Hope & Question

December 3 – Moment.

Pick one moment during which you felt most alive this year. Describe it in vivid detail (texture, smells, voices, noises, colors). (Author: Ali Edwards)

Since I haven't recorded the story of Jack Haynesworth Latourelle's entrance into the world, this seems as good a time as any, regarding feeling most alive. There are few times in my life where I've felt as alive as I did in the process of giving birth. Feeling alive while experience new life is such a surreal experience. I'm sure that won't be the last trite statement I use as I tell my first born's birth story.

Saturday, July 24: Shawn had planned for us to go into San Francisco for the day. During a job, he'd stumbled upon a street that had a few baby-type shops and he knew that I'd love it. So we went window shopping. Around 11a, I started having contractions, but I thought they were just Braxton-Hicks. I hadn't felt any contractions prior to that day. I didn't say anything to Shawn at first, but in my head I was counting how long they lasted and keeping track of how far apart they were. Initially, they were about 30 seconds long, and at least 20 minutes apart. A couple hours into it, I shared with Shawn what I was feeling and he agreed that surely they were just Braxton-Hicks. We went into some really cute shops that had really cute things, but didn't buy anything. We grabbed lunch at a cafe on the corner. When we were walking after lunch, and still had a few shops to mosy into, I think is when I felt my water break. But at the time, I just thought it was related to the mucus plug. So, we kept on our merry way. We sat in the MOST comfortable rocker in the world, but of course, left it at the store.
We made our way back home and I noticed the front of the kitchen cabinets were filthy. So I started cleaning them (that should've been the sign that I was about to have a baby!).
We had dinner and I started feeling the contractions a bit more regularly. Looking back, I should've eaten way more than I did, considering I wouldn't eat again until after 8p the next day. I think around 8p I realized these weren't fake contractions, but the real thing.
Then we went to bed. Except, I couldn't sleep. For some, it may be the case, but for me, I couldn't catch any sleep in between contractions. I can't fall sleep that quickly, nor was I able to handle the contractions lying (or sitting) down.
Sunday, July 25: Around 1a, I called San Francisco Kaiser. They said they had room for me, but if I could stand it longer at home, I should try. So try I did. I also did a load of laundry because the outfit I wanted to go to the hospital in wasn't clean (I wasn't due until August 6, but was for sure I'd give birth August 1). I also took a hot shower around that time. That felt good, too.
With each contraction, I would hold on to the end of the bed and sway my hips back and around (like a hoola). I learned that in my yoga class. I would moan during them, although I was trying not to be too loud since we had a roommate at the time.
4:30a rolls around and I know it's time to go. My bag was already packed. Shawn's was, too. He put the bags in the car and we headed to the hospital.
My biggest concern was making it to the hospital through the contractions. I hadn't sat down for a contraction since around 8p, so I was scared. But I made it. It was about a 30 minute ride to the hospital. Luckily, there's not much traffic going into San Francisco at 5a on a Sunday.
Shawn dropped me off at the Emergency Room entrance, just liked we'd been told to do at our birthing class. He went to park the car. I told the lady I was in labor and needed assistance. Meanwhile, I placed my hand against the wall and swung my hips back and around when the next contraction came on.
Shawn came before anyone was ready to take us back. Finally a woman came to us and said we could go with her. They had a wheelchair for me. I gladly accepted.
When we got to our room, I asked for an epidural. I had to wait for the anesthesiologist to come, so I think it was 8a before I actually got the epidural.
Then I went to sleep. I progressed a bit, but by the afternoon, I needed pitosin. So I got some and then, started progressing right.
With the help of my fabulous nurse, Anna, and Shawn, I pushed for about 2 hours. I experienced what most women giving birth experienced: I didn't think I was going to make it. And I said as much. And I do remember apologizing for not being able to make it. Then, I felt the ring of fire (that's what the OB called it, and that's for sure what it felt like to me).
Jack Haynesworth Latourelle was born at 7:22p on July 25, 2010. He weighed 6 pounds, 13 ounces, was 21 inches long and I can't remember his head circumference. The funniest thing, though, was that he had the BIGGEST cone head (he shrunk a quarter of an inch after the conehead shrunk). The nurse even wrote "Giant Conehead" underneath his measurements. We all were laughing about it.
Per my request, they cleaned him up before bringing him to me. They brought him over, and I was speechless. It's still quite surreal that he grew inside me and that I gave birth to him. He looked so much like Shawn. He was so tiny, but I swear he smiled at me when he first laid eyes on me.

posted by Loren @ 10:20 AM