When I went into labor at 3 am on my due date, April 27, 2013, I was ready! After all, Jack and I had taken the 16 hour weekend intensive natural birthing class, and my pre-natal care with the nurse midwives at UCLA had me feeling prepared! The 12 hours laboring at home were comfortable. I ate lots of popsicle sticks and Jack and I walked around the neighborhood a few times; we even stopped at a garage sale and contemplated buying a set of horseshoes… he he. When things started to get intense we packed up the car and headed over “the hill”(the 405 from the valley to UCLA, although only 12 miles, can take over an hour in traffic). At the emergency room admission I was adamant that I wanted to walk up to the OB ward on my own and not be assisted with a wheelchair. They must have asked me 5 times, but I refused and made my slow way upstairs. Upon admission I was a little disappointed I had not progressed past 5cm dilated, but I figured once I settled in, things would move quick. Boy was I wrong! It took all night…literally. But the labor room was vey comfortable and while I pained away, Jack made it nice and cozy. We had a cool mist humidifier blowing lavender into the room and a portable speaker played soothing music. The nurses kept coming in saying “OH…its SO nice in here”…I thought “ya right!”. Anyways… around 3 am they decided it was finally time and they broke my water bag. At that point I thought “ok- NOW this is almost over”! Another “Boy was I wrong”! It was 4 hours of pushing at every two or three minute contractions. The first hour I spent just trying to keep my stomach settled. Jack was a trooper the whole time; He was holding puke bags and helping support me sitting up the entire time. By dawn I was exhausted and could not even hold myself up; there seemed to be no end. I remember someone asked the time and just as Jack blurted it out I yelled “DONT TELL ME THE TIME!”. I didn’t want to know how long I had been there! Finally, when I felt like I would never leave that bed with our child the midwives (There were two there now because of the shift change, and we got our original nurse back that checked us in the day before) called in the recruits and the OB-GYN came into asses. At this point they began to give us our options; threatening vacuum suction or even c-section. In my mind I thought “No way have I gone through the last 24 hours to be at this point” The OB said “your so close, lets just labor through a little more” and that was all I needed. With the OB elbows deep- two midwives – one awesome baby nurse and one supper supportive husband Kaia came into this world 8:43 am Sunday April 28 weighing 8 lbs 11oz! And that is her birth story!
We transferred to recovery shortly after…
Tita Tina came to visit us! And the next day Tita Tina and Tito Roberto!
We were in LOVE!
