Post by catsarecute on Apr 24, 2014 12:51:17 GMT -5
I'll copy Bricco and get my birth story out there!
My water broke Saturday night at 7:30 at my sisters house. I had wanted to labor at home for a while but after getting my vitals read at L&D, they didn't want to send me home because my blood pressure was high. I was okay with that since I was concerned about it too.
I finally got moved into a room at about 10:30, I think. We got all checked in, I had dinner at 11:30 and was given a pill to soften my cervix at 12:10 am. I attempted to sleep but within 2 hours I was having regular contractions. I had to wake DH up to sit with me because I was having a hard time getting through them alone.
A lot of the timing of the rest of the morning is a blur. I was giving an IV pain killer that only lasted 30 minutes. I slept that long before waking back up to painful contractions. The nurse on duty was getting concerned with baby's heart rate and started to have me flip from my left to right sides constantly. Contractions were getting more consistent and painful. She decided to do a cervical check and it was the most pain I'd ever felt. I was screaming for her to stop. I was only at 1 cm and that left me very upset. Too early for an epidural. From that point on, the contractions became stronger and closer together. They developed into a pattern. I would have 2 back to back with no rest, 90 seconds of normalcy before they would hit again. Again, no idea what time it was but these were becoming unbearable to endure. One nurse was sure I was transitioning because of the intensity and the amount of blood with each contraction. They started talking about another cervical check and I broke down into tears. I couldn't handle the pain, especially through the contractions. They were still concerned about Julia's heart rate. I found sitting upright on the bed was the best position and had DH and an amazing nurse helping me through. It was finally time for the epidural. Getting it didn't hurt because the contractions were so much worse. Once I had that, another doctor expressed concerns about Julia and told me that if things didn't get better, I would have a c-section. I was fine with that. I would have opted for that long ago. I had 15 minutes of letting the epidural settle in, another cervical exam where they discovered I was 8 cm already. That explained the intense pain. I went from a 1 to a 8 in under 2 hours. They had internal monitors placed on Julia's head to check for her status and within 30 seconds of observation, the doctor said "c-section." She wasn't doing well. I was scared for her and she struggled at first but came around and was deemed "medical perfect." When DH saw her for the first time while sitting at my head in the OR, he put his head down and cried. It was a few minutes before he walked over with her but I cried hysterically upon seeing her. Eventually the nurses took her to the nursery but stopped by again so I could give her kisses. She spent an hour in the nursery getting monitored and I was getting stitched up and sent to recovery as well. I was there with the nurse that helped me get through my most painful contractions. She was amazing to me. The epidural started to wear off so I could feel my legs again which was nice. Finally my husband arrived and shortly after, my baby was placed in my arms. It was the best moment of my life. We settled into our room and the rest is a blur to be honest. We had some visitors. They asked how everything went and I said "it was the worst pain in my entire life." Everyone was in awe of the speed that my labor progressed. I didn't get out of my bed for a long time. I don't think I showered until the day we left the hospital. I just couldn't manage with the pain of surgery, even with pain meds. I really enjoyed not wearing pants! I dreaded getting dressed to leave! We checked into the hospital at 8:00 pm on Saturday 4/12 and left at 3:30 on Tuesday 4/15. I was so ready to go home but cried when they wheeled me down the halls and outside. I have been very emotional and weepy but the last day or two, I haven't cried nearly as much. Breastfeeding has been an immense challenge but I'm determined to make it work. Julia is gaining weight well and I predict she is back to (and perhaps beyond) her birth weight at her appointment on Monday.
Congratulations on making it through a pretty rough l&D. I totally teared up at your description of your DH seeing LO for the first time. What an amazing moment!
Aww congrats again! Sounds like a rough time but I, too, loved hearing about your husband seeing her for the first time. Enjoy your little one and I hope breastfeeding gets easier for you soon!
Congratulations on making it through a pretty rough l&D. I totally teared up at your description of your DH seeing LO for the first time. What an amazing moment!
Me too! Cats, your H sounds like a sweetheart. I'm sorry you had a rough delivery experience but it sounds like you are doing great now. I hope your recovery goes well.
Damn girl. You are making me really nervous! But congrats on the sweet baby
Oh no! I'm sorry! My mom had me in 3 hours from the time her water broke so maybe it is just in the genes. I never would have guessed my labor would be like though! It's a crazy experience.
Damn girl. You are making me really nervous! But congrats on the sweet baby
Oh no! I'm sorry! My mom had me in 3 hours from the time her water broke so maybe it is just in the genes. I never would have guessed my labor would be like though! It's a crazy experience.