It was 5am in the morning and my wife wakes up, "Hunny, I think I peed in bed". We checked the sheets and sure enough there was a damp puddle of liquid around her. Not knowing what it was, she rushed over to the bathroom to let the pee out. "Hunny, it's still leaking and won't stop". That's when we knew, her water had broken.
Now, unlike movies that dramatize delivery and make it seem like it all happens within minutes (latest example being "Knocked Up"), our doctor calmed us and said it is still hours away. So, what did we do? I called in to the office and said that I'm starting my 'leave' early (I lucked out, there was a big meeting that I got out of that day), and my wife and I made some initial preparations for the hospital. We put together our diaper bag and a backpack full of clothes and other essentials, then we headed out for breakfast. Yup, that's right, we had a nice breakfast at the Omelette Parlor in Santa Monica - enjoyed our last decent meal for a few days, and called some family and friends.
A couple hours later after relaxing at home, we noticed that her contractions were being more consistent and closer together. They were about 5 minutes apart before we decided to check into the hospital. We walked in around 2pm.
We notified our doctor who in turn told the hospital to expect us. There was some comfort knowing that once we were there, they had already prepared a room for us. Another comfort was that our child-birthing class instructor (btw recommend taking), who was a practicing nurse, was also there. She was at the end of her shift, but it was still nice to see a familiar face.
Your nurse by the way, has to be your best friend. The doctor doesn't show up until right before delivery, which is hours away. The one who is monitoring you, tending to your needs, and making the decisions for your health and safety, is the nurse. We definitely lucked out with such a kind, caring, and patient nurse who made us feel at home, and...normal.
Thought's on epidural...use it.
My wife wanted to see how long she could last thru the pain. After a few minutes, we did the "point your finger in the air and say, 'doctor?!?!'". Of course there are potential complications with any type of external influence, but if you want your wife to be comfortable for what could be hours...use it. It was about 6pm when the drugs kicked in, and my wife lay in relative comfort until 4am when she was fully dilated.
Our OBGYN was called in, the nurse and I held her legs, and we were off and running. She pushed for about an hour, and our baby oozed out, cone-shaped head and all. Whew! Overall, it was about a 24 hour labor from beginning to end...not bad if you ask me.
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