Eric had decided to come home from school because he felt "sick" (I swear men become little boys when they are sick...and only later did he admit he just wanted to come home). I was laying on the couch when I felt this gush. I jumped up thinking either I wet my pants or my water broke. I ran to the bathroom and just kept thinking my water broke now what?! I was so nervous. I didn't know whether I should go to the hospital or call my midwives first. I decided to call and of course it was Columbus day...which meant they were out of the office. I called the main office and they said I could come in and be checked but that the doctors wouldn't be in until 2pm. It was around 1:20pm. So I got ready and tried to calm my nerves down. Eric suggested we go get burgers because if I was having this baby soon I most likely wouldn't be able to eat at the hospital. I kept hugging Eric and I was trying not to cry. We waited in the doctors office what seemed forever (45 mins.) before I was checked by a doctor I am not so fond of. I had met him once before. He said I was dilated to a 3. Eric and I both said now what. He responded that I should have this baby in a week or so. You should have seen the look on my face! A week?!!!! He asked if I knew when to come into the hospital and I said if my contractions are 5 mins apart. And he said or if your water brakes and mentioned a few other things. I had to tell him thats why I was there was because I thought my water broke. He looked at his paper real closely and said, "No one told me that and you should go to the hospital right now"...good thing we asked some questions otherwise I would have been at home freaking out waiting for my contractions to be 5 mins apart and wondering if I was wetting my pants. I was a noob.
We headed up to the hospital which is literally 1 min away from the doctors office. We got all checked in around 4pm. I called my mom and sister who were waiting very impatiently for my call of whether or not I was going to be admitted to the hospital. I had told them I thought my water broke. Because it took me so long to get back to them they were thinking maybe I wet my pants and was too embarrassed to tell them my water hadn't broke! So they were very excited to hear that it had and that meant my mom didn't have to go back to work :)
They started me on pitocin which I was not too excited about! My midwives were both there, Karen and Helene. They were great. Karen stayed with me the entire time. They started me on a low dose and it did nothing for an hour. I just felt some cramps. They pushed the dose of pitocin up to a 3 and I got up and started to walk around the hospital with Eric. For those who don't know, Madison Memorial in Rexburg is TINY! So walking around the hospital was like walking around my living room in my apartment. But then I started to get some contractions. By this time it was around 5:30pm or 6pm. A new nurse came and wanted to ask me a few questions and while we did that she pushed my pitocin up to a 5. I walked around the hospital a couple of more times and felt the contractions coming pretty quickly. I went back to my room and Eric mentioned he thought the nurse maybe turned my pitocin down. He went to have a look and by the look on his face I knew she had pushed it up again. It was now at a 7. I felt a little panicked as it was getting a little intense. I decided I wanted an epidural and while I was waiting for it I would get in the tub. They filled the tub up and Karen checked me before I got in. I was dilated to a 6. Right after she checked me I had a BIG contraction. I am pretty sure I had a look on my face that said save me because Karen asked if I still wanted to get in the tub and I told her I didn't think I could move and I felt I needed to push. She looked shocked since she had just checked and I was only at a 6. Karen decided to check again and told me I was fully dilated and she didn't know how that happened in one contraction. She told me I had done the hard part already and that I didn't need an epidural or really have time for one but it's just time to push. She called Helene and told her I was pushing and I heard her say, "WHAT?!" No one expected it to happen so fast. She got there quickly. Eric was a great support and very encouraging. I used the squat bar...if I would have known I was going to be using that I would have worked out my legs more. I was pretty shaky. They guessed I pushed for less then 40 mins. and she was here! It was so overwhelming and I had so many emotions. I felt like I was crying but I may have been laughing. I just couldn't believe she was here. She was a healthy 6 pounds 6 ounces. Just a tiny little girl. We named her Ruby Charlotte. She came out with her hand up to her face and her elbow out which did some pretty good damage. I had to be stitched up for an hour! I should have known since during her ultrasounds she had her hand in that exact place. And she still likes to keep it there when she sleeps or is nursing.
I had Strep B but because I had Ruby before I was even fully treated (less then 4 hours) they wanted us to stay the full 48 hours at the hospital.
My mom showed up the next night and I was so grateful she was there. I would have been so overwhelmed without her! We are so happy to have this little girl. I still can't believe it.
We love all that hair! My brother Brody was hoping she would be a redhead. He has been calling her "Ginger" the whole pregnancy! It's getter lighter and there may be a slight tint of red in it :)
One eye Ruby...she likes to keep one closed
For how little this girl is she has giant fingers and toes!!!! Look at the size of that big toe!
Home at last!
