We've been through this before. We know what we're doing. So it's just a waiting game. The Friday of Easter weekend the boys and I were scheduled to go to a special play group Easter egg hunt at 10am. When I woke up at 4 with consistent contractions. They weren't very painful. Mostly just there. Uncomfortable enough I couldn't sleep through them. But also nothing to be terribly excited about.
A very good friend of mine was "on call" to take the boys should something happen and we needed to go to the hospital. So just before 9am I let her know that I wasn't comfortable going up the canyon for the Easter egg hunt and that she should be ready for a call. I didn't want to be up the canyon with all the kids and start having bad enough contractions I couldn't drive back down safely. But, based on how the boys had come, I was figuring she would come, it would just be an all day event.
Over the next few hours contractions would speed up and slow way down. Some hours I would be 10 minutes apart and the next would be 20 or 30. I wasn't ready to head in to the hospital but I knew it was coming. I also didn't want to excite my family prematurely, so we decided to hold off telling anyone until we had at least made it to the hospital. We actually changed that until the hospital checked me and said we were staying.
By about 2, my contractions hasn't gotten much more consistent. I was having them anywhere from 2 minutes apart to 15 minutes apart. They were very sporadic. But were slightly more intense. So I decided to get the boys down for a nap and double check their overnight bag was packed. By 3 they were still very random, but I told Cory that they were getting strong enough I'd like to be heading to the hospital soon. So he hurried to jump in the shower. The boys happen to wake up right then, so they jumped in too. Sending clean kids to spend the night with friends seemed like a good idea at the time.
By 4, it was way time. In that hour, I feel like I jumped very quickly from "we should probably leave soon" to "why didn't we leave an hour ago". My friend had taken her kids to a park that happened to be on the way to the hospital. So, we loaded the kids in the car and headed that direction. We dropped the boys and car seats by 4:30 and headed to Loma Linda Hospital in San Bernardino. Technically, there is a hospital about 10 blocks from our home, but I have heard nothing but terrible things about that hospital. And nothing but good things about Loma Linda. So, even though it was over 20 minutes away, Loma Linda was definitely the better choice.
We arrived at the hospital around 5pm and parked in the loading and unloading area. L&D was on the 3rd floor and the hospital parking lot was under construction. So it was a tad crazy trying to get in and where we needed to be. I walked about 50 yards from the car to the front doors where Cory was able to get me into a wheel chair. I would've walked, but my contractions were 3-5 minutes apart and painful enough I couldn't walk through them.
We made it up to the L&D check in. The check in lady handed me some paperwork and told me that it was a pretty busy night and she would have to have a nurse come talk to me to see if we could get into a room. After a couple minutes of paperwork and at least two contractions, she looked at me and said, "a lot of women come in ready to have their babies before they're actually in labor. But I can tell this is the real deal for you. I'm going to bump you up the list and the nurse will be right over." She checked my weight and sure enough, the nurse came right over. The nurse didn't have to do much to decide I needed a room. And within about 5 minutes, I was in a room. Cory left me to get myself changed into a hospital gown and ran to park the car. When he came back, the nurse and I were just getting into my check in. They hadn't actually admitted me, but they were prepping to.
Our experience here had been so different from in Utah. In Utah they took me to a triage room to be checked and monitored until they decided to admit, then took me to a room. Here in California, they simply took me to a room and that's where I was checked and monitored and eventually delivered. I like that better. Not having to move around was very nice. The nurse initially checked to find me dilated to a 3. Usually they won't admit you until you're at a 4. But she could see that it likely wouldn't be long. So she decided to let me stay while she "did some other things". I don't know what she needed to do, but I feel like that was code for "I'm going to not let them know you're only at a 3 and check you again soon and you'll be able to stay here". By 6:20 I was dilated to a 5 and definitely staying. We let our families know and began the waiting game.
They asked me if I wanted an epidural and I absolutely did. Props to the women who can have a child without it, you're amazing, I can't. I'm a wuss in this department. By 7pm I was practically begging for anything. I was in a good amount of pain. Consistently every 2-3 minutes. Unfortunately, the anesthesiologist was in a c-section and I would have to wait. By 7:30 I was in so much pain (not an unusual amount, like I said, I'm just a bit of a wuss) I was asking the nurse if there was anything they could give me. She said the only thing they could give me was Norco. But it came with some side effects for myself and the baby that didn't sound fun. So I decided to tough it out a bit longer.
A few minutes later, the nurse came back with some bad news. The anesthesiologist would have to run from one c section to another and wouldn't have time to fit me in between. She left me to decide if I wanted the other pain meds. Cory and I talked and still decided we didn't want the possible side effects. I would just wait the extra hour or two for the epidural. I was still only dilated to a 6.
