for Natalie :)

Let's see... 

Since it was such a waiting game, I kinda kept track of the meds and my progress once I got there, here is what I wrote : 

-Got things started about 2:45 pm

-Pitocin 3:30 pm

-I.V. took 3 tries (in 3 different spots!) (no fun!!) 

-5:00 pm Epidural

-6:00pm-ish dilated about a 3

-10:00pm dilated 4-5

When she checked me at midnight I think I was about a 6 or 7, by 2 am I was ready to go! 

I would suggest trying to keep track because afterwards people will ask and you won't remember much! haha. I wish I would have written more down! 

Getting the epidural wasn't too bad, once the medicine goes in you will be able to feel it running inside you at first, kinda strange. 

let me stop and say this- be prepared for all things gross! if they have to break your water its pretty weird, and gross feeling! it does not hurt at all, you will just feel ALOT of warm liquid gooeyness coming out! lol. and.. when they pull the placenta out.. GROSS GROSS GROSS! that also does not hurt- I don't think anything will hurt after you push her out! haha. 

um, going to the bathroom afterwards, not very pleasant. and they will measure how much you pee. LOL. 

now, I tore and had to be cut (like I said, she was not coming out!), so I was pretty sore for a while, like weeks. hopefully that won't be the case for you, because it sucked! 

Also, when it was time to start pushing it was nothing like what you see in the movies! everything was so calm and casual, they would just tell me when, then stop and wait for the next contraction, then push, wait, push.. too easy! I couldn't feel anything :) so.. they stopped giving me so much of the epidural so that I could help in knowing when to push! then I started feeling! and to be honest, I have no idea when I went from "wow, this is a breeze!" to crying and pain and "I can't do it!" that in between moment is completely gone from my memory! its soo weird! but I remember when the first tear fell! haha. 

After a while, I did not want ANYTHING to touch me! They kept trying to put the oxygen mask on me, I kept taking it off, they kept wiping my head with a wet wash cloth- hated it, I ripped the heart rate band off my arm- they got mad and put it back (lol), and I wanted to take my robe off! I was pretty quiet during it all, no screaming actually, just crying.. (sorry!) 

The moment the doc pulled her out for me to see was the most surreal moment! at first I didn't really even believe she came out! but then it was just love! All the pain is sooo worth it! 

(oh, I did not get back or stomach contractions/pains, it was all in my butt cheeks- and it hurt!! I don't think anyone realized how painful it was, they just thought I was crazy! haha!) 

Oh! as much as you won't really want to, or get the chance to, sleep as much before as possible- you will be tired! Even though it will be nearly impossible, try to get some sleep afterwards! By the time I left the hospital I could barely keep my eyes open, even with visitors, it took all I had to stay awake! 

hmm.. oh, since you won't be able to eat anything before you have her, I would suggest not letting anyone eat or talk about food in front of you.. its not fair :) I went just about 24 hours without eating! 

well, I think I have rambled enough! Unless you want more! I love talking about all this, and especially to someone who can, and is about to, relate! sometimes I feel like my non-mom friends get bored with me talking about all this! haha. 

oh, and I was so about to say we should do play dates! I'm so game! lol! :) 

ok, let me know if you have anymore questions (sorry if this was way too much info!)