Let's start on Monday, April 25th, 2011. My official due date! I had written a post this day detailing what I had done during the weekend. This was Easter Monday and Rob was off from work for the holiday (and hoping we would have a baby!). I woke up that morning like 10 times, not feeling so hot. I was also having a little blood-tinged mucus discharge (TMI and gross, I know, but again, I have to remember this) I thought, okay, things may be happening soon. But what was soon? Today? Tomorrow? 2 more days? I tried not to get my hopes up and didn't mention this incident to Rob, as he was already about to jump out of his skin.
We spent the day relaxing and enjoying each other. We went to lunch at Tokyo Express and I will never forget the way everyone there just stared at me thinking "Poor girl!" I was huge and could barely fit in the booth to eat my lunch. My belly definitely touched the table. Rob and I enjoyed our lunch and then headed home to do some things around the house. I'm not going to lie, we mainly sat on the couch and watched T.V.
At 5pm, Maury came on. Score! Trashy TV to get my mind off the fact that my baby wasn't here yet and didn't seem like she was ever going to come. We watched Maury deliver news of paternity tests and I cringed to think that people really had to go through those sorts of things. At this point, I drifted off on our loveseat sitting across the room from Rob who was on the sofa. Right around 6 when Maury went off, I was literally jolted awake by a rush of fluid. Rob said he'll never forget the look of startle on my face. I looked at Rob and told him I thought my water had broken. I flipped out, ran to the bathroom and still couldn't quite figure out what had happened, but I was definitely soaking. (TMI, but I had a lot of discharge leading up to this day, so I couldn't tell if this was real.) I called the Dr. on call and she told me to go walk around and see if it kept leaking out and if it did to just come on to the hospital. Rob and I decided to head out on a little walk in the neighborhood. I took a few steps "It's still coming out!". We kept walking a little bit farther and I got more and more uncomfortable. I told Rob we needed to turn around. We would be going to the hospital sometime soon!
I had NO idea how soon we would be heading. Some people say it takes 12 hours for contractions to start after your water breaks, but mine came on hard and fast. I wanted to take a shower before heading to the hospital, so I jumped in and Rob tried to keep calm and relax. By the time I got out and dressed, I was having more and more contractions. Of course, I had to dry and straighten my hair AND put on makeup. Why? I don't know? I yelled at Rob while drying my hair to please put the bags in the car. I saw him also putting the car seat in. Good call babe. I was literally drying my hair going "Ow. Ow. Ow."
Once I was ready, we checked to make sure we had our things and hopped in the car. It was probably about 7 by then. The hospital was right down the street, but I felt like it took an hour to get there. I was in pain, trying to text my best friend Courtney that it was time and that she needed to get ready to head to the hospital to help me! I think it was like when I told her I was pregnant. Me: "I think I'm pregnant." Courtney: "Why?" Me: "Because I took a test and I am." In labor... Me: "I think it's time to have the baby." Courtney: "Really? Why?" Me: "Because my water broke and I'm in labor on the way to the hospital!" I barely remember this ride.
7:30 pm. Hospital Check-In: Rob dropped me off at the ER and went to park the car. I told him to just leave all the bags and get them later. I walked in the ER and the people totally ignored me. Apparently, they want nothing to do with a woman in labor. "We" have our own admitting room and are supposed to just go right there. I finally yelled at the lady ignoring me behind the desk "I'm in LABOR!" and she just nonchalantly pointed the other way. There were 2 other ladies checking in, but luckily I was first. This process seemed to take forever. We had already been in the hospital twice, so I thought this would have sped the process up. Of course, then we had to wait for the people to come down with the wheelchair and get me.
We headed up to the 5th floor of the hospital and they got my weight (Which I still don't really understand, but whatever.) and they got me settled into a room. This is when we first got to meet Sarah, our nurse. She was a young girl with one little boy of her own. She was so sweet and calm and I immediately liked her. She hooked me up to the monitors and got a litmus paper test to see if my water had broken. At first she thought it hadn't, but then somehow realized it had. Again, I hardly rememeber. I was having contractions every 2 minutes and was dilated to about 3.5/4 cm.
