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| Ready to get this party started! |
I thought I could be tough and make do with little to no pain drugs for most of the laboring process, and while I did do it with no drugs (until the end) it was horrible. From 5:00 that night until 4:49 pm the NEXT day, I was having contractions every 2-4 minutes and felt every. single. one. By noon on Monday, the 20th, I was dilated to a 3, but had funneled. I was so excited to hear them say I was at a 3, because with the boys once I got to a 3 I had them within the hour. Once again, not the case this time. Since I had funneled, it took me quite awhile to fully dilate. At some point, Baby P had turned and her head was no longer positioned in favor of me delivering. They kept telling me that's why I am not dilating more, her head needs to move and come down before anything else can happen. By 3:00, I had had enough. I was begging for an epidural. The anesthesiologist came in to give me my epidural, and right before that, our nurse Lindsey (who was a godsend by the way) gave me a quick dose of pain drugs that temporarily took the edge off. I felt like I had just consumed a margarita, or three :). After a few minutes those pain meds wore off, and the epidural was in. Right away I knew there was something different about this epidural compared to the ones I had with the boys. Only my right leg went numb. I still felt everything else. I was able to have full function of my left leg, and could still lift my hips and rear off the table when they asked me to. Normally, I shouldn't be able to feel anything below my waist. For a few minutes, I felt a little numb and wasn't feeling the contractions as bad. At this point, I was having contractions every 1-2 minutes and they were incredibly intense and strong. I was so nauseous and exhausted. I truly didn't think I was going to be able to push when it came time to deliver. After a while, the contractions were getting worse and more painful. I should not have been able to feel the contractions at all, so the nurse had a different anesthesiologist come check on me right away. While laboring in excruciating pain (kudos to all of the mom's out there who deliver 100% naturally) he decided the epidural must have slightly missed my spine and that's why it wasn't working. He decided to take the epidural out and put a new one in since I was only dilated to a 5, and wasn't showing any progress for quite some time. Getting the 2nd epidural put in was a nightmare. Needing to hold still, hunch over, and not move a hair while having contractions every minute was unbearable. I was screaming, crying and shamefully cursing. (I might have scared off every laboring mom in the O.B. that day!) I do have to say, Joe and my nurse Nancy were my rocks during this. I was squeezing them, pushing on Joe, cursing here and there, crying, and losing all motivation. They are the ones who helped me through it and kept me pulling through.
Finally after the 2nd epidural was in, I instantly felt pressure to push. I told my nurse and I think she thought I was crazy. When she checked me she said "oh yeah, you're ready. Call Dr. Posthuma right away". The baby was starting to crown, and since we had to wait on Dr. Posthuma to get there, they had to help me breathe just right to keep myself from pushing. Finally Dr. Posthuma came running into our room, sweaty and a little out of breath, and told me to hang on a minute. I just remember "politely" yelling that I could not wait anymore and someone had to catch the baby. He said "wait I have to take my shoes off, they're new shoes! You can wash socks, but not shoes" The nurses and I gave him a look of death I think :) By the time Dr. P had his scrubs on and was positioned to help me deliver, Baby P's head was already almost out. With just 5 minutes of pushing, and only 3-4 pushes, Baby GIRL Pierson made her entrance at 4:49 pm. I was so overwhelmed when she came, in so much pain (because the epidural had not yet kicked in) and emotionally exhausted. Dr. Posthuma held her up in the air, kind of like Lion King, and said "look Paige, look at what you have!" All I could see was my baby and the umbilical cord, so in my head I'm assuming another boy. But then he said" it's a girl Paige. You have a healthy baby girl!" I was crying instantly. Bawling more like it. I was so excited just to meet my new baby, and to be done with the pain, but then to hear she was a girl, it was a wave of emotions I had never felt before. It was love at first sight. As soon as they placed her on my chest, and my tears were hitting her cheeks, I knew she was exactly what I wanted. As much as I thought I wanted another boy, she was the best surprise ever. We were so shocked to have a girl, that we truly did not have a girl name ready for her. She was nameless for the first 5 hours since we could not decide or agree on a name.
Baby P #3 was our biggest and longest baby! Weighing in at 8 lbs 12 oz and 21 3/4 inches long. She had curly, darker hair and looked just like Baine as soon as she was born. But after her first sponge bath, her hair quickly showed blonde in it and is already starting to resemble big brother Beau more than Baine. After talking out our favorite names and practicing calling her names to see which fit her best, Piper Collins Pierson officially became our 5th family member :)
I have loved the name Piper for years, and while I didn't think it had any significance to it, Joe knew differently. The last conversation Joe had with his grandparents via Facebook was a couple years ago when they sold their last airplane. It was a Piper airplane. Joe had told his grandma "don't worry Grandma, I'll get my own Piper someday". No, Joe was not referring to an actual airplane, he knew deep down he would have a girl someday. He didn't share this with me until after we picked her name. It sent shivers down my spine :) Collins truly has no significance to it for us. We just liked the name, and it was unique --- which is clearly our forte.
Welcome to our crazy family Piper Collins! Let the journey begin of a family of 5! :)
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