*Disclaimer: I didn't get super graphic during this post but I did describe my birth and things that happened.*
On Monday Feb 20th the doctor decided to start a slow induction that night on me because my preeclampsia symptoms were getting worse. Joseph and I went to the Melting Pot for our late Valentine's Day Dinner which we had made reservations for a few weeks ago. It was so good!
We went to the hospital at 10pm. After 3 rounds of the gels my body did not go into labor. But I did go from 1 cm dilated and 40% effaced to 3 cm dilated 60% effaced. My doctor said that I would probably go into labor 2 days later... but I didn't. At my next doctor appointment on Thursday I had an ultrasound and my Nonstress test. My ultrasound estimated that Adelyn weighed 6 pounds 7 ounces. The doctor decided that since my symptoms had plateaued that they would wait until I was 39 weeks to be induced again (only 7 days away). We were a little upset, but it was better to keep her in.
I do have to admit, I tried to get her to come! I walked a little bit (not far because I couldn't let my blood pressure get up), I ate spicy foods, I had a pedicure, and I sat on my exercise ball all the time! Finally on Saturday morning I decided I was going to pretend that I wasn't pregnant and I wasn't waiting for a baby to come. I rented a movie from Red Box and I worked on a craft. Then I laid down around 3 and started having some pretty good contractions.
Then around 4 I had a pretty big contraction that made me have to go to the bathroom. I stood up and started walking and that's when I felt like I peed my pants. Unfortunately I did pee my pants a little bit the night before (for the first time) when Joseph was tickling me so it wasn't completely out of the question. But I was too wet to have just peed. I wasn't sure if my water broke because it wasn't the big gush that you see in the movies. I called my midwife and let her know what happened. She said if it was my water then it will keep coming out. She suggested I put on a pad and lay down for a half an hour. Then if I was still wet then it was my water and to go to the hospital. I called Joseph and asked him to come home from work because I was pretty positive my water had broken but I wasn't completely sure yet. After laying down for a while I felt a little wet but still wasn't sure. I decided that if it was my water then I should probably eat something because I knew I wouldn't be allowed to eat once I got to the hospital. I made myself a PB&J sandwich and sat down on the couch. Joseph was sitting next to me by then. After finishing I stood up to bring my plate to the kitchen and GUSH! It felt like a faucet! I started saying "My water broke! My Water Broke! My water broke!! Put down your computer we have to go!" LOL. After getting everything together we were in the car and on our way at 5:30pm.
I finally got back to OB triage around 7 and then was in my room around 8. There was a sad emergency in the room next to me at triage so it took them a little longer to get me back to my room. I was still having contractions but I knew they weren't "Oh my gosh I'm in labor" contractions. Once we got back into the room with my nurse, Amy, she got me hooked up to the monitors and talked about how things will go. A long time ago I had decided that I wanted to do an unmedicated birth. I wanted to sit in the shower or the pool we brought. I also wanted to walk around. But that was shot down because of the preeclampsia. I didn't know that because I had been on bed rest for 2 weeks due to the preeclampsia that I wasn't allowed to get out of the bed! And because I had been having contractions for 6 hours and my cervix hadn't changed from what it was on Monday that I was going to need pitocin. I wasn't allowed out of the bed because they were afraid I was going to have a seizure. Also, my temperature was a little high which was an indicator that a seizure may be on the way. They kept telling me that I needed to get this baby out as fast as possible.
In OB Triage
They did give me the option of whether I wanted my midwife Ramona or the doctor from my office, Dr. Kells, to deliver my baby. I wanted to with Ramona. She is just so amazing. She was the one I was hoping would be on call when I finally went into labor. I have nothing against Dr. Kells, I just had a better connection with Ramona.
I'm so glad I chose the office that I did. You never know what your first labor will be like with an office but I am really so happy with the way mine turned out under the circumstances. My office's philosophy is to use medication (if needed) but only to help your body along and to try to let your body do what it's supposed to do. For that reason they administer low doses of pitocin. I asked my nurse what that meant and she explained my office's philosophy and that they would start me at a level 1 of pitocin and go up by 1 every hour. She said that other offices will start you at a 2 and go up by 2 every hour. I only ended up needing to go to a 3 before I was fully dilated and ready to push. That means I would have been at a 6 with another office. Twice the medication than I would have needed. The contractions were REALLY intense when I was at a 2 so I can only imagine what they would have been like if my pitocin was at a 6.
