the contraction was passed.  I was terrified to say I was ready, but I finally did.  He broke my water...and we waited.  I knew I had only 3-4 minutes until the pain came.  Everyone was facing me, looking from the monitor to my face, back and forth, waiting to see when it would come and how hard it would hit.  My mom, being an obstetric nurse, told me later that normal contractions measure at about 80-90 at the peak of a contraction, and go down to 20 when they pass.  She said that when my contractions peaked, the monitor said 125++.

The next contraction came, and I started screaming.  Prior to this, I was relatively quiet.  My eyes were closed and I felt baby coming.  The doctor said, "Help her!  Tell her what to do!"  I realized I never actually had to push, so I didn't really know how.  The nurse told me to put my chin to my chest, and not to scream.  Then they all counted as I pushed for counts of 10.  I once again was talking to God/baby as I willed my body to get this baby out.  After the second push, I could feel that she was almost there.  I knew the third one would do it.  I used every ounce of strength in my body.  I was completely silent as I pushed baby out.  My mind was not quiet - but outside I was.  And then the silence was broken.  The best sound in the world.  She cried.  Our baby was here, and she was a girl, and she cried.

Thank you, God.

Reagan Kate
Weight: 7 lbs. 5 oz.
Length:  20 1/4
Time:  1:37 am
Date:  March 4, 1012