Everyone has their own story behind the birth of their child. It is a very personal thing to go through. I didn't publicly share too many pictures, although I have many. Although I am usually very open about everything, I am protective of a few things. But....I do love telling the story of Olivea's birth.
For my job, I do marketing and promotions for a NASCAR race team. There is travel and lots of walking, helping out, hot days and cold nights. So when I found out I was pregnant, I had to cut back on a lot of what I did with the team. Instead of being behind the scenes, I had to move to being in the stands with the spectators. Olivea was due a week after the biggest race of the season. I left for the track early since I didn't want to park far from the stands being super pregnant. Nick didn't want to go that early, so he said he would meet me later. When later came and he still wasn't there, I was pissed. He said he wasn't feeling good, but I thought he was just making excuses not to go. But when he ended up in the ER, my anger turned to concern and worry. He ended up having kidney stones. OUCH! They say for men it's the equivalent of giving birth. I don't know about that, but it is painful. As I drove home from the race that night, my back pain got worse and worse. I was uncomfortable all day, but it was becoming so painful, I was in tears. I tried calling my mom for advice, but she didn't answer. So I went home. Nick was hopped up on pain medication, which instead of knocking him out, they make him more awake. I chalked up my back pain to all the walking at the race track, turned off my phone and settled in for a long sleep.
The next day, Nick and I were lazy all day. We sat around watching movies and didn't even shower. My mom and her husband dropped some Chinese food off for us and stayed for a short visit. Finally around 10pm Nick convinced me that a warm bath would help me relax and sleep better (those of you who have ever been prego, know how hard it is to sleep with all the uncomfort and getting up to pee 5 times a night). Nick joined me since we have a huge tub and I said to him, "this may be the last time we get to do this for a long time." So we both just enjoyed it. Without going into too much detail...I wanted to say this because people tell you sex helps you go into labor. And I can say from experience it worked!
Nick was up all night playing his computer game (something I will never understand, but it makes him happy). And at 3:02am I shot out of bed yelling "oh shit!" and darted into the bathroom.
Nick "what's wrong?"
Me: "I either just peed myself or my water broke!"
Nick: "well which one is it?"
Me: "I don't know, its still going and I can't see."
Nick: "well then turn on the light! Does it smell like pee?"
Nick came into the bathroom, and we both inspected the contents of the toilet and decided that it was indeed my water. So he told his gamer friends that he had to go, one of which replied "you're going to be a horrible dad. I can't believe you took time to say good-bye." Totally un-called for since I was still sitting on the toilet. Nick got ready in a hurry...from the toilet, I calmly made phone calls and updated Facebook with the news. My bags had been packed for weeks, and the hospital was only 20 minutes away, so I didn't feel the need to rush around in a panic. I put on some fresh clothes, and waterproofed myself as best as possible for the car ride. My mom said she was having a dream about my water breaking just when I called. My sister said she was having trouble sleeping and woke up at 3am and checked Facebook and saw my post. They both met me at the hospital. Nick's mom came a few hours later since she had to take her kids to school.
I didn't start having contractions until just before we arrived at the hospital--about an hour after my water broke. I checked in, and got my room while Nick parked. My sister came in with me and was there the whole time. The nurse said she needed to check me to see if it was actually my water that broke, which provided a very comical moment. As the nurse checked me, she broke open my water even more and we both got drenched. The look on both of our faces was shock and horror...for me, it was the uncomfortable feeling of warm water gushing out and onto the waterproof pad and up my back. Ewwww.
The contractions started getting stronger and it was harder to just breathe through them. At about 9:30am, I ruptured--which I later found out was early. Each contraction seemed more painful than the next. The nurse asked me if I wanted pain meds, but I refused. I had decided after weighing all the facts and options, to only have an epidural. I want to stress that this is each person's personal decision and should not ever be ridiculed by anyone. You know your body best...and you should do what you feel is good for you. If you go natural, good for you! That is really awesome and brave. If you decide you need the pain meds and an epidural, that is your choice...and I would not judge someone for their decision. For me, I did not want to possibly have my daughter affected by narcotics, so I waited it out. Nick was such a good coach. For all the hard time I give him, he was there and such an awesome support when I really needed him to be. I was cussing A LOT...crying, yelling, and not breathing very well. Despite his best efforts to get me to relax and breathe, I would just hold my breath and yell at Nick. Oh and the damn blood pressure cuff would activate every time I had a contraction. And that thing was hurting worse than the contractions--well...at first anyway.
