Details

A few people have asked for more details on Ashley's birth, so here they are. I woke up at 6:30 am a little uncomfortable, but nothing big. I felt a thump that I have previously associated with my water breaking, but I only got a big wet spot on the towel, and then it stopped. JT thinks it was a high break that let out the surrounding fluid, but then the 'water' was below the break, so it stopped. I ate a little and got a drink, and decided to go back to bed. After 30 minutes and increasing contractions, I decided it was a lost cause. I got up and got in the bath. I took the cell phone, just in case I needed to call JT. At 8:10, I called JT to see how close he was to home. I had expected him by 8, and was getting nervous about the frequency of the contractions. He was only a few minutes away, so I waited. Jay and Leslie woke up at 8:30, and Leslie decided she wanted to get in the bath, so I got out just as JT got home. I called our friend, Terri Thomas, who had agreed to watch the kids when I went into labor, and gave her the heads up, that we could be leaving for the hospital soon. 30 minuted later, I was in bed with regular contraction, and JT decided it was time to go. I called Terri, who came over right away, and JT got the kids dressed. As soon as Terri arrived, we left. By the time we got to the hospital, I couldn't walk upstairs, so JT took me in through the ER. He had to park the car, so he took me in to check in, and then left to meet me in L & D. After I checked in, an orderly took me upstairs. JT showed up right behind me. He knew most of the doctors, residents, and nurses because he did his OB rotation there. As a result, as soon as he showed up, we got some attention. Unfortunately, there wasn't a room available, so I had to wait about 20 minutes while one was cleaned. In the mean time, I was sitting in a chair in an exam room while my contractions got harder and more frequent. A nurse took my history and left the room. JT was in the lobby area talking to the residents and nurses. I was in a lot of pain and right on the verge of a major temper tantrum when the nurse came in and asked for a urine sample. I made it into the bathroom, but couldn't get anything into the cup. I gave up just as I got a hard contraction and my water broke (messily this time) into the toilet (mostly). I reached for the toilet paper only to realize that it was out. I sat there for a minute debating a course of action. When I got another hard contraction, I decided to pull the tab for the nurse. She came in right away, and found me unable to move myself to the delivery room. They helped me into the wheelchair, and took me to the delivery room, lifted me onto the bed, changed me into a gown, and started an IV. I didn't notice very much at this point. After checking me, (I was 9 cm dilated and 90% effaced) I was told that there was no time for an epidural. JT wanted to get the camera out of the car, but the nursed told him he would miss the birth if he did. They were right. Ashley was born 15 minutes (or so) later at 10:33. When JT tells the story he tells people that I only pushed once, and the baby was out. He obviously wasn't paying attention =). Despite the fast delivery I was kept in the L&D room for several hours because I was bleeding so much, they wanted to keep an eye on me. When the bleeding slowed to normal levels, they moved me to postpartum. Because Ashley was so big, they wanted me to feed her every 2 hours to keep her blood sugar up. They were checking her blood sugar every 3 hours the first day, and every 6 hours the second day. It never got below normal levels, and they were happy with it by the time we left the hospital on Saturday afternoon. I hope this satisfies every ones curiosity, because my computer time is up.