The Kelleys: Birth Story

Here is the juicy birth story for your reading pleasure. Also for me to refer to because I'm sure I'm going to try to block tragic parts from my memory.

Thursday morning I woke up from a bad night's sleep feeling crampy. I went into work and tried to take it easy all day. I wasn't having contractions, but I definitely didn't feel good. By 4:30, when I left for the day, I told everyone I would see them in the morning. My entire staff rolled their eyes at me and said, "No you won't. See you in April." I drove home, and while looking at the clocked, timed "really bad cramps" every 10 minutes. I was still completely denying any mention of the word LABOR. There was no possible way I was in labor, I have a scheduled c-section in a week, and this would be 2 weeks before my due date! Not happening!!!

I went home an laid down. Nick came home completely freaking out and telling me we were going to the hospital. I told him absolutely not, they were just going to send me home and I wasn't about to be one of those losers who goes to the hospital with every little feeling and then gets sent home. I finally convinced him to wait 2 hours and then we would see how I was feeling. By then I knew, I would feel much better.

2 Hours later, I got up and took a shower. While in the shower, I definitely had contractions. There wasn't any denying it. Nick could tell, because when I got out of the shower, he was dressed, shoes on, ready to go. My response: "We aren't leaving yet.....I still have to blow dry my hair." Yep, I was still denying it.

Finally I called the Dr. and she told me to head on into the hospital. She asked if I was having contractions. My response....I don't freaking know, I've never been pregnant. The Dr. told me to have them hook me up to the monitors and we would see if this was real or not. Here we are on the way to the hospital:

Nick increasing his fluids before a long night.

I'm totally faking it in this picture. The thumbs up is 100% sarcasm. By this time I was contracting every 4 minutes and holding on to the ceiling of the car in pain. Not a fan of labor. In retrospect, I'm kinda glad I had a c-section. I certainly was not going to be able to tolerate actually giving birth the "natural way." All those people that do this without drugs, I give credit, but I still think you are insane!

I got to the hospital and was hooked up on the monitors by 10:30. I was definitely having real contractions, but was only 2 cm dilated. 2? With that much pain, only 2? Hell no was I waiting until 10! Everything from here happened rather quickly. It happened rather quickly for some 20 other moms that day too. Evidently the hospital was chock full of moms in labor. Every nurse, Dr., what have you was exhausted by the time they got to me because there had been so many babies born that day. There was actually a line for the OR. I was waiting for some lady to have twins before I went in.

I walked down to the OR to get ready for delivery. The ladies at the nurses station were impressed with me walking all the way to the operating room. I walked into the doors and freaked out! The room was big and super bright and everything just looked......sterile. Of course I was then by myself, because they make Nick wait while they prep me for surgery. I was given a spinal and laid down and ready in a matter of minutes. The only problem was that I was shaking like crazy. It was a mixture of being cold and terrified, but From this point on, I shook for hours. The put up the sheet, brought Nick in to sit beside me. Everyone was talking and then all of a sudden it felt like a nurse laid on top of me and then...