Playing Catch Up
December 31st 2009 15:32
So. The last post was September 15, 2008. Want to know what has happened to me in the year and 3 months since then?
I got knockered up and had my first child. A little girl who will be lovingly referred to as Smiley since that's what she does best. I'm not sure what happened to my intended blogging, as we all know life gets in the way pretty consistently.
But that is no excuse, and I aim to keep this updated more regularly now!
Where shall I begin (again)? How about the epic birth story?
Smiley's Birth
We got to labor and delivery at 6:30ish on Monday, September 7, and got our room. Got my IV just in case I needed it (wasn't hooked up). Dr. Tubbs (haha) was the Doc on call and he was great. He explained how it was going to go and we talked about Cytotec and the risks and benefits. He was very open to hearing my concerns and made me feel really comfortable. The nurses were fantastic. I can not even explain how great they were. They were attentive and sweet and hell bent on making sure I was comfortable and all.
Started Cytotec at 10 till 7 am. The nurse asked at one point "How was that contraction? It was a big one!" and I was like "What?" Turns out I'd been having contractions for a while and just thought it was her hitting me. So the contractions started off pretty easy. The doc checked me and I was 1 cm and 75% effaced. They set their goal that I would be 2 cm and 80% by the end of their shift (8pm). I was fine with that. I could handle a slow labor if everyone is healthy and ok. That's how I felt at 9ish am.
So I was laboring for a while, pretty comfortable, until my doctor came in around 3 and checked me. I had only dilated to 2 cm, but that was the goal of the earlier shift so I was excited. While we were discussing the possibility of breaking my water, he broke my water. I started freaking bawling because he just DID IT. I thought Husband was going to punch him in the face.
Alright, so whatever, that's done, might as well go with it. Contractions started getting a little stronger but they still weren't bad. Doc started talking about going right to pitocin at 5 pm. I was like... what's the hurry? He broke my water at 3 and wanted to go right to pitocin at 5? Wasn't happy about that.
I was upset and so I told Husband to go get the nurse so I could talk to her. Even she said she was puzzled by his plan and did not agree with him just breaking the water while we were still discussing. She said to just refuse the pit until I'm ready.
Blah blah blah, fast forward to me refusing to start pit, and saying I'd rather just keep laboring on my own and checking progress.
Blah blah blah some more, he came back in at 8 pm (he was the on call overnight), and his tune changed drastically. I think the nurse or someone must have fussed at him. So I was all going about it on my own as my contractions got more fierce and moved to my back. I was already walking around a lot, stretching, using the birthing ball, taking warm showers. That's when it got out of control. The pain was excruciating. I could handle the regular contractions, but the back labor was unbelievable. So I asked for some relief so I could get some sleep at least. Got some fentenol (sp?) at about midnight and the difference was incredible. I pretty much decided right then that I needed an epi. I just couldn't continue back labor on my own.
So we discussed the epidural and pitocin. My progress was really slow. I was 3 cm at 2 am. WTH. Got the epi and pit and was trucking along, got about an hour nap when my left hip and back started getting very very painful. The anesthesiologist upped the dosage at 4 am, no change, it was like I didn't have an epi on that side. So he had to re-do the entire epidural. I got two epidurals. Honestly, the epis weren't that bad. Uncomfortable, but bearable. Got another about an hour nap.
Then the contractions really started. I didn't reach 5 cm until about 7 am. So I was getting about a cm every 2 hours. I wasn't sure I could make it at that rate. I was exhausted from no sleep, miserable from being confined to the bed since 2 am. But, I was determined. I kept at it best I could. Progress sped up a bit, and I was 9 cm by 9 am. At about 9:30, I still had a little bit of cervix over her head, and the cervix didn't want to move. We decided I'd start pushing and try to get her head past the bit.
I pushed for 2 hours. At just before noon, I finally got her head past the cervix. At this point, I don't remember much. I would literally pass out from exhaustion between pushing, and would miss the beginning of contractions because I couldn't keep my eyes open. It was the worst I've ever felt in my life.
Because the progress was so slow (she simply would not descend), and I was so deliriously out of it from exhaustion, 29 hours into labor, I gave up. At just after noon, they wheeled me into the OR. They intended to numb me as per normal procedure. But guess what, the epidural wasn't getting to the left side. I felt everything when they did the pokey poke test. So, much to mine and poor Husband's disappointment, I HAD to get general anesthesia.
Smiley was born at 12:43 pm via c-section. 21 inches and weighing in at a whopping 9 pounds. It turns out that she wouldn't have fit through my pelvic bones, and was even born with a bruise on top of her head from my pushing.
