Quick Summary of Mika's Birth

It went something like this:

Induced via "the strip" on Feb 16 - nothing much happened, except a loss of dignity and shame as interns and students both watched.
Induced via 'gel' on Feb 17 in the A.M. - things were happening, but they decided to add more gel in the early evening just to get things really going.
Things started really going. Extreme contractions 1 min apart, 1 min long. Rather painful. Painful enough that a morphine shot went unnoticed. No way to slow contractions, dilation minimal.
1.5 hour Jacuzzi bath both slowed the contractions and eased the pain. It was the best bath I ever had. Though, I think they offered it to me to allow the other 3 women in the induction room a break from my yelling and swearing. Whatever. It worked well.
Water broke in the doorway of the induction room as I got back from the bath. So gross..major flow.
Water seemed to break again in the washroom as I tried to change and clean up a bit before going up to the labour room
Water appeared to break for a third time as the nurses panicked and made me get into a wheelchair to be transported to labour room...again...so gross! there was literally a stream of water flowing from the chair.
Got to labour room and had epidural. Was far too sweet. Could still feel contractions with manageable pain an hour or so after the meds so they added more. Felt really neat...this freezing sensation all down my spine.
Slept.
Woke.
Slept.
Woke.
on and on
Woke in the morning to a team of people moving about in a panic state. A nurse was putting oxygen on me and saying that the baby was going to be OK and to not worry.
No further dilation from the night before...monitor placed on Mika's head.
Dr. discovered that the cord was around her head and that she couldn't descend safely because of it.
Signed off for csection
Kid born about a half hour after signing off for surgery
Daddy was present throughout the procedure. He had a bed in the labour room and was allowed in for the csection. He rules.

I could move my legs without a problem during the surgery. From the reaction of the people in the O.R., this was not normal.

Also...could smell my own burning flesh and see the smoke rising above the curtain between me and the 'sterile' enviro...that was pretty gross too.

- Worth mention:

They didn't let me drink anything and I was DYING. I started bargaining for sips of water using my willingness to have my blood pressure taken as a tool.

I only got to see Mika very briefly in the delivery room. I think I held her for all of a minute. It was over an hour before I saw her again, but thankfully Daddy was with her during that time.

As mentioned, Mika was born via c-section on a friday morning. I was home sunday by 2:30PM. My physician visited me on the friday and the saturday and gave them the OK to release early.

the first night at the hospital, I was told that they would bring Mika to me from the nursery if she needed to feed. A nurse woke me sometime around 3Am saturday morning by yelling "your baby crying in nursery" into my room. I was totally dazed and out of it and it took her running by again and saying "you go get baby. we're too busy to help" for me to take action. I stumbled all half naked and bleeding down the hall with my IV to the nursery where Mika was handed over in one of those hospital baby buckets. I rolled her and the IV back to my room and took her into bed. I was told this was a strict no-no, but whatever. She fed and was content and we slept together on the bed. I started demanding to leave when the morning shift came on.