So, I woke up having contractions and they were strong. By the 5th kid you can tell the difference in contractions. We called over a friend who had also sat with the kids when Bethany was born and raced off to the hospital. Maybe 45 minutes had gone by. The hospital was probably 25 minutes away. I didn't get to deliver with the midwives this time because that hospital didn't accept the military insurance. We had to park in the parking garage and walk about 5 miles, or so it seemed, to get to labor and delivery. I'm pretty certain I was completely dilated at this point. The dear little woman in labor and delivery insisted we go into a "let me see if you're really in labor, and if not we'll send you home" room. Dear, dear lady. Do I look like I may have to go back home? She also insisted that I lie down so she could check to see how far along I was. I told her that she had better get it done quickly before this next contraction. She checked and said to the other nurse, "Hmmm. I can't tell. Either she's not very far along or she's complete." Was she new to this business?
After establishing the fact that I did need to be moved into a delivery room, they had me walk down the hall to one! Finally in the room, they called the doctor and got the IV antibiotics for my Group B strep. The two nurses kept telling me to hold on because I needed to get a good dose of the antibiotics in before I had the baby. I had been standing this whole time, because I couldn't deal with it lying down. They insisted that I needed to lie down because the doctor would definately want me lying down. I told them that they'd better give me the epidural because I couldn't hold on any longer. So they order the epidural, which of course, as usual, didn't take on one side. And, made me throw up. The doctor showed up just in time to douse me in betadine and push, push, push, we have a red headed 9 pound 4 ounce baby girl. It was 6:50.
I could easily have delivered at least an hour prior if the wonderful and quite competent staff had actually delivered a baby before in their careers. You know hindsight is always 20/20. I wished I would have told them to go get their baseball gloves, because I am NOT laying down and I am pushing this baby out right now! And take your betadine and .......... well, I'm not bitter, just wiser.
Brooke was so cute, she was a fat little thing with curly red hair. Keep in mind that we didn't know the sex of the baby beforehand and I was just convinced that we were having a boy!
After establishing the fact that I did need to be moved into a delivery room, they had me walk down the hall to one! Finally in the room, they called the doctor and got the IV antibiotics for my Group B strep. The two nurses kept telling me to hold on because I needed to get a good dose of the antibiotics in before I had the baby. I had been standing this whole time, because I couldn't deal with it lying down. They insisted that I needed to lie down because the doctor would definately want me lying down. I told them that they'd better give me the epidural because I couldn't hold on any longer. So they order the epidural, which of course, as usual, didn't take on one side. And, made me throw up. The doctor showed up just in time to douse me in betadine and push, push, push, we have a red headed 9 pound 4 ounce baby girl. It was 6:50.
I could easily have delivered at least an hour prior if the wonderful and quite competent staff had actually delivered a baby before in their careers. You know hindsight is always 20/20. I wished I would have told them to go get their baseball gloves, because I am NOT laying down and I am pushing this baby out right now! And take your betadine and .......... well, I'm not bitter, just wiser.
Brooke was so cute, she was a fat little thing with curly red hair. Keep in mind that we didn't know the sex of the baby beforehand and I was just convinced that we were having a boy!
Everything else, at least, went well, we came home on that Saturday, and we still had another week before David had to head back to Cuba. Around Tuesday, I started feeling as though I might be getting mastitis. I had it once before with my second child, and had gotten over it with just taking vitamin C. So, I took vitamin C. for several days and didn't seem to be getting better, but was hoping it would work. By the weekend it was hurting quite a bit, but I knew on Monday morning I had to drive David back to the airport. I think part of me was ignoring the pain. We only had a little time with him left, so maybe I was just over doing it. We drove him to the airport on that Monday- man goodbyes are so hard!
By that night, I was laying with an ice pack on my chest, it just throbbed. I was alone with a fever, chills, a new baby, four other kids to take care of and no husband. Could things get worse?
To be continued...........(I promise only one more installment!)
By that night, I was laying with an ice pack on my chest, it just throbbed. I was alone with a fever, chills, a new baby, four other kids to take care of and no husband. Could things get worse?
To be continued...........(I promise only one more installment!)
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