So, by 1:00 A.M. Tuesday morning I am finally dilated to 5cm and by 1:30, I hit 6cm. All I can think is, Woohoo, I am finally going to have this baby. By 3:00, I am dilated 7-8. Then comes another snag.
By about 5:00, I am dilated almost completely. The last part we are waiting for is that a small part of my cervix won't thin out. I think that it may have been related to scar tissue from a biopsy, but we will never know. As time goes on, the nurse says that a decision will have to be made soon if I don't finish dilating or at least progress enough for manipulation of the baby's head.
Then I realize that I am starting to feel my butt again, and my pain is getting bad. Looking back, I remember the anesthesiologist warning that having an epidural as long I had increased the risk of the tubing going out. However, it is shift change, and I call for my nurse to come help me with the pain. The nurse I had for the night shift was great, but I had to call more than once for this new nurse, and she really seemed to have an attitude. She turns up my epidural, says it will take about 10 minutes to take effect, and that I should expect more pressure. Thanks, for that clarification. During my internal exam, she seems very rough with me and it was quite painful.
When they tell me I can start pushing, I give it all I got. My mom said that pushing took a whole 25-30 minutes tops. I was ready to be done and it showed. The nurse was annoying though. Finally I decided to just ignore her and do it my way.
At 7:59 A.M., my beautiful little girl came into this world weighing 7lbs. 2.7oz. and at a length of 21 inches, which included her conehead. My ob/gyn laid her on my abdomen and I got to touch her head before she was taken to the warmer to be cleaned up and evaluated. She didn't make any sounds until she had been over there for some time. I was quite worried and I hope that I never again have to experience what happened next.
I actually went into labor the morning before my due date, which was Tuesday, January 31, 2006. That previous Sunday, my husband was scheduled to go into work that night as usual, but he decided to call off because I was having some some strong cramps, and he seemed to think that he would need to be at home.
Well, we decided to try to assist the onset of labor with some sex. It's supposed to work, and in our case, it did. The second time we had sex, very early Monday morning, I had some regular, light cramping. So at 5:30 A.M., I am lying in bed reading a book because I decided to take it easy. At about 6:45, the cramps become severe enough that I can no longer concentrate on the story. I decided to hop in the shower, because all the advice is to test for Braxton-Hicks by doing something different from what you were doing, i.e. from resting to active or vice versa.
I called my mom for her opinion about it being the real thing, and the doctor. It seems this guy does really well with high-risk, but I always felt kinda ignored. I know more than tell him that I think I am in labor, then he says go to the hospital. So we take care of the dogs and we load up my bag, the baby's bag, etc.
We get into observation... and we stay there from 8:45 until almost 2:00 P.M. They can't decide whether to admit me. The nurse doesn't seem inclined to because I am not dilating fast enough and my contractions aren't starting from the top of my belly, but she can IV me because I am dehydrated. She teased me by asking if I was ready to get up and walk, and the whole time, all I have been saying to my husband and my parents is that I want to walk.
Finally, I am admitted because my ob/gyn called for an ultrasound which showed an aged placenta. There's no way I am going home until I have this baby. By this time, not being able to walk around like I want to, I am in severe pain. I really wanted to go natural, but they call for an epidural as I am wheeled to my room. The funny thing is that they have to give me an injected pain killer just to get me to sit still long enough for the epidural.
After I am finally numbed to most of the pain, I learn from my nurse that my ob/gyn considers 2:00 P.M. too late to order Pitocin to assist my dilation. I was only dilated to 2cm when I got a room, and by 11:00 P.M., I finally hit 4cm. They ended turning down my epidural that evening because it slowed my labor so much. By about 11 or so, I asked for it to be turned back up.
My poor husband in all this, he was tired from being up all Sunday night, while I slept, and all day Monday, so I finally convinced him to go home and get some rest when I quit progressing. My mother-in-law stayed with me that night as I also told my parents to go home. Little did I know that excitement was just around the corner.
Okay, so I did the whole prepare for the baby thing and then I went and had her. What happened there was the most terrifying experience yet. I now understand many of the things mothers say. The next series of posts will cover the birth experience up until this point. Then we will move on to other things. Like writing, or lack thereof. I am trying but I am searching for a job and taking care of a newborn. Plus there is this other thing called housework that I need to do.However, today I am devoting solely to telling the story of my daughter. More to come.
