Induction day
Hubs and I are making sure we have everything we need.. All four bags. To be honest we looked like we belonged in a Vera Bradley catalog (that was said to us in the hospital :-D) . I had a diaper bag, an over night bag for me and hubs and an extra bag for goodies from the hospital (diapers, those huge, lovely pads and mesh underwear and whatever else may come while we are there).
We went to Panera, before heading to the hospital to have my last meal before being induced. I would not be able to eat any solid foods once they started giving me pitocin. I was so anxious and nervous. Would I be able to make it x amount of hours without eating anything? (I get really light headed if I don't eat for long periods of time, so I was worried about that.) Anxious to not have to test my blood anymore (although they did do it in the hospital a dozen more times before I was discharged.)
We arrived at Troy Beaumont at promptly 4pm. We sat in the waiting room for about 20-30 minutes waiting to be called. We are surrounded by family and friends waiting to meet their new grandchild, niece or nephew, best friends baby. That was going to be our families soon! Waiting to meet our little peanut!
4:30 someone came over and said, "We normally have a lot of babies born on Christmas Day but it seems like a lot of mommies and babies decided to wait until the day after to come! All of our rooms are full of moms who naturally went into labor. Here are 2 $5 coupons for the cafeteria downstairs. Come back around 6pm. Sorry for the wait."
I was so disappointed. I was just ready to be in a room, in a bed and getting the show on the road. Instead we got back on the elevator and walked what seemed like a mile to the cafeteria. I can't remember what we ate but it wasn't very good. We thankfully had an iPad and we were able to play backgammon while we waited. We played quite a few games.
6pm and we decide to head back upstairs. We check in and Yay!! They're ready for us. We collected all of our bags and headed in to get checked in.
In walks a nurse and I was shocked! I knew her!! She was one of my old high school friend's sister!! We said hello and hugged. I couldn't believe she was going to check me in! What a crazy experience. I was closed and MAYBE 30% effaced (I still have no idea exactly what that means) I just know that our little peanut wasn't ready to come on her own!
After getting checked in we finally were into a room by.. Ehhh 8:30-9pm. I had a nurse come in and greet me with a needle to put an IV in for pain killers, antibiotics and pitocin. It hurt so bad! (The next day a nurse told me the IV was put in incorrectly and she replaced it with a new one in my hand... Few!)
Everyone was so excited that the day was finally here! Anthony's parents came up to visit us and help us get settled in. It was nice to see friendly faces and as always there to help with whatever we need!
11:30pm Since I was no where near ready for labor instead of starting pitocin they gave me the miso pill (which is meant to soften the cervix) accompanied by a nice sleeping aide to help me get some rest. A nurse would be back around 2 To test my blood. Since they hadn't given me pitocin yet I was able to eat the next morning.
Hubs was so amazing. He slept on the little bench and checked on me often.
Friday morning rolled around and I really didn't feel any type of labor happening, although the monitor said differently. I was having tiny contractions. Instead of starting the pitocin they decided to do a balloon. I believe that was to help me dilate . A nurse came to check on it every couple of hours. It took all day long.
5:30pm rolled around and there was a doctor change. Dr. Herringa was the on call doctor for the weekend. I had seen her a couple times during my pregnancy. She was new to the practice, but I knew from the few times I saw her I was in great hands.
She came in to check my "balloon" and it came right out! She was surprised it hadn't already been pulled out. I was a little disappointed because that meant they could have already started the pitocin. But it is what it is.
Later that night my parents and my grandma came to visit! It was nice to see them! They were asking how I was feeling, what's the update? My grandma couldn't figure out why I was in the hospital and why the baby still wasn't here. Back when she had her kids I'm not sure if they even had them in a hospital. :)
So they hooked me up to the pitocin later that night and by early am (7ish) Saturday morning I was in heavy labor. I was having horrible pains in my rear. I felt constipated. It was a HORRIBLE feeling along with contractions. They were able to relieve me thankfully. A couple hours later the anesthesiologist came in to give me my epidural and I was a little annoyed because he started talking to my husband about FOOTBALL! I assume this was to distract me?? Lol I guess it did. It peeved me off and I wasn't thinking about the huge needle being injected into my back.
By now I was having, "hold on to the side of the bed, squeeze my husband's hand off" contractions. But I wasn't feeling them in my abdomen I was feeling them in the lower behind area. It was unbelievable pain that the epidural couldn't take away. They even tried another type of pain medication but that didn't really work. 11:10am (I assume that's what time it was) I looked at my husband and said,"I feel like I need to push NOW! I think I need to start pushing... I NEED TO PUSH NOW!" And it was like Dr. Heeringa and I were on the same wave length because in she walks. It happened SO fast.
I remember pushing, I had my eyes closed and thinking... Just push as hard as you can! This baby is coming right now! Don't think about whatever pain you can feel. I remember how calm Dr. Heeringa was. What an amazing coach she was. And best of all I remember my husband, up by my side in awe, telling me how amazing I was doing, actually participating in the birth of our little girl. (Before the birth of Clare, Anthony was extremely nervous about the entire process. He was positive he wouldn't be able to watch her come out. He wasn't sure if he'd be able to cut the umbilical cord.) Anthony saw our baby come out and cut the umbilical cord! He was my rock! He stood by me every single second of the 38 hours we were in that hospital until our Little Girl came out!
They put Clare on my chest and I was in awe and shock. I couldn't believe I had just pushed this little tiny human out of me!
The experience was amazing. It was NOTHING like what you see in the movies. (What ever is?) There was just my husband, the Dr. And two nurses there ready for when Clare came out. The lights were dimmed and only the overhead light was on.
I remember during the time I was pushing the phone rang! I decided it better I not answer it since I was a little busy at the moment. 20 minutes later I believe they called Anthony's phone. It was my parents, my sister, Anthony's parents, my 98 year old grandma (who is now 99), my Aunt Emma, and my cousin's Bob and Kathleen. The lady that called for them told them, "Normally when they don't answer the phone that means they're having the baby!"
So here she was, this beautiful little 6# 13oz, 19 1/2" Angel. Clare Louise DiTrapani
As soon as they were finished getting Clare all cleaned up and we tried breastfeeding once, they allowed everyone in. It was extremely overwhelming but I think I was in such disbelief that I barely remember how I felt. Pictured below are some of the family and friends that came to visit us in the hospital. We will be forever grateful for you being at such an emotional time in our lives with us.
My Cousins Kathleen and Bob drove down with my Aunt Emma to pick up my Grandma just in time for Clare to arrive! What an amazing day that was! Enjoy the pictures below!
This is a picture of four generations. From left to right: My mother, my grandmother, Clare and Me.
Proud grandparents, Anthony's mother, father and Clare.
Proud Grandpa (my father) and sleeping Clare
Proud Auntie Michelle! (My Sister)
Proud aunt and uncle's From Left to right: Dominic, Joe, Nicolas (Anthony's brothers) and Monica (our sister in law, Joe's wife)
My aunt Emma!
Clare and her Great Grandma Rose!
