Okinawa-rama

I got a lot of suggestions as to how to induce the labor, from spicy foods, to walking, to well...other things. And the "other things" seemed to do the trick and I started having contractions early Wednesday morning at about 1 am or so. They kept on strengthening throughout the night but were kind of all over the place as far as length and intervals went, so I wasn't quite sure what to do. Do I go to the hospital now? Do I keep hanging out around the house? By about 7am the pain was enough for me to wake Joe up and let him know it was time to get ready to go. At least I'd feel like I was doing something. Here's a picture of me as we head out the door posing like this picture of my mom, who was heading out the door to have me 30+ years previous. And another "last couple shot" of me and Joe. I almost collapsed after the camera snapped.

We got to the hospital and they said I'd only dialated 2cm. That's it?! Are you kidding me? I still had 2 more to go before I would be considered to be in "active labor". They suggested I walk around the hospital for awhile and check back in after 2 hours to see how I progressed. It took us two hours to make 2 laps around the hospital. I wondered what passersby were thinking as Joe and I shuffled along the sidewalk, stopping every few feet to cling to him for life until the contraction had passed. Here's a picture of me shuffling through the hospital. I was really pissed that Joe thought it was a good time to snap a photo. He told me I'd be grateful for it later on...



Finally we made it back to Labor and Delivery. They checked me out and told me I had dialated to 3 cm. Apparently this wasn't enough and they sent me home, where I spent much of the next 10 hours or so in the bathtub. I did manage to catch some of American Idol too, so I guess staying home was good for something. But by about 8pm or so I'd had enough. This pain had to be leading somewhere, so we headed back to the hospital.

I had dialated to 4cm, but they said I could still go home. Hells no. I told them to check me in. I wanted to feel like progress was being made, I guess. They told me to walk around some more though. We did. Then I came back and they hooked me up to an IV and a bunch of baby monitering stuff. I had requested intermitent monitering in my birthplan, meaning I could walk around and the staff would just check the vitals every now and then. But the navy corpsman (kind of a medical technician type) said no, I was attached to this stuff for good. By this time, I was too exhausted to care. I had him hook me up comforted somewhat by the promise that I'd get to use the birthing ball.

For some reason I was really eager to use the birthing ball - basically a big inflatable yoga ball. It just has always sounded cool to me and I thought that it would be the one tool I'd need help me have a natural childbirth (no meds). And it was, indeed, comfortable to sit on the thing. So comfortable, in fact, that I practically stopped having contractions. And that was the end of the birthing ball. And the beginning of the epidural.

It didn't take much convincing to get me to take it. Well, none at all. I was like bring it on. But after I got it, I wondered if I'd made the right decision. First of all, I started shaking uncontrollably. That was weird. Then they started doing all these things to me -- giving me a cathater, putting a moniter up in me and onto the baby's head, making me wear an oxygen mask etc. I couldn't feel my right leg at all and I was miserable. But at least I could sleep a little. Poor Joe had to sleep in the armchair at the end of the bed.





Morning time finally arrived and with it a new doctor, nurse and corpsman. The nurse was the main person who was taking care of me. She was great. She seemed to really know what she was doing, was down to earth AND was a fellow Carolina alum. We compared notes on different places on Franklin Street. By about 8am she told me it was finally time to push. She grabbed one leg, Joe grabbed another and the real action began.

I pushed and I pushed and I pushed. I even accepted the offer to check out the "fruits of my labor" in the mirror. The nurse kept telling me she could see the head. I couldn't...and then I could! My little man's head was emerging. And I kept pushing and pushing and my epidural was wearing off and when it did, boy I really pushed. I threw up and pushed some more. Finally the doctor made an appearance. Joe was still holding on by my side. He was really good. I didn't feel the urge to yell at him about how he put me into this situation or anything. His encouragement was helping me.

When the doctor arrived on the scene, things really started changing. She was doing something down there (they had taken the mirror away at this point), something painful and something good, 'cause I started to feel the baby making his way into the world. (Joe later told me it looked like she was ripping my vagina open like a bag of Doritos...nice) And then the doc, the nurse, and Joe all started shouting "push, push, push, push!!!!" really fast and boy I did. And I started making some crazy "caveman sounds" according to Joe and crying and then...all at once he was out! Just like that. I was crying and they put him on my chest to hold real quick before whisking off to be cleaned and prepped and whatever they do and Joe cut his cord and I watched from my bed. And they gave him back to me for his first feeding.



Joe and Gabe and I spent the next two days in the hospital. Gabe slept in the room with us in his little bassinette and Joe slept in this really uncomfortable looking convertible armchair. Gabe and I learned how to nurse. Joe took care of diaper and swaddling duties.

And then, we went home! So here we are and have been for the last week which, between being teathered to Gabriel by my breast, doing laundry and catching up on sleep, is how long it's taken me to write this post. Hopefully I'll be able to update the site more often though. At least with pics of our boy 'cause he's pretty darn cute and who wouldn't want to see weekly updates of that little choochie face?!

Love and miss y'all at home.

xxoo Kelly