It was Tuesday, November 4th, at 5:28am, when my alarm went off to call the hospital to see if they had any beds available for me because it was a elective induction not a medical emergency. I was disappointed when the nurse said they did not. So we waited for the discharge nurse to call when they had a room available.
One of the perks of getting induced is that you can plan childcare for your little one(s) ahead of time. Jared and I dropped Rory and Finn off the night before at his parent's house. So, my boo and I had some quality time together. We spent the day getting breakfast at Brookfield's then going home and watching Game of Thrones. Then we grabbed a cup of coffee and met up with my sister's, mom, and my grandma for lunch. We were all so anxious, hoping that my phone would ring SOON...
Jared and I went home and I decided to call at 3:00pm they said to come in at 4:00pm. I jumped with excitement and yelled at Jared in the other room "we get to go in!" I called my mom to let her know.
We checked in. I got to put on my gown and hospital socks, and met my first nurse (Sarah). She hooked me up to the monitors for my contractions and baby's heart beat, then she started my IV. My doctor (Doctor Ho) came in to check me at 5pm, I was 2cm dilated and 50% effaced. She then broke my water and put me on petocin. They started my dose at 1ml drip, then waited for a hour and brought me up to a 2ml. I started having contractions. During all this, my mom, grandma, and sister Anne came in to the room. I wanted them to be there throughout labor and delivery.
I started to have my contractions too close together, so they brought me back to 1ml. Sarah's shift ended at 7pm, so I asked if Rosemary was working that night. Rosemary was a part of Rory's and Finn's labors, but never was able to deliver, because her shift would end. She was available this time too! However, she only was there till 11pm. It was still very special to see her again though. I was handling the contractions really well. I was able to relax my body and had control, breathing through each contraction. Then I remember calling Rosemary saying calmly, "I think I am ready for the epidural now." She laughed and checked me. I was 6cm dilated and 80% effaced. She called the anesthesiologist, which was the best one I have had. I looked forward to this moment, second best part of labor, besides seeing the babe ;). Rosemary's shift ended, then my new nurse Liz started. The rest of the time I rested, waiting until I felt the pressure to push.
Sometime around 1am I felt pressure and some pain. I called Liz, she came in and checked me I was 8cm and 100% effaced. My epidural was on a drip system, Liz told me to push it to be more comfortable. I didn't want to, because I wanted to feel the contractions to make it easier to push. I remember Jared coming to my side and holding my hand. I started to feel Piper sliding down further in the birth canal, giving me the urge to push. I remember saying I need to push! My mom grabbed Liz. She checked me, paged someone to call Dr. Ho, who lived close to the hospital, to come on in. I felt like I wasn't going to make it, so Liz called another doctor to stand by. There were four to five people ready and waiting for the doctor to come in. I remember one of the nurses saying "if you feel like you need to bear down and push we are here." Liz said "or you can wait for Dr. Ho to come in, just keep on breathing in and out, and let the baby come on her own." Finally! Dr. Ho arrived I gave a push, then another, her head was out. Then came the hard part, the shoulders. I gave two more pushes, feeling my lower half moving and shifting. Dr. Ho said "Wow! She's a big baby!" she then pulled and tugged on Piper, to help. And then a rush of relief, she was out! Her warm little body was placed on my chest, she was perfect. I remember just holding her, closing my eyes, thanking God for my beautiful and healthy baby girl.
Rory's expression is priceless. You can see the love.
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