We were admitted at 6:07am, filled out paper work, started my IV, had my blood pressure taken, strapped to monitors.
I was inserted with a pill that will soften my cervix, we have to wait four hours to see if it's ripened enough for them to start pitocin. The first hour I laid on my side, 2nd hour walked ate breakfast, (bran muffin and fruit) put in a order for lunch (hamburger with side salad).
The nurse checked me again and nothing had changed!! I was given another pill waited an hour, ate lunch, took a hour walk, felt some stronger pains, finished my hour walk, came back to my room and my water broke! I felt a 'pop' then a warm gush and told James who went running to get our nurse. She tested the water and it was amniotic fluid. Awesome.
About an hour later my contractions started, at first they were fine, but then the pain would freeze my whole body and I could not focus on anything else. Two hours in I can't take the pain, for one thing they were way too close together I'd say 2 mins and very intense and I was
only 1.5 cm dilated. I received IV pain meds which didn't make the pain go away, but it was not so intense. James's mom said they were too close together and I should be feeling this way more towards the end of my labor. It was too hard for me. Im assuming the pill may have made my contractions too close together.
Earlier I had asked the nurse about their anesthesiologists. I didn't want a newbie. She said they're all really good, she was more convincing the saying "good" I said I wanted the epidural. Hey! I tried doing all natural, if the contracts actually gave me a break, I may have been able to hold out longer. The anesthesiologist came in, her name was Dr. Chi. She explained what she was going to do very quickly in a determined and focused manner. Her confidence assured me, but I had I don't know how many nurses holding my shoulders down, telling me to "sit up, straighten your back, lean forward" When you are in very very bad pain, its hard to focus, but I think they were being a little dramatic. Dr. Chi talked me through everything she was doing, I was expecting more pain but didn't feel a thing, well a slight burning sensation which was very minimal. It started working right away, my legs had a numb feeling I could still feel the contractions Dr. Chi told me "I just did it, you have to wait" lol. The monitor recorded another contraction and I felt nothing but the numbness in my legs. I actually started to smile. I didn't feel the pain!
I started dilating one centimeter every hour. My Dr came in to check on me, she actually came earlier while I was "walking" but we didn't get a chance to talk. She estimated when I'd deliver and took off. The rest of the night we sat around waiting, I was given pitocin to aid with the contractions. A nurse would come in every so often to check my blood pressure and read the print out on the machines. I was getting tired and hungry, I tried to sleep because I knew I needed my energy for pushing. Around 12 o' clock a nurse came in to do the usual check up, told me to turn on my side and left. A few minutes later she came back in and said "I guess baby didn't like that" and had me turn onto my other side.....then every nurse working ran into the room. They kept rotating me, lowering my head by dropping the bed, more turning. I had no idea what was going on, they put a oxygen mask on me and told me to start taking deep breaths....someone said to call my doctor. It was explained to me that when the last nurse told me to turn on my side, the baby may have landed on the umbilical cord cutting off her oxygen. A nurse checked my cervix to see how far dilated I was, I was at 9.5cm but not 10. They tried to open up my cervix, and told me I needed to take a deep breath and push when they told me too. I tried a few times, then saw my doctor walk in kicked out everyone but James and she took over. All of this was totally unexpected, but I didn't argue, I did was I was told. I was half awake! The end of my labor was here and the "pushing" was going to begin!
I didn't have the strength or the sleep I felt I needed. My vision was wandering and it was hard to concentrate. They told me to put my chin down, grab between my knees, push til the count of ten, take a breath and start over, three times during a contraction. James was by my side and I kept looking to him for an update or encouragement. I kept telling him that I was "half awake I can't see" I did a couple sets and heard the doctor say "If she doesn't come out by the next one we are going to do a C-section" and asked for a vacuum. I heard the dreaded words "C-section" and I pushed with everything I had and with the help of the vacuum she was born! She was taken away quickly and wasn't crying. James didn't get to cut the cord because the doctor wanted to make sure she was going to be ok first. I don't know what the nurses did to her, but when she cried....it was the sweetest sound I have ever heard. I loved her cry, it was the perfect tone, the perfect pitch. The doctor was impressed by my pushing effort, most first time moms under epidural push for 2-3 hours, I did it in 20 minutes. My total labor time was 11 hours, about half as less then I was expecting.
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I got to hold her swollen, puffy, flushed face finally ( I was bummed I didn't get to hold her rightaway I really wanted to). I can't really explain how I felt looking at her....for weeks she's had a name but didn't have a face...now the face was here. Every day her beauty and existence amazes me. I never considered having kids or even dreamed of the idea! I now see what the hype is about, babies are amazing, pregnancy is the greatest experience a woman can go through in her life (in my opinion). I hope to go through this all over again.
love,
Sora's Mama
p.s. my sugar sweet tooth is gone! I don't care about donuts or cheesecake anymore..... thank GOD!
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