Thank you everyone for the amazing comments. I promise I will try to get back to all of you in-between naps!
Today, while I should have been posting my 37 week update instead I'm going to share Noah's birth story. I have to say that I am so relieved that he made it until 37 weeks and comparing him to my first son it is amazing the difference a couple of days can make!
I woke up on Sunday morning with contractions, but they were few and far between. It had just started snowing for the first time this year and I didn't want to think about leaving the house. When the contractions got 20 minutes apart and a bit more painful I figured I should start preparing for the hospital.
I did what any woman in labor would do: took a shower, shaved my legs, did my hair and put on make-up.
Cornel, however, was bit more panicked. He didn't know whether to get himself ready, get Nathan ready, get the suitcases in the car.
At 10, I reassured him that we had plenty of time and that he should just take it easy. We called our friends to let them know we would be dropping off Nathan and everything was set.
We left the house at 11 and the contractions were still 10 - 15 minutes apart. Plenty of time, considering that with Nathan they were right on top of each other and I still had two hours of labor before he arrived.
We arrived at the hospital at 11:20 and I was much more composed than I was the first time around. I didn't drop to the floor in pain and I entered the obstetrics bloc collected and refreshed.
When the mid-wife on duty checked me, she exclaimed that I was at 7cm, and that I needed to be moved into the delivery room immediately if we had any chance of getting an epidural. I told her we HAD to get the epidural no matter what.
When she checked me again 10 minutes later she said I was at 10cm and that I would not have time to get the epidural. She got the anesthesiologist who tried to give me medication to make the contractions less intense. He warned that
if it worked, it would take at least half an hour to take effect. I didn't care - I NEEDED drugs!
The half hour came and went and there was absolutely no relief. I had two options: start delivering and end the pain or wait and see. At this point, Cornel's hand was purple from holding my hand and I just wanted everything over with.
The midwife broke my water at 12:35 and the baby crowned immediately. The doctor on duty was great and gave me permission to curse in English; which I did. He tried to talk to me about things he had seen when he was in the US and was trying to keep my mind off the pain.
I will say that it was a completely different feeling giving birth with the epidural and with out. I definitely think that I knew what my body wanted me to do without the drugs and could feel when I was supposed to push and when I wasn't, which I don't remember feeling with the epidural. Well, except for the time the doctor told me to scream less and push more. I thought I was doing both.
After 10 minutes of pushing Noah was out, and I was so relieved. I was even more relieved that I didn't tear and required no stitches.
Sadly, we have no pictures of those magic first moments because Cornel forgot the camera in the car and had no time to go back and get it. Oh well, c'est la vie!
We have this amazing little reminder....
