Navy's Arrival

This little girl makes me so happy but her birth experience was something I wasn't prepared for. All the books, blogs, friends you talk to say you should have a plan but be ready for anything. Well, I wasn't ready for anything. My contractions started Thursday night around 10:30 but they were only 15-20 minutes apart. I tried to go to bed around midnight but they were getting closer together. I decided to get last minute things together just in case we would leave before the morning. Around 2:30am I was having contractions every 8 minutes but they were lasting for over a minute which is foreverrrrrr when they are happening but not close enough. I really wanted to wait until I knew they wouldn't send me home from the hospital. At 3:45 they instantly started at 5 minutes apart so I called the doctor. When she called back 30 minutes later, she said to come on in and she would tell the anesthesiologist that I was coming. My amazing friend Erica came over to stay with Merrick and we headed to the hospital. The cab ride was quick but as I was walking into the hospital the pain wasn't going away. We got sent to the triage room, which by the way was full of other women trying to have their babies, and Danny went to do paperwork. The pain was so intense I couldn't stop myself from screaming out loud. I kept telling myself that in 30 minutes I would have my epidural and things would be ok. When Danny came back I told him he had to go get someone because it hurt so bad and I felt like I needed to push this baby out. The nurses came in and confirmed that I was already dilated to 10 cm but they had no rooms for me to deliver the baby in and obviously there was no time for any sort of pain medication. They quickly wheeled me into an operating room and prepped the best they could but she didn't want to wait. If I remember correctly-things are a little fuzzy at this point- she came after only 3 pushes/screams. It was the most intense pain I have ever felt but I am so glad that it was quick! I always said I admire the women who can have a baby naturally but that I was never going to do it. Well, it looks like I did! Navy girl got a clean bill of health and we already love her to pieces. The moral of my birth story is that I need to head to the hospital right when my contractions start :)