Despite what you hear about first pregnancies always running over their due date, I can now attest to the fact that it pays to be prepared! We welcomed Charlotte Lee Fulcher into our family one week early on September 15 at 3:21 pm. She weighed 7 pounds 7 ounces (my lucky number!) and was 20 inches long.
On Sunday night, I was not feeling well when I went to bed but I had no clue I was beginning labor. My stomach and my back hurt, but I really just thought I had done too much over the weekend and needed to rest so I went to bed a little early. I had a very hard time sleeping throughout the night because I could not get comfortable. I finally got up for the fifth and final time around 4:50 and decided to go ahead and start getting ready for work. When our alarm went off at 5:10, Bryce was shocked to find me up before him and immediately wanted to know what was wrong! I really couldn't tell him, I just knew I needed to stay home because my stomach was starting to hurt worse and worse. By the time I called in for a substitute I asked Bryce if he would stay home too, because I was starting to think things were getting serious. It is truly amazing that you can be in such denial about labor. Everyone always told me that it's one of those "you'll just know" moments, but I truly wasn't sure! Even when I went to the bathroom that morning, I couldn't tell if my water broke or if I just really needed to go! I called the nurse line to my doctor's office, where the doctor on call scoffed at my "am I in labor or not" question so early in the morning and told me to come into the office during office hours later that day. (Clearly his thought was if you're not sure if you're in labor then you're NOT!!) Still not convinced of what I needed to do, I called my Mom-who had the exact opposite thing to say! Her response was get in the car and go to the hospital now!! Mom was the one who made up my mind, so I got my stopwatch out and went to take a shower. Bryce called in his lesson plans and started packing the car (thank God those bags were already packed!) and by the time I got out of the shower there was no doubt in my mind that I needed to go to the hospital as fast as I could. I had to stop for a contraction every 2 minutes just to get dressed. The car ride to the hospital is all a blur, I can only remember counting and looking at my watch, trying to remind myself over and over to breathe out the pain. Upon admittance to the hospital, I was already almost 4 cm, and they informed me that I had indeed broken my water and would be delivering a baby soon!
Both of our Moms were called, and Bryce and I were given a labor room where the most fabulous nurse I could have asked for helped me prepare mentally and physically for delivery. My contractions continued to escalate while they pumped fluid into an IV in my hand, and the anesthesiologist was the best sight my eyes have ever seen! (Get the epidural ladies! It is like telling someone that they have to run a marathon, but after about 5 miles they get to be carried!). The epidural was quick and a lot less pain than I had anticipated. The next thing I knew a doctor was telling me I was 9 1/2 cm and would be pushing within an hour, and less than thirty minutes of pushing yielded the sweetest little girl I have ever seen!!
Timeline:
4:50 am Woke up feeling stomach pain
5:30 am Called in for a substitute
5:30-5:45 Spoke with doctor's office and my Mom
6:00-7:00 Spent an hour trying to get ready through contractions
7:00-7:45 Car ride to hospital
8:00 Checked (4 cm) and admitted
8:00-10:45 brought to L&D, pumped full of fluid, waited and waited for epidural
10:45-10:47 Heaven! Epidural administered
11:00-1:00 Blissful hours spent pain free and laughing
1:00 Checked (9 1/2cm)
2:00 Prepped for delivery
2:45 Started pushing
3:21 a new baby girl is in the world!!
P.S. I need to thank my Mom and Dad for the stork in our yard, it was such a wonderful and touching surprise!!
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