Welcome to the World Noelle

This is the story of my little star's entry into the world. Noelle Anaya is now 12 days old, but her birth feels like it was just yesterday and so long ago at the same time.

I woke up on the morning of Thursday, June 5th around 7 am or so feeling just fine. I went to the bathroom and noticed there was pink on the toilet paper, but I shrugged it off. The doctor said I didn't need to call for "bloody show". I had a dr's appointment scheduled that day at 10:30 that morning anyway, so I figured I'd ask the doctor then. After being up for about 20 minutes, I started to have menstraul type cramps in my lower back. At first they weren't strong enough to pay any real attention to, but I decided I'd take an early shower just in case. My mom wanted me to go to the grocery store to get a few things for her elderly aunt to eat, so I did that around 8:00 or so. While in the grocery store, I was having more back pain, off and on. It hurt unlike any of the cramps that I'd had before and I had a strange feeling this was it. I decided to call the doctor's office when I got back to the house to see if I could get an earlier appointment to make sure, because I was bleeding a bit more as well.

The receptionist checked with the doctor and they told me to come right in. In the office, they hooked me up to the monitors and the doctor checked me. The doctor said I was 90% effaced, still 3cm, but definitely in labor. She called the hospital and told them she had a direct admit to labor and delivery. I was so excited! Funny, I didn't feel really nervous at the time. I called my mom who told me to go to the house and wait for her, so I did. Oh, did I mention that June 5th is also my mom's birthday? So anyway, we got to the hospital around 11 am. They didn't have a room ready for me, although my doctor called ahead of time for me to be a direct admit to L&D. Apparently they were very busy between Wednesday night and Thursday morning.

I was having contractions about every 5 -8 minutes at this point. They were very manageable for me though (at that point anyway). At around 1:30 pm, they took me to Triage and started me on IV fluids and antibiotics (positive GBS). The nurse then let me walk around with the IV pump and told me to come back in an hour. Me and my roommate went walking around the hospital. After about 40 minutes we went back to triage where they held a bed for me since they were still waiting on beds in L&D. After about another half hour, I got tired of coping with labor in the waiting room and decided to try my luck in the bed in triage. Laying on my left side wasn't too bad. At around 3pm, the nurse wanted to check me again. As I went to roll from my left side to my back, I felt a kind of pop. The nurse said, "Oh good, you ruptured your membranes." I tell you. I'm glad my water broke in the hospital cause it was so much!

She checked me and I was only three and a half dialated, but 100% effaced. I was a little nervous, because I knew this meant my contractions would increase in intensity, and boy did it not take long. After about five minutes, my contractions were coming every two to three minutes and lasting LONG! I barely had time to breathe between them. I started getting light headed and felt like I wanted to throw up, but I didn't. The nurse checked my fluids and said there was some meconium in it, so she called over to L&D and they said 20 minutes on my bed. I thought I was going to DIE! I was in so much pain. They wouldn't let me sit up in the bed or change positions at all! I was furious. I feel like if I hadn't been forced to lay down, I probably could've dealt with the contractions a little more, but since the nurse told me they weren't going to let me walk anymore, I told her I needed an Epi.

Ok, so finally around 4pm they wheeled me over to L&D. They wanted me to fill out paperwork for the anesthisiologist (yeah right). Again I started getting hot and lightheaded and I vomitted. Transition. I thought ok, it's getting very close now. It only took the anesthesiologist about 10 minutes to come (thank God). I had two contractions while she was doing the epi, but I was sitting up and they didn't feel too bad. Go figure, but anyway... After my epi, the nurse checked me and I was still only at three and a half. She said the next time the doctor will check me. She said the epi should help me progress. Well the doctor came in at 6pm and checked me. By that time I was feeling LOVELY! I cooled down and just felt great. At 6 pm, I was already to 7cm, so I knew it would be too long before Noelle came.

Labor after the epi was pretty uneventful. Me and my family talked politics. Well, the doctor came back at 8pm to check me again and he said it was time! He started getting himself ready and I was laying in the bed going, "oh no, it's almost over". I was really starting to miss my pregnancy already. I started pushing at around 10 after 8. They had to give me a slow pitocin drip because I wasn't really feeling the contractions, but I was pushing good. The doctor left for a few minutes to give the pit some time to take effect. I had maybe two contractions while the doctor was gone, and at the middle of the second contraction, the nurse had to tell me to stop pushing. I could feel Noelle's head ready to come out. I even asked to see it in the mirror, which was both gross and cool. I pushed twice for the doctor and out came her head. I pushed again and out popped her shoulder. I gave one more small push and out came the rest of Noelle. It was surreal feeling her body leaving mine. I felt both joy and sadness. I wanted to still be pregnant I guess.

Noelle Anaya was born Thursday, June 5, 2008 (my mother's birthday too!) at 8:43pm weighing 6 lbs 14.6oz and 20 inches long. It was the greatest experience of my life. I wish I could revisit it or relive it. She is absolutely beautiful and overall a very easy baby.