It was a cool July morning as the I woke from a restless sleep to see light peeping through the dark green curtains over the window at the side of the room. Today was the day. I was a week overdue with no signs that my body was going to willing go into labor on its own. I carefully dressed and slid my swollen feet into sandals.
While I dressed, I listen to the soft sound of water. My husband was quickly showering and also getting ready for the trip to the hospital. He moved much more quickly than my swollen tired body would allow me to move.
I dressed comfortably in a new light blue cotton athletic suit with white t-shirt. I had purchased the comfortable suit about a month prior just for the occasion. Our bags for the hospital waited quietly as the foot of the stairs; one bag for baby and one for mommy. We had even backed an array of snacks and recreational items to help pass the time during the early stages of labor.
Excitedly we loaded the car and proceeded to the cafe in town where we would eat our last breakfast as a couple without kids. The restaruant was empty with the exception of a couple other early morning risers. We were able to talk and hear each other easily as we discussed and dreamed about parenthood.
Delivery
We had a nurse assigned to us. As first time parents she wanted to be available to answer all questions. As I sat in the delivery bed she went through each line of the hospital intake forms asking the same questions over that I had so carefully filled-out months before. This seemed to be a distraction technique so that we would relax as we waited in anticipation to begin inducing the labor.
Our doctor greeted us as we finished settling into the hospital delivery room and filling out the paperwork. He asked how we were feeling and checked how we were doing before he calmly talked us through what was going to occur.
Step 1. I was hooked up to all of the monitors
Step 2. Break the bag of water
Step 3. Pitocin in a steadily increasing dose.
My body did not need much to go into labor. Upon breaking the "Bag of water" I started having contractions. I am honestly not even sure that I would have needed Pitocin.
The doctor left the room and the nurse continued to administer Pitocin and fidget with the baby monitor. A large wide belt wrapped around my belly and placed strategically to try and hear the babies heart beat. For some reason his heart beat kept moving and she was constantly repositioning the belt to find the heart beat and measure the intensity of the contractions.
This went on for about an hour with people coming and going from the room. I would breath through a contraction that she did not see on the monitor and she would look for the baby. As things progressed she went ahead and got the doctor. The lack of ability to track the baby or my contractions was concerning so they placed a monitor on the undelivered babies head.
This shortly revealed that the baby was in stress from the contractions. I was now breathing oxygen through a mask while they continued to monitor the heart rate and contractions with little ease.
With little improvement the doctor decided it was time to deliver the baby (Alex) as quickly as possible and a suction cup type device was placed on his head and used to pull him from my body while I pushed during a contraction.
The umbilical cord and been wrapped around Alex's neck cutting of oxygen as his body tried to turn and pass through the birth canal. However, all standard APGAR tests measured him to be healthy and responding once born. He was pink, had good lungs, alert eyes, and most importantly all his fingers and toes.
We were elated, happy, proud new parents of a baby boy born 8lbs exactly on July 6, 2004.
