Ismael is here!

Ismael Perez V born May 11, 2012 at 8.51pm weighing 8lbs and was 20" long. Here's the story: Carolina and I went to NJ so I could look at two apartments, since we are moving this summer. I hadn't had many contractions the previous two days and was resigned to being pregnant forever. That morning I went for my weekly OB exam at 8.30am and then Ismael brought Carolina to the doctor office so she and I could go to my dad's after. So as usual after these exams, I was very uncomfortable and occasionally felt contraction-like pains in the car ride. My dad brought us straight to look at the apartments. After, we went to my folks' apt for lunch. Carolina took a nap and I was too uncomfortable to lie down. So I didn't rest. Carolina woke up about 2pm and we had planned to drive home then to avoid GWB traffic. But she refused to leave Grandma's house. My dad said we could stay as long as I was ok going home after 6 since there would be after-work traffic. So we stayed. Around 4pm my parents ordered some take out for dinner. It was too early for either Carolina or I to eat dinner but I ate and during then I started to think that these pains were strong and coming at a regular intervals. After one hour they were about 8 minutes apart and lasting 30-40 seconds. I waited another 30 minutes before calling the doctor. By then they were getting closer to 6 mins apart. While on the phone with the doctor, I felt the most intense contraction and hung up. Walked out of the bathroom and told my dad we had to go to the hospital now. I called Ismael, who was gratefully not at work but still in manhattan. He started looking for a can. We left the apt around 6.30 and after some necessary-but-crazy driving we pulled up to the entrance just before 7. It took only about 10 minutes and the contractions were getting fast and furious. Gratefully Carolina wasn't with us as she would have been if I went from home because it would have worried her. By the time I was rushed upstairs, I was 6cm dilated (from nearly 3cm that morning), and by the time they rushed me into delivery room I was 7cm and trying to breathe but ended up screaming to deal with the very intense pain. The finally got the anesthesiologists to come and I could calm down. Since I ended up pushing around 8pm, I was too numb to feel much of anything but I could feel the contractions JUST enough. And within 50 minutes he was here. Unfortunately, there were too many babies born that week and no beds available for me in recovery. Also they didn't have my blood labs in my chart so I couldn't feed him until they determined I didn't have HIV nor HepB. They took him to the nursery, and everyone left to attend an emergency C section in the OR. I was alone without a way to call a nurse, except to yell, for about an hour. They finally came back and removed the epidural catheter and deal with everything I was hooked up to. I was in labor room until 3pm the following day, when a bed opened. Earlier that morning they said they could give the baby. His HepB vaccine so I could feed him since HIV was negative but still no HepB blood result. It was all very uncomfortable in the room and on a bed where it didn't go flat and I was stuck on my back. So my butt/bone hurt a lot. Still does. Recovery experience wasn't stellar either. But baby Ismael was great. We are very much adjusting to breast feeding and not sleeping at night. I really like this little guy. Carolina is totally in love with "my baby".