Lets start the day before my due date...
Thursday, March 30th, 2011
I had a normal day at school. I left my sweater on my chair and lots of work on my desk because I thought I'd have an EASY last day of school the following day on Friday. I had planed a karyotyping lab for my students but I knew that some of my classes were planning a little party for me. I thought there was NO WAY that I would be going into labor in a few short hours.
I had my last doctors appointment around 5. Josh came with me like he did for every other appointment. We had it earlier than normal because I was so close to my due date, and they wanted me to be seen by a doctor at the practice and not their nurse practitioner. At the appointment Dr. Ross examined me and told me that I was still only 1 cm dilated. She said that Addyson was still head down and that she was surprised to see me since it was actually my due date. Funny story... According to my doctors office they calculated my due date as March 31st... But, I knew better because of my charting. She also said that, hopefully I went into labor tomorrow (Friday) or after the weekend, because they (the doctors in the office) were not in the hospital that weekend. OOOHHH and also I can remember asking Dr. Ross if there would be a chair for Josh to sit in because he is so queasy in the hospital.
When we got home that night we had a Wawa dinner (I was always TOO TIRED to make dinner, little did I know how hard it would be with a little baby to make dinner!) we ate and watched the news. Ironically, since it was Thursday, on NBC10 they had a hour devoted to health segments. One of the segments they had that night was on how to induce labor naturally. I KID YOU NOT! Josh and I were SO disappointed because at the end of the segment they said, you really can't do anything to naturally induce labor.... BUMMER!
I still don't remember feeling DIFFERENT at all! Before I went to bed I checked my facebook and my mom had written on my wall "Well it looks like Addyson will be an April baby after all!" I prepped for my last day of teaching by laying out my clothes and went to bed.
Friday, April 1st, 2011
I woke up at 12:30am because JOSH WENT TO THE BATHROOM!!! But, honestly I was kinda used to it because I would be up at least twice a night anyway. I had been really uncomfortable for a month or so, I just felt like my belly was SOOO HEAVY and I had to pee ALL THE TIME! I tried to get comfortable somehow and go back to sleep, but that WAS NOT HAPPENING! Usually I couldn't get back to sleep from time to time because of Josh's snoring, but this was different. This time I was in pain every so often. I felt like I was having (I'm sorry for being graphic) really painful period cramps, plus a snoring husband. I just couldn't get comfortable in bed, so I thought that I would have better luck on the couch.
So down to the couch I went around 1 in the morning. I thought, hey at least I only have one more day of work, I shouldn't kick Josh out of bed, I can survive one more. I turned on the TV to see if anything go was on... but no luck. So On Demand I watched a few episodes of some show where it followed a family with quadruple girls... Honestly they were REALLY ANNOYING! I was having contractions about every 15 minutes, so it was really hard to keep my attention anyway.
At 4 AM I finally woke Josh up to let him know that I had been having contractions for about 4 hours. At this point I think they were coming every 5 minutes or so. He said something like "Why didn't you wake me earlier?" But I was still in the mindset that I was going into work and that I wasn't in REAL labor yet (little did I know). I didn't want to call the doctor yet or even think about not going into work because of this. So it took another hour of timing contractions and a phone call to my mom before I finally realized that there was NO WAY I was going to make it into school. I finally called my long term sub (after my mom threatened to call him for me) and told him that I was not going to be making it in. I then called and texted my co-teacher to let her know I would not be in. At this point it was probably close to 6 AM when I FINALLY called my doctor's office. My doctor, when hearing that the contractions were now less than 5 minutes apart, decided that it would be best for me to go to the hospital.
OK... so a back story on this doctor, Dr. Lozo. Dr. Lozo was new to the practice. But we had seen him a few times during our pregnancy. Every time we had Dr. Lozo, I just laughed because he reminded us of Pauly Shore, NO LIE!!!
Alright, where was I, sorry this is SO LONG! So, after calling the doctors and having them tell us to make our way to the hospital Josh quickly showered and loaded our bags into the car. However, I did make him take one last picture of me.
I can still remember our short drive and hoping that I was actually in labor. I didn't want to waste everyone's time. Including Josh's, he asked me earlier that morning what he should do, go to work or not, so I was hoping that I wouldn't let him down. Also, during the ride, I was hoping that the contractions would continue just to make sure I was still in labor, silly me. At the hospital, we checked in, which took way to long for a woman in labor! Then we headed up to the labor and delivery floor! I chose to walk up instead of ride in a chair to help deal with the contractions.
