Not to be confused with birth plan, which was completely disregarded :)
Thursday morning at 6:30 we went in and got hooked up to the monitors for awhile. We were very excited - and I was very nervous! At about 7:15 they started my IV antibiotics and the pitocin. Some people take a long time of turning the dose up before their contractons start. Morning isn't usually my "contraction-y" time... if it had been evening they probably only would have done the starting dose. They only had to turn the dose up once before my body took over with regular contractions.
My OB came at 8:30 to break my water. He was teasing me about my birth plan (yeah right, that was so far gone at that point ) and he said "I have to do this now because the next time I see you you won't be in the mood" (He was right). He said I was only about 1 cm dilated and about 50% effaced (Noah kept floating into and out of the birth canal before this so my effacement was always changing).
The water breaking was quite the experience. Soooo much gushing, both at the time and for at least 2 hours afterward. The nurse would try to get me in underwear with a pad and I would soak right through it. She gave up and I just sat on tons of towels and waterproof pads that we kept changing for quite some time before we could get the underwear on.
After my OB broke my water the contractions almost immediately got stronger and I really had to concentrate to relax. By 10:30 I was in agony. I could not relax during contractions anymore, no matter what I did (and believe me, the nurse was impressed with my level of relaxation with the kind of contractions I had been having). I couldn't even relax between contractions anymore. I was shaking like crazy and really feeling like I couldn't do it.
I had been warned that if things get like that you should really consider medication because if you're in that much pain and that tense that you can't even relax between contractions, then you're going to have a very long labour because your cervix will take forever to dilate due to the tension.
I had Justin call the nurse, who checked me to see how much progress I had made. I was only 2 cm dilated and 75% effaced. In 2 hours of decently strong contractions I had only progessed 1 cm and 25% effacement. I was horrified. Plus, because I was only 2cm dilated she didn't want to give me the fentynol (IV pain pump). They usually wait until 3-4cm.
So I had to take the gas. It didn't work at all. I still couldn't relax, but now I felt high. And if there wasn't going to be any benefit, I didn't want it. So I stopped using it. I don't know how much time passed, because I was in too much pain to be aware, but I asked for something else, so she checked me again. I was only 2.5cm. I think by then it was around 11:30. I can't remember, because that's second hand information. I was unaware.
Even though I wasn't at 3, the nurse gave me the pain pump because I wasn't progressing because of my complete inability to relax.
It was amazing. I was suddenly able to relax between contractions, and the drugs slowed things down a bit so I had some longer breaks, and the contractions were a bit less intense for a little while. This went for about an hour I think, and then they really picked back up again. By 1:15 I was writhing in pain and unable to stop moaning. The contractions were RIGHT on top of each other with no break. I thought I had to be close.
The nurse checked me again (at 1:15), and I was only 5 cm dilated, but the baby was waaaay down low. I don't know what station, but he was way past the 0 station.
I could not believe I was only 5cm dilated with the contractions the way I'd been having them. I think I remember the nurse saying "It'll go fast from here" but my mind was so far gone from the worst pain I'd ever experienced.
They helped me onto my side, and I moaned "I'm so hot, I'm so hot." Justin got ice packs from his food cooler and was rubbing them over my arms and legs.
Right after I got on my side again the contractions changed. They were still beyond horrible, but now I was uncontrollably pushing with them. I told the nurse that I was pushing and that I couldn't help it. She was like "Yes, it's the pressure from the baby, it makes your bottom feel like you have to push." But for me it wasn't my bottom, it was literally my vagina. It didn't feel like the same push. But like I said, it was IMPOSSIBLE for me to not push. I was terrified, because I had just been checked and was only 5 cm, so I was so afraid that I was going to push Noah through a cervix that wasn't fully dilated and the entire thing would just rip open. I'd heard of the "urge to push," but I'd only heard one person talk about how she couldn't not push no matter how hard she tried. That was what it was like for me. I couldn't not push. It was beyond my control.
I had no idea how long I laid there on my side with constant (seriously, constant) contractions where I was pushing, but suddenly I felt this stretching pain and I was like "It hurts! I think I'm crowning!" The nurse said "Lauren, you need to roll over, I need to check you." But I couldn't. She and Justin rolled me over and the baby's head was right there. She had me bring my hand down to touch it.
