This time, I knew it was true labor. I was very excited but in a lot of pain. We got to the hospital and thank goodness I got my epidural quickly. I don't know how women do it without one. Once I got my epidural it was make up time. Yes, I applied my make up.
Not much happened after that. I was in labor for a total of 17 hours. I pushed for almost 3 hours. My epidural wasn't working anymore when I was pushing. Of course when I really needed it it didn't work. By coincedence we found out my anesthesiologist was also from Hawaii. My mom was trying to make conversation with him but totally embarrassing me.
My mom and sister were with me the whole time. They were amazing. I used to be a postpartum nurse but I don't remember family getting as involved as they were. I used to do what's called "catching babies" and would be in the delivery room and take care of the baby, etc.
My nurse put them to work. She didn't know I was a RN and I really didn't want anyone to know. I wanted everything to be explained to me like I was a regular patient. The nurse said I needed to push like I needed to have a BM. The funniest moment of my birth was when my mom looked at me while I was having a contraction and said really loud "MICHELLE, PUSH LIKE YOU NEED TO GO DOO DOO!" I couldn't believe it . I just wanted to die. I was soooooo mad because they were laughing and I was in pain. Then my sister kept talking to me saying I was doing good and I told her to stop talking!
Finally after I thought I was going to die, Nicholas was born. It was the greatest day of my life. I got to hold him and see that he looked like me. He looked like a cone-head but after a few days his head looked normal. It may sound weird but I think of him as the love of my life.
This is us right after he was born.
This is us right after he was born.
This is Nicholas's hospital picture the day we were discharged.
