17-11-2009 - 2nd Labor and delivery

My mood while writing this blog: Happy

My 2nd precious baby: Mia Fotini (pronounced Pho- ti-knee)

Throughout my pregnancy with Mia I thought she was a boy. Hindsight I think I just expected to have a girl and a boy like my mom, 2 stepsisters and brother. We had our girl who I absolutely adored and my inlaws were expecting a "little Albert". Albert's grandmother also predicted that baby #2 was a boy. We had an early sonogram with her and didn't get another one until I was almost 7 months pregnant. I had a lot more morning sickness with this pregnancy than the first and I also seemed to be sick with upper respiratory infections almost the whole pregnancy. I had dreams that I was having another girl but never believed them. My husband always thought that we were having another girl and Blakely at 2 yrs would always say "Sister, not a brother" but I didn't believe them. Secretly I was also wanting another baby girl... =).

Well 38 weeks into my pregnancy I had a doctors appt. The doctor felt around and said " I think this baby is at least 6 lbs..." I was thrilled because my 1st only weighed 5lbs 11ozs. and I always stressed about that. Anyway, I was about 50% effaced and 1-2 cm dialated so without asking first my doctor "stripped my membranes". I wasn't thrilled about that but what could I do after the fact. That was on Monday, March 13, 2000. I wasn't due until March 24th and was hoping to keep her inside until then. Well that day proved to be one of the busiest days of my entire pregnancy... Albert is in the restaurant business and Monday was his only day off. We took his brother to the airport, had a dr. appt. , took our toddler to a fun place to play and had dinner plans with his parents.

I started feeling crampy early in the afternoon but didn't think much about it. By dinner I knew that I was having contractions. We finished eating with Alberts parents and went over to their house. We decided to leave Blakely with them for the night as we knew that something was going to happen.... Albert and I went back home and I insisted that we rearrange the nursery, finish some of the art work that was NECESSARY prior to having this baby (lol). I was contracting regularly but they were still between 7 and 10 minutes apart. I then insisted that we go shopping for my "labor aid" and had to stop in the isles to have contractions... I then came home and felt the need to take a bath and shave my legs, every time I would have a contraction I would yell to Albert "Having one" and he was keeping track of how far apart they were. Well I got out of the bath and Albert said..."Tina, the contractions are about 5 minutes apart now, you wanna go to the hospital?" Not yet, I still needed to pack my overnight bag and get some other things in order. Finally I gave in and decided we should go. The 10 minute trip to the hospital seemed to take FOREVER. I felt like the contractions were right on top of each other with no breaks in between. We got to the hospital a little before 3 a.m. When we were set up in a room and the nurse checked me I was only dialated to 3 cm!!!! WHAT??? I was certain I was already at 5, at least!!! I wanted to go home. They suggested that I stay and encouraged me to walk, I couldn't even leave the room. I would stand up, take a few steps and have to lean on Albert through a contraction. I kept having the urge to labor on the toilet (it is actually a good position to open up your pelvis and relaxes those muscles). The nurses weren't having any of that however and wanted to keep me in bed with a monitor on (GRRRRR). I wasn't planning on using any pain meds this time around as I was scared of having an epidural after my blood pressure dropped the first time and baby's heart rate did too, so I refused all medication. I told the nurses that I thought my water had broken because I felt a "pop" and a trickle of fluid come out. They checked and told me NO it wasn't my water... (Dumb Butts). Shortly after that I started shaking and felt like I needed to get sick... I KNEW I WAS IN TRANSITION. They said "no more ice chips for you" and almost locked me out of the bathroom. I looked at Albert and said "I'm just soooo tired, I just want to sleep!"

Poor Albert, he knew that I knew what I was talking about and just supported me through it all. I got out of bed and didn't care what they thought or said to me... I leaned over the bed and started "sounding" and rocking. The nurses came in because the monitor wasn't working when I got out of bed and they tried to make me lay back down, I ignored them and did what I had to do to manage this labor. They checked me and I was 9 + cm. They left to call my doctor and urged me to get back in bed and told me NOT TO PUSH.... Whatever.... When your body wants to push you have no choice, or at least I didn't. I just said OOOOKAAAY, right through a contraction while pushing. My doctor got to the hospital just in time to deliver my baby. Once he was there I agreed to get into the bed so that we could deliver her. A few pushes later and Mia was born. It was 5:47 am. 2 hours and 47 minutes after being checked at 3 cm at 3 a.m.

Albert got to "catch Mia" and cut her umbilical cord. I asked how big she was and they told me 4 lbs 13 ozs. WHAT??? I looked at my doctor and said "You said she weighed at least 6 lbs!" I wasn't nice about it at all! He said she was fine and not to worry about it. I was still miffed that he stripped my membranes instead of letting me go until she was ready to come out by herself, she might have weighed 5 lbs if left alone.

My doctor asked me how the labor was, I told him "She kicked my Ass" and I was glad he had to be disturbed in the middle of the night to deliver me too. He just laughed at me. So officially I was in labor only 2 hours and 47 minutes with Mia, but I can tell you that it was truly an all day thing. Despite how small my baby girl #2 was she was perfectly healthy and we checked out of the hospital by noon on March 15th, the day after she was born.

Well now that I have known Mia for almost 10 years now her labor and delivery (even her size) corresponds exactly to her fiesty little personality. She has been fast at everything she does, walked at 10 months, ran by a year and only weighed 16 lbs at a year old. She talks fast and she knows what she wants and when she wants it. She is fiesty like her mother, hot-tempered and stubborn too. She is also one of the sweetest and most caring individuals you will ever want to meet. She is funny and is a good friend. She came into this world kicking my butt and continues to do so until this day. I love her so much, I didn't know that 2 precious angels could make me love them with my entire being but they both do. They are so different and so much a like all at the same time. They have taught me to be a better person and have proven to me that we can all love another the way we love each other!!!

I wonder what this one will be like???? Baby # 3....Cletus the Fetus....We will find out if you are Tres or Nikki on Nov. 25, 2009 and no matter what I will love you with all of my heart and soul just as I have loved your sisters!xxx ooo