This week has truly been a crazy week. On Monday, I had vaginal bleeding, which earned me a trip to L&D (see previous entry), and then on Tuesday morning, I began having painful contractions every 7 to 9 minutes for 2 hours. I was so sure that I was going to have the baby that day, but my contractions, for some weird reason, just vanished (along with my hope of giving birth to a baby that day).
Contractions or not, I was planning on trying some Old Wives' Tales to induce labor that day anyway...
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| Eggplant parmesan, "labor-inducing" chocolate cake, and a pineapple smoothie. |
Well, guess what happened on Wednesday at 2:00am? I woke up with painful contractions at intervals of 9 minutes. I didn't get too excited because the same thing happened the day before (with the end result of no baby), but Old Wives' Tales (for the most part) got my baby's gender prediction right...so maybe the Old Wives' Tales of these labor-inducing foods could be true too...?
Since I had to get up at 5:00am anyway, I decided to just stay up and monitor my contractions. They became closer and closer together. By the time Ralph dropped me off at my parents' house before he headed off for work, my contractions were 5 to 6 minutes apart. He went to work anyway, since I wasn't supposed to go to L&D until my contractions were every 3 to 5 minutes for a whole hour...and who knew when THAT would happen?
So I called L&D, told them what was going on, and sure enough, my mom and I were back at Kaiser at 7:00am. The same midwife who examined me on Monday was there, and she gave us the good news: I was 5cm dilated and 100% effaced...it was time for this baby to come out. WOOHOO!
It was a little while after when I decided to get the epidural, since I heard that contractions get more intense and closer together once your water breaks. And believe me, I'm no freaking hero - I always knew I was going to get the epidural. Props to you women who went through labor and delivery without any pain meds.
Well, things went downhill from there. After getting the epidural from the anesthesiologist, I immediately regretted it - I rather would have dealt with the 5-minute contractions than the side effects of the epidural. I was just nauseous, and I felt like I couldn't breathe. Later on, at 5:00pm, the midwife came back to check on my progress...I was STILL only 6 cm dilated. She also noticed that my BP kept dropping...and so did the baby's heart rate.
I heard the midwife tell a nurse to get the anesthesiologist back in the room. Next thing I knew, there were 5 nurses trying to reposition me and trying to rearrange the fetal monitor leads on my tummy. There was just too much scuffling, so I knew something was wrong. I was instructed to use a breathing mask to get more oxygen flow for the baby, and then another doctor came into the room - all I heard was that the baby was in distress, and he thought it was best to proceed with a c-section.
I was beyond scared. I tried my hardest not to cry, but as soon as I saw the concerned look on my mom's face, I was overcome with emotion. I burst into tears, and Ralph immediately came to my side and said, "It's okay, Pagey. The baby just wants to come out a different way."
And before I knew it, I was being wheeled to the operating room. Thankfully, I didn't have to be knocked out, so I was awake for the entire thing. First, the anesthesiologist gave me stronger numbing medication, which, of course, made me feel worse and more dazed. I started shivering like crazy, and I felt like I needed to throw up...and I did. Ugh.
After I was prepped, Ralph was brought in, and I couldn't be more grateful that he was able to be there with me. He just sat by my head, stroked my hair, and assured me that everything was going to be okay. The actual procedure was quick, and there weren't any complications (other than the fact that I felt like I couldn't breathe, but the anesthesiologist said that the medication I was getting could cause my nostrils to feel plugged). I didn't feel any tugging or pressure from the surgery, and just a few minutes later, I heard the baby cry.
All my worries vanished as soon as I heard his cries...so I also began to cry. Ralph left my side briefly to cut the umbilical cord, and once the baby was cleaned up, a nurse brought him to me. Since the doctor was still "closing" me up, the nurse took Ralph and the baby into the recovery room, so Ralph could have skin-to-skin contact with the baby, which is something that is encouraged between parents and the newborn.
After the doctor was done with me, I was wheeled into the recovery room, where I saw Ralph holding our baby. And then it was my turn for skin-on-skin bonding. As soon as I had the baby in my arms, I just breathed out a sigh of relief and thanked God for our little blessing. After about an hour and a half in the recovery room, we were finally able to move into our post-partum room. We were immediately greeted by my parents and brother and Ralph's mom, grandma, sister, niece, and aunt. Unfortunately for them, visiting hours were almost over, so they only got to spend a short time with the little guy.
And then Ralph and I were all alone with the newborn baby...DUN DUN DUN! I must say, Ralph did a great job. Because I was bed-ridden for the rest of the night, he was the one who had to do everything - change the baby's diapers, pick him up when he cried, swaddle him, help me reposition myself when I got uncomfortable, and get whatever I needed that was too far from my reach.