Unbeknownst to me, it was only 1:39. I went from 5cm dilated at 1:15 to the baby's head right there at 1:39.
Things were flying around then. Another nurse came in and I remember her saying "I hope my patient goes this fast!" My OB wasn't there, obviously, because they hadn't had a chance to call him until my baby's head was almost out!
My head was all over the place and it was overwhelmingly scary. I couldn't concentrate on anything anyone was saying because of the insane amount of pain and pressure. And I felt like I had no idea what in the world I was doing. I remember a nurse saying "With each contraction you're going to give 3 good pushes." But I couldn't tell when I was contracting and when I wasn't. My contractions were way too close together, and the pressure was just too huge. So I just felt like I was sometimes pushing actively, sometimes pushing passively, not really sure if I was doing things at the right times or not. The nurses would slide their fingers around my vagina to try and stretch it and I was like "STOP IT!" It was just one more pain I didn't need. Of course, they didn't listen. lol. Who would?
My OB came in and I remember the nurses teasing him about something, to which he replied "Well I don't have time to change! Someone tie me up!" (Justin told me later that they were making fun of him because his dress pants were rolled up around his calves... I wish I could have seen that!)
He then said to me "So was this on page 4 of your birth plan, Lauren? Oh, right, no jokes." (I remembered the "no jokes" part, but Justin had to fill me in on the first part of what he said). I couldn't even look at him, much less respond. I probably looked insane.
So I'm pushing uncontrollably, and then my OB said "Lauren, I know this wasn't what you wanted but you're really stretching badly and if I cut you we can control what happens down there." At this point I'm wishing someone would just stick their hands inside of me and yank the baby out, so all I could do was moan "I DON'T CARE!"
And that is how I ended up with an episiotomy. Justin said they had been freezing me down there in anticipation of having to do one because I was stretching so much. He said that it semeed like the OB did try and wait, but that things really weren't going to stretch anymore.
The next thing I remember is my OB saying "Lauren, you're not having a contraction right now" (I honestly couldn't tell) "but if you just push gently his head will come out no problem." So I gave a push (I don't know how hard I pushed... I don't think it was very hard) and I felt his head slip out of me.
I have no idea how those shoulders came out because I don't remember pushing for them, but then it was the most glorious feeling of emptiness and liquid, and suddenly the pain and pressure were completely gone.
At 1:54 pm, my beautiful son, Noah Samuel James, was being held upside down in the air and crying. I was trying to grab him and kept telling them to give him to me. There were shenanigans with the cord (we wanted to wait until it stopped pulsating, but it had already gotten clamped, and then the clamp wasn't quite right...) that made it feel like a lot longer before I got to hold my baby. It was probably actually only 20 seconds!
As soon as they gave him to me I cuddled him into my neck and started rubbing him and talking to him and he stopped crying right away. It was the most amazing feeling to be holding my son. I can't even describe the joy I felt. I couldn't stop rubbing his tiny, waxy body and telling him how much I love him and kissing his head over and over.
I started nursing him right away and he latched on no problem and nursed for 2 wonderful hours. I finally had to pee so badly I couldn't wait anymore. We bundled him and gave him to his daddy for the first time (poor Justin waited 2 hours to hold his son!) and I got in the shower. I felt so weak in there with my hanging loose tummy. The nurse dried me off and got me dressed and back into bed, where I nursed for a little longer before getting in the wheelchair with Noah and being brought down to the maternity floor.
Just to recap, at 1:15 I was 5cm dilated. Right after that I started pushing uncontrollably while laying on my side, thinking I was still just dilating. At 1:39 I was checked and I was 10cm and the baby was almost out. At 1:54 he came out completely.
All in all I think I had a pretty good experience. It was excruciating during most of the 3 hours I was in really hard labour, but it went really fast at the end. And now our tiny little Bambino lives with us and we can cuddle him anytime we want:)
Showing posts with label Induction. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Induction. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Our Little Boy!
Noah Samuel James
Born: March 18th, 2010, at 1:54pm
7 lbs. 12 oz.
21.5 inches long
Birth story to follow soon...
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Big Day for Us
Well, I'm FINALLY home! Man it's been a long day!
