The BIG Day - Charlotte Arrives

Cindy had a great pregnancy. Not a day of morning sickness or back aches, but a few battles with sinus infections, leg cramping and amazing swelling. She never really felt a "Braxton-Hicks" contraction (false labor pains) and thought maybe she was feeling them on Thursday, Sept 4th at 8:00 pm. She called the doctor and the doctor told her that she would know when it was "real labor". Cindy has a very pretty high tolerance for pain, so it was unnerving to Rick that by 9:00 pm the contractions were about 1 minute long and 4 1/2 minutes apart. They continued to get a little more intense, but nothing that she thought felt like true labor.

After calling her neighbor, Celena, at 9:30 pm and consulting with what a Braxton-Hicks was suppose to feel like, Celena demanded she go to the hospital and get checked out. By 10:00 pm on the way to the hospital, the contractions were 3 1/2 - 4 minutes apart and lasting about 1 1/2 minutes. Cindy still wasn't convinced, but by midnight when they admitted her, they were 2 minutes apart and lasting in pairs up to 2 minutes long... she was convinced then! She was only 2cm dilated and her water hadn't broken yet, so that set the stage for a long night. She never got to eat dinner and hadn't eaten anything since 2 pm on Thurs, so her strength was wearing thin.

She so badly wanted to give birth naturally and had a wonderful doola lined up to support her too. Her best friend Doris came out to support her around 1:00 am and they all had a laugh or two. But by 4:00 am she had still not dilated and the contractions were really spiking hard, lasting longer and still only giving her 1-2 min break in between. Her energy was low and she was beyond exhausted (so was Rick). She finally broke down and took an epidural to get some sleep at 5:00 am. Rick got some sleep, but Cindy unfortunately had the famous violent "tremors" for about 1 1/2 hrs and still go no sleep.

Around 7:30 am, Cindy's parents arrived (hence the picture of Rick crashed in the chair behind her bed before delivery). Her water finally broke around 8:30 am and she began pushing around 9:15 am. Doris was able to come back and trade off with Cindy's dad so she could be in the room some for support. Miss Charlotte was born at 10:20 am and it was a glorious time! Doris, Cindy's parents, and a slew of nursing staff were in this little room checking on her since they though she may have swallowed some of the marconium. But, she was fine. Cindy did conclude by saying with her legs spread eagle and people walking back and forth in front of her, "It's true what they say; have a baby and your modesty does go right out the window!" :-)