Our Old Blog

Birth Story...

We went in for my scheduled induction at 7 am on Tuesday the 17th. I have never been in the hospital before in my life so everything about this day was going to be new for me. After two tries (my first vein burst) the IV went in at 7.45. I received my first dose of Pitocin at 8.20 and the doc broke my water at 8.25. I was already contracting before the Pitocin, but I was still at 2 centimeters. The contractions started getting more consistent and more intense every time Samantha (the nurse) came in to up the dose about every 30 minutes. They say they need 30 minutes notice before they can give you the epidural b/c they pump you full of fluids. My goal was to try and make it to 5 centimeters before needing the drugs. I made it to 11 am. I was in a lot of pain so I was sure I was progressing. The doc came and gave me the epidural. It definitely stings, but it's not that bad. She gave me an instant shot of pain meds and I could feel my legs and feet start to tingle immediately. Doc Christian came and checked me at noon and I was almost 4 centimeters. I'm such a wimp. I was sure I could make it to 5. At this point he said that I should progress about a centimeter an hour. At 2.00 pm I was almost 7 centimeters...moving along nicely. Samantha checked me at 4.00 pm and I was still at a 7. She increased the Pitocin and checked me again at 5.00 pm. Still 7 and actually going backwards. My cervix was starting to swell and not thin like it should be. I was getting worried, but couldn't do anything until the doc checked me again. At 6.00 pm Doc Christian checked me again and there was no good news. Still at 7 and he confirmed what Samantha had said. He said that since my contractions were so regular that I should be progressing. Since I was stuck at 7 centimeters for 4 hours he decided that the best thing to do was a c-section. There was no rush b/c I was fine and her heartbeat was great so he let me cry it out a little. I was so scared. I go from never having an IV before in my life to having surgery. It was all so much to take in, but I had to do what was best for both of us. The Pitocin was stopped and the anesthesiologist came in to start the increase in the epidural. Michael got dressed in his scrubs and I was wheeled to surgery at 6.45 pm. Here's where the problems started. The epidural wasn't working as good as it was supposed to. They did a toothpick check starting at my shoulders and I could still feel them poking all the way down to my belly. They kept giving me more drugs and decided to numb my stomach locally with a shot b/c I could feel the first cut that he made. It worked, kind of, and he then had to numb me on the inside. They told me that if I could still feel it after all of that the only option was to put me under. I didn't want that b/c then I would not be able to see her so I toughed it out. They say you should only feel pulling and pressure, but I swear I could feel pain. They say it's very unusal and rare for the epidural to not work the way it's supposed to and I was one of the lucky ones who got to experience that. They let Michael in the room right before pulling her out. She was born at 7.07 pm and hearing her cry was the best thing ever. I got to see her for a quick minute and that was it. I was still aware of what was going on, but they gave me morphine which made me close my eyes. Everything else from this point on was a blur. Michael went with her to the nursery where our family was waiting. I have to brag a little...she got a 9 and a 10 on her Apgar test! The nurses said that they rarely give out a 10. It made me happy knowing she was so healthy. They wheeled me back to my room and Michael brought her in to see me. I got to feed her immediately and then everyone came to visit. I was still on the Pitocin for a little after the surgery and the drugs were a flowing. They gave me a good dose of morphine through the epidural so it was a slow release for most of the night. So, there you have it. One of the worst parts was not being able to eat or drink for almost 40 hours. I got out of bed for the first time on Wednesday and was able to shower Wednesday night. It also sucked not being able to get out of bed to go to her when she cried. I didn't change her diaper until Thursday. But, I am one of the luckiest girls in the world. I have the best husband who was so good to me and Addison over the three days. She definitely got a lot of daddy time.

Things are going well at home. Michael went back to work today so it was my first day with her by myself. We had a good day. I had her in her crib for a little looking at herself in the mirror and listening to music. She went to the pediatrician yesterday and is doing really good. She was 7 lbs 13 ounces when she left the hospital and is already back up to 8 lbs 1 ounce. The doc said we were doing everything right. She's our perfect little angel and we love her so much. She only really cries when she's hungry or has her diaper changed and she's breastfeeding like a champ. She sleeps pretty good, but we're still working on a routine.

We couldn't be happier!