I had to kick everyone out of the room for a little bit. They were all anxious and taking bets on when the baby would come. I was in pain and upset and couldn't handle all the noise. I felt bad, but I had already told everyone to stop talking.
Eventually, they moved me to the birthing room, and then gave me the epidural. Let me see if I can describe this for you...I was hooked up to monitors so they could see my contractions, baby's heart rate, etc. The damn blood pressure cuff kept pinching me and cutting off my circulation and if you move, it gets tighter. The doctor came in to do the epidural, a process that takes about 8 minutes. You have to sit up. So I sat sideways on the bed, with my legs folded under me....I gripped the edge of the bed with my hands, Nick held one shoulder, and the nurse braced my other shoulder. As the doctor started, so did a contraction. I was white knuckled holding onto the bed. The only thing that kept me from screaming and moving was sheer fear that I would be paralyzed if I did. The needle itself was nothing. After it was over, Nick told me I had a contraction that was an 8 during the entire epidural (scale is 1-10). At first, the epidural made me feel sick. I started shaking and thought I would throw up, but they gave me some anti-nausea meds and I soon felt better.
Once the epidural started to kick in, I was finally able to relax. I didn't feel loopy or drugged up...just numb. I was able to crack a few jokes, do my impression of Miss Piggy (which Nick captured on video without me knowing), and I even got a nap in. I also let everyone back in the room. I even got some more visitors....my aunts came, my friend and her mom, my cousin and her baby, my uncle, my grandma, and my other sister.
Then...it was time to kick everyone out and start pushing. Before I went into labor, I had told Nick, I only wanted him in the room....but when the time came, I really wanted my mom there too to take pictures since Nick was helping me. And I didn't want to kick his mom out either, so both moms were able to stay (this was special for Nick's mom too since Olivea is her first grandchild). This is the part where things really started to get irritating. The nurse had me start pushing, but said she wasn't going to call the doctor until she saw how I was doing. Maybe its just me, but this is not how it is in the movies. In my opinion, the doctor should be checking on you from time to time. So after a few pushes, the nurse called the doctor. Then she had me push some more. And then we waited....and waited...and waited...almost an HOUR until the doctor finally came to deliver my baby. Olivea sat there, crowned, with her heart rate dropping, me crying and in a panic because I could hear it dropping on the monitor. I started hyperventilating. The nurse gave me an oxygen mask, and had me close my legs and turn on my side. I was completely freaked out and pissed off. The doctor finally arrived and we pushed some more. On the second to last push, I ripped off the oxygen mask because I thought I was going to vomit. But I am proud to say...I did not throw up. And the next thing I knew, Olivea was out. I didn't feel a thing. The doctor did cut me, and didn't even say anything about it, another thing that irritated me.
When they handed Olivea to me, she was purple...I mean...Barney purple. She wasn't crying at all...so I panicked again and asked if she was breathing. They said she was, rubbed her a bit, and I looked at the nurse and said "I have a baby Avatar." The nurse smugly replied that she wasn't tall enough to be an Avatar.
When things finally calmed a bit and I was holding Olivea, I couldn't take my eyes off of her. I made that...was all I could think. She was so pretty. She looked just like her dad. It took 39 weeks of baking in my oven, and 13 hours of labor...and she was finally here.
Of course the whole family came in to her and visit. I was over-whelmed by all the love. Nick never left us. Not for even 5 minutes in the 3 days we were in the hospital. He was in his own pain...but was there for me when I needed him. And he was a great dad. In those first few weeks he changed more diapers than I did. I was cranky and in pain, but he was there. And now when I get mad because I think he should help out a little more, I think of that. And I know how lucky we are to have him. That was the day I knew we were in this together. And I fell so much more in love with him.
As for miss Olivea...she weighed in at 6 pounds exactly...17.5 inches. She was perfect in every way. And I was scared to death that I was going to do something to screw her up. But that's another story....
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