And then... (continuation of last post)

We got upstairs to the MEU and checked in. They took me right back while Adam waited in the lobby (they always take you back alone at first and let you get in a gown and hooked up to all the fetal monitors). One of the residents came in and asked what was going on. I told her that I think my water broke but I wasn't too sure. Right about then, I had another gush of fluid - and this time it was more than two little drops. She looked and said, "Yes, your water broke and we're having a baby today!" I was so excited but so nervous! This was the moment that I had been waiting for during the last 9 months. They told Adam to come back to the room and I said that I was in labor and my water did break. He looked shocked and said, "I guess I should call everyone and tell them not to come to the shower." We started calling our families to let them know what was going on.

The nurses started an IV and all the other necessary medical stuff. The contractions were getting more and more painful. It was just horrible!! We still had a little bit of time before I was moved to Labor and Delivery. Adam was trying to be super sweet and coach me through the contractions, but it was making me more uncomfortable. It really was just like in the movies (for me anyway)that I just wanted to punch him in the face!! When the nurse came in I remember screaming "where the f*** is the epidural!!!". I was not a happy camper. Finally they took me to L&D. They came to do the epidural and it really wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. It was a tiny catheter that looked like fishing line and they put it straight into my back. Almost instantly I felt so much better. After that I wanted Adam to come back and hold my hand. I liked him so much better once I had that epidural!! Around that time, they told me that I had pre-eclampsia and they were going to give me some magnesium to keep my bp down but it was probably going to make me feel bad. It really took it out of me! Not to mention all the medication they kept pumping me with to regulate my heart rate, pain (b/c you can feel a little even with the epidural), and bp even more.

A while later our families started arriving. I was pretty loopy at this point. Because of my heart condition, the doctor's were not going to let me push. I was going to have an assisted second stage delivery (aka forceps delivery). Since Caroline needed to be at a certain position, they couldn't start at 10 cm, I had to be at +2 cm. We waited all day long. It felt like a lifetime. Since there was a possibility that you may need to be put under for an emergency c-section, you cannot have food or water until you deliver. My mouth kept getting so dry. Adam, my mom, and my sister in law Calyn kept taking turns feeding me ice by hand. They were all such angels that day!!! FINALLY we got to +2 and the delivery could begin. Tons of doctors came in and everyone started suiting up. There were 3 pediatric doctors and 3 peds nurses ready for Caroline, 2 OB residents, 1 MFM specialist, about 3 L&D nurses and 2 anestesiologists in the room plus Adam and me. I couldn't feel my legs, but all of the sudden I was pretty naked with my legs spread wide and 16 people in the room. Modesty really does go out the window while having a baby!!!

Not long after that, at 4:03 pm (after 12.5 long hours of labor) Caroline Grace entered the world as calm as could be. She didn't cry but let us all know that she had strong lungs. I was pretty drugged up but aware enough to know that she was the most beautiful thing I have seen! I did have a stage 3 tear from the delivery so I had to lay and get stitched back up before anyone could come in and see Caroline.

Once they let everyone in, I was so out of it I pretty much went right to sleep. Everyone got to hold her for a bit before they took her to the nursery and moved me to a Post Partum room.