Here we are the night before, in "Small Person's Room" (we didn't know Rachel's gender before she was born).
October 12, 2010
40 week appointment at the Doctor's office. For weeks we have been told that the delivery must be imminent due to false contractions, the amount of dilation (2-3cm), and the baby's position. The doctor again suggests that the baby is ready to arrive...
In the afternoon Meggan continues to have false contractions but we both feel that something is close to happening.
October 13, 2010
~3:00am: Meggan woke up with some contractions, and over the next hour they became more regular and she started to get excited. At 5am we called the hospital to check in with the maternity ward, and they said we could stay home a little while longer but to come in when they felt stronger or if her water broke. She also told us they were very busy as several other women had come in during the night.
We got ready, ate breakfast, and checked into the hospital around 7:45. Meggan was put into a small exam room in the maternity ward and assessed; she tried lots of different positions -- anything but lying down, she said! Eventually the nurse said she was "laboring really well" (3-4 cm dilated). Meggan felt sure that things must be further along than this by now and was working hard to breathe through the contractions. The nurse suggested we go back home until her water broke or the pain became unbearable.
We spent a few hours at home, trying lots of things including shower, reading to distract, using a borrowed TENS machine, and having Jason apply pressure to Meggan's lower back. We timed the contractions and found lots of variation in length and interval. About 11am, Meggan's water broke and suddenly the contractions were much closer together (only 1.5-2 minutes). Meggan did not want to move and felt nauseated, but Jason helped her to make it to the car. We moved quickly to get back to the hospital, and went right back to the maternity ward.
Things progressed quite quickly from there, going from 5cm to 9cm relatively quickly. We had lots of help from our nurse and before too long Dr. Lebel and a medical student named Alex arrived. We reached the pushing stage and before long we could see the baby's head. When the head was through, the Doctor noted that the umbilical cord was loose around the neck. Jason cut the cord right then and there, and then the pushing continued. The baby's shoulders were quite stubborn and some maneuvering was required to complete the birth.
2:31pm: Rachel Claire Oliver is born! Dr. Lebel held her up and said "It's a girl!"
Apparently it was a busy day in the Penticton Regional Hospital, which averages 1-2 births/day. There were 6 births on the 13th of October this year!
Another lady down the hall delivered two minutes later, and, unfortunately for her, we got the last private room. She had to share! Good job Rachel!
Rachel Claire Oliver weighed 7lbs, 9.7oz and was 19 and 7/8 inches long.
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