Belle is born · April 2, 2003

Belle was born at Swedish Hospital in Seattle Washington at 12:34am. Weighed in at 8.6 pounds and 20.5 inchs long. Full head of hair.

The day started very normally. I had a doctor's appointment at 11:20am. We went in to see the doctor and she examined me. I was close to 4cm dilated. But my blood pressure was up some so she wanted to hook me up to the monitors for a bit. They also took some blood for tests. After nearly 2 hours on those monitors my blood pressure still wasn't going down as much as it should. Although my blood work still came back okay. My doctor (Dr. Johannsen) decided she wanted me to go over to triage and see what their monitors showed. At this point I started to wonder if she was just going to induce labor but I wasn't getting my hopes up to much. They wheel chaired me over to triage which was fun. Brad pushed. :) We got there and they hooked me up. My mom went down to move the car and Brad sat with me. Well my blood pressure still wasn't going down. I could also tell that my doctor was just looking for a reason to induce me, that she was tired of seeing me suffer with major swelling and discomfort.

So after only about 30 minutes in triage she comes in and says "I think we just need to have this baby today." Well this was GREAT to hear. I was pretty calm about it. Brad on the other had was in excited shock I think. :) I was still in triage as my mom was coming back from moving the car. She passed Dr. Johannsen in the hallway and Johanssen says to her "We're going to have a baby today!" Well that nearly made my mom pass out which I think the doctor thought was funny.

Shortly after that they move me into my delivery room (room: 555). The rooms as Swedish Medical are great! They don't look like hospital rooms. They look like nice hotel rooms. They are very big and nicely decorated. They have TVs, VCRs, and stereos. They are VERY comforting. They got me into the room and into a gown and hooked me up to an IV. Okay IVs suck. I didn't watch them put mine in but according to Brad next to the birth it was the ickiest thing. It didn't hurt a lot but it wasn't exactly fun either. They then started me on Pitocin which is a drug that causes the uterus to contract. I spent the next couple minutes just getting comfortable and set up. Brad and my mom went to get the bags from the car. The contractions at this point where not bad at all really. At this point I was getting really excited. It sounds like a lie but I never got to scared or anything. I was just happy to be having the baby and enjoying the experience of labor. (honestly!) :)

After awhile Dr. Johanssen came in and broke my water. This didn't hurt, but was kinda weird feeling. And when the water comes out it feels really gross. The other thing that was gross for me was that the water doesn't just break and then stop. No you leak pretty much constantly from then on. Which is like sitting in a puddle. Breaking the water also make the contractions pick up. I don't remember when they started getting really strong but they did. But honestly they weren't that bad. They weren't fun at all but I guess I expected a lot worse. However at around the time I was 7cm dilated the contractions where coming very steadily and I was getting VERY tired. The night before I had been sick with a fever and not slept at all so I had come into this already exhausted. I really wanted to not have any drugs during labor but knew that there was no way I'd make it to be able to push when the time came. The doctor was also threating to give me magnesium-sulfate to bring my blood pressure down but she told me that drug would make me very out of it. So I opted to have a mild epidural after all. It brought down my blood pressure and gave me a chance to rest. It also let me keep my head clear for the birth.

I truly feel I could have dealt with the pain, but the tiredness and fear of the other blood pressure drug won out. So the epidural came and despite what they say it does hurt to get one. Not terribly but it certainly wasn't comfortable. But once it's in it's fine. And it really did help. It wasn't strong enough to keep me from moving my legs or anything but it did take the pain away. So for the next couple hours I was able to rest some.

Then around 10:30 or 11pm (wasn't really watching the clock) I started feeling "pressure" down there. Not to be graphic but it felt very much like I had to go #2. It would come and go. It didn't hurt but was a bit uncomfortable. Then came the one time during it all that I almost panicked. I had that same pressure but it would not stop. But the nurse was right there and had me role onto my back and told me that if I felt like pushing I should. Well nature sure tells you what to do because pushing helped keep the uncomfortable pressure feeling way.

For the next hour I was pushing. My mom was on one side of me and Brad on the other, both holding my legs for me as I pushed. Honestly pushing wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. As long as you're pushing it really doesn't hurt that much. Once the doctor came in things really moved along seemingly fast. And before to long the doctor told me to reach down and I could feel the top of Belle's head. Several minutes of pushing later I felt her head again, this time it was much further out. I can't say what an amazing experience it was to feel that. I pushed awhile more to get her head the rest of the way out and I will admit that that hurt. I tore a bit and that doesn't exactly feel good. Burning is the best way to describe it.

But before to long the doctor told me to stop pushing for a moment and they where cleaning Belle's mouth and nose out. Brad and my mom said that the moment her head was out her little eyes just popped open and where looking around as if she where thinking "what the heck just happened!?" And with the next contraction I was able to push the rest of her out. I saw her just as she came out and she looked so big and so small at the same time. As she came out all I remember hearing was the "sploosh" of fluid... ick. Soon after Brad cut the cord and they laid Belle on top of my stomach. She looked right up at me and all I could say was "I didn't know I could love someone so much."

While I was holding her Brad and I just stared at her and how beautiful she was, obviously both of us crying. I then gave her to her daddy. :) I'd waited so long to see that sight. The doctor had to do some stitching down there with the help of a lot of locale numbing medication. And shortly after that I pushed out the afterbirth. Which I have to say is a gross sensation. But before long I was all done and very tired.

They took Belle and weighed and measured her (8lbs 6oz, and 21.5inch). They put a little hat on her and wrapped her up. Shortly there after I let her my mom... the new Grandma, hold her for the first time which was so wonderful to see. About 2 hours later they moved me into a recovery room. Not as nice as the delivery room but still nice. There we all tried to sleep. Unfortunately my blood pressure still wasn't going down on it's own so I was given magnesium for 12 hours via the IV. It worked but honestly was almost more uncomfortable then giving birth, it burns something terrible as it goes in to your arm. It also makes you very drowsy so I was glad that I was able to keep from having it during the labor. I was kept in the hospital until Friday afternoon, a little over 3 days in total.

As for the hospital and their staff I'd have to give them they highest marks. They where great. As for the experience all together I'd have to say it was the best experience of my life. Yes there was some pain but honestly it was SO wonderful I'd do it all again. I loved it. I loved every moment of it. Brad and I have waited so long to see Belle and now she is finally here.

Here are the statistics for her birth:

Born at 12:34am. She weighed 8lbs and 6oz, and was 20.5inch long. Her apgar score was 9 (apgar is a way of quantifying a newborn's initial condition. A 9 is a very good score. Click here to read more about it: http://www.babycenter.com/refcap/pregnancy/childbirth/3074.html) Belle was declared just as healthy as can be. She had a touch of jaundice but not enough to even have blood work done.