Emma's story - labor

Saturday, August 20, 2011
4:00 pm - arrive to the hospital
4:30 pm - I am checked into a room. I call Byron. I am 3 cm dilated.
6:00 pm - get the epidural, Emma's heart rate drops, 4 cm dilated.
10:00 pm - 5 cm dilated.
11:45 pm - 10 cm dilated and Emma's head is just 2 in from surface. Pushing will begin soon!

Sunday, August 21, 2011
12:30 - 1:29 am - push until Emma arrives, Byron cuts her umbilical cord.

They immediately put her on my belly for a few seconds and then rush her to the incubator right next to me. I surprise myself by crying. My little girl is here! She has a sweet pitiful cry, but it's hardly even noticeable.


Byron and I get some "Emma time" before they take her to get cleaned up. She is staring straight at us, smacking her lips, her very pink lips, at us. A few little cries here and there, but mostly just looking at her mommy and daddy.

Off to the nursery to get checked out and bathed.