9:00 pm -The contractions continued to get more and more painful and I realized I was a huge whimp. How do women do this without drugs??? Once we realized my water had broken and this was it, Sarah ordered the epidural and told me that the anesthiseiaologist was awesome and was able to "Get in and get out!" It felt like hours before he arrived, but once he did, I couldn't be happier to have someone shove the longest needle ever in my spine.
9:30 pm-I started feeling some relief and then was very, very calm. At this point, Rob let our families know that it was time and to head on to High Point. Everyone was very excited. Courtney also let me know that she was on her way. With all the drugs running through me, I was feeling good and happy that Emmeline was on her way. Little did I know the long ordeal I was about to go through...
10:35 pm- Apparently Emmeline's heart rate dropped, but they must not have been too concerned about this because I don't even remember it happening.
11:00 pm- Nurse checked- dilated to 7/8 cm now! At this point I couldn't believe I had gone from 3/4 cm to 8 cm in just a couple hours. I called my parents to tell them not to stop, pass go, or collect 200 dollars, that the baby was coming!
11:15 pm- The Aycocks arrived from Wake Forest and were so excited for the birth of their granddaughter. We sat and visited for a while and waited for my parents.
**I have to note that throughout the earlier hours of the night we spent time watching the NBA playoffs and the Yankees. Our nurse Sarah happened to be a Yankees fan like Rob!**
APRIL 26th, 2011
12:15 a.m.- My parents arrived at the hospital and I was so excited to see them. We were only allowed 3 people besides me in the room at a time, so our parents and Courtney took turns coming in and out to visit with us. We were all very anxious for Emmeline to get here!
12:30 a.m.- Checkced again... still 8 cm. Sarah added a "lower epidural bolus" of medicine to alleviate pain I was having in my bottom. Apparently Emmeline was really low. She asked me how much pain I was in then and I said "Not hardly any" The wonders of modern medicine!
1:00 a.m.- Got nauseaus from the bolus medicine, through up Tokyo Express lunch into a bag. Thought I'd never be able to eat there again, but I have managed quite well!
This was when we all started to get loopy. I didn't want to sleep because I was full of adrenaline, drugs, and didn't want to wake up to someone screaming at me to push. I found Sex and the City on TV late night to watch. Courtney and the family took turns visiting and Rob took some naps in the chair next to me. We thought Emmeline was coming quickly, but she had other plans.
3 a.m.- Grandparents were over it and exhausted. Went to our house to rest which was right down the street. We told them we'd call when it was really time. My mom says everyone passed out but her.
3:20 a.m.- Checked again 8/9 cm. I was apparently having some swelling in my uterus that they were concerned about.
3:40 a.m.- Another bolus of epidural medicine.
5:30 a.m.- Checcked. 9 cm and a definitely change. Uterus swelling going down. Apparently I asked nurse Sarah "Are you lying to me?" By this time I thought it was never going to happen.
6:15 a.m.- Sarah talked to the doctor and would check back again at 7:30 unless something changes beforehand. At this point I started feeling a lot more pressure like I had before when things were progressing
6:30 a.m.- A new nurse checked in, but Sarah was still with us for a while longer. The new nurse was like the wicked witch of the west compared to Sarah. I told her I was feeling a lot more pressure. Checked and I was 9 on one side and 9 1/2 on the other.
6:45 a.m.- According to Courtney, my whole demeanor changed at this point. I was probably utterly exhausted and in more pain and very anxious. She checked me with knees up and told me to put my chin to chest and push a little bit to see if Emmeline would move. Sarah commented "She's SO low. I can almost see her head!"
6:55 a.m.- This was obviously a little too exciting for Rob as he proceeded to pass right out on the bed there with us from exhaustion, lack of food and the anxiety of what was about to happen. He wasn't out too long. Courtney, Nurse Sarah and I just sat there and laughed our heads off.
7:08 a.m. - Checked again. It was go time!
7:10 a.m.- Pushing!!!
7:30 a.m.- Sarah had to leave us. We were so sad at this point. Sarah was so positive and encouraging and wonderful. She had helped us so much and wanted to stay longer but had to go get her baby boy so her husband could go to work. She later came to visit us after having the baby.
7:35 a.m.- They moved me into stirrups and brought over a huge spotlight onto me. I kept commenting to cut the TV on so I couldn't see the reflection of myself spread eagle on the TV.
