birth of Mei-Mei

For those of you who love a birth story, here we go.

On Thursday (July 31, 2014), I had a doctor's appointment in the morning. This was my weekly check-up to make sure everything was going okay. The doctor examined me and determined that I was maybe 2 cm dilated but that my cervix was still not ready. I remember leaving the office a bit bummed--since I have been feeling way too pregnant and in some pain.

Later that day, I started to feel some contractions. But, I had been feeling practice contractions for several weeks, so I didn't think anything of it. After an hour, I realized that the contractions weren't going away like they usually do--and that the pain was getting worse. So, I called the doctor to see what she thought. She told me to wait and see if the contractions got worse--or if my waters broke.

Fede came home and I warned him that this may be the day. Then I finished packing my hospital bag. After a couple more hours, at around 10 PM, I told him that he might want to start packing a hospital bag for himself--and I handed him a list that I had ripped out from some magazine. The pain started getting worse and worse. I went downstairs to tell my dad (who had arrived the day before--brilliant timing) that we were going to go to the hospital. I gave him some instructions about what to do with Elie. Then Fede and I drove to the hospital.

We arrived at around 11:30 PM. They hooked me up to a monitor to make sure that the baby was doing okay. They checked to see how dilated I was (5 cm) and then they told me I could use the jetted bath tub down the hall if I wanted.

So, we went down the hall and I sat in the bath tub for awhile. It was great. I have no idea why, but hot water takes away most of the pain--at least during the early part of labor. Poor Fede was so exhausted (it's after midnight by this time) that he is lying on the hard, tile floor in the most uncomfortable position. Eventually, we have to go back to the room to get monitored again. Everything looks good, and so I try using one of those giant fitness balls to bounce on during the contractions. That doesn't really work too great. So then I get into the shower. But by this time, I am getting really tired. And oddly, even though the shower is super hot, I feel cold. That's when I realize that it is time to quit trying to labor "au natural" and ask for an epidural.

They needed to check me again, and I was only 5.5 cm. Dammit! Three hours of pain for half a centimeter! I almost cried when the nurse said that the doctor might not agree to give me an epidural because I might not be in "active labor" since I hadn't dilated much in the past three hours. But thankfully, she came back later and said that the doctor had okayed it, since this was my second baby and something could happen quickly.

Meanwhile, the contractions were getting stronger and stronger--and having to stay still while they put in the IV and epidural was agony. But in the end, the pain gradually went away. And when they checked me at 4:30 AM, I was 7.5 cm. So clearly my "active labor" had begun. They also broke my waters, in the hopes that doing so would also make sure that my labor continued.

Then, it was time to sleep. Fede turned the uncomfortable couch into an uncomfortable bed. And we both slept. It felt odd to have no idea what my body was doing. I could hear the paper that was recording the baby's heart rate fall to the ground. But I had no idea when or if I was having a contraction.

At around 7 AM, I woke up and wondered whether anything had happened. I was a bit worried that during my slumber, my body decided not to continue with labor. Thankfully, when they checked me at around 8 AM, they told me I was 9.5 cm dilated. Yay! The doctor thought that in about an hour, I would probably be fully dilated and ready to push.

So, Fede decided to go get some breakfast. And I sat there trying to determine whether I felt "pressure" and the "need to push"--which is a vague sensation when everything is so numb. But eventually, I did feel like I was ready to push--and Fede still hadn't come back from breakfast. Argh! Thankfully, he came back soon enough, and then it was time to push!

The first pushes were useless. And the doctor decided it was time to empty my bladder. Wow. I had no idea my bladder could hold so much! Especially since I could barely hold a tablespoon when I was pregnant. Emptying the bladder proved to be the necessary step--because my next pushes were much more effective (not that I could tell since I couldn't feel anything down there). And after 15 minutes of pushing, Mei-Mei came out! I could almost feel my belly and body breathe a sigh of relief.

I half expected to see "ginger" hair, like we did with Elie. But Mei-Mei has brown hair. They immediately put her on my chest so we could get to know one another. We still don't have a name--but we'll probably call her Mei-Mei for awhile.