[Originally posted on MSN Spaces July 5, 2006]
Continuing...
So it was March 25th and I was 6 cm dilated and 90% effaced. The doc wanted to give me IV meds and explained that she generally did so 10 hours after the water had broken. We talked and decided that we wanted to wait until closer to the 24 hour mark to have IV meds. The doc also decided we needed to find out if the monitor was picking up my contractions accurately so she attempted to insert an internal monitor. It was the most painful part of the entire experience! Mike couldn't take watching me and lost it when the doc said she had hit the baby's shoulder. It was an unsuccessful attempt. The doc suggested the epidural and I again refused. We agreed with the doc that if things didn't progress by morning we would talk about other options. Our hopes of natural labor continued to press on. It turned out that our dear little girl was posterior and not dropping enough to cause any dilation. Soooo...it was determined around the evening after some very painful contractions that we weren't actually accomplishing anything. My body was working hard, but all for naught. Once I learned that she was posterior I did everything in my power to turn her. I did cat stretches, pelvic tilts, and walked as much as I could. I even spent a significant amount of time in the hospital spa to help relieve the back labor and to relax my back muscles which supposedly could help her turn. This went on all through the night. My mom, Mike and my mother-in-law all took turns walking with me, staying with me in the tub...etc. My dad arrived late that night close to the early AM. While everyone tried to sleep I was unable to even attempt it. I did make a noble effort, but sleep and labor don't walk hand in hand. I had started having bloody show immediately after my water broke and this continued all day and through the night. I knew I was in labor...it just didn't seem to want to take off running!
Sunday March 26th: between 9 and 11 am
In the morning the doc came in to check me and I had only progressed half a cm to a cm. My contractions had basically stopped. They talked to us and explained that although we had done everything in our power to have natural labor, if we had done the same thing in a birthing house we would be sent to the hospital for an induction at this point. We agreed that we had done everything we could to have a natural labor and that it seemed we must try something else. I had an epidural, IV meds and IV fluids. Once the epidural took effect they started a Pitocin drip. Funny side note: The anesthesiologist kept checking on me to make sure I wasn't "in pain" and to ensure I wasn't "feeling anything". He offered me a button that would up my pain meds every time I pushed it. I pretended I was fine...floating, in reality I felt a lot, but I wanted to feel it. After about 2-3 hours of rotating me in bed I began to feel pressure and called out that I thought it might be time to push. The nurse checked me and I was at 10 cm. 0-60 in less than 4 hours after 32 hours of nada. It was sort of amusing how quickly everything went on Sunday. She called out for them to get the room ready. It turned out my doctor was driving back from vacation that morning and he actually arrived in time to deliver the baby! So the nurse began the pushing stage with me and led me through most of it. The funniest memory I have of this stage is Mike running back and forth from my head to my feet to watch the baby's head poke out. He kept leaving my side to go and look until I finally told him to just stay by my feet and watch. He protested saying I needed him and I protested back and said he was driving me crazy and I was fine! So my sister switched with Mike and he held my leg while she fed me ice chips. My mother and mother-in-law also assisted in leg holding. Pushing was exciting and painful. Although I had had the epidural I nonetheless felt a lot of pressure and it was still painful.
After she was born I momentarily felt such relief and joy which was immediately followed by discomfort and tormented anxiety. My baby was born with fluid in her lungs. They briefly placed her on my chest--I tried to comfort her, but was shushed by nurses trying to figure out if she was breathing normally. She quieted down immediately when I spoke and looked right at me...before I could blink they whisked her away to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. I only had a small tear requiring 3 stitches. Overall I would say it was a success. Maybe not the success I set out to have, but in the end we had a healthy baby (after 5 horrifyingly difficult days). We love her more than anything and we'd do it all over again if it was to be for her or any other child. What a miracle...what a privilege it is to be a mother.
I guess that's plenty.
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