April 29, 2010 I was admitted to the hospital to a routine induction. My little man was being a true blue stubborn Taurus and needed a little nudge to enter this world.
Let me preface this by saying that I know hospital birth, induction, and epidurals are all non crunchy things... like I said I am only slightly crunchy... there is only so much a woman can do with a softie as a labor coach...
6:00am:
I was in my room all comfy and the came in and started my IV's and hooked up the pitocin. I was already having regular contractions and had been for 2 days so my OB thought that I was probably in the early phase of labor. She said the pitocin would jump start my labor and get him here a little faster! I asked about getting an epidural (I had already experienced a natural pitocin birth and didn't want to go there again). My night nurse informed me rather harshly that they like moms to labor a while before they allow them the epidural. OK no biggie I've done natural childbirth 2 times and had taken several natural childbirth classes I could handle a few hours of pitocin contractions.
Early in the process
(notice the laptop power cord to my right, doing school work and updating facebook)
8:00am:
2 hours have passed and the starter dose of pitocin they gave me really jump started my contractions. I was really having to focus on breathing through them. Between contractions I worked on my Philosophy of Classroom Management paper for a class I was taking. (Gotta keep on top of school work). By this time shift had changed and I had a new set of nurses that would be caring for me for the rest of the day. Tasha (my nurse) came in and I noticed she was sporting a cute baby bump herself. We chatted and I discovered she was due in August, how exciting for her! She asked me what my plans for pain management were, because the night nurse hadn't put anything in my charts yet. I told her that I had asked for the epidural, but was told by the night nurse that I had to experience a trial of labor and progress more before I could get it and that as soon as I had made enough "progress" I would gladly like the relief because I know how hard it is to have one inserted when you are contracting every minute or two. She looked and me and said, "girl this is your 4th child, and you're on pitocin she could have gotten you the epidural before we even started the pit drip! Let me put in a fast call to the doc and get you taken care of." I knew at that moment I loved her! She was my favorite person in that whole hospital.
9:00am:
The anesthesiologist came, and we shot the shit while he inserted my epidural. We joked that he must be the best at them because I had to wait an hour for him to get to me, he was that busy. He inserted the one I had for Cam too so I knew I wanted him this time.
10:00am:
Ahh not feeling contractions (or anything for that matter) allowed me to sleep, and I mean fall into a deep sleep. However, I woke to feeling contractions again. They were not super bad, and I thought maybe I was feeling pressure not contractions. So I let it go.
11:00am:
The contractions were starting to get really bad again so I called for my nurse and she decided to check me to see if I was in transition and that's why I was feeling pain again. Nope only 5cm. So she grabs the really cold spray and tests my legs, the epidural was not working on my right side except for my feet. She called the anesthesiologist back and he adjusted my epidural and all was numb again.
12:00pm:
I enjoyed chatting with my FIL (Father in Law) and Scoot. By this time I was STARVING, but couldn't eat anything. I decided to take a nap again.
1:00pm:
My nurse came into my room to adjust my position because they didn't like the way little man's heart rate was responding to the contractions. I was still only 6cm. My OB stopped in to say hello and I told her that I thought he wasn't in the best position to come down. She said well honey babies have to rotate and turn as they come down, it'll be fine. That's not quite what I meant but ok.
1:30pm:
My nurse came back in to check me because my contraction pattern was changing so I might be really close. Nope 7cm.
2:00pm:
My nurse returns again because little man's heart rate is taking big dips and not recovering very fast. She sat me straight up in bed to see if gravity would speed things up.
From this point on I have NO clue of times at all:
Sitting up was bad, his heart rate dropped into the 80's. My nurse turned me to my left side and his heart rate didn't budge. I had been trying to tell her he didn't like me to sleep on that side. So she rolled me onto my right side and his heart rate bounced right back. She checked me again and I was still 7cm.
My nurse left.
I had a contraction and I told Scoot, "hmmm? I think I might be feeling pressure, but I'm not sure. I think I'll wait for a few more contractions"
Another contraction and I say, "YES, that is pressure but it's ok."
Another contraction, "Scoot go find my nurse NOW! I'm feeling a TON of pressure!"
He rushes back with another nurse (not my new best friend), she tells me that my nurse is checking another mom who is close to delivery and asks if she can check me. I said ok. She checks and says "You're complete!"
She runs out to get my nurse and call my OB. I experience a lull in contractions.
My nurse rushes in saying "so I hear you were gonna deliver this baby with out me"
My OB rushes in saying "guess you were right his head was off center, the rotating the nurses just did got him in the right position cause he is flying out."
There is a bustling of activity as they get the warmer on and all the "stuff" ready.
My nurse is prepping the foot of the bed and helps me lift up my legs into the stirrups and she exclaims "Oh he has hair! DON'T PUSH!" Thank goodness I am numb as hell cause I can't not push if I feel the urge!
Finally everyone is in place and ready just as the next contraction is starting. I bore down with all my strength. I have been told I am a GREAT pusher.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10..... repeat
His head is almost completely out, I ask to wait for the next contraction to push again
With the next contraction I give a 3 second push and his head is out, they suction him and finally one more tiny push and his shoulders slide out and he is placed on my chest.
PICTURES COMING SOON!!!!!!
I inhale all the wonderfulness that is the smell of a brand spanking new baby... Right then and there I am 100% smitten. I didn't care how nervous the idea of having a boy made me. He was here and he was mine and I knew I loved him.
While I gaze at him floating on a cloud of endorphins his cord is cut and the doctor says, "wow look at that a true knot, that is so rare, and he has 2 of them." In my post baby high I didn't quite understand the significance of him having not only 1 but 2 true knots in his cord.
This is not little man's cord
(Scoot didn't think it was important to photograph)
But this is an image from Google that shows what a true knot looks like.
One of little man's knots was tight like this and the other was more loose.
Looking at that picture and realizing he had 2 knots makes me thank my lucky stars that he is alive and well. Having a true knot put him at high risk for fetal death because his blood supply was compromised. I am very thankful that the only "issue" we had with the knot is that he was smaller than we had expected. This also explains why his heart rate was going wonky towards the end. Every contraction was bringing him down and pulling the knot tighter. I am just so happy that he is here safe and sound.
I un-hooked my gown and slid his slimy body down to my breast where he took his very first feeding. It was a wonderful feeling. He was much smaller that I had "dreamt" he would be. As he nursed I examined him. He looked so much like his dad it was kinda scary. After 20-30 minutes of nursing they asked if they could take him to wipe him off a little and weigh him. I handed him over and they took him a mear 12 feet away and my whole body ached for him to be back with me. They announced 7 pounds 4.7 ounces which they rounded to 5 ounces.
They placed him back in my arms and I immediately brought him back to the breast. I know how important it is for babies to nurse right away after birth when they are the most alert. The nurses asked if he needed to be in the warmer and my OB (I love her) interrupted and said let them to skin to skin and he will be just fine. So that's what we did for the next 2 hours we snuggled and nursed skin to skin. I was on cloud 9.
Snuggling skin to skin in recovery
Finally, my nurse comes back into the room and says "Is it ok if we take him to the nursery now? So we can get you cleaned up and moved to postpartum." I agreed because I was starving and knew I wouldn't get food till I got to the other side.
