~*~A disclaimer for family members- This might be more info than you ever care to know or read, but I know that I love reading birth stories so I wanted to be as thorough as possible and share my experience.~*~
On Monday 5/24/10 I went in to work and then left after a few hours so my mom could bring me in for my follow up NST. They had me do the follow up after staying overnight in the hospital the prior Wednesday for observation. Well, the baby's heart rate was still fluctuating up and down at this appointment, too. My doctor is off on Mondays so we were actually seeing the NP. She called my doctor a few times to let her know how the readings were coming and then she came back to tell me that my doctor would be calling me later that afternoon to discuss my options. I suspected what was coming, so I had my "last meal". Mom and I went to Applebee's and had just pulled up at Walmart when my doctor called my cell phone. She told me that after all these years she had learned to go with her gut and her gut was telling her to induce me that night. Once I was induced I would have three options: 1) If I wasn't progressing and the baby was fine with the contractions, then I could go home in the morning. 2) If I wasn't progressing and the baby was in distress, then we would do a C section. 3) If I was progressing and the baby was fine, then we would deliver him regularly. I called my husband at work and he was more of a wreck about it than I was. He brought home some roast beef poboys for dinner. We left (LATE!) to go to the hospital for our 10pm induction.
We got there and they brought me up to our labor and delivery room. I told them I have terrible veins and it took them 3 nurses and 20 minutes to find a good vein in my right wrist. So she drew what blood she needed for them and for the cordblood donation people, but apparently it slipped when she was adjusting it and I heard an "uh oh"... my arm began to swell and burn like crazy because they had started pumping my fluids in but the tubing had slipped out of my vein. I had a bruise afterwards for over 10 days! But they eventually found another vein in my left wrist. I broke down in tears at this point because I was so nervous and scared about the upcoming hours. They had to page my doctor because they didn't even know what my orders were. It was eventually all straightened out and they started me on the pitocin. My parents came in at about midnight to tell me goodnight and say they would be there again at 7am. I tried to tell them it could be a 24 hour process and to get some sleep, but they wanted to be there just in case something happened.
They had the monitors on me all night and the nurses came in every half hour to check me and adjust them. The one for the baby was picking up just fine, but the one for contractions just wasn't in the right spot because they said they didn't pick up contractions at all. They said they had seen some when the pitocin was at half power, but none at full power, so they lowered it and started the process over again. They kept asking me if I felt contractions, but I just felt really uncomfortable. Like I knew what contractions felt like?! When the doctor came in at 8am and told me that there had been no good contractions and that I was still barely 1cm dilated, she told me I had a choice to make- either go home or she could break my water and I would be having my baby that day. By this point I just wanted it over, lol. My baby was 38 weeks and should have been fine if he was delivered that day. I almost caved in and asked for a C section right then because she reminded me it was going to be a long process and that I might need to have a section anyway if my body isn't cooperating, but that would always be the last option for me.
We got there and they brought me up to our labor and delivery room. I told them I have terrible veins and it took them 3 nurses and 20 minutes to find a good vein in my right wrist. So she drew what blood she needed for them and for the cordblood donation people, but apparently it slipped when she was adjusting it and I heard an "uh oh"... my arm began to swell and burn like crazy because they had started pumping my fluids in but the tubing had slipped out of my vein. I had a bruise afterwards for over 10 days! But they eventually found another vein in my left wrist. I broke down in tears at this point because I was so nervous and scared about the upcoming hours. They had to page my doctor because they didn't even know what my orders were. It was eventually all straightened out and they started me on the pitocin. My parents came in at about midnight to tell me goodnight and say they would be there again at 7am. I tried to tell them it could be a 24 hour process and to get some sleep, but they wanted to be there just in case something happened.
They had the monitors on me all night and the nurses came in every half hour to check me and adjust them. The one for the baby was picking up just fine, but the one for contractions just wasn't in the right spot because they said they didn't pick up contractions at all. They said they had seen some when the pitocin was at half power, but none at full power, so they lowered it and started the process over again. They kept asking me if I felt contractions, but I just felt really uncomfortable. Like I knew what contractions felt like?! When the doctor came in at 8am and told me that there had been no good contractions and that I was still barely 1cm dilated, she told me I had a choice to make- either go home or she could break my water and I would be having my baby that day. By this point I just wanted it over, lol. My baby was 38 weeks and should have been fine if he was delivered that day. I almost caved in and asked for a C section right then because she reminded me it was going to be a long process and that I might need to have a section anyway if my body isn't cooperating, but that would always be the last option for me.
I had her break my water at 8:15am and then they placed an internal monitor in me. When doing this she discovered that I had apparently been having strong contractions every 3 minutes and just didn't know that's what they were. They also put the cath in at this point. She said to make sure to ask for the epidural in plenty of time because after the doctors come by and break everyone's water, all the women want one at the same time! And it was true! I asked for mine at 9:30 am because I was already whimpering and crying like a baby. I was anxious about the epidural... and it sure felt weird... but it didn't really hurt very much.
