January 22, 2009

On January 21, 2009, a Wednesday night, I entered Vanderbilt hospital. This time I was not coming to care for others as I have done for 3 years now, instead I was coming to check in as a patient. I felt like I had been waiting for this moment for an eternity. All of the swelling, cramping and nausea were about to pay off. I was overwhelmed with joy at the thought of meeting Ava. I had been anticipating this moment for months and it was finally "go time." I was a ball of nerves as I changed into my gown and began the process of being induced. They started a large bore iv and began the pitocin. I labored all night with no significant change. Sometime the next morning I got up the nerve to go ahead and ask for my epidural. Sweet relief! I thought. I knew from the get go that I had no intentions of feeling any of the hard labor pains. I have worked with epidurals for years and had no reservations about using one. However, I noticed when it was placed that I only had pain relief on the left side of my body. Okay..... It was still helping considerably so I went with it and appreciated it for what it was worth. Hours passed, and I continued to have very little change. Later on that Thursday afternoon, I began to hurt and develop the chills. I had developed an infection and to make things worse my epidural was not working. Anesthesia was in and out of my room trying their hardest to fix the epidural. I am sad to say that it was done. I came to the realization that the epidural had completely worn off and would not be able to be fixed. At that moment, I rapidly advanced from a 6 to a 10! It was time to go. Scared and in a considerable amount of pain I asked my nurse how long I should expect to push. She reassured me that it should take no longer than 45 minutes. Okay. I could deal with that. However, I would end up pushing for 3 1/2 hours. Ava was stuck under my pelvic bone. My tiny little Doctor gave everything she had trying get Ava out. At one point I remember taking my washcloth off of my head and noticing that my room full of 6 had turned into what seemed like 50 people. Several nurses were pushing on my belly, my doctor was using the Vaccum for the last possible time and Jim looked as white as a ghost. After several hours and lots of help, Ava finally made her arrival! She was born on 1/22/2009, a little after 7 p.m. She weighed 8lbs 15 ounces and was 21 inches long. Wow! She had a headful of black hair and the most beautiful little face I could have ever imagined. I was wheeled back to postpartum and within an hour they brought me a new clean little angel. She looked at me and became quiet as if she just knew I was her mother. I knew from that moment on that life would never be the same.