I got knockered up and had my first child. A little girl who will be lovingly referred to as Smiley since that's what she does best. I'm not sure what happened to my intended blogging, as we all know life gets in the way pretty consistently.
But that is no excuse, and I aim to keep this updated more regularly now!
Where shall I begin (again)? How about the epic birth story?
Smiley's Birth
We got to labor and delivery at 6:30ish on Monday, September 7, and got our room. Got my IV just in case I needed it (wasn't hooked up). Dr. Tubbs (haha) was the Doc on call and he was great. He explained how it was going to go and we talked about Cytotec and the risks and benefits. He was very open to hearing my concerns and made me feel really comfortable. The nurses were fantastic. I can not even explain how great they were. They were attentive and sweet and hell bent on making sure I was comfortable and all.
Started Cytotec at 10 till 7 am. The nurse asked at one point "How was that contraction? It was a big one!" and I was like "What?" Turns out I'd been having contractions for a while and just thought it was her hitting me. So the contractions started off pretty easy. The doc checked me and I was 1 cm and 75% effaced. They set their goal that I would be 2 cm and 80% by the end of their shift (8pm). I was fine with that. I could handle a slow labor if everyone is healthy and ok. That's how I felt at 9ish am.
So I was laboring for a while, pretty comfortable, until my doctor came in around 3 and checked me. I had only dilated to 2 cm, but that was the goal of the earlier shift so I was excited. While we were discussing the possibility of breaking my water, he broke my water. I started freaking bawling because he just DID IT. I thought Husband was going to punch him in the face.
Alright, so whatever, that's done, might as well go with it. Contractions started getting a little stronger but they still weren't bad. Doc started talking about going right to pitocin at 5 pm. I was like... what's the hurry? He broke my water at 3 and wanted to go right to pitocin at 5? Wasn't happy about that.
I was upset and so I told Husband to go get the nurse so I could talk to her. Even she said she was puzzled by his plan and did not agree with him just breaking the water while we were still discussing. She said to just refuse the pit until I'm ready.
Blah blah blah, fast forward to me refusing to start pit, and saying I'd rather just keep laboring on my own and checking progress.
Blah blah blah some more, he came back in at 8 pm (he was the on call overnight), and his tune changed drastically. I think the nurse or someone must have fussed at him. So I was all going about it on my own as my contractions got more fierce and moved to my back. I was already walking around a lot, stretching, using the birthing ball, taking warm showers. That's when it got out of control. The pain was excruciating. I could handle the regular contractions, but the back labor was unbelievable. So I asked for some relief so I could get some sleep at least. Got some fentenol (sp?) at about midnight and the difference was incredible. I pretty much decided right then that I needed an epi. I just couldn't continue back labor on my own.
So we discussed the epidural and pitocin. My progress was really slow. I was 3 cm at 2 am. WTH. Got the epi and pit and was trucking along, got about an hour nap when my left hip and back started getting very very painful. The anesthesiologist upped the dosage at 4 am, no change, it was like I didn't have an epi on that side. So he had to re-do the entire epidural. I got two epidurals. Honestly, the epis weren't that bad. Uncomfortable, but bearable. Got another about an hour nap.
Then the contractions really started. I didn't reach 5 cm until about 7 am. So I was getting about a cm every 2 hours. I wasn't sure I could make it at that rate. I was exhausted from no sleep, miserable from being confined to the bed since 2 am. But, I was determined. I kept at it best I could. Progress sped up a bit, and I was 9 cm by 9 am. At about 9:30, I still had a little bit of cervix over her head, and the cervix didn't want to move. We decided I'd start pushing and try to get her head past the bit.
I pushed for 2 hours. At just before noon, I finally got her head past the cervix. At this point, I don't remember much. I would literally pass out from exhaustion between pushing, and would miss the beginning of contractions because I couldn't keep my eyes open. It was the worst I've ever felt in my life.
Because the progress was so slow (she simply would not descend), and I was so deliriously out of it from exhaustion, 29 hours into labor, I gave up. At just after noon, they wheeled me into the OR. They intended to numb me as per normal procedure. But guess what, the epidural wasn't getting to the left side. I felt everything when they did the pokey poke test. So, much to mine and poor Husband's disappointment, I HAD to get general anesthesia.
Smiley was born at 12:43 pm via c-section. 21 inches and weighing in at a whopping 9 pounds. It turns out that she wouldn't have fit through my pelvic bones, and was even born with a bruise on top of her head from my pushing.
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