After educating myself over the last 9 months about the ups and downs of labor, I have to admit it was MUCH harder than I imagined. Not to say that I thought all the other women who've gone before me were talking crazy, but somehow, I had the sense that this could be a process I'd learn from and maybe smile about when I thought of it. NOT TRUE. But then, that's probably a good thing since if I'd have really known what I was in for, I'm not sure I could have faced it.
On Saturday, the 16th, at 4:30am my water broke and as luck would have it, Nacho was on his last trip overnighting in TORONTO, CANADA!!! I called him immediately and basically said, "get your ass home this morning as fast as you can..." He still had to fly the first leg of the trip back to Washington, DC, but then caught a flight to LaGuardia which put him home by 10am. My mom was already flying to NYC that day as well, so she arrived by 12pm. I wasn't having steady contractions yet, so I waited at home until about 3pm and then we all went to the hospital. Little did I know that this would be a VERY SLOW process.
I wasn't really in "active labor" until 1am Sunday morning. They had to give me pitocin (which increases the frequency and intensity of contractions) to get my cervix to dilate more and I tried so hard NOT to get an epidural. I just wanted to do this "naturally" but after 7 hours without any pain medicine (and the EVIL that is pitocin) I couldn't do it. I got the epi and that helped me relax between contractions. By 7am on Sun. I was fully dilated and ready to "labor down" and get this girl out. That's when I thought I was almost DONE. But the joke was, I had much more to go...she didn't arrive until almost 5 hours later!!!
My doctor was surprisingly patient with me, but finally he said we were going to have to do a c-section if Elisa didn't come out in the next "three pushes." Because she was in for over 24 hours after my water broke, the doctors were nervous we could both get an infection. I swear to God I have never felt so scared or so determined in MY LIFE! I pushed three more times and everyone in the room was SCREAMING "she's coming out!!!" and then I had to do a 4th and final push (yes, I snuck one more in!!) and she was HERE!! It was JUST in the nick of time. I avoided the c-section and got her out, but I don't think I could have taken any more. The doctor did help pull her out with a vacuum, which I have to say I'm glad he could because all 22 and 3/4 inches of her was very determined to stay put. Nacho and my mom were both with me the entire time and they helped me so much to stay focused and get Elisa here safely. Nacho cut her cord and she was cleaned up for a moment to say hi before they took her to the NICU for monitoring.
I was moved to the mother-baby unit while Elisa bunked downstairs in the NICU for 2 days, but we both came home yesterday, August 20 (coincidentally, my due date!). After all that, neither of us tested positive for any infections and Elisa's tests were all passed with flying colors. It's a long story, no doubt, but one I wanted to share. I think Elisa and I both willed her into this world and though I won't soon forget it, I have to say it was the achievement of my life. Until the next one....:)
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