I wasn't feeling very well...at about 7pm, I took my temp and it was 100 degrees...I really didn't think it was something to worry about...I went to take a shower...while I was showering my husband called the hospital to see what we should do (against my wishes)...when I got out of the shower, the hospital called back and said that we should come in and be put in a fetal monitor to make sure the baby was okay... at the hospital they put me on the monitor and it showed that I was having contractions and that the baby was fine...they were really mild contractions, but I could feel a small tightening around my midsection...we walked around the hospital to speed up the contractions (really small hospital...2 corridors, very boring)...I was examined twice that night...the vampires came to take my blood and gave me some lovely hospital jewelry in return...(*smile*)...later we moved to the birthing room...we had to stay overnight for observation...yahoo...I hate hospitals...I would be induced in the morning...they gave me an IV and put me on antibiotics...they told me to try to get some rest (yeah, right)...

March 23, 1994...

at about 5:30 am I woke up to hear my friend screaming in pain as she gave birth to a little girl next door to me...I wasn't allowed breakfast, and I was really hungry...so a nurse brought me toast and a cup of apple juice...at 8 am they stuck me with another IV and began administering pitocin...a nurse (the evil nurse with the sausage fingers) examined me...my IV slipped out...(I left that hospital with 5 holes in my hands because the IV's kept slipping out)...that evil nurse examined me again!!...I didn't want anyone else touching me...I didn't care if I never dilated...my cervix was posterior, so they had to reach way back to feel for it...I was 4 cm...evil's fingers were too fat and too short!...she was very task-oriented... this was a dreadful experience...contractions were not painful as of yet...at 2 pm, my water was broken for me...there was merconium in my waters which make them worry...after my water was broken, the contractions were much more intense...the pain was so terrible...I felt like someone was crushing my back... I had complete back labor...I would start crying and forget my breathing...I just didn't want to do it anymore...I felt so helpless...at about 4 pm I asked for the epidural...I needed relief...I had to sit on the side of the bed with my feet on a chair and lean forward...now let me tell you that was extremely difficult to do with contractions coming and going...once the catheter was in place and the drugs began flowing it was bliss for a little while...I screamed and whined and cried...I begged for it to be over...I felt like I was being contorted...I felt like someone was wringing me out and crushing me...at about 5:45 pm, I started the pushing part...it didn't take long to push her out...pushing wasn't that bad because I didn't feel the pain of the contractions when I pushed...after the head came out, the doctor gave me an episiotomy and pulled her out the rest of the way...she cut the cord and gave her to the other doctors to have her condition assessed...I was then sewed up... my husband brought Olivia to me...and she latched to the breast right away...