Welcome Piper! (long)

Piper is 9 weeks old now, but I would like to share her story.

Two weeks before her arrival, I had high blood pressure.  I was monitored for 24 hours and my levels went down.  At my next appointment, my BP was sky-high again and they decided to induce me at 39 weeks.  I was to be admitted to the hospital on Wednesday, August 4 at 3:30 PM to be administered cervadil and be induced at 4:30 the next morning.  DD decided that she didn't want to be forced out and wanted to come out on her own.  Wednesday morning, August 4, at 4:45 AM, I woke up with bad stomach pain, much like constipation.  I went to the bathroom and everything came out ok, so I just thought I had to go and went back to bed.  I awoke about 20 minutes later still in pain.  It kept coming and going and I thought is this really it?  I woke DH at 5:15 and told him to time them for me.  They were lasting about 1-2 minutes and 3-5 minutes apart.  At 6:30 I decided to call my mom.  She could tell by my voice that it was definitely labor!!  I was so ready to go to the hospital that I just threw on clothes, grabbed my bags, and left without even brushing my teeth!  It took us about 15 minutes to get there, all the while I was in outrageous pain.  The contractions were getting way too close together for any comfort in between.  I was sent to triage, where it took them 15 minutes to decide to admit me.  I threw up (awful!) and was dialated to a 3.  They sent me to L&D where I threw up yet again.  This was about 8:30.  I was in so much pain and so nauseous, so they gave me fenagrin (sp?) for the nausea.  That helped out A LOT.  The contractions were so close together and my blood pressure was high so they hooked me up to the fetal monitors, a blood pressure monitor, and an IV of magneseum sulfate which made me feel extremely hot and a little under the weather.  FINALLY it was time for the epidural, which took 3 doctors and 30 minutes to administer.  They said the bones in my back were so small and close together that they had trouble finding space enough for it.  After many shooting pains down my legs from them hitting nerves, when it was finally in, all was better.  I felt great.  The next couple of hours were spent eating popsicles and watching TV.  The next time I was checked I was at a 7, and about an hour and a half later at a 10 and ready to start pushing.  After feeling intense pressure and an hour and 45 minutes of pushing, Piper made her debut at 3:32 PM...the time I was supposed to be admitted for my induction.  She was (and still is!) beautiful at 6 lbs. 1 oz and 18 inches long.  Labor was not nearly as bad as I imagined it to be (except in the beginning) and I had a very minor tear that only needed one stitch.  Being a mom is the greatest privilege!