Myka was due on July 15, 2001. First of all, I NEVER thought I would make it all the way to my due date, but Sunday, July 15th came and went without a baby! On Monday we went and had my 40 week appointment with my midwife, Nancy. I was 3 cm. dilated and she thought that I was very ready and so she did some "midwife magic" (she stripped my membranes) and said we may even be back in that night!!! Immedialtely I started having stronger contractions than I had been having. So we went home and called everyone, and got all excited thinking that it was time! We went to the mall to walk and get my contractions going more, and they got to be about 3-4 minutes apart so we decided when we got home we would call. Well, wouldn't you know, as soon as we got home they slowed down. So we timed them all night and they got farther apart. So I went to bed lightly, thinking it would happen anytime.....
Tuesday morning I woke up with no baby, and I was so upset! "How come they stopped? What if my body won't go into labor on it's own?" I asked the nurse when I called her crying. I timed my contractions all day Tuesday but they never really got close enough to call, and they still weren't too uncomforatable. So my mom and sister and I went to the mall that night and I just gave up and figured he would come when he was ready.
Wednesday morning, the 18th, we woke up and had to return a movie, and on the way home I notice my contractions were aout 6-7 minutes apart. So we went home and I had noticed that the baby wasn't moving as much so I sat down to eat something and watch t.v. and see if he started movin' around. Well about 12:30p.m. I noticed they were about 3-5 minutes apart. They were mostly just cramping in my lower back. So around 2:45p.m. I went ahead and called the nurse and told her I was finally having regular contractions! She had us call her back at 4p.m. and they were still coming every 3-5 minutes apart or so. So she told us to take our time and shower, call people, etc and then come into OB Triage around 5 p.m. to be checked. So we did just that! I took a bath and signed online to email everyone! We called our parents and told them this might be it but we weren't sure. I really didn't think this was the real thing but I was hoping it was. And off we went, casually, to the hospital......
We got to Triage around 5:00p.m. and I was still 3cm., but was having contractions 3-4 minutes apart. So they had us walk for an hour and by the time we were done it was 7:00pm and then the REAL contractions started! WHOA! It was torture to stay still long enough to be monitored but they finally admitted me around 8p.m. and we made our way to the room as Mieka called everyone to tell them this was it (I couldn't even talk to anyone!). The contractions were in my lower back and so I was in a lot of pain and asking for medication. Nancy, my midwife, had me get into the jacuzzi to help me progress a little more before I got medication. I LOVED THE JACUZZI! So I sat in there for about an hour and a half with my mom and Mieka taking turns rubbing my back. I was just praying that I would be at least a 4 or 5 so I could get an epidural but when I got out at about 10:00p.m. I was 7 cm. dilated! She broke my bag of waters and gave me some Stadol. I had no time for an epidural because within a half an hour I was complete. I started pushing at around 11:00p.m. with my mom on one side and Mieka on the other! My dad video taped the birth and I am so thankful that he did! I had to have some oxygen which was a little scary, and toward the end the baby became a little stressed and needed to have an internal monitor. They needed to call the NICU up because he had meconium and needed to be suctioned before he could breath. I was very scared, but I knew that the NICU nurses were a great group of nurses.
FINALLY, at 12:19a.m on the 19th the most precious baby boy was born, Myka James. His daddy did not get to cut the cord, and I didn't get to hold him right away because he had to be suctioned and intubated by the NICU nurses. They worked on him for about a half an hour, to make sure he didn't aspirate the meconium. Then I finally got to hold him and he was the most beautifu thing I had ever seen! It was the best moment in my life!
He weighed in at 6lbs. 12oz and was 20 inches long. He started to have some rapid breathing and they sent him to the NICU for a few hours to keep an eye on him. His breathing slowed down and he was able to come back up with us a few hours later! I had a great experience and I will never forget it! We brought our new son home on Saturday, July 21st. Every day brings me greater joy and I love being his mommy! He's the most precious thing in the world! |