My OB appointment went fine. My BP was 136/97, which kept our induction plans right on schedule. That might not look high to the average person, but it's actually the worst I've been. I've had way high top numbers, but it's the bottom number that OBs are most concerned with. I guess anything over 85 causes them to keep a closer eye. At my first appointment at 8 weeks my BP was 106/65. A bottom number of 97 is sky high for anyone, but especially for me! So 6:30am on Thursday we're going in for our induction. Eeek!:)
After our appointment we did errands. We had to exchange a car seat base Justin had bought on Sunday because they gave us a tan one instead of silver (even though they rang through a silver base). We had to exchange a blanket and outfit that we received as gifts, but already had. I had to pick up mail from my mailbox at work, and I had to cash my WSIB cheque.
We then went to my parents' house because my mom had returned and exchanged a bunch of shower presents for us, and we had to pick up the money and items. While we were there we started talking about how badly we need to buy a van. Right now we have a Kia Rio5 and a 4-door Jeep Wrangler. They're both relatively new (2009 and 2007), but neither of them fit a carseat well. In the Kia, nobody can really sit in the passenger's seat if the carseat is in there. Justin is 6'5" and can't fit in it at all, and when I'm in it my knees are pressed up against the dashboard and my head is basically hitting the ceiling from being so erect. Nobody can drive like that for more than a couple of minutes. In the Jeep there's a little more room, but I'm still sitting pretty far forward and I'm uncomfortably erect.
We knew this was the case back in December, so I had decided back then that we have to get a minivan. However, because the baby wasn't coming for months, I guess I just chose to ignore reality. Then about a week and a half ago we installed the carseat base in the Kia (since that's the car I drive the most) and when we put the carseat in I was reminded how HORRIBLE it fits and that we both can't drive in that car at the same time.
I had Justin go buy another base and install it in the Jeep, since there was a little more room in there. He also put the carseat in and has been driving around for a couple of days with it. Today was the first day I actually sat in the passenger's seat on the way into town, which is a 20-25 minute drive. I was immediately uncomfortable, and reaaaally annoyed at myself and Justin because we'd been procrastinating so much. Now our baby was coming in 2 days and we didn't have a car we could really drive in together. That's not really a problem that can be solved in 2 days.
I was also having these horrible thoughts about how I'd be all bruised and stitched and in pain and having to contort into an uncomfortable position in a VERY bouncy Jeep to drive 25 minutes home with the baby. And even if I could handle that (which I was going to have to), when in the heck were we supposed to find time to go buy a new car? I'm giving birth on Thursday, then Justin goes back to work, and besides that, we'll have a newborn! It would have been sometime in the summer before we were going to have time to car shop!
Besides this, we had been told that we should sell the Jeep privately rather than trade it in to a dealer, because we'd get more money for it privately than we would from a dealer. But the Jeep needs the windshield and spare tire replaced, we'd have to safety and e-test it, and neither of us has the first CLUE about how to sell a car and all the paperwork and logistics involved. And who has time, anyway?
So I'm talking to my mom about my discomfort in the Jeep and she was like "Why don't you guys just go look around at some dealerships and see what's out there so you have an idea?"
We had nothing else to do for the afternoon, so we decided to do that.
Long story short, we are now the proud owners of a minivan!
We managed to trade our Jeep in for a 2008 Dodge Caravan SE with only 15000 km on it (that's about 9000 miles). It's one of those minivans that looks more like an SUV than a minivan - not those cheesy "classic" looking minivans.
The carseat fits PERFECTLY, I can comfortably recline my seat, Justin can sit as far back as he wants, and we can fit four other people in the van along with us and Bambino! And the seats are stow and go, so they fold into the floor.
So we traded our Jeep for a van that's one year newer, has 21 000 less km, is way more comfortable, and has waaay more room. AND they gave us $128 because apparently the Jeep was worth a bit more than van. I didn't know that dealers would actually cut YOU a cheque if you traded in a car that was worth more than what you were buying. I figured you always had to trade up.
It's currently sitting in our driveway. That's how easy it was. It was basically signing some paperwork and trading keys. Amazing! No hassle whatsoever. And now we'll be super comfortable.