By 9:45am I hit 2 cm. By this point I again wanted a C section because it looked like it wasn't going to happen for me. My doctor came in and was very encouraging though. She said I was progressing faster than she thought I would! Good grief! It was my choice and so I agreed to labor another hour. I just didn't want to labor for 24 hours and still need a C section! After 17 hours of labor I had hit 3 cm. The nurse asked me that if they checked me in an hour and I was a 4, would I be happy? We all laughed when I said NOOO!!! It was 3:15pm and at this point my epidural wore off the first time and I started throwing up. They gave me some anti-nausea meds. At 4:30 pm they gave me a new epidural. My hubby was wonderful, even when I was throwing up on him as he tried to hold the bed pan for me. He rubbed my feet and my back and was just so much more supportive than I thought he would be. But they checked me an hour later and I was a 5. I was thrilled, lol. By 6pm I was at a 6. I was dehydrated so they gave me tons more fluids.
Now the problem came when they realized that I hadn't put out any fluid in over 4 hours. Apparently the baby was in some position that blocked the cath. I had spiked a fever of 101 degrees and was given antibiotics. At 8pm I was at 8 cm, but in a lot of pain in both my mid and lower back, and my stomach. My epidural had worn off again. By 8:15pm I was in such emotional distress that I made myself sick and started throwing up again. The anesthesiologist told me it was probably just pressure and upping my epidural wouldn't do any good, but he did and he gave me some pain medicine too. I wasn't progressing anymore and with the fever and the blocked cath, they paged my doctor who was asleep in the on-call room downstairs. They were worried because the baby's heart rate was now diving with each contraction. She came up immediately and told me to push. I was still at an 8 but my baby was turned and she needed him further down in order to attempt to rotate him. I had terrible shoulder pain as well. Honestly, I don't know how I pushed at all but she kept saying I was doing great. After 3 pushes she was able to get him and turn him. For 30 minutes she watched the monitors and held the baby's head so he wouldn't turn again. Finally, she told me to push for real. After 2 pushes, she had him out! 25 hours of labor and I had my baby! Richard Ethan was born at 11:27pm on 05/25/10. They placed the baby on my chest and I didn't even know what to do with him. I was exhausted and scared to death of this little being that was screaming on my chest! They took him to quickly clean him up and weigh him. He was 6 lbs 11.3 oz. My hubby was videotaping the exam and his bath and all that while they finished cleaning me up I had just a slight superficial tear that she stitched up. The doctor told me then that she didn't know how I pushed so well with the shoulder pain. She said most of her patients just couldn't do it. I knew that it was now or never and I just wanted my baby to be out of there! She was also amazed at how few pushes it took for me to get him out since he was my first baby.
By 9:45am I hit 2 cm. By this point I again wanted a C section because it looked like it wasn't going to happen for me. My doctor came in and was very encouraging though. She said I was progressing faster than she thought I would! Good grief! It was my choice and so I agreed to labor another hour. I just didn't want to labor for 24 hours and still need a C section! After 17 hours of labor I had hit 3 cm. The nurse asked me that if they checked me in an hour and I was a 4, would I be happy? We all laughed when I said NOOO!!! It was 3:15pm and at this point my epidural wore off the first time and I started throwing up. They gave me some anti-nausea meds. At 4:30 pm they gave me a new epidural. My hubby was wonderful, even when I was throwing up on him as he tried to hold the bed pan for me. He rubbed my feet and my back and was just so much more supportive than I thought he would be. But they checked me an hour later and I was a 5. I was thrilled, lol. By 6pm I was at a 6. I was dehydrated so they gave me tons more fluids.
Now the problem came when they realized that I hadn't put out any fluid in over 4 hours. Apparently the baby was in some position that blocked the cath. I had spiked a fever of 101 degrees and was given antibiotics. At 8pm I was at 8 cm, but in a lot of pain in both my mid and lower back, and my stomach. My epidural had worn off again. By 8:15pm I was in such emotional distress that I made myself sick and started throwing up again. The anesthesiologist told me it was probably just pressure and upping my epidural wouldn't do any good, but he did and he gave me some pain medicine too. I wasn't progressing anymore and with the fever and the blocked cath, they paged my doctor who was asleep in the on-call room downstairs. They were worried because the baby's heart rate was now diving with each contraction. She came up immediately and told me to push. I was still at an 8 but my baby was turned and she needed him further down in order to attempt to rotate him. I had terrible shoulder pain as well. Honestly, I don't know how I pushed at all but she kept saying I was doing great. After 3 pushes she was able to get him and turn him. For 30 minutes she watched the monitors and held the baby's head so he wouldn't turn again. Finally, she told me to push for real. After 2 pushes, she had him out! 25 hours of labor and I had my baby! Richard Ethan was born at 11:27pm on 05/25/10. They placed the baby on my chest and I didn't even know what to do with him. I was exhausted and scared to death of this little being that was screaming on my chest! They took him to quickly clean him up and weigh him. He was 6 lbs 11.3 oz. My hubby was videotaping the exam and his bath and all that while they finished cleaning me up I had just a slight superficial tear that she stitched up. The doctor told me then that she didn't know how I pushed so well with the shoulder pain. She said most of her patients just couldn't do it. I knew that it was now or never and I just wanted my baby to be out of there! She was also amazed at how few pushes it took for me to get him out since he was my first baby.
I stayed in the hospital two nights and was discharged on Thursday, but the baby was jaundiced and the pediatrician ordered him to stay a third night, which meant we got to stay with him. He also refused to eat from me so by the time he was 24 hours old, he was inconsolable. I had to supplement with formula. It was so frustrating, but the lactation consultants were very helpful. It wasn't until Friday night after he was discharged that he breast fed for the first time. He is just perfect and I love him to pieces!!
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