Baby Girl

I had lots of Braxton Hicks contractions this time. I Kept wondering if I was in labour and just as I would be about to tell my husband (after an hour or so of steady contractions) to take me to the hospital, they would quit.

So on Sunday evening (4 days after my due date), contractions started around 10:00 but weren't bad. I went to bed but couldn't sleep. Kept having contractions. About 11 I got up and walked around, rocked, took a shower, still having contractions. Finally, about 12:30, I woke my husband up.

I called our friend/babysitter who was going to watch our other two girls and told her we would be bringing the girls over. Took our kids to her and got to the hospital about 2:15AM. My contractions were only about 2 minutes apart when we arrived. I told the nurse about delivering at home the previous time. I told her I thought this baby was coming pretty soon. But I was calm and I don't think she believed me.

She checked me, said I was a four, and said they would wait 20 minutes to admit me. I was disappointed to only be a four, but thought, Okay. About 2:45 AM, they admitted me and I got a new nurse. She told me that my contractions were right on top of each other and they thought I was dehydrated.

They wanted to give me an IV. Figuring that I probably still had a while I told her I really didn't want an IV, could I have ice chips. So they gave me ice chips but said if my contractions didn't slow down they would put me on an IV.

By this point the contractions were suddenly getting pretty bad and I didn't have the energy to argue. I hadn't been checked since I first arrived. At about 3:10, I started wanting an epidural but figured I would wait 10 minutes and see how I was feeling. About 3:15, I started feeling like I needed to go to the bathroom.

I knew that was a sign that the baby was coming but figured that I was only a four so it couldn't be yet. I waited about five minutes, then told my husband and he called the nurse. She decided to check me and found I was a ten. She told me to keep breathing and started making phone calls.

My OB/GYN was out of town, so they had let the doctor on call know that I was in labour, but I'm sure they told him it would be awhile. So he was still at home. THey called him and told him to hurry.

She asked if my water had broken and I said no. She told me I was doing great breathing and to keep it up and started preparing for delivery. Then my water broke and there was meconium in it. She called NICU, just in case.

She told me to keep breathing and not to push but at that point, it was no longer an option. She was coming and I couldn't not push. The nurse seemed kind of panicky, but she called a resident and the resident came. Our third baby girl was born at 3:34 AM. She was 8 pounds, 13 ounces and 21 1/4inches long.

Her one minute Apgar score was low and she had swallowed some meconium. But her five minute score was a nine. She was breathing and doing great. She is happy and healthy and such a sweet, content baby. And she was born just about 1hour after we got into our hospital room.

So from 4 to delivered in an hour. Once my babies decide it is time, it is time... except my first, who was perfectly happy to just stay inside as long as possible!

Jenny & Alfredo Panameno

"We do not give thanks because we are happy. We are happy because we give thanks." --Douglas Wood