Straight from my journal:
Saturday, June 12, 1993 (10:50 p.m.)
I had a baby. Hard to believe, isn't it? That precious little person is no longer inside me. She's out here, smiling at the world. Well, not really smiling, but she's the most peaceful baby I've ever met. You can tell she just came from Heavenly Father's arms and she knows she is just briefly visiting me before she comes home.
Seven pounds, four ounces, 21 1/4 inches, 4 1/2 hours at the hospital, born 5:36 p.m. on June 11. She was very kind to me, although having the epidural didn't hurt, either--well, actually it did, but once it was done, everything was great.
It was amazing. Thursday night I woke up at 3:00 a.m. and screamed at the clock for four hours while I suffered in frustrating pain. And at 6:00 a.m. I complained to myself that they were getting stronger and closer. Then I realized, "This is good pain"--contractions.
About 9:30 I woke up Kim and told her. I said she could still go to work at 11:30. I'd have Kathy come watch me and by 5:00 when Kim got off something might be happening.
Sunday, June 13, 1993 (8:10 a.m.)
Guess I was wrong, huh? Worthy came home early--at noon--from a job he was working and wondered why Kim's car was still around when she was supposed to work at 11:30. Kim came out and announced, "We're having contractions."
I said they were between 5 and 10 minutes apart, not regular and then stopped because I was in pain, resumed activity a little bit later and then stopped again. Worthy insisted they were less than 5 minutes apart and that I do something about it.
I couldn't reach my doctor, so I called Kathy Thielen and she said to call labor and delivery at the hospital. They told me to come in, so we gathered everything together, got in the cars and headed for the hospital. As Kim's car died whenever she slowed down, I just winced and handled the extra pain brought with her nervous driving causing her to drive into every pothole on the road.
We arrived at the hospital at 1:00. Worthy waited in the lobby. He had to work at 3:00.
(3:35 p.m.)
Kathy met us at the hospital. They gave us a nice room [for me] to labor in. I couldn't take the contractions lying down, so they gave me a robe and some slippers and I walked around. Soon, the contractions were too much to bear in the hallway.
We returned to the room, and I told the nurse I'd like to get an epidural--I forgot to tell you, though, when I got there I was sure they'd send me home. The nurse checked me and I was dilated to four centimeters. Kim and I just looked at each other in shock.
Anyway, when the contractions were getting to be just about unbearable (about 3:15)--we were "hee-hee-hooing" almost nonstop as they came one right after the other--the anesthesiologist came in. He had me roll up in a ball on my side. I practically squeezed Kim's hands off as I closed my eyes and breathed with Kathy. All I could concentrate on was the breathing. The hardest times were when Kim and Kathy stopped "hee-hee-hooing" with me. But how could I tell them not to stop?
Then, as I was gearing up for another contraction, I started the breathing, but partway through I lost the contraction. What a relief! As we visited after the anesthesiologist left, I was better able to recognize the contractions as my body tensed--without the pain. . .
You may have noticed, I was writing this account during the time I was in the hospital with her. I felt it was important to record the experience while it was still fresh in my mind. I am a little sad I did not think to do this with my own children's births. Each one is unique, of course. One thing to note, this was the only delivery I experienced in which I went into labor ON MY OWN, and before the due date. My daughter Rachel is the only one of my kids that was not induced. And I think Cole is the only one who was born before his due date. This was also the only time I was able to get an epidural, and with all of my babies being posterior, I experienced nasty, miserable back labor every time. I have been grateful I had the epidural this time, because I was able to experience more clarity in the experience, rather than being in a cloud of pain.
Was Heavenly Father watching out for me then? There is no doubt of it.
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