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Introduction
On October 10, 2002, eleven days after her due date, Abby decided it was time to come into the world and meet us. Our earth angel has arrived!!!
I had been feeling cramp like sensations that morning and had noticed some blood in the toilet, which I determined, was probably my mucus plug. At 8:05 a.m. a really strong pain came over me and I had a feeling it was a contraction. It didn’t feel like anything else I’ve ever felt before and I made note of the time. I kept thinking it might not have been a contraction and wondering if any more would follow. A half hour later, I got another. I decided to keep track and experienced a few more contractions all about 30 minutes apart and lasting approximately 15 seconds or so.
I called Eddie at work and told him not to get too excited because I wasn’t sure if it was the real thing or not. I would call him later with updates and I told him to stay at work for now. I called and told my mom that I thought something might be happening and to stay near the phone if I needed her. Eddie’s mom called and I told her the same.
Around 12:30 p.m. I decided to take a bath to see if the contractions would subside. That way, if they didn’t, I would know it was the real thing. After about an hour in the tub and a few more contractions I determined they were actually getting closer together and lasting longer. I decided this was IT! I took a shower to freshen up for my trip to the hospital. I admired my big pregnant belly in the shower one last time and wondered what the rest of the evening would hold for me.
After straightening our home up a little I decided it was time to have my mom head over because I knew it would take her about an hour to get here. So, around 1:30 I called Eddie and said, “you may want to head home soon.” I said, “we are definitely going to the hospital today” and I was pretty sure this baby was coming. He said he could head home after 2:30 and I said that was fine and I’d have my mom head over now.
A little after 3 p.m. Eddie got home. I told him to start timing the contractions because I hadn’t really timed them lately. He started timing them and when my mom arrived around 3:30 the contractions were 5 minutes apart and lasting 60 seconds. Eddie started the finishing touches to the hospital bag and we decided to call the doctor and let them know I was in labor but not until I posted to the message boards and my diary to let all my cyber space friends know I was on my way to the hospital. :) I informed the nurse that I believed I was in labor and how frequent my contractions were and she asked how far along I was. I said “11 days overdue” and I could hear her smile through the phone as she said “head on over to the hospital, I’ll call them and let them know you are on the way.” I was so excited I hung up without asking which of the 4 doctors were on call. I just had to know so I called back and I heard music to my ears! My favorite doctor was on call for that evening.
Eddie packed the car as I endured more contractions. I used breathing techniques from a book recommended to me by one of my cyber friends called “Birthing From Within.” I still hadn’t decided on having an epidural. I wanted to take one contraction at a time and see how it went. So far, I was managing them. At 4:10 we were on our way to the hospital with my mom following in her car. Eddie was driving and calling his mother and the pastor and others we wanted to inform.
We arrived in the parking lot and there was only one “new mom/expectant mom” space left, it was meant for me! :) I was so excited and thrilled and my adrenaline was pumping as I wondered if my little girl’s birthday would be October 10th or October 11th. We arrived to the nurses’ station and they informed us that all the labor/delivery rooms were full. They were in the process of cleaning a couple and I’d have to wait in the waiting room until they were done. I was ok with that at that point.
I sat in the waiting room with Eddie, my mom and shortly after our arrival Eddie’s mom arrived plus 5 strangers. The contractions were still about 5 minutes apart and lasting for 60 seconds but they were getting stronger. A couple times I had to use the restroom and my mom accompanied me so I could lean on her during contractions. It was hard to handle the contractions with the waiting room onlookers but I just kept reminding myself of the techniques in my book and made myself drift into my own world of labor. I closed my eyes and concentrated on my breathing as Eddie sat next to me and helped me cope. After waiting in the waiting room for over an hour and the contractions getting extremely uncomfortable I asked my mom to see how the cleaning process was coming along and when exactly I could expect a room. They said 5 minutes and apologized for it taking so long. After 20 minutes and what I thought were some pretty agonizing contractions I decided, if given the chance, I would accept an epidural. Finally, my room was ready.
I was settled into my labor and delivery room and the monitors were placed on my stomach. The nurse checked me for the first time at 6:00 p.m. and I was already 5-6 centimeters dilated. I was happy and relieved to hear that things were progressing. I couldn’t imagine enduring so much pain and being much less than that. The nurse took my blood and I asked when I could expect an epidural because the contractions were getting unbearable. She said as soon as my blood work was back from the lab they would send in the anesthesiologist. At some point our mothers joined us.
During the next twenty minutes I experienced the most excruciating pain I have ever felt in my entire life! Eddie leaned over me and just kept saying “breathe, breathe, breathe” and I did. My mom kept saying in a calm voice, “remember those techniques from your book, concentrate on that!” A few contractions were so bad I had to straighten my legs and actually had sensations to push a few times but just said to myself “my body is opening to let my baby out, I don’t need to push yet, this contraction will end and I’ll be one step closer to meeting her.” More from Eddie, “Breathe, breathe” and eventually it was over. My doctor came in and commented on what a wonderful job I was doing and I told her the last few contractions were terrible and I almost felt the urge to push. She decided to check me and at 6:20 I was 8 centimeters dilated. I had gone from 5-6 to 8 in just 20 minutes and that’s when she said, “we may not have time for that epidural.” I was scared but knew if I absolutely had to, that would be the way my baby would come into this world.
