Eleven

This time eleven years ago, I was sitting in my apartment in Fort Myers, trying to figure out if my water had broken or if I had just lost all control of my bladder. LOL! I eventually called my OB and went in to be checked out.

It was determined that, yes, my water had broken. It was a high tear, which is why there was no gush of fluid, only the constant trickle. My OB immediately sent me to triage to be admitted to the hospital.

Because my water had broken nearly 12 hours earlier, and I hadn't been in a sterile environment for that entire time, I was given an IV with antibiotics to fight any potential infections. I was also given a Pitocin drip to help along my labor.

Even with the Pitocin, which usually brings on strong, fast, painful contractions, I had a rather relaxing afternoon in my hospital room. The wonderful thing about this hospital was that I was allowed to have anything I wanted to eat or drink while I was in labor, so long as it was liquid. So, I went to town with the juice, gelatin, and chicken broth.

After a very relaxing afternoon and evening, things did eventually get underway. Around ten o'clock, my OB came in to check on me before heading home for dinner. While she was checking me, and telling me that I was still stuck at four centimeters, my bag of waters completely gave out. All of a sudden, my contractions became very fast and painful, and I was demanding my epidural.

It really didn't take very long for the anesthesiologist to get to my room to give me the epidural, but it sure felt like forever at the time! By eleven o'clock, I was once again completely pain-free. Shortly after, my OB returned to the hospital, and I started pushing. And at 11:22, my sweet little baby girl was born.

Happy Birthday, Emily! I love you.