Our Birth Story- Welcome Cagney Rose!

Cagney Rose had a personality from the very beginning. Even in my belly she had a way of making her presence known to the world. Whether it be kicking and punching with eerie accuracy to questions or trying to escape early numerous times. For example, on November 18, 6 weeks before my due date I began experiencing contractions. We figured it was a fluke but we rushed to Farrell Maternity to be safe. Once there they determine the contractions were real and 2-4 minutes apart. Being that Cagney was only 34 weeks, they immediately injected me with lung shots to help them develop, hooked me up to an IV with medicine to help stall labor, and sent an ambulance from Magee Women's hospital in Pittsburgh to pick us up. Two hours later, the ambulance arrived. We drove very slowly through terrible fog the long hour and half to Pittsburgh. 4-5 hours later I was seen by a doctor who determined I was 2 centimeters dilated. They took me up to labor and delivery ICU and administered the epidural. A nurse from NICU came upstairs to explain what it would be like to have a premature baby. I called my parents in New Jersey and had them come down. The doctor came in and said we could be having a baby any hour now. The room was spinning and my heart was racing and then things began to slow down. The contractions gradually grew longer apart and the pain went from agonizing to tolerable. A false alarm. Cagney tried to pull the old Houdini. I'd like to say that was the last time Cagney tricked us before making her debut but there were indeed a few more scenarios. I contracted for the rest of my pregnancy. Then December came. Cagney's due date (Christmas Day) was only 3 weeks alway. Mark and his twin sister Anne's Birthday is on December 5th so their Mom and I planned a big surprise party for them on December 3rd. The morning of the 3rd I came downstairs around 8 am and told Cindy (Mark's Mom) that I felt like I was leaking. I figured I probably just peed a little (glamorous right?) and went to work. The whole day at work I joked about how Cagney would decide to come out the day we planned a big party just to be funny! Mark picked me up from work at 2pm, we went through McDonald's for a Big Mac and large fries, and headed home. I mentioned that I was still "leaking" a bit but didn't want to go to the hospital again just for another false alarm. Finally we decided it was better to be safe and made the familiar drive up to Farrell Hospital. Once there, Dr. Carlson checked to see if my water broke and whaddya know?! It did! We were in labor! For real this time! The day of the surprise party! Cagney said a party? How about a new baby! Surprise! I was taken up to labor and delivery around 4 pm, administered an epidural, and it all seemed like a smooth waiting game. Around 8pm, The Penn State Football Game started. With every touchdown that Penn State scored I dilated 2 centimeters. I think this was Cagney's way of celebrating because Grandma is a Penn State Alumni. Anyway, around 11 pm the game ended and with it all my pain relief. It was as if I never received an epidural. I asked if they could give me more but they explained it was too close to when I would be pushing so I would have to manage. I think I wanted to give up right then and there but I kept as calm as possible and focused on the end goal. With every hour the pain increased drastically. Finally, at 2 am I was beyond ready to push. Dr. Carlson was by my bedside the entire time, coaching me, encouraging me, and giving me tough love when I cried or said I wanted to give up. My IV fell out mid-pushing because I was sweating so badly. I had a nurse on one side holding my IV in, the doctor screaming, "she has so much hair", my future mother-in-law holding my one leg, and Mark holding my back upright. Cagney's heart rate began to drop and the nurse screamed for the vacuum. That's when Dr. Carlson looked at me and said, " You didn't do all this work to have a medical instrument do the rest of the job. PUSH!' Then with strength that I didn't know I was capable, after 20 hours of labor and two hours and 9 minutes of pushing, there she was. My beautiful little girl. 6 lbs. 11oz. 19 1/2 inches long. Perfect and worth every push and every bit of pain.

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