A Labor of Love

So about 5:30 pm we head out for the hospital...We don't need to be there till 7, but I'm taking no chances that we are going to hit traffic and be late. Mom followed behind us in her truck. We video taped a little and I made some phone calls and sent some text messages. It seemed like it was a long ride but luckily traffic was a breeze and we got there about 6:15. We parked...waited for mom to arrive...piddled about in the parking lot until 6:30 then went on inside.

Due to our hospital tour we knew just where to go and what to do. The hospital had changed slightly because of the renovation but everything was in the same place so we got checked in and shown to our room in record time. Our nurse Lydia, brought me a gown and all my hospital goodies (barf bowl, tissues, socks, etc). My gown was practically brand new, even Lydia commented on it.

I got changed and inspected all my amenities. I had a nice big bathroom and the room was pretty big too. It was a labor room so there was a lot of monitors and hospital equipment type stuff in there, a recliner and a couple of other chairs. Mom and Aunt Pam showed up soon after and nurse Lydia got me hooked up to all the monitors - one for the baby's heart beat and one for my contractions. At 7pm Lydia inserted the Cervodil a medication to thin my cervix and get me ready for induction in the morning. I was prepared for the Cervodil thanks to my cousin, Alina who had it during her last labor...it really does feel like sandpaper YIKES!

We spend the next few hours watching the monitors and gauging my contractions. Most of them I could not feel. Lydia and the night Nurse, Sue checked me periodically for temperature, blood pressure, etc. Jamie's Dad, Step-Mom and Grand Mother showed up and brought us some dinner. SUBWAY! Yippie! I haven't had a sandwich for months.

At some point the doctor comes around to check on me and perscribes some Magnesium to help lower my blood pressure to reduce the risk of pre-eclampsia. That is some good stuff let me tell you. It made me really loopy. I wasn't aware how loopy until I came down off the stuff two days later. Night slowly passed into day with several trips to the bathroom, readjustments of the monitor and little cat naps.