Labor of Love
No one ever said giving birth was easy. I was under no delusions that it would be, but I was in no way prepared for how my beautiful daughter was going to enter the world.
It all started quite innocently Thursday Jan. 22nd. I went to the doctors for my regular 36 week check up, but something wasn’t regular. My blood pressure was up and I had some blurry vision earlier in the week. I was sent to Magee for some further tests to see if I had pre-eclampsia. After a few hours they decided they wanted to keep me for 24 hours. After 24 hours the diagnosis was in. I had pre-eclampsia. The only treatment was delivery of baby. I had already had a sonogram on the 22nd and they estimated her birth weight to be 6lbs 14oz. A good size for a healthy delivery, however, the hospital policy is not to induce until 37 weeks. After some discussion they decided Monday the 26th was 37 weeks and I was going to be induced on Sunday night at 9pm. After 3 nights in the hospital I couldn’t wait to be induced. The only problem was I had 0 progressions. Not dilated, not effaced…nothing.
My induction started at 9pm Sunday night with some softening of the cervix. This experience was very painful and I will not go into detail, but I enjoyed the contractions a lot more. Not to mention they had to repeat this process. By Monday morning I was not much further along. This is when they started the Patocin IV drip. The doctors decided no more examines until I had an epidural because they were so painful. So Monday 1/26/09 at 4pm the epidural goes in and the doctor breaks my water and I start the magnesium drip. Still nothing. I think I was around 2cm. by Tuesday 1/27/09 at 4am (31 hours later). I’m ready to throw in the towel and get the C-Section, but everyone seems to think this is going to happen naturally. So I go with the flow. The contractions are coming, but they aren’t bad and I’ve been handling this pretty well. Until they tell me it’s time to start pushing. There is a pain in my hips that will just not go away. So they decide I need a new epidural, and that my original one must have moved or something. So they do a new epidural and things are peachy again. So now it’s Tuesday 1/27/09 around 1:45 pm. I start pushing. I’m doing it! It’s not so bad, I’m breathing I’m pushing and after about an hour I’m exhausted, and then the pain comes back. The pain in my hips is now unbearable. They call the anesthesiologist back in, but there is nothing he can do. Poor guy. By now I’m doubled over in pain, it feels like my hips are going to be separated from my body at any moment. I’m torn between the urge to push and the thought that if someone had a machete all this pain would be over quick. So now I’m begging for some other way to get this kid out. The nurse says “how?” to which I was not amused and said I didn’t care just get it out. The Doctor then asked if I wanted a C-section, to which I quickly answered YES!!! The nice guy said he kinda hates to do it now since I’ve been in labor so long. At this point I just want it to be over.
Good thing I asked for a C-section. Reason #1, once I got in the OR the baby’s heart rate dropped, so they most likely would have had to do an emergency C-section if I had kept pushing. Reason #2 baby was transverse. Her little face was facing up so she may have never fitted through my pelvis. Now I’m questioning the competency of the entire hospital.
But finally on Tuesday January 27th at 3:36 pm my little girl was born. And honestly, I wouldn’t change a thing.
It all started quite innocently Thursday Jan. 22nd. I went to the doctors for my regular 36 week check up, but something wasn’t regular. My blood pressure was up and I had some blurry vision earlier in the week. I was sent to Magee for some further tests to see if I had pre-eclampsia. After a few hours they decided they wanted to keep me for 24 hours. After 24 hours the diagnosis was in. I had pre-eclampsia. The only treatment was delivery of baby. I had already had a sonogram on the 22nd and they estimated her birth weight to be 6lbs 14oz. A good size for a healthy delivery, however, the hospital policy is not to induce until 37 weeks. After some discussion they decided Monday the 26th was 37 weeks and I was going to be induced on Sunday night at 9pm. After 3 nights in the hospital I couldn’t wait to be induced. The only problem was I had 0 progressions. Not dilated, not effaced…nothing.
My induction started at 9pm Sunday night with some softening of the cervix. This experience was very painful and I will not go into detail, but I enjoyed the contractions a lot more. Not to mention they had to repeat this process. By Monday morning I was not much further along. This is when they started the Patocin IV drip. The doctors decided no more examines until I had an epidural because they were so painful. So Monday 1/26/09 at 4pm the epidural goes in and the doctor breaks my water and I start the magnesium drip. Still nothing. I think I was around 2cm. by Tuesday 1/27/09 at 4am (31 hours later). I’m ready to throw in the towel and get the C-Section, but everyone seems to think this is going to happen naturally. So I go with the flow. The contractions are coming, but they aren’t bad and I’ve been handling this pretty well. Until they tell me it’s time to start pushing. There is a pain in my hips that will just not go away. So they decide I need a new epidural, and that my original one must have moved or something. So they do a new epidural and things are peachy again. So now it’s Tuesday 1/27/09 around 1:45 pm. I start pushing. I’m doing it! It’s not so bad, I’m breathing I’m pushing and after about an hour I’m exhausted, and then the pain comes back. The pain in my hips is now unbearable. They call the anesthesiologist back in, but there is nothing he can do. Poor guy. By now I’m doubled over in pain, it feels like my hips are going to be separated from my body at any moment. I’m torn between the urge to push and the thought that if someone had a machete all this pain would be over quick. So now I’m begging for some other way to get this kid out. The nurse says “how?” to which I was not amused and said I didn’t care just get it out. The Doctor then asked if I wanted a C-section, to which I quickly answered YES!!! The nice guy said he kinda hates to do it now since I’ve been in labor so long. At this point I just want it to be over.
Good thing I asked for a C-section. Reason #1, once I got in the OR the baby’s heart rate dropped, so they most likely would have had to do an emergency C-section if I had kept pushing. Reason #2 baby was transverse. Her little face was facing up so she may have never fitted through my pelvis. Now I’m questioning the competency of the entire hospital.
But finally on Tuesday January 27th at 3:36 pm my little girl was born. And honestly, I wouldn’t change a thing.
awwww she adorable! congrats!
ReplyDeleteShe's such a sweet pea. I love her and want to hold her all the time!
ReplyDeleteI'm no longer working on Tuesdays and Thursdays (they cut all the administrative temps!) so seriously, if you ever need me to come over even for a break to relax and take a shower or whatever, I will come over. :)