Kaito Arthur Yamada is here!!!

Okay, I know it's been a long time since I've last written anything on my blog site (which is why this post is going to be so long!!!). . . but I've got a great excuse! Taking care of a baby doesn't leave much time for anything else! Yes, our adorable little boy was born on May 26. He arrived 2 weeks earlier than expected. During the whole pregnancy, my doctor had been monitoring the amniotic fluid, which had been on the low side during the last 2-3 months. So, I was told to drink lots of water (I was drinking around 3 liters of water per day), relax, and watch my salt intake. My doctor had already told me that if the fluid levels get any lower they will need to induce labor or even have a cesarean. So, I was already expecting the baby to come early. . . but not this early! I went on Friday for a check-up, and the doctor told me that the fluid levels are really low, so I should check-into the hospital so they could monitor me and the baby more closely.

I shared a room with 4 other people, all mothers who had already given birth. Those rooms sure are crowded, with just a curtain to separate the beds and a small private space. Anyway, the room is located near the delivery rooms and the contraction rooms (where you go when you are having contractions, but not quite ready push the baby out yet. Apparently they don't take you into the labor room until you are dilated X centimeters.) So from where I was staying, I could hear women screaming their heads off all night!!! It really made me nervous, especially since I was hooked up to monitors for 3 days! Did I mention epidurals are uncommon here in Japan, and the hospital that I went to doesn't even do them! They believe in natural (ie. painful) delivery! Hence the screaming women!!!

On the 4th day they decide that the baby is okay for now, so they will give me some hormone supplements to help induce labor and shove a "balloon" up "there" to help dilate my cervix. The doctor said that usually it doesn't work the first time on new mothers, so it might take 2 tries (2 days). So, after getting the IV hooked up, K waited with me to see if it would have any effect. After constant checking, the doctor said that I probably won't go into labor today, so K could go to work and they would call him if there were any changes in my condition. Nurses checked on me like every 15 minutes to check the IV and see if my contractions were getting more frequent/stronger. They kept on asking me, "does it hurt?" I just replied "no," and since they were asking me so many times, I finally asked, "should it hurt now? If so, how much should it hurt?" They said that it should hurt, but I didn't really feel any pain at all. So, I was there lying in bed reading my book and talking with the nurses (who I discovered were really friendly and funny!) Oh, I should mention that when I had to go to the bathroom, I had to call the nurse to come and disconnect the monitor so I could go. Each time I called them, they asked, "do you have to pee or poop?" I thought it was a rather odd thing to be asking me, but I'd just say that I had to pee.

After the 3rd bottle of hormones through the IV, things were finally starting to change. Contractions were finally getting a little uncomfortable (but not painful to everyone's surprise). When the contractions were getting stronger, they brought me a portable toilet to use, since walking down to the hall alone to use the bathroom would be dangerous. (and of course they kept on asking me if I had to pee or poop!) The doctor comes in again to check my condition, and I tell her that I have to pee, but before I do, she wants to check how much I am dilated. As she's putting on her gloves, I keep on telling her, can you please hurry up, I have to pee! As she's hurrying up, I feel some moisture "down there" and I'm thinking, great, I just peed in my pants! Then the doctor says, "wait let me check if your water broke or if it's just pee" She checks and confirms that my water did just break. Then they call some of the other nurses, and finally let me go to the bathroom. So, I sat there on the port-a-pottie and tried to do my business. But, no matter how strong my urge to pee, it just wouldn't come out. The nurse was talking to me from outside the curtain and asking if I was okay. I said, "I really got to pee, but it won't come out. NO, wait, I have to poop!" Then the nurse said, "NO!!!" Then me, "No, it's okay, I really have to poop!" The nurse, "NO, don't poop! Don't push! That's the baby coming!" Then me, "NO, it's not, I just have to poop!" The nurse rushes in and tells me not to push and that the baby is coming. (oh, so that's why they kept on asking if I had to pee or poop! Apparently when the baby is coming, it feels like you have the urge to poop!) So, I get back on the bed and a bunch of other nurses and doctors rush in to check on me. They confirm that I am dilated enough and get a stretcher to take me into the labor room. (this is just a matter of a few minutes after my water has broke!) Then I hear the doctor say, "go and call her husband, but he probably won't make it in time!"

In the delivery room, there are about 3 nurses on hand, a midwife (to deliver the baby) and the doctor to do the cutting and sewing up. There were also a few other interns watching from behind the scenes, so it was a bit crowded. When they finish prepping me, we wait for the next contraction, and then the midwife says, "ikinde!" I'm thinking, wait, what does that word mean? Does she want me to push, or don't push? So, I'm all confused and say, "what does that mean? Push?" Then they look all confused, and then the midwife just shows me the pushing expression, and I finally get it. After the first set of contractions are over, they start saying other stuff to me, and then suddenly my doctor starts speaking to me in English!!! I was so shocked, that I said, "Wait, you speak English? After all these months, you're just NOW speaking English to me?!?!" Then everyone in the delivery room breaks out in laughter and then one of the nurses says, "wait, why are we talking about this now? Are you feeling okay?" After only about 20 minutes in the delivery room and pushing 4 times, then the doctor tells me that the baby is almost out and that she's going to "cut" me (episiotomy). I remembered her saying that they only do natural birth at this hospital so I figure that it will hurt. I ask, "is it going to hurt?" She replies, "No, I already gave you a shot." I didn't feel a thing. Then I say, " Wait, I thought you didn't give pain medication during labor." I'm thinking that she just said that to make me feel better. Then she said, "no, I did, really. Ask all the nurses." She even holds up the syringe to show me and the nurse pokes me in different spots and asks, "see, can you feel that? Doesn't it feel different?"

I have to admit that it did feel different, so I give the doctor the green light to go ahead and cut. After the cut, and a few more pushes (at this point, I'm holding the nurses hand, since K isn't there yet!) the midwife says, "okay, look down, the baby is coming out!" I look down, and yup, they pull the baby out!

There are congratulations all around, and as they're cleaning my baby up, the nurses are telling me, "wow, you had a really quick delivery! You're lucky!" I was actually really proud of myself (for not having the epidural) and told them, "yeah, it really didn't hurt as much as I thought it would" (Honestly, it really didn't hurt that much, but I think I'm the exception. Then one of the nurses says, "See! And you were saying that you wanted to change hospitals to one that did epidurals!" Then we all laugh, and everyone is in a good mood.

After all the work is done, K finally arrives and is rushed into the delivery room where he meets his son for the first time and baby Kaito Arthur Yamada's first baby pictures are taken.