Hospital Rundown

Here’s how Clare’s birth went down on November 12th:

7:00 AM Check into hospital

8:00 AM Get IV line, settle into labor and delivery room, start pitocin drip

9:00 AM Regular contractions start

9:30 AM Get epidural

10:00 AM Dr. breaks my water

10:30 AM Contractions start to get very intense and painful

11:10 AM Increase dose of epidural, contraction pain eases

12:00 PM I’m examined by head resident, who says, “she’s ready, where’s the doctor?” “That’s it?” I ask. “Uh huh. Good luck,” she says as she leaves the room.

12:20 PM Dr. returns from a c-section. “Let’s get this going,” he says. I suspect he has lunch plans.

12:35 PM “Okay,” the doctor says, “one more push and we’re done. Ready?” “Are you kidding me?” I ask. He shakes his head. He is truly a man of few words. But he's right.

12:39 PM Clare enters the world, screaming. Josh cuts the cord and they give her to me. We marvel at our good fortune.