After the first hour I stayed at 3 cm but moved to 75% effaced. It was pretty uncomfortable laying in the bed . Since my blood pressures were pretty good Amy said I could move to the recliner for the next hour. She moved the pitocin to a 2 and left the room. The recliner was SO much more comfortable! After about 20 minutes in the recliner my contractions started getting a lot worse! I had no clue they would be so strong! After the hour was up I called my nurse and asked for an epidural. I had told her in the beginning that I wanted to go as long as I could without an epidural so she was surprised when I called to ask for one. Earlier she had told me that they wanted me to be at a 4 or a 5 before they gave me the epidural. Since I was crying when I called she asked if I wanted to be checked or if she just wanted me to order the epidural. I asked just to order it. I knew I couldn't make it like this any longer. I felt like such a wimp and I was really disappointed in myself for asking for the epidural. I knew that I probably could have made it longer if I was allowed to get up and move around and do things to take my mind off of the pain. But since I could only sit there it was a lot more difficult for me. Amy came to my room and let me know that she needed to put almost an entire bag of IV in me before we could do the epidural. She turned it up all the way. That only took about 20 minutes.
The epidural experience was pretty intense. The first numbing shot wasn't as bad as everyone says it was so I thought this would all be fine. Everyone always says you only feel that first shot. Not me! She was putting the catheter in and I felt sharp pains all the way down to my hip. She couldn't make it so it wouldn't hurt and the contractions were coming closer and closer together that I just had to suck it up, sit still, and let her shove it in. I was shaking so badly from the labor and how nervous I was. My toes went numb pretty quickly and my pain went down significantly by the time the anesthesiologist left. Before my nurse left the room she checked me. I felt like a wimp and knew that I probably was only at a 4. I was wrong! I was already at a 7 and she was at a stage 0! I felt better know that I wasn't a huge wimp since I had made it to the transition stage without an epidural.
Amy laid me down on my side and put the peanut ball between my legs to help open up my pelvis and help the baby get more into position. At my ultrasound on Thursday, it showed that she was still facing to my right hip instead of down. I was a little nervous about this but tried not to think about it. The epidural kicked in enough that my shaking went down and I was able to relax enough to sleep for 2 hours. She came back in an hour and I was at a 10 and a +1. Now I was told to let her know when I felt pressure or felt like I had to poop. My epidural was start to wear off so I could move my legs around but still didn't feel sharp pains. I could feel pressure during contractions though.
Then all of a sudden I could feel her head! It was amazing! I got so excited. I just had to wait for my midwife to get there. She had gone home because I had the epidural and she didn't need to be there to coach me though my nap :) She got there pretty quickly and we were ready to go! My blood pressure spiked to 150/100 and they got nervous but I told them it was because I was so excited. They took it again and it was in a good range so I could start pushing.
I loved that they let me dictate when it was time to push. I let them know when I was having a contraction and they encouraged me to give the best push possible. I was still leaking amniotic fluid and I could feel that coming out. Ramona kept saying "this is not going to be a big baby. You just had tons of amniotic fluid." I had soaked through 2 regular store pads and an after birth diaper type pad all before I started pushing.
Right after she started crowning her heart rate started dropping while I was pushing. They had me wear an oxygen mask to help her and then I was also only allowed to push every other contraction. My epidural kept wearing off more and more. I really could feel her in the birth canal. I kept pushing and I finally felt "The Ring Of Fire" and Joseph said "You can see her nose!" and all of a sudden she was out! Ramona said "Reach down and take your baby!" That was the most amazing thing ever to feel her! I couldn't believe that she came out of me. It was such an amazing experience!
My little girl had a big cone head!
The very happy Daddy :)
The tired looking Mommy
The sweet looking Baby
I had to use a bottle because she couldn't figure out how to suck. Sucking from the bottle and receiving an immediate reward of food helped her figure out the motion. She is now almost completely breast fed. Except once a day she gets SO super hungry that no matter how long I feed her she still needs about an ounce or two from the bottle. My milk just came in yesterday so I'm thinking that will change after a few more days.
One of our nurses made this super cute hat and bow for her.
Me, Addie and our midwife Ramona
All ready to go home! I made that blanket for her.
Even though things didn't happen how I had envisioned in my head, I'm still so happy that she's here! I think I had a fairly easy labor and delivery. I was in labor for about 8 and a half hours and ended up pushing for an hour and 10 minutes. It would have been under an hour if I didn't have to take a break every other contraction. I did end up tearing and I needed 7 stitches. That's probably the worst part now. I can't wait for that to heal!
We love our little girl so much! We are so happy she's here!