The first night was rough, mainly because I was starving (the last thing I ate was that labor-inducing meal...which had been more than 24 hours prior), and Ralph and I could just not sleep - the nurse checked on me every 2 to 3 hours, and whenever we heard the baby stir, we would panic and check up on him.
Our second and last days at the hospital went by quickly. And let me tell you...you grow dependent on the nurses and that wonderful bed that helps you sit up with the touch of a button...so enjoy every moment of it! And also, a huge shout out to the staff at Kaiser Permanente Hospital in Irvine...EVERYONE was so wonderful and so accommodating - I couldn't have asked for better care.
We were finally able to go home Friday afternoon. A ton of pictures were taken during our stay at the hospital, but here are just a few more:
And before I knew it, I was being wheeled to the operating room. Thankfully, I didn't have to be knocked out, so I was awake for the entire thing. First, the anesthesiologist gave me stronger numbing medication, which, of course, made me feel worse and more dazed. I started shivering like crazy, and I felt like I needed to throw up...and I did. Ugh.
After I was prepped, Ralph was brought in, and I couldn't be more grateful that he was able to be there with me. He just sat by my head, stroked my hair, and assured me that everything was going to be okay. The actual procedure was quick, and there weren't any complications (other than the fact that I felt like I couldn't breathe, but the anesthesiologist said that the medication I was getting could cause my nostrils to feel plugged). I didn't feel any tugging or pressure from the surgery, and just a few minutes later, I heard the baby cry.
All my worries vanished as soon as I heard his cries...so I also began to cry. Ralph left my side briefly to cut the umbilical cord, and once the baby was cleaned up, a nurse brought him to me. Since the doctor was still "closing" me up, the nurse took Ralph and the baby into the recovery room, so Ralph could have skin-to-skin contact with the baby, which is something that is encouraged between parents and the newborn.
And then Ralph and I were all alone with the newborn baby...DUN DUN DUN! I must say, Ralph did a great job. Because I was bed-ridden for the rest of the night, he was the one who had to do everything - change the baby's diapers, pick him up when he cried, swaddle him, help me reposition myself when I got uncomfortable, and get whatever I needed that was too far from my reach.
The first night was rough, mainly because I was starving (the last thing I ate was that labor-inducing meal...which had been more than 24 hours prior), and Ralph and I could just not sleep - the nurse checked on me every 2 to 3 hours, and whenever we heard the baby stir, we would panic and check up on him.
Our second and last days at the hospital went by quickly. And let me tell you...you grow dependent on the nurses and that wonderful bed that helps you sit up with the touch of a button...so enjoy every moment of it! And also, a huge shout out to the staff at Kaiser Permanente Hospital in Irvine...EVERYONE was so wonderful and so accommodating - I couldn't have asked for better care.
We were finally able to go home Friday afternoon. A ton of pictures were taken during our stay at the hospital, but here are just a few more:
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| Once I was off my clear liquid diet, I requested my mom to bring me sushi. AT LONG LAST!!! |
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| Kaiser even provided me and Ralph with a celebratory dinner. |
I'd like to take this time to thank everyone for all the well wishes, whether they were through visitations, phone calls, text messages, social media messages/comments, etc. We are truly grateful for all the support, and we cannot wait till the baby meets everyone!
As far as how we're doing...
- I was in excruciating pain for the last couple of days because I refused to take any pain meds (other than Motrin) because I'm super constipated, and pain meds only make it worse. And boy...you feel EVERYTHING once the anesthesia wears off. So moving just HURTS, but I am feeling a lot better today. Things are only going to get better from here!
- Ralph is super man. He not only has to take care of Owen, but he also has to take care of me. I am beyond blessed for Ralph's patience and for everything that he has done for me the last couple of days...we are a lot closer in our relationship, that's for sure, lol! He is also now a pro at swaddling and changing diapers.
- Baby Owen is just the greatest thing I've ever seen. I cannot get enough of him. He's breastfeeding just fine and loves to be carried...he's fussy when he's not in someone's arms - what a brat! :D
- Wendy is still a little confused as to what's going, but she has been the sweetest dog. She constantly sniffs the baby's stuff and always jumps out of her bed/crate whenever the baby cries, as if she's concerned about her little brother's well-being. :)
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| "Mama...what's that you got over there?" |
More updates/pictures once I feel better. :)
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| Owen Michael Herrera Born on Wednesday, February 25th, 2015 at 5:37pm Weighed 7 pounds 15 ounces and was 20 inches long |
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