It was sad for us to trade in the Jeep because that was our first new car together. But it had to be done, and we're actually both thrilled with the situation - even Justin, who is in love with Jeeps and never thought he'd drive a minivan.
I'm so excited. Bambino on Thursday and a new car!
Oh, and I have been painfully contracting every 3-4 minutes ALL DAY LONG. With the amount of contractions I have, the baby should just be FALLING out of me. The fact that my cervix is not a gaping hole at this point makes me worried about how the induction will go.
My OB appointment went fine. My BP was 136/97, which kept our induction plans right on schedule. That might not look high to the average person, but it's actually the worst I've been. I've had way high top numbers, but it's the bottom number that OBs are most concerned with. I guess anything over 85 causes them to keep a closer eye. At my first appointment at 8 weeks my BP was 106/65. A bottom number of 97 is sky high for anyone, but especially for me! So 6:30am on Thursday we're going in for our induction. Eeek!:)
After our appointment we did errands. We had to exchange a car seat base Justin had bought on Sunday because they gave us a tan one instead of silver (even though they rang through a silver base). We had to exchange a blanket and outfit that we received as gifts, but already had. I had to pick up mail from my mailbox at work, and I had to cash my WSIB cheque.
We then went to my parents' house because my mom had returned and exchanged a bunch of shower presents for us, and we had to pick up the money and items. While we were there we started talking about how badly we need to buy a van. Right now we have a Kia Rio5 and a 4-door Jeep Wrangler. They're both relatively new (2009 and 2007), but neither of them fit a carseat well. In the Kia, nobody can really sit in the passenger's seat if the carseat is in there. Justin is 6'5" and can't fit in it at all, and when I'm in it my knees are pressed up against the dashboard and my head is basically hitting the ceiling from being so erect. Nobody can drive like that for more than a couple of minutes. In the Jeep there's a little more room, but I'm still sitting pretty far forward and I'm uncomfortably erect.
We knew this was the case back in December, so I had decided back then that we have to get a minivan. However, because the baby wasn't coming for months, I guess I just chose to ignore reality. Then about a week and a half ago we installed the carseat base in the Kia (since that's the car I drive the most) and when we put the carseat in I was reminded how HORRIBLE it fits and that we both can't drive in that car at the same time.
I had Justin go buy another base and install it in the Jeep, since there was a little more room in there. He also put the carseat in and has been driving around for a couple of days with it. Today was the first day I actually sat in the passenger's seat on the way into town, which is a 20-25 minute drive. I was immediately uncomfortable, and reaaaally annoyed at myself and Justin because we'd been procrastinating so much. Now our baby was coming in 2 days and we didn't have a car we could really drive in together. That's not really a problem that can be solved in 2 days.
I was also having these horrible thoughts about how I'd be all bruised and stitched and in pain and having to contort into an uncomfortable position in a VERY bouncy Jeep to drive 25 minutes home with the baby. And even if I could handle that (which I was going to have to), when in the heck were we supposed to find time to go buy a new car? I'm giving birth on Thursday, then Justin goes back to work, and besides that, we'll have a newborn! It would have been sometime in the summer before we were going to have time to car shop!
Besides this, we had been told that we should sell the Jeep privately rather than trade it in to a dealer, because we'd get more money for it privately than we would from a dealer. But the Jeep needs the windshield and spare tire replaced, we'd have to safety and e-test it, and neither of us has the first CLUE about how to sell a car and all the paperwork and logistics involved. And who has time, anyway?
So I'm talking to my mom about my discomfort in the Jeep and she was like "Why don't you guys just go look around at some dealerships and see what's out there so you have an idea?"
We had nothing else to do for the afternoon, so we decided to do that.
Long story short, we are now the proud owners of a minivan!
We managed to trade our Jeep in for a 2008 Dodge Caravan SE with only 15000 km on it (that's about 9000 miles). It's one of those minivans that looks more like an SUV than a minivan - not those cheesy "classic" looking minivans.
The carseat fits PERFECTLY, I can comfortably recline my seat, Justin can sit as far back as he wants, and we can fit four other people in the van along with us and Bambino! And the seats are stow and go, so they fold into the floor.
