Polar Vortex, Water breaking and 16 hours of labor...

Since 3rd January itself the discussion was on, on how bad this winter is getting to. 6th January 2014 will be the worst, as the temperature will dip. I don't think it was a dip. It was a drown, a plunge. Here is a glimpse.

Courtesy: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/06/chicago-record-low-temperature_n_4548999.html

Snowman made by Amma and Myself 2 days before labor :)

Monday is officially a day for the record books in Chicago. The temperature at O'Hare hit 15 degrees below zero at 7 a.m. on Monday, breaking the previous record low for the date of 14 below, the Chicago Weather Center blog reports. The temperature dropped another degree, to 16 below, by 8. a.m. To make matters worse, the wind chill at O'Hare dropped as low as 42 degrees below zero and a wind chill warning remains in effect for the Chicago area through noon Tuesday.

The previous record low was set on both 1894 and 1988.

The city also will beat the record of the lowest high temperature ever recorded on Jan. 6 (previously: -1 degree) as it is all but certain the temperature will not top that all day Monday, the Weather Center reports. That record dates back to 1912.

As DNAinfo Chicago reports, the temperature of 16 below is colder than the 11 below temperature recorded at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station in Antarctica before 8.am.

So while this was happening outside, I was progressing inside :)

Since early 1 30 AM I started experiencing what was known as contractions. Even if I was not explained, I would have known. But I consoled myself saying its false contractions, and will go ahead with the morning appointment even if the weather is harsh as expected. I let Amma and Ratheesh sleep as just in case the day is THE day, they will need some rest and if its false then why bother them. But by 4 am I was not able to take it, so I go to Amma's room and ask her to prepare cumin water. It is said if its a usual stomach pain, it will go away. But mothers are mothers. She gets a hunch that it is going to be a real deal. She prepares water, gives it to me along with an apple and goes on to do Sudarshan Kriya instead of going back to sleep. I try to go back to sleep, tossing and turning. No relief from the pain. Around 5 37 AM when I turn I hear a pop sound, and I know water-broke. I check and I am too excited to confirm. Now I call Ratheesh who wakes up with a bang and asks me to call the Doctor on call, brushes quickly and leaves to remove the snow turned into ice. It was Dr Kuppuswami on call, which makes me happy. She tells me, its cold out there and to reach the hospital asap with water leaking and not to make it a water gush :)

I drink Ojasvita(A healthy Chocolate drink) and leave to Hospital, after packing the hospital bag,  which is 15 min away. By the time we go down at 6 am, Ratheesh is still trying to scrape off ice and my nose is frozen. I can feel a pricking sensation while breathing the frozen air. We sit in the car, and he tries to start until the car actually starts at the 3rd try. BTW only emergency vehicles are allowed on this day and Chicago is shutdown. We reach by 6 45 AM, a long drive indeed.

As soon I reach there and I get onto the bed my water breaks completely. I am strapped and we wait :-) I was on ice-chips and cold water and that very moment I wanted to gorge on so many things. Then when the going got tough hunger was tossed out.

I was busy skyping with Viji. We were finalizing the names for a girl as well as a boy, though my inner calling said its going to be a boy ;). Chanted Guru Puja and joked through most of the contractions.

The contractions was not as expected (remember I was joking part) so they induced me with the help of pitocin. It was imperative as I lost all the amniotic fluid and we had to keep the infections at bay. It did its job really well and quick. The contractions which were 5 minutes apart became one, every two minutes, all of a sudden. After a shot of epidural in the nth moment (They did not check my dilation before administering epidural which must have been  8 cm, as soon after epidural was given I was 9 cm dilated which took me and Ratheesh by surprise. I was ignorant of this fact, as I thought I was still at 3 or something). I relaxed for an hour before we began the pushing part. At 5 47 PM the hero aka Vedanth Ratheesh comes out literally with a bang :) as he slipped through before the Doctor could guide his shoulders. I tore badly, and had a 3rd degree tear, but it was all worth it at the end.

I would like to thank Dr Narmadha Kuppuswami, Kristi s'(Before and after nurses) and Belinda. They were amazing. I also thank Dr Patel, the anesthesiologist for being kind to the lady in labor ;)

With Vedanth around we continue our journey, with a page of our life turned...

I realized I needed to write it down somewhere as the memory of the labor is sort of fading away. I would not change any minute of the day even if I was given a chance as I lived every moment completely.


Love
V