Kayla's Birth-day!

***Disclaimer: This post is strictly for journaling purposes***

On March 1st, 2001 I had a dr.'s appt. in the afternoon. I was 37 1/2 weeks along in my 1st pregnancy. I had no idea what anything meant when the dr said you are 80% effaced & at a 4. I asked if that was good and then he asked me how I felt about having a baby in the morning. I totally went numb!

ARE YOU SERIOUS!!! A BABY TOMORROW!!! I THOUGHT I STILL HAD A FEW WEEKS!!!

I was of course already all ready to go. We had had the room set up for weeks, all the laundry washed & organized in the drawers and the hospital bag packed by the door. We set up the time with the hospital & I was scheduled to be there at 8:00 in the morning!

So on Friday, March 2nd, 2001, we walked into the hospital ready to have a baby. No contraction, no discomfort, no nothing going on all night! I got all prepped, you know, IV's, gowns, birth plan review, drug plans, all that! At 8:50 the dr. came in and broke my water and I was in bed being monitored for 30 minutes. All I remember about that is my dad came in right after & stayed for about 20 minutes just as labor was starting to get uncomfortable and he noticed as I was talking to him that I was starting to feel it. He asked how I was doing & if I needed the nurse to bring me any drugs yet & then left when I said no but said he'd be back in a couple hours to check on me. That's when Jer & I got up & started walking! We walked for an hour with each contraction getting harder. We had been walking for nearly an hour so it seems but I think it was longer than that when this guy came walking down the hall & started talking to Jeremy. It was some guy who he used to go to church with...I was trying to be nice & let him talk...it was taking my mind off everything...but then I got a REALLY big contraction & the two men found me a chair to sit for a couple contractions. After that we asked the nurse to check me she said I needed to walk for 15 more minutes...I REALLY was NOT happy about that!! I know it was my 1st baby but I was really hurting & wanted to see how I was progressing...so instead I went & sat in a chair in my room for 10 minutes then the nurse came in & checked me & I was at a 7!!! She asked me if I wanted an epidural & I said YES!!! So I went to the bathroom and then they started prepping my back for the epidural. At that time my dad showed up to check on me! I was talking to him while the anesthesiologist was putting the iodine on my back & I got one HUGE contraction!!! And then the urge to push...you now that feeling if you've had a baby...and I said...um, I think I need to push & then they checked & sure enough I was at a 10!!!

My only comment to that was "Does that mean I can't have an epidural now?" Then maybe 5 minutes later & 3 pushes Kayla was born at 11:38 am, 5lbs 14oz 18 inches long!