Friday, May 6, 2011
I arrive at Triage, tell the wonderful nurses I'm pretty positive my water had broken, and was shown to Triage Room #1, the same one I'd been in earlier that week with my false alarm.
The nurse got out the litmus strip, tested the fluid, and it turned instantly blue. Yeah. It was amniotic fluid alright. We're going to have a baby.
Fortunately, I wasn't having any sort of contractions yet (it's not like in the movies where the water breaks and the contractions start right away), so there wasn't a big sense of urgency to get me admitted. We filled out some paperwork, they placed my IV line (including a botched attempt that resulted in a nice blown out blood vessel in my right arm, and a bruise that lasted weeks), got me started on the antibiotics due to my Group B Strep, and we chilled for a bit. In the other triage rooms I could hear women who were in active labor, and I was glad I'd have my epidural by the time that started!
I was loaded into my wheelchair by a wonderful nurse, who was the night supervisor for that floor. We were up in our room (4105) around 10:30. They started me on pitocin, and I tried to get some rest, which was admittedly hard because of the excitement. I dispached Tommy to run home to get my bags, and call our parents and share the good news, since it was the real thing (finally!)
Saturday, May 7
Thanks to the pitocin, the contractions did start to pick up, and once I was dilated to 3 cm I decided I’d had enough of experiencing those. Got my wonderful epidural at about 3:15 am and all the pain went away. I was able to sleep from about 3:30 until 6:00, when I called my parents to let them know it would still be a few hours, but they were welcome to come and wait as long as they’d like.
I arrive at Triage, tell the wonderful nurses I'm pretty positive my water had broken, and was shown to Triage Room #1, the same one I'd been in earlier that week with my false alarm.
The nurse got out the litmus strip, tested the fluid, and it turned instantly blue. Yeah. It was amniotic fluid alright. We're going to have a baby.
Fortunately, I wasn't having any sort of contractions yet (it's not like in the movies where the water breaks and the contractions start right away), so there wasn't a big sense of urgency to get me admitted. We filled out some paperwork, they placed my IV line (including a botched attempt that resulted in a nice blown out blood vessel in my right arm, and a bruise that lasted weeks), got me started on the antibiotics due to my Group B Strep, and we chilled for a bit. In the other triage rooms I could hear women who were in active labor, and I was glad I'd have my epidural by the time that started!
I was loaded into my wheelchair by a wonderful nurse, who was the night supervisor for that floor. We were up in our room (4105) around 10:30. They started me on pitocin, and I tried to get some rest, which was admittedly hard because of the excitement. I dispached Tommy to run home to get my bags, and call our parents and share the good news, since it was the real thing (finally!)
Saturday, May 7
Thanks to the pitocin, the contractions did start to pick up, and once I was dilated to 3 cm I decided I’d had enough of experiencing those. Got my wonderful epidural at about 3:15 am and all the pain went away. I was able to sleep from about 3:30 until 6:00, when I called my parents to let them know it would still be a few hours, but they were welcome to come and wait as long as they’d like.
Feeling nothing, I kept dilating, although the nurse thought I was only 6 and Dr. Henderzahs proclaimed me to be an 8 (I was thrilled!).
At 10:00 am I finally hit 10 cm, but Dr. H then had a c-section to go to, so they let me “labor down” for 3 hours. Fine by me, because I wasn’t feeling any pain, just a little bit of pressure in my bottom. It was also around this time that they realized that Elizabeth was posterior (facing up instead of down), and we tried to flip her over. It wasn’t to be. I was able to sleep a little bit during the laboring down period, which I definitely needed later. Oh, did I mention I couldn’t eat or drink anything this entire time? So by this point I was absolutely starving and any time I’d have an ice chip, I’d get nauseous. So, I was really eager to get it all done so I could have some coconut juice and a popsicle!
Right at 1:00 pm, Dr. H came back and it was time to start pushing. He walked me through the first 3 pushes, then left it for the nurses. I pushed and pushed and pushed, trying a number of positions. I started on my left side, then my back, then a squat bar, then hands and knees, then back to my left side. For hours. Around 3:30, Dr. H said he didn’t want me pushing for more than 3 hours, so I knew the countdown was on. I gave it all I had. Every time I’d change positions, though, I’d throw up, which was pretty rough. I recall throwing up 8 times during labor. Have you ever vomited 8 times in 3 hours? Yeah. It sucks.
