Sunday, June 6th, 2010 was an amazing day. In a million years I never thought I would wake up on the very Sunday knowing that God's plan was for Evelina to be born...2 weeks early. Saturday was a typical pregnancy weekend day filled with lots of nesting, a visit from Mom (aka Mimi), Chinese food and an early bed time followed by dreaded heart burn. There happened to be a tornado warning on Saturday that I was nervous about and the threat of strong storms for Sunday. This caused a drop in barometric pressure which may have been one of the causes for Cashina's early arrival since she was already engaged and getting ready. At about 3:00am I was awoken by some lower back pain. It was uncomfortable but I thought nothing of it since I had experienced similar pain throughout pregnancy. I was more irritated that it would continue to be sore throughout the day and I wouldn't get to the remaining items on my "Things To Do Before Cashina's Arrival" to-do list. So I made a bathroom trip and went back to bed only to be disturbed every hour with the same back pain and bathroom trips until I decided to just get out of bed at about 6:45am when I started to have some pain in my lower belly. Not knowing what a contraction felt like I just thought I was having bad gas. I complained to Chris and decided to go downstairs and sit in the bathroom to see what would happen. Not much other then back pain and "contractions" so I started walking around downstairs, holding my back and moving some small furniture back into the living room (my mom had cleaned the carpet on Saturday so all of our furniture was in the kitchen area while the carpet dried...perfect timing).
Chris got up to check on me and we were still confused as to whether or not I was having contractions or not. It was before 8:00am and I didn't want to call my mom yet and wake her up for no reason so I sat on the exercise ball and watched Chris move more furniture. The exercise ball felt good for about 15 minutes but still thinking I had gas, it was back to the bathroom. During this time, my sister text me to have me call her when I was awake so we could video chat and show her the nursery. I called at about 8:30am after which I lost my mucus plug. At this point, I said to myself, this may REALLY be happening!! But I had read that many pregnant women lose their mucus plug and it can regenerate so I wasn't completely convinced. I explain the situation to her through "contractions" and she told me to call my mom and not worry about waking her.
When I called mom, Jim answered and asked if it was important and I said that I think it was :-) I had a couple of "contractions" while on the phone with her and in her sleepy voice she said that I was most likely in early labor and to call my midwife to let her know. In the meantime she would get ready and head back down to Ashland. Colleen was the midwife on-call (one of my faves thank goodness!!) and when I told her that the contractions were random and only 2 minutes apart for about 30 seconds each she said to get in the bath, relax and check in with her at noon...it was now about 8:45am. She knew I wanted to labor mostly at home and was going to try for a natural childbirth but at that point I told her that if was this bad now, I would DEFINITELY want an epidural!!
From the time I called my mom to when she arrived felt like an eternity. Chris drew me a bath, made me breakfast (which I could barely eat) and made sure I was "comfortable". While I was in the bath he fed Violet, called doggie daycare to pick her up, checked on me from time to time to make sure I was surviving and pulled together the final items for my "go bag". I got so hot in the bath that I couldn't stand it anymore. Laying on the bed on my right side to make it through each contraction was the best place for me. Once my mom arrived around 11:30am, she helped me through some contractions and assisted me to my favorite laboring place, the bathroom. I was hot, cold and shaky due to all the adrenaline pumping through my body. I wanted to be naked but I needed to be covered...I was a mess!! Then water/blood started to flow. Of course, my Midwife mom said it was sooooo great since it meant my cervix was dilating but all I was thinking was that I needed to get to the hospital ASAP and my midwife agreed!! So much for waiting until noon to check in again!!
The thought of leaving the bathroom, getting dressed, walking down 2 flights of stairs and then laboring in a car for 30 minutes was so overwhelming for me. It wasn't pleasant and during all of this activity I felt the urge to push but had to fight through the urge...I wasn't about to deliver Cashina at 19 BHL or at the Natick rest area. Once in the car, my water started gushing with each contraction and I just closed my eyes and hoped we would be at our destination soon. Chris put his lead foot forward (thank GOD there was no traffic on the Pike!! Yay for a Sunday baby!!) and we made it to the hospital safely.
I felt like I was in a movie, laboring in a wheel chair as my mom zoomed me through the hospital lobby with everyone staring. Of course, in the moment, I forgot what floor labor and delivery was on so we went to the wrong one and had to get back into the elevator to find the correct floor...ugghhh...the horror!! Every minute seemed like 10 and I was soooo thankful to finally be lead into the triage unit (only after swearing at the admitting clerk...oops!! Forgive me as I was in transition!!). At this point, I received my first internal exam and I was 9cm dilated with just a rim left to my cervix...yowsa...now that is what I call laboring at home!!
Next stop, labor and delivery at about 12:30pm. The next hour and 45 minutes were a test in strength, focus and concentration. My mission was to deliver our baby girl!! Getting to 10cm while already wanting to push was probably the most difficult part of labor. It felt like a tribal experience. Deep breathing, groaning and grunting through each contraction to fight through the urge to push but it worked and in no time, the rim was no more and pushing could begin.
At first my pushes weren't very effective and I thought that she would never make her appearance into the world but toward the end I became a pro. I wouldn't even say that it hurt much to push, it was more the strength required to move Cashina down into my pelvis and into the birth canal. It took every ounce of my being and so much focus to ensure that each push was productive. Chris and my mom were THE BEST coaches I could have asked for and with their (and my midwife's and the labor nurses) affirmations that I was doing great, I gained more strength for the next push. In between pushes, Chris held oxygen to my face to help with my breathing since Cashina's heartbeat would dip very low and at one point during the pushing stage an IV was started to give me fluids, but even with all of this going on, my only focus was on the next contraction and making sure Chris and my mom had my legs in the optimum position for baby movement and delivery.
After about an hour and 1/2 of pushing, Cashina began to crown. I reached my hand down and felt her smooth head and this gave me incentive to really get some good pushes in so she could finally make her grand entrance. I put myself in her place and thought, "there is no way in heck I would want to be suck in that confined space any longer"!! So with a few more pushes and some cheering from the birthing crew, VOILA, Cashina was born at 2:06pm screaming away without hesitation.
Our little girl was placed on her Mommy's (that's me!!) chest, Chris cut the umbilical cord and after 9 months (well, almost) we were able to meet her and officially give a name to the perfectly cute face we had only envisioned by looking at our many ultrasounds. We inspected her ten fingers and ten toes and gave her kisses and cuddles and were (and still are despite the lack of sleep) overjoyed and completely enamored by this new life that we created. I'm sure I can speak for Chris in that it was the happiest moment of our lives, especially for me since I was enjoying the Oxytocin induced euphoria. It only took about 5 minutes after the birth for me to say, "Labor and delivery wasn't THAT bad!!" which of course Chris and my mom both replied, "Really? Do you remember when you were saying you couldn't do it?". Ha!!
The amount of joy has been immeasurable. I am so thankful that I had a fairly uneventful pregnancy (with the exception of all of that first trimester worry!!), an uncomplicated labor and delivery topped off with a beautiful healthy baby girl. We are truly blessed to have Evelina Marie-Claire in our lives and excited with anticipation of watching her grow and develop outside the womb.
And, of course I can't publish this post without saying how much Chris and I adore my mother. Without her strength and support I don't think I would have had the confidence to make it though my pregnancy, and especially the labor and delivery, with a smile. We love you Mimi!!
