4 pounds 9 ounces

On May 26 at 10:56 p.m., my fourth child came quickly into the world. She arrived five weeks early and is a healthy, spunky angel. A few days before going into labor I had learned I had cholestasis of pregnancy, which means I had bile salts running under my skin that caused intense, uncontrollable and painful scratching. I was put on medication and had to make an immediate appointment with the maternal/fetal doctor who would then determine if the baby’s lungs were mature enough to allow her birth.

I guess the baby – Miss Anna LaShae – heard what was going on and decided to spare me any unnecessary pain. I didn’t know whether I would be induced or have to have a Cesarean and neither option appealed to me. Of course I was going to do what was necessary for the baby (the condition could have caused fetal death), but just being in the situation along with some other very intense stresses in my life was causing a lot of worry.

For most of the 26^th, which was a Saturday, I laid on the couch relaxing. I watched television, styled my hair and took a nap. I was in a funky mood, but I was trying to make the best of it and, overall, I just felt out of sorts. I went out at around 6:30 p.m. to take my teenage daughter to a friend’s birthday dinner. I had a contraction at about 7 p.m. while I was driving, but it wasn’t intense. Noticeable, but not intense. My daughter said, “Contraction?”

“Yup.”

“Is that the only one?”

“Yup.”

And on I drove. I dropped her off and decided I would get something to eat and go to catch a dollar movie. I was kid free for the moment and I wanted to enjoy it. The toddlers were spending the day with their dad and my teenager was safely involved with friends. I went to Barnes and Noble to use a gift card I received on Mother’s Day. I was there for about 30 minutes – from 7:30 to 8 p.m. – and I didn’t have any contractions. I didn’t feel quite right, but all seemed well.

I went to Blockbuster to drop off some overdue DVDs and while I was sitting in the parking lot waiting for my husband, who was getting some stuff for the toddlers from me, I had about four contractions between 8 and 8:15. For me that wasn’t a big deal. They weren’t necessarily anymore painful than the “Braxton Hicks” I had already experienced, but there was a lot of pressure.

My husband said, “Are you okay? Do you want us to stay with you?” All I could think about was the two toddlers who would be rambunctiously running around and I decided to send them on their way. Instead of going to the movies, I would grab something to eat at Arbie’s, drink a lot of ice water, go home and rest on the couch until it was time to go to bed.

Well, between 8:15 and 9, I had about 10 or so contractions, but I wasn’t keeping track so from 9 until 9:30/45 I counted about 15 contractions. I still was in denial. A little earlier I had decided to call the doctor, but before they could call back I knew I needed to go to the hospital. The hospital is 10 minutes away and I had four contractions in 10 minutes.

My girlfriend, who I had to call to come and get me (Remember, I was home alone), said, “Are you still in denial?”

Long story short: By the time they checked me in and everything I was almost 7 centimeters dilated. Five more minutes the head was crowning. Someone had to rush and get the midwife. They didn’t even have time to start an IV (thank God) or put monitors on me. The nurse was holding the monitor to my stomach to check the baby’s heartbeat.

The midwife says, “Okay, one push and we’ll have a baby.”

I thought she was kidding. They didn’t have me on a monitor so I had to tell them a contraction was coming and she told me to take a deep breath and push: One push and I had a baby!!!

From the time labor started at around 8 p.m. to 10:56 and I had a baby!

It was the most painful delivery I’ve ever experienced. I’ll never say another negative thing about women who chose to have epidurals because if they’re experiencing the type of pain I experienced for hours and hours of labor then I understand. The pain I had this time is normally what I experience during the pushing stage not the entire time!

The baby is beautiful and perfect. Very healthy with no need to stay in the hospital or be sent to NICU!!

(I’ll have to post a photo as soon as I get myself together!)