How Nicole Entered the World

The short version: I had a kid.


The full version:
After getting over the shock of a planned hospital visit that evening, Jim and I headed for our “final meal” at Chipotle (they told me to eat a lot!) and headed over to Mercy at 8:00. They had our room already assigned and I was checked in and donning a hospital gown within about 20 minutes.

Dr. Silver checked me out and determined that since I was a full 4cm inducing me wouldn’t be necessary, breaking my membranes (water) would should do the trick. Christy was our assigned nurse for the evening and she took care of hooking up my IV and getting my stream (not drip!) going- I couldn’t get an epidural until I finished 1 full bag which took a very short 12 minutes.

There was a natural, and therefore noisy, childbirth going on down the hall that kept Dr. Silver away until about 11 but Greg, Mom and Dad had come to visit by then and helped pass the time. When they broke my water by snagging the membranes there was a huge gush of fluid, much more than I had expected. It didn’t hurt a bit!

I had 2 level 4 contractions in 10 minutes and my IV went in- 3 rounds of a burning sensation and then a lot of pressure as the tube went in concluding with a round of cold as the medicine was pushed into me. The numbness started immediately, all except for a spot in my lower abdomen which proved to be my downfall. It’s called a “hot spot”- an area that for no apparent reason doesn’t react to the epidural and allows you to feel whatever the rest of you should be feeling- and mine grew from baseball size to eventually spanning a 12”long by 4” high area in my abdomen with full-force, teeth-gritting contractions that wouldn’t allow me to sleep.

We called my parents to come back to the hospital around 5 when I hit 10cm dilation and I started to push around 6:00am. This was very painful due to the 1/2ing of the epidural (since Nicole hadn’t dropped below my pelvic bone they thought that more pain might encourage me to push more), the large hot spot area, and being generally really really hot temperature wise. Jim was fantastic: he fanned me, held my leg as instructed (which allowed him to face away from the action area and the mirror that I had requested to be set up so I could watch the process), and was generally very encouraging.

After a half hour of pushing with no progress (still that pelvic bone issue), Dr. Silver suggested we use forceps. “What’s the difference?” I asked. “Another hour of pushing, or she can be out in 10 minutes.” Yeah, easy decision.

We went from a doctor and a nurse to a doctor and 6 nurses within about 20 minutes, but, true to his prediction, the forceps did the trick! Dr. Silver pulled Nicky through to her midsection and after Jim turned him down on his offer to finish delivering her, I got to do the honors of pulling her all the way out.

She came into the world at 8lbs. 14 oz. at 7:05am on 7/11/07 and immediately everyone commented how much like Jim she looks. She had no marks from the forceps but did have lots of black hair and overgrown fingernails. Her eyes are a slate color and her general disposition was pretty calm! Jim did cut the cord even though it wasn't on his original agenda.

Overall, she’s a keeper!