Tuesday, December 11, 2007

The beginning of my birth story...

December 11, 2007 started off just like any other day. I woke up, took a shower, got dressed, and dragged myself to work. I got through most of the day and at about 1:00 I began to feel really dizzy. I sat down for the rest of the afternoon because I knew that I was going for my weekly OB checkup at 3:00. When I finally got to the doctor it seemed like an eternity before they called me back. The nurse weighed me like normal and then I sat down for her to take my blood pressure. When she finished, her eyes got really big, and she told me what it was... 165/100. Oh.my.gosh.... Immediately I began to shake because I knew that was really dangerous. We went into the exam room and waited patiently for Dr. McKinnie. She came in and sort of gave me this look... All I remember her saying was, "Well Stephanie... Your pressure is really high. You are 38 weeks pregnant and there is no reason for us to keep you pregnant any longer. Do you have your bags with you? I am sending you to the hospital to have your baby." WHAT? WHAT DID SHE JUST SAY? I left my students just an hour before telling them I would see them tomorrow... and now I couldn't even go home, get my things together and let it set in that I was gonna have the baby!!! The room seemed to move in slow motion and I could feel my face getting super hot. I had whined and complained for the previous 2 weeks about how I just wished he would come already, not really expecting to get my wish and have it happen so soon.

Within minutes, Dr. McKinnie had some paperwork for us and we were on our way to Labor & Delivery. Walking into the building was surreal... I knew that the next time I walked out of there, and the next time I got into my car, PJ was going to be with me. We got upstairs and gave the lady at the desk our paperwork. I had been there so many other times that there was nothing for us to fill out... nothing for us to do except sit and wait for a room.

What seemed like 3 days (but was probably only 30 minutes) passed and a sweet nurse by the name of Karen called us back. She brought us to our room, and gave me the hospital issued stylish nightwear (AKA hospital gown), hooked me up to the monitors, and then started the induction at about 7pm. She inserted Cervadil behind my cervix and said I had to keep it in for 12 hours to thin out my cervix to get it ready for the next day. James, Marie and I chatted for a while and watched tv. I finally asked for something to help me sleep since I knew the next day would be a long one... I drifted off to sleep, and before I knew it... it was morning!

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