Juliet Grace's Arrival, part 1

I'm sorry this is going to be a novel, but I want to have this all recorded for myself.

Close to the end of my pregnancy I was slowly becoming more and more dilated each time I went to the doctor.  I believe right around 34 weeks I was 1 centimeter dilated.  Then the next week I went I was 2 cm dilated...3 cm at 36 weeks...4 cm  at 37...5 cm at 38. So every week I went to the doctor from about 36 weeks on she would tell me...I'm sure you'll have your baby before your next appointment.  Worst words you could ever say to a woman who is so close to the end of her pregnancy!!

At 38 weeks they stripped my membranes and she told me she'd see me at the hospital within the next 48 hours...no such luck.  After being on bedrest for 7 weeks trying to keep baby girl in,  baby girl decided she'd rather it stay that way.

38.5 weeks pregnant, October 27

So the few days before I actually went into labor I noticed I was having a lot more painful contractions (which is a joke now after actually BEING in labor and comparing the two contractions).  So every night before we actually went in to the hospital Chris and I would sit there and watch a show or play a game while I timed contractions on my phone.  They would be about 5 minutes or closer apart but I was always hesitant to go in because the  contractions didn't  "make me feel like I was going to die", as my sister had put it.  Also after having contractions so frequently during my pregnancy, it's hard to convince yourself it's the real thing!

October 30, day before we went into the hospital

Well come Saturday night on Halloween, Chris and I were watching a show on Netflix and eating a ton of candy that we bought in hopes of trick or treaters that would come by that did not.  I noticed that I was having the most painful contractions I had experienced yet.  I was having to start pausing to get through a contraction and couldn't really focus on much else.  Chris, the wonderful husband he is, asked for probably the 10th time if we should go into the hospital.  I finally agreed, but was so worried we'd get there and they'd send us home!  We quickly grabbed our things and got in the car.

On the way to the hospital I remember telling Chris I felt like knives were hitting me in the back over and over.  Once we got to the hospital, Chris asked if I wanted him to drop me off at the front.  I said no, which is so ridiculous and funny to me now.  So we walked in to the hospital and they immediately put me in a wheelchair and wheeled me up to Labor and Delivery.

Once we got to Labor and Delivery around 11:30 pm, they put me in triage and told me to put on a gown.  I kid you not, the second I stood up to put on my gown, my water broke!  I was so stressed when it happened because I thought I had peed my pants and was embarrassed about them having to clean it up.  Until I realized how much it was and told Chris to tell the nurses my water broke!  They immediately moved me into my own room and got me settled in.

As soon as my water broke the contractions REALLY started.  They checked me right after it broke and I was 6 cm dilated.  I barely was able to get myself into my bed.  I just kept saying "I can't do this" over and over.  Once I was in my room, I begged for an epidural as soon as I could possibly get one.  They went through the questions to check me in, which THANKFULLY wasn't that many because I had called earlier that same day to check in for my schedule induction the following Tuesday.

A nurse then came in to start my IV and draw blood.  I couldn't get the epidural until my lab results came back from getting my blood drawn.  This was seriousl
y torture.  The nurse poked me 5 different times before she was able to actually get a good vein.  Which is annoying to begin with, but doing this to a woman who is in full on labor is just cruel.  During this stage of labor, I remember asking one of the nurses HOW do people have natural birth and she said they're crazy people! Haha I bow down to anyone who would choose to not get an epidural by their own free will. However finally after crying and begging and lots of "I can't do this", I was able to get my epidural.

Which NO ONE tells you is so hard.  Not the actual epidural going in, that I could care less about. The part where you are going through hardcore contractions and have to sit completely still so the needle goes in properly.  I was shaking so hard and I think I briefly accidentally rested my head on a nurse's shoulder before realizing that this was weird.

Post epidural, clearly

A very flattering angle for me.