My very best friend who I've known for nine years had a baby early this morning.
I wanted to be in the delivery room, which she did too, so we headed down to the hospital when it was convenient for everyone--after my beauty school and everything. I'd say we got there at about 6:30pm. And can I just say that the hospital she stayed at was nice. Especially the labor and delivery rooms. They looked like hotel rooms! The walls weren't blindingly white. One of the walls was actually a faded forest green. The lights weren't like the sun, they were actually very calm. They had wooden floors and there were tables, chairs, a couch, a rocking chair and things for when the baby was born. Guh, it was just so nice.
Anyways, I found out that her water broke at 4:30pm. They gave her an epidural because her contractions were becoming constant and harsh. I got there around the time she was all happy like nothing was wrong, which was pretty amusing. She'd gotten there at about 6am, but wasn't sent to a L&D room until about 11am. They checked her then and discovered she was only about 2cm dilated. Then they checked again a little before we got there and she was 4cm dilated. She needed to be 10cm.
So we waited and waited. We watched Family Guy on TV most of the time. She joked around going Luke, I am your father with her oxygen mask on. I'd say things really started changing around... probably 10:30pm. Apparently she was feeling a lot of pressure, so the nurse checked her and it was like bam! Almost 10cm dilated already. Everyone was shocked that it happened so quick. So they prepared the room for the delivery and everything started at 10:45pm.
It was a long 1hr and 45min process, but she gave birth to a beautiful baby boy at 12:03am on February 15th. He obviously didn't want to be born on Valentine's Day. She actually said that she wanted him to be born after Valentine's Day because she wanted him to have his own special day. So when we told her it was midnight, I think that gave her a lot of motivation.
His name's Matthew Anthony. He's 7lbs, 5oz and 19.5" long. He is so adorable, I just can't get enough of him. I wanted to take him with me when we left at 2:30am. I got to cut the umbilical cord, which was quite amazing, and held him twice. I bawled my eyes more than anyone else there, I think. My friend, the one who went through all of that, patted my arm and was like, "You okay?" It was pretty funny.
It was the most amazing experience I've ever had. It's something I'll never forget and I feel honored that I was even allowed in there for it. My dad told me that it was a beautiful thing to witness and that it would change you in some way and I was like, "Yeah yeah, I know." But he was right. It really did. I've never seen something so wonderful.
So if you ever get the chance to be in the delivery room, you should take it. It may seem nerve-wracking at first (believe me, I know... I was shaking like crazy) but it's all worth it in the end.
Wow, cheesy journal post is hardcore cheesy like Mac 'n Cheese.
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