#3 of 25 Things

I have given birth without an ounce of medication - totally natural. And did not take pain medication afterwards either. Some say I have a high pain tolerance - others just think I am superwoman.

I was soooo ready to get Meredith into the world - everyday she stayed in, was one day less that Rich could spend with her and with us as a family before leaving for Iraq. I tried walking briskly with my neighbor, running up the stairs, drinking raspberry tea....I was hoping it would work.
Then I found out my friend, Lindsay had her daughter on April 10th. She and I had the same due date, and I was sooo jealous that Maddie came so early! I still had 10 more days to wait....
On April 14th, I started to have weird shooting pains in my back....nothing painful, but I assume it was a contraction. We called our stand-by babysitter for Lucas and waited. That night we went to the hospital to be on the save side since we are half an hour away.

The doctors and nurses basically laughed at us. I was dialated 3 cm (you have to be dialated 10 cm for the baby to begin to make an entrance) and I wasn't in any extreme pain. They sent us home and told us to return when when I was in so much pain I couldn't talk, or my water broke. Rich and I drove home and got a solid 8 hours of sleep.

That morning, we took Lucas to the park, and I was supposed to walk around the track to encourage Meredith to come. My mother-in-law was counting contractions. They were all over the place. I was still able to walk, but was becoming increasingly uncomfortable. The pain was similar to menstral cramps I had in high school. I asked to go home.

I started to feel nauseaus. It hurt to sit. I wanted to curl up in a ball. I was having hot and cold spells. The contractions were still all over the place. The tightening was like my insides were being twisted. But I was still not in so much pain I couldn't talk and my water didn't break.

Around 4 pm, we were sent away again....this time with our fingers crossed that the end was near. Only, we didn't know how near it really was.

I was admitted immediately. The nurses though my symptoms (see above) were "wonderful." The doctor came in to let me know that the baby's head was there and ready and if I sat up, there was a chance my water would break and the baby would slide out. Which also translates into no epidural.

The nurses faught over who would be in charge of being with me. At that point, I was wheeled into the delivery room. Rich was in complete shock at what was about to happen, so if he wasn't putting lip gloss (yummy stuff that I actually lost in the hospital -- I am still waiting for SA to tell me what it was!) or giving me a washcloth, I wouldn't have known he was there.

The nurse that won the fight was amazing. She was telling me to focus on what I wanted to happen - i.e. Meredith sliding out - instead of the pain. I think I was in the delivery room for 30 minutes before we heard the baby cry.
Because there was no epidural, Meredith and I both were immediately responsive to one another. I had no memory of the pain she had put me through, the minute it was over. With Lucas, I was still in pain for days afterwards. Now, as for the answer of having a high pain tolerance - I am not so sure. I felt pain. But let's think about how I broke my wrist in Kindergarden and didn't tell my parents for three days.

Superwoman - I say that is a no. But my favorite people think otherwise. I guess that is why I keep you guys around! :) Everyone needs a little fantasy in their life.