The Highpoints

Every day has its ups and downs, its surprises and its awkward moments. 
Here's the breakdown for Alyssa's arrival:


Most encouraging comment: this is a tie between two. First, my fortune cookie at dinner Friday night (as I beginning to go into labor, unbeknownst to all of us) said: "keep up the great work. You will be rewarded by the end of the month." I think I'll save that one. Second was the news that my hard work was paying off and I was at a 9. It was at that moment that I got a burst of confidence that I really could do this.

Most surprising moment: actually feeling the baby come out! You'd think I would have experienced this before but with Scotty they actually had to sit me up before I believed his head was out, as I couldn't feel a thing. As much as birth can be a beautiful thing, this is still an odd sensation. And a RELIEF.

Best comment: from my nurse to my skeptical ob: "don't be fooled by how calm she seems. she's having spectacular contractions!"

Hardest moment: being unprepared for an intense contraction--the reality for me is that labor is pain and sometimes more than your body can handle, which means it responds by going into shock for a second or two

Most awkward moment: Realizing that something was coming out and I couldn't stop it, which led to Eric catching something between my legs while I was standing over a hard tile floor with no nurses in the room (they were both off looking for doctors and came back with a somewhat overwhelmed looking resident!). It was only the amniotic sac but we had no way of knowing whether it had a baby in it or not! Eric gets bonus points for quick reflexes. I think he credits that to nerves of steel and video game reflexes.

Funniest request: "Eric, can you brush your teeth?" Suddenly, after hours of contractions and hard work, something about his middle of the night breath in my ear while supporting me during a contraction was too much. Fortunately mom had tic tacs in her purse :o) Sweet husband was not at all offended or annoyed by my request. He probably would have stood on his head if I told him it would help me.

Most useful tool: moving around a lot. I could handle a few contractions in just about any position as long as I didn't stay there too long. I think moving helped give me something concrete to focus on as well as make the pain change a little between muscle groups. At the end it felt so nice to walk around and let gravity do its thing.


"In your face!" moment: Seeing the ob who had told me at 5am that he was breaking my water in two hours walk into my room 10 minutes after I had delivered and be able to just smile up at him innocently. In the end I was glad my baby came to a wonderfully trained resident who trusted me and my nurses and let me do it my way. I know if my first ob had been on the other end of the delivery table I would have gotten commands I'm pretty sure I would have ignored and I know he would have cut me to just hurry the baby out.


Sweetest moment: holding my beautiful baby girl right after delivery. I wasn't sure I wanted to do that as with Scotty I knew something was wrong and felt horrible realizing that I didn't want to hold my baby. I told Eric to watch out for me and make sure it was what I wanted so I wouldn't feel like a bad mom for turning away my baby. He was very careful of my feelings and I realized that holding my sweet baby girl on my chest was the most amazing moment in the world. After months of waiting and working I felt like the three of us were literally in heaven for a few beautiful minutes.


Would I do it this way again? Ask me in a few months.




I'm pretty sure the answer will be convincingly yes.