Then a miracle happened only a few short minutes later. The anesthesiologist came in and said, they need a few extra minutes before this other c section and I wanted to get your epidural in while I can. I may not make it back before that baby comes. Praise the heavens! And also thank goodness we declined the Norco. They have to wait at least an hour after the Norco to do an epidural and it had only been about 15 minutes since we declined that. I have never been more handful for an epidural in my life. This had by a long shot, been the longest through labor I'd been without an epidural and it was definitely not my favorite. I love my kids and I don't mind allowing them to have full run of my body, but I also really hate contractions. The epidural is literally my life saver. It does make me a little neaseous though. Always has. So after all that was taken care of, we were able to settle a bit and get a little rest. Not sleep, just rest.
At 9pm I was dilated to a 7 and my water still hadn't broken yet. Loma Linda was really keen on letting my body do what it needed. They discussed having the doctor come break my water, but unlike in Utah it was much more casual. Seeming more like, let's just keep seeing how it goes and if there's a reason we will break it. So that's what we did. We casually (as casual as labor can be) just waited. The nurse had changed shifts at 8 and was steadily checking my dilation every hour.
Although it was 9pm, Cory hadn't eaten any dinner. So I sent him to get food. I was only dilated to 7 and I figured he'd hit a fast food place and be back pretty quick. He ended up going a few miles away to an In and Out. He was gone almost an hour. Right after he got back, my nurse checked again around 10:15pm. She actually said, "wow, you're so dilated I can't even find the cervix. And the baby is extremely low." My water still hadn't broken so the nurse went to get the doctor.
When the doctor came in, she checked and sure enough, my water hadn't broken and the baby was getting ready. She used the little poker to break my water which popped all over her arm and shoulder. She checked the baby again and said she was about 2cm out. Told me not to push and went to the corner to put her birthing attire on. When everyone was ready, we started to push. Not joking, 3 pushes was all it took for miss Adelaide to come into the world at 10:41. Weighing in at 6lbs 11 oz and 19 inches long. She has been an incredible blessing to our family and we are totally in love. The boys are completely smitten and the best and sweetest big brothers. I am so excited for their relationship to grow.
They asked me if I wanted an epidural and I absolutely did. Props to the women who can have a child without it, you're amazing, I can't. I'm a wuss in this department. By 7pm I was practically begging for anything. I was in a good amount of pain. Consistently every 2-3 minutes. Unfortunately, the anesthesiologist was in a c-section and I would have to wait. By 7:30 I was in so much pain (not an unusual amount, like I said, I'm just a bit of a wuss) I was asking the nurse if there was anything they could give me. She said the only thing they could give me was Norco. But it came with some side effects for myself and the baby that didn't sound fun. So I decided to tough it out a bit longer.
A few minutes later, the nurse came back with some bad news. The anesthesiologist would have to run from one c section to another and wouldn't have time to fit me in between. She left me to decide if I wanted the other pain meds. Cory and I talked and still decided we didn't want the possible side effects. I would just wait the extra hour or two for the epidural. I was still only dilated to a 6.
Then a miracle happened only a few short minutes later. The anesthesiologist came in and said, they need a few extra minutes before this other c section and I wanted to get your epidural in while I can. I may not make it back before that baby comes. Praise the heavens! And also thank goodness we declined the Norco. They have to wait at least an hour after the Norco to do an epidural and it had only been about 15 minutes since we declined that. I have never been more handful for an epidural in my life. This had by a long shot, been the longest through labor I'd been without an epidural and it was definitely not my favorite. I love my kids and I don't mind allowing them to have full run of my body, but I also really hate contractions. The epidural is literally my life saver. It does make me a little neaseous though. Always has. So after all that was taken care of, we were able to settle a bit and get a little rest. Not sleep, just rest.
At 9pm I was dilated to a 7 and my water still hadn't broken yet. Loma Linda was really keen on letting my body do what it needed. They discussed having the doctor come break my water, but unlike in Utah it was much more casual. Seeming more like, let's just keep seeing how it goes and if there's a reason we will break it. So that's what we did. We casually (as casual as labor can be) just waited. The nurse had changed shifts at 8 and was steadily checking my dilation every hour.
Although it was 9pm, Cory hadn't eaten any dinner. So I sent him to get food. I was only dilated to 7 and I figured he'd hit a fast food place and be back pretty quick. He ended up going a few miles away to an In and Out. He was gone almost an hour. Right after he got back, my nurse checked again around 10:15pm. She actually said, "wow, you're so dilated I can't even find the cervix. And the baby is extremely low." My water still hadn't broken so the nurse went to get the doctor.
When the doctor came in, she checked and sure enough, my water hadn't broken and the baby was getting ready. She used the little poker to break my water which popped all over her arm and shoulder. She checked the baby again and said she was about 2cm out. Told me not to push and went to the corner to put her birthing attire on. When everyone was ready, we started to push. Not joking, 3 pushes was all it took for miss Adelaide to come into the world at 10:41. Weighing in at 6lbs 11 oz and 19 inches long. She has been an incredible blessing to our family and we are totally in love. The boys are completely smitten and the best and sweetest big brothers. I am so excited for their relationship to grow.
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