Holland’s Arrival, Part One: Tuesday

Twelve days later, I finally feel like I have the energy to attempt writing this all out. It’s going to be long, as the process leading up to Holland’s birth was a hellish, neverending experience, so I am breaking it up by day. Here goes.

Tuesday, August 26th:  Two weeks ago today. I was supposed to check into the hospital to get induced at 8pm. Getting induced was not my ideal birth scenario (oh, how my hippie la la Birthing From Within class would be shaking their heads at me right now) but I decided to for a variety of reasons, including my doctor thought it was a good idea and HEY! I WAS REALLY TIRED OF BEING PREGNANT. The biggest reason had to do with insurance things I won’t get into. Basically, I needed to not be pregnant in September, and the way things were going, it was looking like I might be. So. Procrastination being my middle name and all, I still had quite a bit to do on Tuesday before I could go to the hospital. I worked my ass off all day, getting my room ready, packing, etc. I think all of the physical exertion of the day (definitely not part of my normal pregnant routine) may have had a hand in the contractions I started having at 6pm. I was soooo excited, finishing up everything and getting ready to take a shower, when the hospital called and CANCELED my induction. UGHHHHHHHHHHH. I was so upset, as my previous blog post states. In truth, they were only postponing it, but all I heard was CANCEL CANCEL CANCEL!  I thought for sure they wouldn’t be able to get me in later in the night or in the morning like they said. I thought now I really was going to be pregnant forever. FOREVER. Blame the dramatics on being nine months pregnant. I texted my brother and told him to bring home ice cream, got in bed and started watching the democratic convention. Watching Hilary’s speech actually cheered me up (yay, go democrats!) and I started feeling a little better. Then, at around 9pm, the hospital called. I could check in at midnight! Yay!

At 11:30pm, my mom and I drove out to NW Portland, parked and found our way to Labor & Delivery. Emily met us there. My room was really nice. Huge, with a pull out bed and a flat screen tv and wireless and all the other amenities one needs while birthing. My doctor came in to say hi and let me know some good/bad news. Since I was having contractions on my own, they wouldn’t be able to induce me like planned. They had wanted to use something called miso (???? I am assuming it is different than the soup. Or maybe not? Induction Through Soy?) to get my stubborn cervix going, and then start pitocin in the morning if necessary. Since I was having contractions on my own, they couldn’t do the miso anymore. So the plan changed to me going to sleep and seeing where we were at in the morning. Hopefully in labor! Oh, how naive we were. My mom stayed while they got me all hooked up to the monitors, and then took off to go home and get some sleep. Emily and I chatted for a while, too excited to sleep. A nurse brought me a couple Ambien and told me to get some rest. I took the Ambien, hesitantly, since prescription medicine tends to make me act really  loopy. However, I knew I wouldn’t be able to fall asleep otherwise. About an hour after taking it, I got up to go into the bathroom. I could feel myself talking and moving a lot slower. I looked in the mirror, and my face looked different. I called Emily into the bathroom and asked her if the mirror was magnified. She told me it was not. I told her that my face was moving, and looked like a drawing of my face, not my real face. I also informed her that my nose was moving and my eyebrows were growing. She took a picture of me to show me in the morning that none of these things were actually happening. After that I stopped fighting it and went to bed, thinking we would meet Holland in just a few short hours! It was about 3:30am, and I had no idea what I was in for the following day, the day Holland refused to be born.

 
This is just the beginning. Thank god for wireless internet.

I would come to despise those monitors.

My nose is moving! And my eyebrows are growing! Aaaah! A portrait of Ambien-induced hallucinations.

Next time: Wednesday, August 27th.