We kept notes at the hospital so we would remember everything - the meds I got, the nurses we had, what time things happened....it's amazing to look at, to feel what I was feeling when I wrote it, and to remember details of A's birth (I even wrote down my room number! I never would have remembered that a week later, never mind a year or more!). So, onto the recap....warning, it's long. It was an even longer day, trust me.
Monday Nov. 16, 2009 (con't. -- I found more info in the notes that I forgot :) )
Got off the NST about 10:45 so I could walk the halls an try to get things started. We walked for about a half hour, and the contractions did start coming a little stronger. Not strong enough, though! We decided to postpone Pitocin and take a pill - misopropyl? Something like that... to get things really going.
Tuesday Nov. 17, 2009
Took half a pill of the Miso (as we call it... it's one of those cutsie/pukey things we say to each other all the time, and we found the name appropriate) and kept the monitors on. The meds did nothing for the contractions - they were sporadic and weak, but hey, I got some sleep finally! From 2:30 to 4 or so, I conked out, and C passed out on the oh-so-comfortable couch turned bed-type unit. Got up and walked a bit...but I was exhausted.
With no progress made from the Miso, our early morning visit with Dr. B resulted in me being told I was going on pitocin to really crank it up a notch. Fine with me! Give me the drugs! I thought this was it - I would meet my baby soon - so I had to look good for all the pictures! I showered, and even put on make up before I was hooked up to Pitocin at about 6:30am. They rolled me to my side to try to wake up the baby, who was snoozing away. But nothing happened, so they upped the dose around 7:15.
Then I was on my own for a bit. Chris left to get breakfast about 8am and I think he met up with my brother Mike and sister Sarah down in the cafeteria. As soon as my water had broken I had called them, and I think they both came home to CT Monday night, eagerly awaiting the birth of their niece. Mike might have come Tuesday afternoon.. I'm not sure. With Chris gone, I moved around from the bed to the rocker to the ball, but nothing really happened. I was starving at this point, and the doc let me eat graham crackers, jello, tea & apple juice.... you're not supposed to eat in case of an emergency c-section, but with how slow things were going, Dr. B wasn't concerned.
I read, cat napped, and tried everything I could to get the baby moving; I talked to her, sang to her, rubbed & poked my belly, squatted in hopes of having her fall out..... nothing worked.
Around 10:30am, my parents & sister came up to see me. When Dr. B came in at 10:55, contractions were close but not enough pain...
You're still smiling.
Yep. But I can see the contractions on the monitor. That's good, right? That means I'm getting close?
Sorry, Jen. When I come in and you're not smiling, then you'll be close.
(I had no idea how right she was.)
Let's lower the pitocin. Do you want pain meds?
No. I want to go as long as I can without an epidural or pain medication.
I kept switching positions - ball, pillows stacked on the bed & leaning my big pregnant ass out. In fact, I have a line in my notes that says "11:15, Chris takes video of my ass" HAHAHA. Love that I wrote that, and no, I have no idea what happened to that video. I barely remember that happening, except that we laughed hysterically about it! We took timeline pictures all day - me reading, on the ball, in the rocker... C kept documenting my face, the clock, the room getting messier and messier -- it's really interesting now to see how my expression changes as the day wears on.
2:15 - Stadol injection. Ok, so I didn't last that long w/o pain meds, I guess. But honestly, it did nothing for me. It made me dizzy and light headed, and I sat in the rocker and sorta dozed/dazed in and out for an hour or so. It took the pain from an 8 to a 6 or 7. Wow, that there's the good stuff, doc. haha.
2:30 - Exam time -- finally! They were few and far between because of the risk of infection, so I never knew if I was progressing or not. When we got to the hospital I was still at 1cm - and that's it. I was sure I was at least 6 or 7 cm at this point. I mean, it had been 24 hours since my water broke, I'd squatted & walked & there had to be something happening.
50% effaced, - 2 station, 3cm.
WHAT. That's it? How can I be in this much pain and there is nothing happening?
You're still smiling & joking, Jen. You're not in pain.
3:30 - second Stadol injection. Did absolute jack shit.
Aaaaand here it comes.
5:00 - Mike & Sarah come back to visit.
Oh boy, it's starting. I can still sorta joke with them, but man am I in pain. Like real pain now. I never should have complained earlier in the day. I'm switching positions like crazy, but eventually have to kick them out because it's just too much. Breathing, arching, squatting, ball, polar bear (they have some dumbass names for the positions..)
6:00 - Dr. B comes back in.
Nothing is happening. Your contractions are still every 2 mins or so, but they aren't strong enough. Want to take a pitocin break & walk around?
God yes. Get me off this thing and out of this room. I'm going nuts.
(And wtf, baby? Nice and cozy in there, eh? )
So I am taken off the pitocin, take a shower, sit on the ball in the shower, get dressed and try walking the halls again. I remember seeing a bag full of little knit hats on one of the bassinet units in the hall -- I asked a nurse about them, and apparently volunteers knit baby hats for new moms - they are all unique, and it was such a cool little touch.
8:30 - Back on my friend, Pitocin. But, good lord, does it do the trick this time. Apparently I just needed a break.
I wasn't smiling anymore!
By 9:00, I'm ready for the epidural. I waited as long as I could... I tried so hard to avoid it, went back and forth with the nurse about whether I really wanted it, but I could not deal with the pain. I was trying every position I could but I had started to go through transition, and was shaking at this point. Finally the anesthesiologist comes in.
And chats up Chris.
Doc - Who's reading that book?
C- I am.
Do you like it? I was thinking of getting it to read.
REALLY??? Small talk - right now?! Stick the damn needle in my back already doc, I'm dyin' over here! I was having trouble breathing through the contractions, doing everything I could remember from class, holding C's and Nurse Jen's hands way too tight, I'm sure...
I remember the look on C's face so clearly. He was so scared for me. He'd never seen me in any kind of pain before, and to see me laying on my side shaking, my jaw trembling, having to breathe so deeply to get through every contraction scared the shit out of him. But he was amazing. He told me I was doing a great job, breathed with me, told me I was almost there, never complained that I was squeezing too tight, and even made me smile through the most excruciating pain I'd ever known - that's some skill, right there, I tell ya. And that nurse, Jen? She was a saint. Nothing else comes close to describing her. All the nurses were awesome, but she was truly an angel.
10:30 - Heaven. In the form of a needle directly in my spine. Who knew? Ok, so epidural's kicking in, and after all that pain, I must be ready, right? I figured I had waited too long to even get the epi - I must be about ready to push..... right, Doc?
4 cm, 90% effaced, -1 station.
OH MY GOD. Come on, Baby!!!!
I slept for a bit maybe 11ishpm-1am on and off between people coming in, beeping, and everything else that goes on in a hospital, but woke up with the weirdest feeling around 1am.....
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