After all that.. it's the day. We know it's the day because of my pregnancy complication (cholestasis), so we saunter into the OB department at 7:20 for the fun and games. First, it's time to do an amnio to figure out if the little guy's lungs are mature enough to make his debut. As he's a feisty little beast, I anticipate that he's going to be territorial, just like last time. So, the doctor finds a good spot for the stick and starts making preparations... and I warn her that now that she's announced her intentions, he's likely going to move in to thwart her. Which he does.
Long story ends with mature lungs and a walk upstairs. I'm not going to lie to you, having a reasonable expectation that this was going to be the day made the planner in me a little bit happy, and a whole lot calmer. I like knowing things... like knowing they are going to happen, like knowing a little about what's going to happen, etc.
Since this is going to be an induction, the doctor asks me how I feel about my 'birth plan'. Now, I've had lots of people in the medical field (several L&D nurses, a couple doctor friends, even a midwife) refer to these as 'tickets to the OR', so I was determined to go with the flow. It doesn't hurt that the closest I get to religious faith is an utter trust in science and a belief in the overwhelming good intentions of modern medicine. The poor doctor was a little taken aback, I think, when I told her that I didn't expect much; just a Unicorn in a rose petal strewn delivery room and an appropriately timed rainbow at the moment of delivery. See, keep those expectations low, right?
But seriously, the only things I really wanted were: pain management and a healthy outcome. And, ultimately, I ended up with both. But first, a note on those popsicles. There were popsicles! But they were the icky kind I thought were gross even when I was a kid. You know the type, the fake fruit flavors, the sticky 'syrup' and freezer burn on the paper wrapper, and the lame, punny joke questions that only reveal the punchline once you've finished the treat. So, my initial joy at the discovery of frozen treats was tempered by the actual frozen treats. Luckily, they let Jack bring in some yummier ones he bought at the commissary. Everyone was happy.
There is a whole lot that I could write here in gory detail about the process, but you know what? We don't know each other that well, do we? I'll just keep most of that to myself then. I will say that, when we were preparing for this day, attending another of those very interesting classes for preggos... the anesthesiologist was asked by some crazy woman "How big is the needle for the epidural?". I thought this was ridiculous at the time and now I REALLY think it was a stupid question. Because: 1 )you can't see it and 2) it sure isn't 10 cm or more, which is what you should be worried about! Also, if you want an epidural, you should likely consider what your goal is, and that is pain management. If you are worried about how much a tiny needle is going to hurt after they inject some local anesthetic, then you clearly need this product (again, not thinking that far down the road here are you?) and should just suck up the process of having it inserted.
Women are torn on this issue, and regularly engage in heated discussions and the laying on of guilt trips, and really I don't understand why. Because, are you going to birth that baby for me? No? Then shut up. I'm not going to tell you to get one, so I don't want to hear you tell me not to. This is a very personal decision, and don't we all judge each other enough anyway? (Full disclosure here: I know I do, but not on this topic.) Some people want to be natural, others choose to opt for pain management. This isn't a right or wrong decision... it's your decision and ultimately only that matters.
And, at the end of the day (literally - time of birth 2357) there were three of us, and we were all healthy. Tired, but healthy. But I don't remember seeing a Unicorn...........
