Natalie's Story

MONDAY MAY 21st. My doctor's appointment. Dilated to 4cm and 80% effaced. Same as when I went into the hospital on Mother's Day. Hoping to have an anniversary baby, I ask Dr. Beck whether he schedules inductions on the weekends. He will for me. Set the date for June 2nd. He warns me that he will be out of town for the three days prior to the induction date. I panick. HE has to be the one to deliver. And I get the feeling that if I stick with June 2nd, I will go into labor on my own while he is out of town. No way. So I do what any woman at the end of pregnancy would do. I elect for the next available induction. Thursday, May 24nd at 9am. Just as we are about to wrap up the appointment, I ask if he thinks stripping my membranes would do anything. He says, "Most definitely. I would bet I would see you in the hospital tonight or tomorrow." Do it. He does. And I wait. Contractions come eventually. But they fade. I go to bed at 11:45pm. Frustrated.
TUESDAY MAY 22nd. I wake up at 2:45am in slight pain. Not contractions. Just pain. I go to the bathroom. And have a contraction. 10 minutes later, I have a second. 8 minutes later, I have a third. Then 6 minutes later. Then 4 minutes later. I decide to take a shower while Robert helps time contractions. Every 3 minutes. Only every third contraction is painful. Weird, but I'll take it. At 4am, I text my mom to come over. She arrives 15 minutes later as I am getting last minute things together. At 4:45am, Robert and I head for the hospital. I am dilated to 6cm. Good. Real thing. As the nurse starts my iv and penicillin (at 5:15am), my contractions begin to slow to 4 minutes apart. And no longer hurt. They ask if I would like an epidural now or later. Can I even get an epidural if I am no longer having painful contractions? Yes? Now is great. The anesthesiologist is awesome. And the epidural is perfect. Not that my conractions are painful. And I wait. Penicillin equals 4 hours of doing nothing. My second round of penicillin ends at 9:45am. Dr. Beck comes by at 10:45am to break my water and start pitocin to get labor to start up again. Since it has completely stopped (yet I somehow progress to 8cm...). At 11:45am, Dr. Beck comes by again. "I take it you're still pregnant." Yup. He checks my progress. Baby girl is sunny side up. Just like all her brothers. He grabs her head and twists her around. Feels just as pleasant as it sounds. Goes to check on another patient. When he returns a few minutes later, he tells me, "How about we have a baby?" Okay. They prep me. He tells me to push while I am half paying attention. Okay. He says something about "her head" and I realize my one, half-hearted push was enough to get her out. 11:59am. Dr. Beck tells me to grab my camera to take some pictures (remembering I was crazy enough to take pictures immediately after Daniel was born). I do. Snap a couple of good shots before watching Robert cut the cord. She looks just like Daniel. But prettier. 7lbs 8.6oz, 20.5 in of pure heaven. Has been a FABULOUS sleeper. 6 - 7 hours per night. Which is needed as the older two have been at their absolute worst.