I’m not sure how much time had passed but the doctor arrived again and this time she had the anesthesiologist with her!! She said she would have to check me first though to see if there was still time. I was at 9 centimeters and I could have the epidural. It was amazing! Eddie held me as the epidural was put in and soon afterwards I was on cloud 25! I had a contraction but didn’t feel it! I was amazed how I could still feel my legs and Eddie’s hand rubbing my leg and I could even move them but when a contraction came I didn’t feel a thing! I was worried the epidural would slow things down but it didn’t. It was so wonderful to be able to relax and enjoy the last few minutes with my husband as a couple. We rested and waited.
Approximately 8:40 or so I was fully dilated and completely effaced so because my water hadn’t broken Yet, the doctor broke my water. The doctor said the nurse would do some practice pushes with me to see how effectively I could push, but if I had trouble they would wait a little while and let the epidural wear off a little and try again later. At 8:50 I started “practice” pushes. At some point in time these must have turned into “real” pushes but I’m not clear as to when this happened. The nurse was amazed at how well I was pushing and I was asked at least Twice (once by my Husband!!) if I was sure I had never done this before! After only 5-6 pushes my husband declared that he could already see the baby’s HAIR and that his “blonde hair (as a child) didn’t pull through.” I was offered a mirror and was a little hesitant but after the next couple pushes I took the nurse up on the offer because I just HAD to see what everyone else was gawking at!! :)
I won’t lie, it sure looked yucky down there! I never imagined that thing could get THAT BIG! It was the weirdest thing I had ever seen and when I pushed I saw the head of dark hair my husband had told me about. Except it didn’t look like a baby’s head at all. It looked more like a wrinkle of some kind of skin with hair. I couldn’t imagine it was part of something so beautiful! As I pushed I saw a tiny bit more of it but sometimes it seemed to slide back in a little. My doctor arrived and observed some of my pushes and was amazed. She also held my hair back for me as Eddie held one of my legs and cheered me on. My doctor made my labor and delivery into a party. She was so funny! At times it was hard to push because I was laughing at the same time! :)
Eddie was so wonderful! He was describing everything he saw (although I could see too) and he was totally in awe of what he was witnessing. His daughter was being born right in front of his eyes and he was such a perfect labor companion to me!
The nurse and the doctor switched places and I knew the amazing event I’ve been waiting for was about to happen. The doctor guided my pushes as Abby’s head slowly emerged the rest of the way. As the doctor suctioned her mouth Abby bit down on the aspirator and the doctor had trouble pulling it out and everyone laughed. Slowly, the rest of Abby’s body just slid out with the doctor’s assistance only.
My emotions completely overtook my whole entire body. They started at my head and went all the way through my body to my feet. It was like nothing I could ever imagine. It was like the entire heavens moved through me and the earth was spinning. As I heard my sweet baby’s first cries I laughed and cried and smiled and felt full of love and joy and excitement all at once and it was the most amazing thing I’ve ever experienced in my entire life! I cried over and over “Oh my God! Oh my God! I can’t believe this! Oh my Goodness!” and Eddie leaned over me and we cried and cried together as the doctor and nurse gave her a quick wipe down. As they lifted my beautiful new naked baby girl up onto my stomach I cried and cried and my first words to her were “Hello Sweetie!” And “She’s cute!” Eddie gladly set her free by cutting the cord. She was not a happy little baby. She screamed and cried as she lay on my belly and Eddie and I caressed her and poured our hearts and tears out to her.
They moved her to the warming table to clean her up and do their assessments of her and her health. The nurse had some fun playing with her hair and made it stick straight up so we could all see how long it was. It was so funny, but Abby was still mad at the fact that we took her from a nice quiet warm place and now she was getting rubbed down and moved all around and she was still screaming. Eddie said, “She has such a cute cry.”
Abigail Maelynn Miller was born after only 19 minutes of pushing at 9:09 p.m. on 10/10/2002. Abby’s Apgar’s were 9, 9. She is 9 pounds 3 ounces and 22 inches long and she is the most beautiful little baby girl I have ever seen! I still can’t believe we created this little miracle.
The doctor surveyed the area and declared, I only needed ONE stitch! They did not perform an episiotomy because everything stretched just the way it was supposed to. The doctor showed us where Abby had been living the past nine months and 11 days. The placenta and amniotic sac were amazing (and truthfully, a little gross) to look at. It’s amazing how thin the amniotic sac is and the baby doesn’t kick through it or anything.
Abby stayed with us in the labor/delivery room for almost two hours during which she had her first visitors. Her three aunts came in first for a quick peek. Aunt Sarah, Aunt Tammy, and Aunt Cheryl were filled with amazement as they saw their niece for the first time. Next some close friends and relatives came in and got their first look at our beautiful daughter.
After a few minutes of visitors we tried nursing for the first time but Abby just wasn’t ready for that yet and I just wanted to hold her tight! Eddie and I just sat and stared at our little miracle from heaven and looked at each other in amazement. It was the most unbelievable experience I think we will ever have. It wasn’t like anything I had imagined! We finally have our Earth Angel!!! She’s a perfect mix of Eddie and I, And she is BEAUTIFUL!!
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