7:35 a.m.-10 a.m. I pushed and pushed and pushed and pushed. This was the WORST few hours of my life. The nurse was awful and wouldn't help me at all with how to push. Thank God Courtney stayed in the room with us to help. Courtney and Rob were my coaches and they were exhausted too. They'd each grab a leg, count, give me some encouragement, when they knew damn well nothing was being accomplished by my pushing. I don't know what the nurse was doing. I felt like she wasn't even in there. Courtney and the nurse tried to tell me how to push and what muscles to use, but between the epidural, exhaustion, and lots of other factors, I just couldn't figure it out. I was starting to hurt so bad. The epidural was wearing off. I was crying and couldn't move. I felt like she was literally in my lower back sitting there. I just wanted her out and I really did try hard to do this "pushing" game, but I was not winning.
10:00 a.m. Dr. Dwamena came back in and I am pretty sure I was sobbing. I told her to please take the baby out... that I couldn't take it anymore... I refused to push. I told her I would just lay there if they tried to make me. I begged and begged for a c-section. I was in such excruciating pain at this point that I hardly let her get through her talk about the risks, complications, and what would happen. I just sobbed and told them to hurry up and get the anesthesiologist back in there.
This part is still all so blurry. (Mainly because I have blocked it from memory and was drugged and tired) Rob went to let the parents know that pushing just didn't work and that I would be having surgery. After the sweet old ladies came to give me my new drugs and I was feeling good again, the grandparents all came back to visit me and let me know everything would be fine and they'd see me soon. We had to get Rob suited up in his scrubs (Which he was pretty excited about)
Once it was go time they wheeled me out of "the death chamber" (Aka the labor and delivery room which my Mom and I renamed) and into a really scary room with lots of equipment. I remember thinking I may die, but that I just wanted Emmeline out. The introduced me to a ton of people and told me their jobs. Great. I don't care. Just help me! They prepped me for surgery and then brought Rob in. I remember asking them to make sure to get Rob. I thought they would forget about him.
The actual C-section didn't take long at all. I remember how crazy it was to feel the doctors digging around inside of me. You are all numbed up, but you still can tell whats going on. I remember focusing on Rob and some other points in the room to keep from passing out (or dying. Really, I thought I was going to.)
11:18 a.m. A weight is lifted from my belly -- 9 lbs 11 ounces. HOLY COW that's a big baby. Rob went over with them to see her and yelled at me about how big she was and then they brought her over to me and we took a few pictures. Again, I am still so out of it, but happy to meet that girl. Rob had to leave with them to go to the nursery while I got sewn back up. I talked with the doctors and joked with Dr. Jacobs that I couldn't believe the first thing my daughter had to see when she was born was his awful UNC Tarheel scrub cap and that she may be scarred for life. :) I don't think he thought I was so funny.
11:45/noon- The wheel me into a recovery room and I am sick and shaking to death. Throw up some. VERY out of it... as I'd been up for over 24 hours at this point and still couldn't rest. Everyone was out at the nursery looking at baby Emmeline. Courtney made a sign that said "She looks like Turner!" and held it up for Rob to see in the nursery window. My Dad apparently remarked "9 lbs 11 oz. That's the biggest baby I've ever known. Even Shaq wasn't that big!" He also asked my mom if Emmeline was warm enough and that he was worried about her. Sweet grandaddy Norman.
After seeing the baby, they brought her into the recovery room for me and my family and Rob's came to visit me and her. This is when I pleaded to Courtney to please be her godmother and take care of her (Remember, I was going to die)
So this is the longest story/blog post ever and I still probably left so much of it out. It was a couple days full of emotion and I like to joke about how horrible it was, but it left me with the most amazing gift I could have ever received (Yes, I can say that now. If you asked me that a few weeks ago, my answer may have been different) Emmeline was perfect and healthy and we were so blessed to have such great doctors taking care of her.
Am I still mad at that mean nurse who shall remain nameless, yes! Do I wish they would have given me the c-section sooner? Yes! (I wish we had just scheduled one at 38 weeks when Dr. O'Keefe let me know how big she was! What were we thinking?!) Would I do it all over again?... in a heartbeat!
Emmeline Leila Aycock
Tuesday April 26th, 2011
9 lbs 11 ounces
20 inches
i love that story.
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