When we got to the room, I was asked to pee in a cup, change my clothes and lay in bed (OUCH!!). We got into the room right at 7 AM because I can remember turning on the beginning of the Today show. Once in bed, it felt like my contractions were so much more painful. I was checked by two nurses and Dr. Lozo. All of which said that Addyson was still head down. When I got to the hospital I was 1 1/2 cm dilated... so more than the night before which was a good sign. While painfully laying in the room I went from a 1 1/2 to 4. At 4 cm I was moved from a recovery room into a labor room. This is were all the FUN began!
We (Josh) kept asking the nurses when a good time would be to call our parents. I, again, kept thinking, "What if I'm not actually in labor. I would hate to waste their time!" I told Josh to keep waiting. I knew that labor could take a LONG time even if I was in active labor. Finally right before they were going to break my water the nurse told Josh to call our parents. Good thing she did! She was so nice, she was telling me her story of when she had her son who was the same age as me, born in April of 1982 on a snowy day. Did I forget to mention that it was snowing?! Crazy!
Alright, so we had just called our parents, but Josh's mom didn't really believe that we were at the hospital (remember it was April fools day) but I think she left work anyway. She did demand photo evidence but I don't think she actually got it until she was at the hospital.
I think it was about 10:15 or so when gave me my epidural. The epidural wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, especially compared to the pain I was in. Then I remembered I had to go to the bathroom, and since my epidural was now in it meant that I had to have a catheter, oh what fun!
BUT...
April Fools!
Once Dr. Lozo broke my water, he realized that in fact she was not head first but BUTT first! And not only was she breach... but she had passed meconium already... BAD NEWS!
I knew what that meant. I knew that there was a C-Section in my imminent future! And another catheter. So, I asked, "Do I need to take my necklace off and contacts out?" Since I did, Josh had to run out to the car to get our bags. Again, when we first got to the hospital I didn't really think that I was in active labor so I didn't have Josh bring our bags in. Remember it was SNOWING! Josh RAN outside (no lie) in scrubs and came back in with our bags. I quickly took my contacts out and necklace off and they wheeled me into the OR. Whenever I had seen a C-section on TV they always got time to kiss their husbands before they went in... NOT ME! They quickly got me out of the room, put something in my epidural to make sure I was numb and started prepping me for the C-section.
While laying in the OR awaiting Josh and Addyson a few things were going on. I met the anesthesiologist who was so nice. He and almost everyone else were in Phillies scrubs because it was their opening day. I could overhear my doctors talking. This was one of the weirdest situations I had ever been in. Again, WARNING about graphic material! I overheard them talking about shaving my mole (which I recently got checked out and is fine). Then Josh FINALLY came back in to the room. I was shivering and couldn't stop the entire time. Right before Addyson was born they asked if we had a camera (which we did but was still in the room). They tried to find it for us, but to no luck. Thankfully our anesthesiologist said that he would take pictures for us and send them to Josh. I can remember being so scared and shaking so much. They got warm towels to put around me. Finally at 10:37 I heard Addyson cry for the first time! They weighed and measured her, she was 7lbs. 11oz. and 20.5 inches long. Josh went over to see her and bring her back for me to see. When they swaddled her she was still so folded up and they swaddled her foot by her head! She was BEAUTIFUL!!! But I can remember thinking, "Oh no! She only has one eye!" because she was squinting!!! Then I was able to calm down a little bit, and realized that she did have two eyes and I just need to breath and relax! That was also a weird sensation all my organs settling back down into place.
After Addyson was born Josh went to the nursery to stay with her while I went to the recovery room. I was SO out of it. I can remember being wheeled past my parents and Josh's parents down a few floors and parked into a corner of the recovery floor. Every nurse and doctor seemed to have their Phillies scrubs on. I tried my best to rest and just think about everything that had happened so fast!
About an hour later I was finally allowed to come back to the room where they prepped me for pressing down on my (GRAPHIC) uterus, showed me my morphine drip, and told me that I COULD SEE MY BABY GIRL NOW!!! I couldn't wait!
I then got to see Addy and start our breastfeeding adventure! Josh came in next and then our parents. It was perfect timing, the Phillies game started and Josh was able to see their opening day game.
The Phillies pulled out a win and we pulled off an AWESOME, FABUOLUS, WONDERFUL, CUTE, SWEET, AMAZING little girl!! :)
I love you so much Addyson Reese Federoff!
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