37 weeks + 5 days.
Since I was sick the day before and labor started in the early morning hours, the first I felt I might be in labor was about 5 o'clock on Monday morning. I was rolling around in bed and noticed stronger contractions. They were persistent and by 5:30, I started noticing they were also consistent. The difference between these contractions and pre-term labor contractions were that they were actually painful as opposed to just the feeling of pressure. Instead of just practicing my relaxation breathing techniques during each contraction, I found myself really trying to ride the waves.
Just before 6AM, I decided to crawl out of bed and get into the shower for 2 reasons. The first was to help determine if this was true labor contractions. If they were, the contractions would continue even if I changed my position and environment. In the shower, I noticed that contractions were coming every THREE minutes and lasting about 40 seconds. I stayed in the shower a bit longer because it was comfortable and because I feared if it was another long labor like Mia's, it would be a while before I got another shower!
After getting out of the shower and getting dressed, I ran another labor test while calling the doctor's after-hour number. I got a glass of water. Since I was sick yesterday, I thought there might be a chance I was having more than normal contractions due to dehydration. That didn't help, but the midwife did suggest eating something small to run another test. By now it was about 6:45. Nothing was slowing this down, but I was on the sofa having snacks and getting through each contraction. Shortly after, Mia appeared downstairs with Mark dressed and ready for school. I remember heaving myself off the sofa, going to the pantry and getting her a morning snack. She happily plopped herself down on the pallet I made on the floor eating her snack and watching Sesame Street. Mark loaded her up for school about 7:05 and promised he'd be back in just a few minutes (school is only 2 miles from the house).
I was waiting for 8AM so that we could go to the doctor's office and get confirmation I was in labor. Due to preterm labor contractions, I didn't want to go to the hospital prematurely. But by 7:40, I knew that this was no false labor. I had been experiencing 40 second contractions every 3 minutes for the last 2 1/2 hours. And now the contractions were getting so much stronger, my breathing was more of a groan through the contractions. It was time to go to the hospital. From talking to my midwife, I already knew that my primary doctor was on-call that morning. So I felt reassured as we left the house. Everything was going to be fine and I would be home shortly with our new addition!
We arrived at the hospital just after 8AM. Mark oddly suggested that he pull up to the front, drop me off and go park the car. I freaked. Are you nuts?! Park the car and grab a wheelchair to get me! I'm past the point of walking through these contractions. =) Pregnant woman.
As soon as the nurses set eyes on me, they knew that we were not messing around. Instead of waiting at the counter to check in, they immediately lead me to my L&D room and did admissions there. In between contractions. When they finally got around to checking me at8:30, I was already 5cm dilated. Shortly after, Dr. Sebestyn appeared, ready to rock.
I don't know how the times worked after that, but it was just a mere 90 minutes from when they first checked me to Jude's arrival. Mark said it was rocket fast. Looking back on it, I guess it was. But being in it, living each individual contraction, it felt like it would never end. At one point, I had to ask. Are we getting close? Because if we have a ways more to go, I'm not going to make it. As soon as I said that, I knew I was in transition. The hesitation stage.
Then I remember thinking, I know they're gonna tell me it's not time to push yet, but I HAVE to. They're going to have to figure something out to give me clearance soon because like it or not, I'm going to start pushing. I told Dr. S, I have to push. Really. I do. She told me I had to hold on just a little while longer, I looked to be about 9cm. But I couldn't. So she told me to go ahead and get a practice push in. I don't think it did much physically for the baby, but it made me feel SO much better. Another push or five and I heard a HUGE pop, felt a huge relief and then a lot of laughter. WHAT? Was the baby already here? I opened my eyes. No. What I saw was my little doctor drenched. As if someone has doused her in a giant Big Gulp. My water broke =) She was covered from head to waist. Nurses ran to wipe her glasses down and she was good to go. The laughter helped me more than I knew.
Another 5 pushes, lots of intense pain and burning and Jude was born.
Jude Anthony Xuan Neuabuer
Birthday: August 1, 2011 @ 9:55AM (1st 107 degree day of MANY in 2011 summer!)
Weight: 6 pounds 5 ounces
Length: 19 inches
Birth Place: St. David's North Austin Medical Center, Austin, TX
You were happily welcomed by your parents
Mia came to visit later in the afternoon and was so excited to see her Baby Jude!
Daddy thought way ahead and special ordered your first birthday cake from Ms. Natalie
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