At 4:00 or so, I was surprised to see the stirrups go up. I concluded this meant progress, and also meant I wasn't being carted off to the operating theater for a c-section. Dr. H took off his fleece, put on a mask, and then there was a flurry of activity as the warming table was brought in, a cart appeared with all sorts of instruments, etc. I was only semi-cognizant of my surroundings by this time, though. More pushes (and so much pressure…) and Elizabeth was born at 4:16 pm.
Tommy was wonderful. He gave me oxygen (which I don't remember). His was the voice I heard amongst all the other nurses and doctor's instructions on how to push. He also recorded the whole thing, which was real horror show. And he cut the cord, which I am so grateful for.
At 10:00 am I finally hit 10 cm, but Dr. H then had a c-section to go to, so they let me “labor down” for 3 hours. Fine by me, because I wasn’t feeling any pain, just a little bit of pressure in my bottom. It was also around this time that they realized that Elizabeth was posterior (facing up instead of down), and we tried to flip her over. It wasn’t to be. I was able to sleep a little bit during the laboring down period, which I definitely needed later. Oh, did I mention I couldn’t eat or drink anything this entire time? So by this point I was absolutely starving and any time I’d have an ice chip, I’d get nauseous. So, I was really eager to get it all done so I could have some coconut juice and a popsicle!
Right at 1:00 pm, Dr. H came back and it was time to start pushing. He walked me through the first 3 pushes, then left it for the nurses. I pushed and pushed and pushed, trying a number of positions. I started on my left side, then my back, then a squat bar, then hands and knees, then back to my left side. For hours. Around 3:30, Dr. H said he didn’t want me pushing for more than 3 hours, so I knew the countdown was on. I gave it all I had. Every time I’d change positions, though, I’d throw up, which was pretty rough. I recall throwing up 8 times during labor. Have you ever vomited 8 times in 3 hours? Yeah. It sucks.
At 4:00 or so, I was surprised to see the stirrups go up. I concluded this meant progress, and also meant I wasn't being carted off to the operating theater for a c-section. Dr. H took off his fleece, put on a mask, and then there was a flurry of activity as the warming table was brought in, a cart appeared with all sorts of instruments, etc. I was only semi-cognizant of my surroundings by this time, though. More pushes (and so much pressure…) and Elizabeth was born at 4:16 pm.
Tommy was wonderful. He gave me oxygen (which I don't remember). His was the voice I heard amongst all the other nurses and doctor's instructions on how to push. He also recorded the whole thing, which was real horror show. And he cut the cord, which I am so grateful for.
Elizabeth's APGAR scores were 7 and 8, which was pretty good considering the trauma of her birth (OP delivery with vacuum assist – ouch!). Once I laid eyes on her, that was it. I was shocked at how strongly I felt connected to her, even though we were no longer physically connected. It struck me with a profundity I can still barely comprehend. I got to hold her briefly, then the nurses needed to do their thing. They all commented right away at how unusually alert she seemed.
While she was busy being cleaned up, the doc determined my placenta wasn’t delivering and I could either do a D&C or he could manually deliver it. I wasn’t interested in a D&C, so manual delivery it was. I didn’t realize this meant going INSIDE with his HAND to get it! That may have possibly been worse than the actual delivery, especially since he had to go in twice – once to remove it and once to double check. Then I got stitched up since I had torn in two places. Tommy was kind enough to take a photo of the placenta, but I will refrain from posting that gruesome shot.
Then I really got to hold her. In that moment, I finally understood the love my Mom has for me. I knew love deeper than I've ever known. I will do anything for this amazing creature. And this bond has only gotten stronger since the first time I laid eyes on her. Nothing I had ever said, done, or accomplished before mattered anymore. I was a new person.
While she was busy being cleaned up, the doc determined my placenta wasn’t delivering and I could either do a D&C or he could manually deliver it. I wasn’t interested in a D&C, so manual delivery it was. I didn’t realize this meant going INSIDE with his HAND to get it! That may have possibly been worse than the actual delivery, especially since he had to go in twice – once to remove it and once to double check. Then I got stitched up since I had torn in two places. Tommy was kind enough to take a photo of the placenta, but I will refrain from posting that gruesome shot.
Then I really got to hold her. In that moment, I finally understood the love my Mom has for me. I knew love deeper than I've ever known. I will do anything for this amazing creature. And this bond has only gotten stronger since the first time I laid eyes on her. Nothing I had ever said, done, or accomplished before mattered anymore. I was a new person.
Her first visitors were her grandparents, who had patiently waited for 10 hours, and then the O’Dells stopped by with some sushi. All I wanted was popsicles and coconut juice! That night is a haze of nurses and happiness.