Sunday, November 4, 2012

Labour Day: Mommy's version


On September 17th around 5:40am [Hawaii Time] I woke up because I thought my water broke because my shorts felt wet. My mom was up getting ready for work so I asked her to smell my shorts because I wasn't sure and she said that it smelled like it and told me to take a shower. Puchi just arrived from Utah the night before [16th] so I texted him to let him know what was going on and I told him I would call him to let him know if I was going to go to the hospital.

After taking a shower I laid down because I started having contractions, but nothing painful so I started timing them, by 6:40am I told my mom that I needed to go to the hospital because my contractions were starting to hurt. I was already dilated 4 cm from my 39 week appointment and we had to drive all the way to Tripler and I did not want to get caught giving birth in the car so by 7:15am  My dad and I left home and picked up Puchi and picked up my mom from work [which was another 30 minute wait] On the way to the hospital Puchi timed my contractions and wrote it down, and I was still in a good mood the whole way there smiling and laughing.

We arrived at Tripler around 9am and got checked in, had an ivy put in and hooked me up to a monitor so that they could monitor my contractions and the baby. After all that they moved us to a Labor and Delivery room and had me change into a hospital gown. That's when reality hit me that it was time and I was going to be meeting our son by the end of that day. Soon after I changed into my gown and got back to the bed is when my contractions started coming getting stronger and I wasn't smiling or laughing anymore. They had different things in the room I could try to help me so I tried the exercise ball for about 5 minutes which made my contractions even worse so Puchi tried to help and he massaged my back. I didn't feel like walking or anything so I just got back into the bed. My mom and Puchi were the only one's there in the room with me.

My nurse brought me heating pads which took away the pain somewhat for a couple minutes then the pain came right back once the heat went away. During every contraction Puchi held my hand, well I held his hand and squeezed it until he felt like his fingers were going to fall off lol. I wanted to give birth naturally and I didn't take any birthing classes so I was not told how to breathe til I was actually breathing like an overworked train struggling to go up a hill haha, my mid wife helped me calm down and relax my breathing by breathing with me which helped a little.

Puchi fed me ice chips and ice pops when I wanted it and I had him hold his fist under my back to put counter pressure against the pain.There was a point when I didn't want the monitor straps on me anymore because it felt uncomfortable so I wanted to take it off and I remember Puchi telling me I can't because they have to monitor the baby and I said I don't care I'm taking it off lol so my mom went to call the nurse to ask if its ok so the nurse came and helped me take it off. At this point I was in sooooo much pain I just wanted him out that I wanted to start pushing but I was dilated enough too.

When my mid wife said I was 10cm and said that I could try pushing if I wanted too, I did. I didn't feel like the position I was in was working so they helped me move into a different position where I had to squat on the bed which helped for a few pushes, but it was too much work to be in that position so I laid back down again and Puchi and a nurse held up my legs up for me and my mom held up my back for support when I was ready to push. There were a few times I was ready to push and my leg holders weren't, the nurse would be busy talking to the doctor and Puchi would be talking to my mom and trying to text lol

With every push I felt like I was getting no where because the baby would come down a little then as soon as I stopped pushing to take a break he would go back up. Every push made me sooooo exhausted so they gave me oxygen. A new nurse came in and was trying to put the oxygen straps around my head but I said "no I don't want it like that" and my nurse that was there from the beginning when I took off the monitor straps said "she doesn't like straps" lol! I was also getting very hot because well pushing is a lot of work so my nurse got a fan and faced it on me and Puchi was in the path of the fan so he was freeeezzzzzzzing lol

When I started getting the hang of pushing on every contraction I wasn't in so much pain but just very exhausted. I felt dizzy after one of the times I pushed and I started seeing double, Puchi said I looked like I was going to pass out so he put the oxygen mask on my face.

 Everyone kept saying "he's right there, he's right there", on every push so I was thinking okay this will be done soon but not soon enough! A nurse asked me if I wanted them to put a mirror in front of me so I could see what was going on and I just shaked my head no. Then when he started to crown I heard "he has hair!" and they asked if I wanted to feel his head and I was in so much pain I said NO! lol and the nurse asked Puchi if he was okay and Puchi just nodded his head and said "yeah" lol I think he was just taking the whole experience in because it was a crazy one lol

 It was the 2nd to the last push and I thought baby was out enough to where they could pull him out because it sure did feel like it but they told me to stop pushing, I guess because they wanted to stretch it out a little and I yelled "Just take him out already!!" LOL! Then on my last push there was a FREE OPERA CONCERT on the Labor and Delivery floor at the Tripler Army Medical Center, everyone in the room and outside heard me because I was screaming for my life and it was at different pitches, because I could hear myself lol

Baby's shoulders were stuck so all the doctors and nurses were pushing down on my stomach and trying to pull him out. My mid wife said that baby stretched his hand up by his face and that's how she was able to pull him out. At 6:38pm he was finally out and as soon as they placed him on me all the pain went away and when I looked at him I fell in love with him as he was looking at me which made me cry because I was so happy to finally meet him and him in my arms.

Puchi was able to cut the umbilical cord and then he was able to hold our son for the first time. Then while I had to deliver the placenta Puchi gave baby to my mom and my dad came in so while Puchi was holding my hand and I was pushing out the placenta my mom and dad were on the side taking pictures of each other holding baby. I swear there were more pictures of them with baby then of  me and Puchi with baby lol My parents were just really excited and happy to have been there when I delivered they're second grandson.