So we traded our Jeep for a van that's one year newer, has 21 000 less km, is way more comfortable, and has waaay more room. AND they gave us $128 because apparently the Jeep was worth a bit more than van. I didn't know that dealers would actually cut YOU a cheque if you traded in a car that was worth more than what you were buying. I figured you always had to trade up.
It's currently sitting in our driveway. That's how easy it was. It was basically signing some paperwork and trading keys. Amazing! No hassle whatsoever. And now we'll be super comfortable.
It was sad for us to trade in the Jeep because that was our first new car together. But it had to be done, and we're actually both thrilled with the situation - even Justin, who is in love with Jeeps and never thought he'd drive a minivan.
I'm so excited. Bambino on Thursday and a new car!
Oh, and I have been painfully contracting every 3-4 minutes ALL DAY LONG. With the amount of contractions I have, the baby should just be FALLING out of me. The fact that my cervix is not a gaping hole at this point makes me worried about how the induction will go.
Friday, March 12, 2010
March Break and Pitting Edema
Friday is almost over, which means we only have 5 days left until we're induced. If that doesn't get cancelled for some reason.
Justin is now on March break, but it barely feels like it. I've been on "vacation" for 7 1/2 weeks (otherwise yesterday would have been my last day of work, and today would have been my first official day of being off!), so it doesn't feel like March break to me. And Justin is so concentrated on having the baby that he's not thinking of all the normal break things he'd be doing, like sleeping in, playing video games, staying up late to watch movies, etc. He said today that he actually can't wait for the break to be over, because after it's done he'll be a dad! I thought that was cute:) But I'M not looking forward to the break being over. If things go according to plan we'll only have 2 or 3 days at home together and then he'll be leaving me and Bambino and going to work all day :(
Wow, that is so weird to think of. March break always flies by so quickly. And after this March break is over, our lives as we know them will be completely changed. Nothing will ever be the same.
I have decided that even if my blood pressure is normal at my Tuesday appointment, I'm not going to ask to cancel the induction. The past two days I've been experiencing pitting edema, which concerns me a bit when it's coupled with my high BP. Pitting edema is where your skin stays indented for a long time if you just apply some gentle pressure over your swelling. There's this section on my right leg that starts above my ankle and goes halfway up my calf that just swells up like that. I can push the swelling around and mold it like it's silly putty. It's pretty freaky!
Plus my normally skinny feet are swollen. A lot of pregnant women experience swelling, and my swelling doesn't nearly compare to some of the swelling I've seen on other people's blogs! But for my normally bony, skinny feet, it's out of the ordinary. I don't like that I'm swelling when all I do is sit around all day anyway.
Unless my OB cancels the induction (which I don't think he will), we'll have our baby next Thursday. CRAZY! I'm definitely getting excited. But I'm still a little scared!
Justin is now on March break, but it barely feels like it. I've been on "vacation" for 7 1/2 weeks (otherwise yesterday would have been my last day of work, and today would have been my first official day of being off!), so it doesn't feel like March break to me. And Justin is so concentrated on having the baby that he's not thinking of all the normal break things he'd be doing, like sleeping in, playing video games, staying up late to watch movies, etc. He said today that he actually can't wait for the break to be over, because after it's done he'll be a dad! I thought that was cute:) But I'M not looking forward to the break being over. If things go according to plan we'll only have 2 or 3 days at home together and then he'll be leaving me and Bambino and going to work all day :(
Wow, that is so weird to think of. March break always flies by so quickly. And after this March break is over, our lives as we know them will be completely changed. Nothing will ever be the same.
I have decided that even if my blood pressure is normal at my Tuesday appointment, I'm not going to ask to cancel the induction. The past two days I've been experiencing pitting edema, which concerns me a bit when it's coupled with my high BP. Pitting edema is where your skin stays indented for a long time if you just apply some gentle pressure over your swelling. There's this section on my right leg that starts above my ankle and goes halfway up my calf that just swells up like that. I can push the swelling around and mold it like it's silly putty. It's pretty freaky!
Plus my normally skinny feet are swollen. A lot of pregnant women experience swelling, and my swelling doesn't nearly compare to some of the swelling I've seen on other people's blogs! But for my normally bony, skinny feet, it's out of the ordinary. I don't like that I'm swelling when all I do is sit around all day anyway.
