Why didn't I get the epidural right away? (see Labor and Delivery)

Epidurals slow down labor so they prefer that your cervix be dilated at least 4 centimeters. Also, if you're 8 centimeters or more dilated, with 10 being ready to actually give birth and start pushing, you can't have one. So there is a certain time frame in being able to get one.

The doctor lay her on my stomach while he cut the umbilical cord. This was a first for me. With my other two, the doctors never did that. It was pretty neat although babies sure are a mess when they pop out.

The nurse came over and took Erica over to be measured and all that stuff. Stuart made a beeline right on over there with her.

Mentally, I was still in shock that she was here....that it happened so quickly! But I fell in love immediately with her. The feelings were so different from what I'd had with my other two at birth. With Mike I wasn't going to allow myself any feelings since I wouldn't have him. With Alix I was so damn out of it that I remember nothing about her birth.

The doctor had to deliver the placenta and clean me up. If I had to have an episiotomy or if I had torn while delivering her, this is when he would have stitched me back up. Thankfully, I didn't have to endure this. I had an episiotomy when I had Mike and I never, ever want to have one of those again. The scar tissue can still hurt like hell to this day if it gets....ummmm irritated. They just hurt like hell.

It only took the doctor about 15 minutes to clean me up and break down the bed back to normal. After I was straightened out, Stuart called his Mom and Dad to come back into the room. My poor Mom was still out in the wilds of the city tracking down film somewhere for me. Not even knowing her 4th grandchild was finally here. The time was about 9:30 or so.

I was so damn hungry and thirsty by now I HAD to have something. The nurse offered to get me a turkey sandwich and some fruit which I took her up on. First they brought me a Sprite and I drank down about a quarter of it right away. Which isn't a bright thing to do. My stomach was trying to get queasy with the sudden flood of sugar and liquid so I slowed myself down and when my food came, made sure I took small bites and small sips of my drink.

My body had gone through a lot in the last 12 hours since my last meal. You aren't allowed to eat or drink anything because you may vomit during delivery.

They kept me hooked up to the IV Pitocin drip to keep the contractions going. This is to help hasten the shrinking of the uterus and I think it helps slow down the bleeding. The effects of the epidural were wearing off and I could again feel my legs. Among other things.

The nurse did ask me if I would be undergoing tubal litigation before she undid the Epidural catheter. No.... not today anyhow. So she undid the epidural pack and started taking out the tubing.

My Mom had walked into the room at about that time and Stuart walked up to her with the baby in his arms and asked her if she wanted to meet her new granddaughter. Of course, Mom had no idea what the hell he was talking about until Stuart extended the baby to her. I felt bad for sending her out for film. I didn't know it was going to happen that fast though!

I had to stay in the labor and delivery room for at least an hour after the birth. It ended up being almost 2 before I was switched over to a private room because it was the middle of a shift change. The nurse that came in was the nurse that had been there the night I was sent home. I thought that was pretty neat, that I got to see her again. She was really nice.

They wheeled me down the hall to my room. When I got out of the bed to get into the wheelchair, the nurse was worried that my legs would give out because of the epidural and even though I kept reassuring her that I was fine and could stand and walk on my own she insisted on worrying. I had to go to the bathroom too at that point and they wanted to stay with me in the bathroom and all that but I REALLY insisted that I was fine and could walk the 10 steps to the toilet by myself. And I did. No problem.

Then I walked back out and climbed into my bed. NOW I wanted to see my baby. The Nursery had told Stuart that if I wanted they would bring her n for a little bit for me to see her.

She finally came in and I FINALLY got to really hold her by myself with the only onlooker being Stuart.

At that point I remember thinking the same thought that had been running throgh my mind while laying in the Labor and Delivery room:

This is why we go through it. This person is worth all the aggravation and pain of the pregnancy and delivery.

She was beautiful. And perfect and the love that welled up in my heart was so strong that it hurt. To just love someone so instantly is something I'm not accustomed to. Which makes it that much more breathtaking. She was worth all I went through and more.

She stayed with us for about 30 minutes and the Nursery came to pick her back up. I hated to see her go.

After that, my nurse came in to check me out. Palpated my stomach to make sure the uterus was shrinking and checked to make sure I wasn't bleeding to death. (well duh) She told me she would be in to check me out in an hour, then again in another hour then after that, every 4 hours. She took out the last needle (the damn IV) before she left. Finally! I was free!