Dave and I went out on date on Wednesday July 21. We ate some appetizers at Flemings Steak House and then saw "Inception". I remember feeling a lot of movement that night during the movie. Did they just really like the popcorn? Maybe, but we later found out that they were getting ready to grace us with their presence for the first time!
We got home at about 12:30 Am after checking out the view from the top of a parking garage in fells point. Dave and his views:) He'll never get sick of looking at any sort of skyline!
When we got home I was hungry again (no surprise) so I had some Rosemary Bean soup from Safeway (only relevant bc of it shows up later). I hop into bed around 2am (I was already on maternity leave). Not too long after I turned the light off, I turned it back on much to Dave's dismay. "Why are you turning the light on??" Well honey, I think my water broke. That woke him up. But, I wasn't really sure since this has never happened to me before. I went to the bathroom thinking maybe I just peed in my pants.
We had hired a doula who we knew was vacationing in New Jersey. I texted her at 3AM to let her know that my water most likely broke. She asked how I was feeling and if she should start driving. Well, being that this was my first birth, I really had no idea, so I told her we were trying to nap (which we were technically). By 3:30 we realized there would be no napping. i had my first contraction around this time as I was walking down the stairs. I should preface this with the fact that I apparently had been having regular contractions that I couldn't feel for several weeks. This one I could feel. And it made me puke-- hello rosemary bean soup.
Between the hours of 4 and 6 were kind of a blur. I know I called my mom first to let her know that things were happening. Then I called my sister at around5EST to let her know it was "show time". She was horrified to hear that my contractions were 3 minutes apart at this point... and that I was still at home. She said " where is Dave??" and he was walking the dogs. At this point he will never live that down I guess:)
We went to the hospital around 630AM. We talked to the doula (in route from Jersey) on our way (only a 5 minute ride) and she was still 90 minutes out. She asked to talk to me to see how I was doing, and when she heard my voice, called the back-up doula- Emily. I had 3 contractions on the way to the hospital.
We arrived at Mercy Medical Center and had to go through the emergency entrance due to the time. The only parking spots open were reserved for police, so Dave was resisting parking there--- he didn't resist for long after I "screamed" my opinion on the matter.
They took me up (sans Dave) to the labor and delivery floor. In the elevator ride up, there were a couple guys just getting off the night shift who looked like they were seriously freaked out that I may deliver a child right in front of them- due to the moaning etc. They got off on the next floor:)
The nurse in the elevator was fantabulous. She was rubbing my shoulders and making me feel relatively relaxed. Once I arrived in triage, they attempted to monitor the babies by strapping me down- that just wasn't happening at this point. They needed to check my cervix, and that also wasn't an easy feat. Once they were ready,I had to get up off the table again. Finally, after about 2 contractions, they were able to check my cervix- I was 7-8 cm dilated! I was so adamant about staying home as long as I could based on what i learned in the child birth classes, that I did. I kept thinking I was still going to have a good 20 hours in front of me. What I didn't realize at this point I was already in transition!
They led me to the labor and delivery room and the back up doula, Emily, arrived at this point. I don't remember everything that happened in here, but I do remember marching in place- which seemed to be the only thing to make me feel better. Emily was applying pressure to my back and giving me some calm and encouraging words. Dave shot a few pics during this time- I think he felt a bit helpless. I know he asked me if I wanted some music on (which we had spent time compiling beforehand), but I was pretty much in my own world. My doc was trying to convince to to get an epidural, and since I still believed that I had many many hours to go, I kept trying to delay. They checked my cervix again and found that I was 8-9 cm and they wanted me to go to the operating room (where I would be delivering since the twin factor). I was not ready to go-- Dave was on my side here and they let me stay for a while.
I had heard of people takin' a crap on the table and I was adamant in clearing my system before I entered the pushing phase. I felt like I had to go anyway! I went into the bathroom 3 different times quite determined- with no success. The nurses kept coming in and saying "you're going to have those babies in here, we need to go to the operating room!" I was being stubborn and stating that I "knew" I just had to go to the bathroom quick-- that I knew the feeling.
Well, of course, that was indeed the feeling of pushing those girls out. It finally connected and we all walked to the operating room. It was a classic moment walking down the hall with all those people, most people are carted in! I had no drugs in me and the last thing I wanted to do was sit or lie down.
Once I arrived in the operating room, the only thing I could see was the popsicle stick of a table sitting before me. My first reaction was-- oh my gosh, am I going to fit on that thing??! I guess most people can't move when they are in there so it doesn't matter. I lay down and asked if the table raised in the back at all. At first they said no, then the Dr. Atlas, who I think was one of the lead docs there, showed us how- thank goodness.
I don't remember anytime passing before I started pushing. I do remember our original doula showing up at this point, which was nice- we were hoping she would make it! And Dave was standing by my right side in full operating room gear. I really wanted to drink some water and someone scolded me immediately. Apparently if I had to go under in an emergency c-section, water in my system would have led to serious consequences.
The lead doc at the baby end was trying to count for me, but I stopped listening after I realized she wasn't in sync with what I was doing. Dave told me later that there were 16-17 people in the room. I did notice the 'audience' but I didn't think there was that many people in there! For some reason when I blew out I was able to push better than holding my breath- it brought me back to yoga some how and calmed me down.
Pushing actually felt very productive and whatever pain there was didn't matter. It was only until Baby A (Luciana) crowned and did not retreat that I felt the 'ring of fire'. It wasn't long before I saw her, in all her white waxy glory! I recall exclaiming, "that's a baby!" (duh, right? but it wasn't completely real until I saw her). They gave her to Dave, and Danielle (the doula) said "get a good grip!"; they hadn't wiped anything off her at this point. He then lay her on my chest and I looked in awe- a little person. Her eyes were wide open, and she was beautiful. They took her away to clean her up a bit and I was thinking that I was going to have a bit of a break.
No break, there was another baby to push out! Her water hadn't broken yet, so the docs took care of that. I could hear them talking and saying they were a little concerned because it appeared that Baby B (Stella) was coming down hand-first. She came down quickly and she entered this world fist first (she will never get tired of hearing that story we hope!).
She was quite a bit smaller than her sister, i was still able to hold her right after birth. Then they took her to a heat lamp. Lucy was 6lbs 4 oz. and Stella was 4 lbs 11oz. They were born at 8:22AM and 8:29AM on July 22, 2010. Stella was borderline having to go to the NICU, but just over the line so we got to keep her with us.
I did have a second degree tear, which they stitched up and then I was carted back to the labor and delivery room where I was reunited with the girls.
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