A Baby Story

Okay, so here is the entire story of the labor, delivery, and motherhood so far. On the actual due date I had a doctors appointment and NST. The doctor told me I was 3 cm already and stripped the membranes (which really hurt) to induce contractions. So... Miguel and I went home and waited and at about 5pm I started feeling just little cramps, less than a period, and they were coming and going. Probably at about 9pm I figured out it was really labor. I was timing the contractions and I was having two separate sets, some 3 minutes apart and others that were 6 minutes apart and by 2 am they were pretty strong, so we waited until 4:30 am and went to the hospital, but I totally didn't know if they were going to admit me or send me back home. So Miguel and I are sitting there while I'm in triage, which is the same as NST basically and we hear this other woman screaming, Miguel was like "is somebody beating her" it was crazy. Eventually at like 6:30 the midwife comes to check on me and I was already 6cm! The nurses were telling me that I dilated so quietly compared to the other patients. I was way surprised because honestly the contractions didn't hurt that much. So they admitted me and took me to the birthing center which looks like a hotel room and I just laid down and watched TV, Good Morning America and Regis and Kelly. But, the contractions still weren't hurting too bad, so they checked again and I was still 6cm dilated. So they sent Miguel and I to walk around the hospital to stimulate more contractions, and it did, I probably had 1 1/2 hours of really painful contractions and that's when my water broke but it didn't leak out or anything, so I asked about pain meds, I didn't think I needed an epidural but thank God I changed my mind at the last moment! Definitely get the epidural! It was great, I actually went to sleep for 2 hours and they started Pitocin, I didn't feel a thing but Miguel told me the monitor showed one huge contraction after another. Then basically I woke up, they checked me again and I was 10 cm and we got ready to push. So keep in mind we told the nurse and midwife we're pretty sure its a girl, but one ultrasound said they couldn't tell. So we started pushing, Miguel actually helped hold one of my legs, so he could tell you more about seeing the head coming than I could. I couldn't even feel the head coming until it was almost out, and was actually surprised when it came out. The nurse and the midwife were great they coached me on when to push and told me how far down "her" head was. So finally the head made it (after the episiotomy) and the rest just slid out. It was crazy seeing the purple head just hanging out of me. So the nurse grabbed the baby and said something about 'her' so I said, "so its a girl for sure?" then I saw the nurse look down and scream, she was like no its a boy! I just started laughing and they told me I said "this is crazy" 12 times. So they put him by me and Miguel cut the umbilical cord, then I remember the placenta just slid out right away and they washed the baby and sewed me up. Meanwhile, Miguel's parents were in the waiting room and the nurse brought in a plant and 2 "its a girl balloons" from them. Then they transferred all 3 of us to another room, at Kaiser the Mom , Dad, and Baby all get to stay together. We had Miguel's family visit us there and my friend Patty also. As far as the name, we had until the next morning to decide. Miguel picked Joseph and we named him Jeffrey after my dad but like Christina said any nicknames are fine! I think she left out JJ. We left the hospital on Thursday morning and have been here at home, sleeping, breastfeeding I still just have colostrum, and hanging out. I still can't move very well episiotomies are really painful afterwards. But it was totally all worth it, he is a very sweet baby and I just look at him all day long! You guys are invited to come whenever just give me a call, maybe a few days more I'll be healed up, so it might be better than. Oh I forgot I made a little website on shutterfly its www.babyjoey.shutterfly.com so you can see all of the pics!