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He weighed 7 pounds 14 ounces. Ken was due September 24, 1991. Other than nasty morning sickness, the pregnancy was pretty average and unremarkable. His due date came and passed. Woke up around 5 am on the 30th of September and was having mild, erratic cramping. I thought it was Braxton Hicks and instead of going back to sleep decided I'd watch the movie we'd rented, Dances with Wolves. Started to watch the movie and ended up falling asleep anyway. The rest of the day was spent as a normal day but the cramps got stronger and closer together. Partner's mother lived over on the Island and had to take a ferry to get over to the mainland so I was constantly quizzed on whether or not he should call his mother to come over. I'd finally had enough and told him to call her if he wanted but I didn't know if I was going into real labour and she might be wasting her time coming over so early. He was a nervous wreck and got his mother to come over as soon as possible. She arrived around 7 pm that day and by 11:30 pm that night the pains were less than 5 minutes apart and lasting for more than 90 seconds and very strong. Still unsure if this was 'real' labour I decided that we should go the hospital to check it out. Next thing I know we are ALL in the car heading to the hospital. It was as we were loading ourselves into the car that I was asked/told "My mother is coming along too, you don't mind do you?". I was too distracted to really have an opinion at that time, although later, I was a bit angry that it was thrust upon me without prior concent. I would have liked to have had the time to think it over. Anyway, we arrived at the hosptial and sure enough, I was in labour. A couple of hours passed and the father decided he was going to take his mother home so she could go to bed. He left and came back about half an hour later. The rest of the night passed with the contractions staying at just under 5 minutes apart and things were progressing very slowly. Around 7:30 am, the father left again to pick his mother up and get some breakfast. They stopped off at MacDonald's on the way back to the hospital. Note: Birth partners, don't bring food into the labour room, it's cruel and you'll be lucky if you survive. Doctor came in around 8:00 am and broke my waters. Things really got crazy after that. Contractions still reamined at just under 5 minutes apart but were VERY intense. Around 10:30 am I started into transition. I thought I was loosing my mind. The nurse brought me in some laughing gas and that helped take the edge off of things although the whole transition thing felt like it took place in the closet. I was completely stoned by the gas, but it wore off quickly. By this time, the father had gone and called everyone on the phone that he could think off. Since several hours had passed they now figured that he had forgotten to call them back and they were paging him to get 'updated'. I remember, in a fog like way, hearing the beep beep beep of the pager going off repeatedly in my ear until I lost it. I snatched the beeper off of his belt and threw it across the room. He went to go and pick it up but, thankfully, his mother beat him to it and took it out of the room and gave it to his dad who was waiting in the waitingroom. 11:00 am and I wanted something stronger than the gas. Fortunately, the nurse checked me and announced that I was fully dilated and couldn't have anything else because it was time to start pushing. Contractions went back to 5 minutes apart which made pushing very long and tiring. After an hour and a half the doctor casually asked if I would like an episiotomy. I thought to myself that if she had offered to cut off both my legs to speed up the delivery I would have agreed. I opted to be cut and 5 minutes later, my firstborn son arrived. 12:24 pm. 7 pounds, 14 ounces. It took a day and a half, I was tired, I was fustrated. But I'd do it all again in a heartbeat. I was blessed with a beautiful child. |