I was in the hospital L&D, being induced. I remember watching CNN, the big news story that night was the return of Elizabeth Smart, who had been missing for months. I remember praying for her safe return through most of my pregnancy. It was nice to watch good news for a change! The doctor started the pitocin at around 8:30 p.m., and my Princess was born a little after midnight. It was my first and only delivery with an epidural.
I had waited all day for a bed to open up so I could have my induction, meanwhile, across town, unbeknownst to me, another mom was also waiting. I paced all day. My bag was packed, the house was clean. There was nothing to do but sit and wait. It almost seemed like the clock was ticking backward, there never has been a longer day than that day. Each time the phone rang, I jumped out of my chair, hoping it was the hospital. The morning turned to afternoon. At one point I was near tears as I thought I might never get that call. But it happened. The phone rang and I wasted no time dropping the boys off at the babysitter's and heading to the hospital. It was about twenty minutes total. Imagine my dismay when I saw a very pregnant lady checking in. I thought she was taking the bed that was reserved for me! How dare she go into labor? She, meanwhile, was thinking the same about me. It turns out she was also scheduled for an induction and also waited all day for a phone call!
After we both were checked in, we were sent upstairs to wait for a room. That is when we started telling each other about our day in waiting, and that we had the same doctor, and another odd coincidence. She was having a boy after two girls, while I was having a girl after two boys. We chatted for a while, and then got settled in our own rooms, which were adjacent to one another.
I was started on the pit first, and then she got her IV. It was funny how the doctor was literally bouncing from her room to mine, relaying messages from one to the other. "How is she doing?" one of us would ask. It went on like that for a couple hours. Sometime after midnight, the doctor told me to rest up for some serious pushing. What she didn't know? At that moment, my baby was already crowning and almost out on her own! Because of my epidural, I couldn't feel any of that going on! It was soon discovered, and in one quick push, she was born. It was a pain-free birth from beginning to end.
My new friend in the next room began pushing shortly after that, and her little boy was born about an hour or so later.
The next morning, we each visited the other to admire the new arrivals. We exchanged detailed birth stories and addresses.
Because we moved across the country before my daughter's first birthday, I haven't seen my friend since the day we were discharged, but each year on the kids' birthday, we each send the other a card with a picture and a note. I always thought it would be funny if when our kids grew up, somehow they ended up getting married! What a story that would be!
In the meantime, we enjoy the yearly picture and update. I really look forward to that!
I had waited all day for a bed to open up so I could have my induction, meanwhile, across town, unbeknownst to me, another mom was also waiting. I paced all day. My bag was packed, the house was clean. There was nothing to do but sit and wait. It almost seemed like the clock was ticking backward, there never has been a longer day than that day. Each time the phone rang, I jumped out of my chair, hoping it was the hospital. The morning turned to afternoon. At one point I was near tears as I thought I might never get that call. But it happened. The phone rang and I wasted no time dropping the boys off at the babysitter's and heading to the hospital. It was about twenty minutes total. Imagine my dismay when I saw a very pregnant lady checking in. I thought she was taking the bed that was reserved for me! How dare she go into labor? She, meanwhile, was thinking the same about me. It turns out she was also scheduled for an induction and also waited all day for a phone call!
After we both were checked in, we were sent upstairs to wait for a room. That is when we started telling each other about our day in waiting, and that we had the same doctor, and another odd coincidence. She was having a boy after two girls, while I was having a girl after two boys. We chatted for a while, and then got settled in our own rooms, which were adjacent to one another.
I was started on the pit first, and then she got her IV. It was funny how the doctor was literally bouncing from her room to mine, relaying messages from one to the other. "How is she doing?" one of us would ask. It went on like that for a couple hours. Sometime after midnight, the doctor told me to rest up for some serious pushing. What she didn't know? At that moment, my baby was already crowning and almost out on her own! Because of my epidural, I couldn't feel any of that going on! It was soon discovered, and in one quick push, she was born. It was a pain-free birth from beginning to end.
My new friend in the next room began pushing shortly after that, and her little boy was born about an hour or so later.
The next morning, we each visited the other to admire the new arrivals. We exchanged detailed birth stories and addresses.
Because we moved across the country before my daughter's first birthday, I haven't seen my friend since the day we were discharged, but each year on the kids' birthday, we each send the other a card with a picture and a note. I always thought it would be funny if when our kids grew up, somehow they ended up getting married! What a story that would be!
In the meantime, we enjoy the yearly picture and update. I really look forward to that!
2 comments:
Awww! That's an awesome birth story! How cool! And your little princess was a beautiful baby! Hope she's having a great birthday!
What a really neat story! Happy Mommy Day to you!
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