Unless my OB cancels the induction (which I don't think he will), we'll have our baby next Thursday. CRAZY! I'm definitely getting excited. But I'm still a little scared!
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
37.5 Week OB Appointment = Eventful
My blood pressure today was 160/90. Not good. Since this was the second week in a row, my laissez-faire OB wasn't thrilled about it either. He asked me if I've been having any contractions, so I told him about the painful contractions I've had the past 3 nights. Surprisingly, he wanted to check my cervix after that. He normally doesn't do cervix checks until 38 weeks, but between the blood pressure and the contractions he wanted to see what was up down there. Nothing too major, just partially effaced and dilated. The baby is head down (like we knew), but he's not locked in position. Which explains why he drops down really low at night, and then overnight he pops back up again. You can still feel his head in the morning, but it's way higher up. It's been like this for weeks. He just won't engage.
He wanted me to come in again on Thursday. I said, "Tomorrow?" and he said "Today is Wednesday? What are you doing here on a Wednesday??" He usually sees his very pregnant patients on Tuesdays - I guess for this reason - but Wednesday was more convenient for me.
Since Thursday is tomorrow he decided just to see me on Tuesday, like normal, because he doesn't see patients on Friday and Monday. He does surgeries and stuff.
However, he did decide he wants to induce me, and he booked an induction for next Thursday. Since my cervix is ready for induction, and my BP is high, he doesn't want me walking around for so long with high blood pressure. But he also wants to give the baby as long as possible inside of me, so he didn't book it until Thursday. If I had protein in my urine and was gaining a lot of weight and swelling up, he would have booked it sooner. Or if I was walking around 3 cm dilated he would have booked it sooner, because there's no point in letting me walk around with high blood pressure when I'm that close to delivery.
I asked him what happens if my BP is normal at my Tuesday appointment, and he said we'll just deal with it then (and then teased me for being such a teacher and always having to have a plan for everything). But somehow I don't think this induction is getting cancelled. Unless my BP is normal and I decide I want it cancelled. Otherwise he'll just keep it.
So, Thursday March 18th might be our baby's birthday. 11 days early.
Induction was not in my plans, and basically throws the rest of my birth plan out the window (you know, the parts that weren't already thrown out the window by being GBS+ and not getting a midwife). I'm trying to adjust my expectations and get excited (despite the incredibly different birth than what I wanted)! The baby is coming in a week!
Justin is pretty pumped. But he's not the one who has to go through the tougher induced labour. I'm glad he's excited, though. It'll rub off on me, I'm sure. The news just hasn't quite sunk in:)
He wanted me to come in again on Thursday. I said, "Tomorrow?" and he said "Today is Wednesday? What are you doing here on a Wednesday??" He usually sees his very pregnant patients on Tuesdays - I guess for this reason - but Wednesday was more convenient for me.
Since Thursday is tomorrow he decided just to see me on Tuesday, like normal, because he doesn't see patients on Friday and Monday. He does surgeries and stuff.
However, he did decide he wants to induce me, and he booked an induction for next Thursday. Since my cervix is ready for induction, and my BP is high, he doesn't want me walking around for so long with high blood pressure. But he also wants to give the baby as long as possible inside of me, so he didn't book it until Thursday. If I had protein in my urine and was gaining a lot of weight and swelling up, he would have booked it sooner. Or if I was walking around 3 cm dilated he would have booked it sooner, because there's no point in letting me walk around with high blood pressure when I'm that close to delivery.
I asked him what happens if my BP is normal at my Tuesday appointment, and he said we'll just deal with it then (and then teased me for being such a teacher and always having to have a plan for everything). But somehow I don't think this induction is getting cancelled. Unless my BP is normal and I decide I want it cancelled. Otherwise he'll just keep it.
So, Thursday March 18th might be our baby's birthday. 11 days early.
Induction was not in my plans, and basically throws the rest of my birth plan out the window (you know, the parts that weren't already thrown out the window by being GBS+ and not getting a midwife). I'm trying to adjust my expectations and get excited (despite the incredibly different birth than what I wanted)! The baby is coming in a week!
Justin is pretty pumped. But he's not the one who has to go through the tougher induced labour. I'm glad he's excited, though. It'll rub off on me, I'm sure. The news just hasn't quite sunk in:)
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