On Wednesday December 3rd, Jeremy and I went for my 38 week check up. Dr. Graham said I was dilated to a “loose” one. She could have stretched me to 2 cm but she didn’t want me to go into labor. Dr. Graham is a big Alabama fan and they made it to the SEC Championship. Graham was having a BIG party and would be out of commission from 4 pm on Saturday to 4 am on Sunday, meaning she was not going to be able to deliver Kiley if I were to go into labor during that time frame. I was then paranoid that I would go into labor and Graham would not be able to deliver me. I told her I was just going to show up at her house if I did go into labor during the game.
Well, my friend Ashley had stopped to visit me Friday December 5th on her way home to Melbourne, FL from Alabama. I asked how long she was going to visit, and she didn’t know. I told her if she would stay until Sunday I would have Kiley then. Jeremy and Ashley laughed at me because they said I could not decide when Kiley was going to come. Saturday night Ashley asked Jeremy and me what the signs of labor and when we were to head to the hospital. We were a little fuzzy on the specifics. Ashley decided to pick up my book “What to Expect when Expecting” off the floor and give us a quick refresher course. Later that night while we all were watching tv, I told Ashley and Jeremy I thought I was having a contraction and that Kiley would be coming the next day. They bought laughed at me again.
It all started Sunday December 7th at 4 am with me waking up thinking that my water had broke. I really wasn’t sure if my water broke because I was not wet nor was the bed. I just figured that I caught the very beginning of my water breaking and made it to the bathroom in time. Since, I wasn’t sure if my water had broken, I decided to get back in bed and time what I thought were contractions. Jeremy woke up at 4:15 am and asked what I was doing holding a light and my running watch. He soon figured I was timing contractions. He knew we were to head to the hospital if my water had broke, but I told him lets go back to bed and wait a bit longer to make sure I was really in labor. Being 4 am, he agreed. However, my contractions were 4 to 5 minutes apart and lasting from 45 seconds to a 1 minute, and I decided to call the hospital. They told me to come in if I thought my water broke, and they could do a test to determine if it did indeed break. If my water broke, they would admit me; if not, they would send me home. I woke up Ashley to let her know we were heading to the hospital and I would call if I was admitted.
By the time we got to the hospital, it was around 6 am. I almost got sick on the ride in the elevator to the evaluation room. I figured it was my nerves; I later found out it was the labor process making me sick. Well, the test was positive that my water did break, and at 6:30, I was dilated to almost 4 cm. As soon as they wheeled me into my room, I felt sick again. The nurse barely got Jeremy a bucket in time for me to get sick. I got sick several times. The nurse gave me Phenergan in my IV, and I got sick 10 minutes later. They tried another medicine but that didn’t help. I was pretty much getting sick with every contraction. Dr. Graham came in to check on me. I told her I didn’t feel well, and she said I didn’t look well! Jeremy later told me that with every contraction my eyes would roll back in my head and my lips with clinch and only my teeth would show. He said it was pretty scary looking. She recommended the nurse give me more medicine, but again it didn’t help. Graham suggested that an epidural may help with the nausea because it could be the pain that was making me sick. I was trying deliver without an epidural. However, I was having a hard time getting through the contractions because I couldn’t determine whether to focus on getting through the pain or not getting sick. I couldn’t do both. If I focused on not getting sick, the pain was really strong, and if I focused on getting through the pain, I got sick. Around 10 am, I was 6 cm dilated and decided to get an epidural hoping it would help with the nausea.
Well, the first epidural was defective. The catheter was not open on the other end so the medicine was not going into my body. The anesthesiologist said he had never had that happen before, and Graham said she had never heard of that happening. Needless to say, he had already taken the needle out so I had to get poked again. Not fun. The second try worked and within 5 minutes I was relaxed enough to sleep. I passed out for about 2 hours, and when I woke up I was dilated to 8 cm.
Shortly after 2 pm, I was fully dilated and ready to start pushing. Before I stared pushing my friend, Lori, said that Kiley would be out in seven pushes. I pushed 7 times and within 10-15 minutes Kiley was born at 2:34 pm. Thank you Lori for that blessing! Not sure how people push longer than that! Attention, the rest of this paragraph could be viewed as graphic by some readers! Read at your own risk. The weirdest/awkward/uncomfortable part of the whole thing was when Kiley's head was half out. I wanted her to go back in or just come out! I didn't like the in between feeling.
Jeremy did very well through the labor process. He patted my leg when I was getting my epidural and played with my hair during the pushing phase. I did not yell at him at all! Jeremy did cut the cord. I was impressed. Then again, I don’t think he had much of a choice because Graham just handed him the scissors.
Kiley weighed 6 pounds 6 ounces and was 19.75 inches tall. (Side note: I also don't know how people give birth naturally to babies bigger than Kiley. Congrats to those mothers that have.) We couldn’t believe we were parents. We were so excited and nervous at the same time. We were now responsible for a child. It was kind of scary too. Kiley was finally here, and we were now a family!
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