Megan’s Birth Story Part 2

Once I was settled into the labor and delivery room, I was offered an epidural. Of Course this was something that I wanted, unfortunately I had to get a liter of fluid in before they could place it, and this took an hour. That in addition to the hour it took for the anesthesiologist, with 5 plus tries, to get the epidural in, made for the most painful 2 hours of my labor.  But once that medicine started flowing I was finally able to relax and rest for the work that was yet come.

At 1pm, 12 hours into labor, it was time to start pushing. I was so glad to have my Mom and Mike both there to help me. I don’t think that any of us realized how hard of work it would be for them, but as always I knew I could count on them. Unfortunately during the next 2 hours I began to have symptoms of infection and severe shaking. This means that my memories of the events are limited, but from what Mike and Mom told me I pushed for 2 hours before getting to meet my precious baby girl. Megan Janell Stormes was born at 3pm, She was completely alert, but didn’t cry when she was born, and weighed in at 7 pounds 3 ounces. Since we had been told at our 28 week ultrasound that Megan was already 7 pounds, we were planning for a large baby. I can still remember the Dr’s first words when Megan was born, she said “Kate, she’s so small”. Even though I don’t remember it Megan was placed on my belly, I kissed her, and told her how much I Loved her before Mike cut the cord and she was whisked away to be checked over.

Though this day was an extreme amount of work and rather scary, it was the best day of my life. I never knew that I could love someone so completely and so instantly. Megan has enriched our lives in ways I never imagined and I can’t wait to see what adventures her future will bring us.

HAPPY 1st BIRTHDAY BABY GIRL!!!

24 Hours

Last year on this day as I laid down for a 3pm nap I had no idea that the next 24 hours would change my life forever.

After a morning of breakfast out with Mike and my Mom and a trip to the mall, that left me finally feeling “ready” for the baby, I did what any 8.5 month pregnant women does on a Sunday afternoon, tried to rest as comfortably as possible. We were having dinner at my Mom’s that night and all through the meal I just didn’t feel well, even the smell of the garlic toast made me feel sick. Following the short drive home we decided to watch 500 Days of Summer, figuring with the work week coming up we wouldn’t  have time to get to it, little did we know. Heading to bed early, I complained of a stomach ache, and worried aloud to Mike that I had to work 20 minutes from home the next day and “what if I went into labor.” Apparently that was something that I shouldn’t have worried about.

At 1:30am I woke up, as I did many times a night, to go to the bathroom. I still had a “stomach ache”, but it was worse then the night before. I laid awake in bed for the next 2 hours thinking that I just didn’t feel well and with the pain getting worse. Finally at 3:30am I woke up Mike and calmly told him that I thought I was in labor. He was not very happy that I waited so long, but I told him I thought at least one of us should get some sleep. Another trip to the bathroom and I was fairly sure that my water started leaking, but being the stubborn nurse I am, I refused to go to the hospital because my Dr. wouldn’t be on until 8am. At some point in the next 3 hours of laboring by the light of the Christmas tree, I called my Mom who was going to come to the hospital with us. By 6:30 my contractions were 5 minutes apart so Mike called Labor and Delivery and they told him I had to come in. All the way there I told Mike and my Mom that I couldn’t really be in labor and that I just knew they would check me and send me home. Again, little did I know.

Upon arrival at the hospital, the nurse checked me and said that I was 5 almost 6 cm dilated and that my water had definitely broke. We were going to meet our, who wasn’t due for another 2 weeks, in the next 24 hours. Our Jan 2010 baby was going to be a Dec 2009 arrival.

More of Megan’s birth story to come tomorrow…