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- Oct 31, 2011
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I was set up to be induced on Monday, August 7th at midnight. They were going to give me something to dilate me, and start me on pitocin on Tuesday morning, early. Starting on about wednesday, I started getting regular Braxton hicks. They would start late morning and carry on through the day until I went to sleep and then they would go away. They were tighter than my usual Braxton Hicks. Sunday morning I woke up (exactly one week overdue) and they starting going from the moment I woke up. They were very tight, but no pain, so my husband and I went to church. We went grocery shopping afterwards. My husband wanted to grill out that evening, so he started on that around 5pm. Thats when I started to feel a faint niggling cramp in my lower back. It wasn't always with a contraction. As the evening went on, I started feeling these cramping back pains in the first 10-30 seconds of the contractions. It got worse throughout the evening, to where I was quite uncomfortable. I called in to my OB, and they said to call back when my contractions were 5 minutes apart and the pain lasted a full minute with a contraction. I called back around midnight and they said to come on in and get checked. We brought our bags just in case. I didnt want to try and go to sleep not knowing if I was in labor or not. Got in, got checked, and I was only 1cm, same as at my OB appt the previous week. They also said I could still smile, so must not be in labor. The nurse midwife basically said, when you can't walk straight or talk without being mad, that's when you should come in. 
They said it was early labor and gave me an Ambien which I was told would make me sleep though the night. They wanted me to get further along in labor before coming back. Walk around, take hot baths, whatever made me more comfortable. Got home, went to sleep as the Ambien had made me drowsy. I slept for an hour and a half and woke up with worse pain than before. I told my husband and we got up to go watch a movie, at 2:30 in the morning. I was in quite a bit of pain at this point. Contractions were very predictable at every 5 minutes, sometimes every 3. I felt fine in between, but when they hit, OUCH! Horrid lower back back that sometimes stretched around to the lower front part of my tummy. I had always thought contractions would be felt all over your tummy. Wasn't that way for me.
I took it as long as I could. We turned on Karate Kid (the original one) I ate carmel rice snacks (my fav preggo snack) and took 2 hot baths. When I knew it was getting to be too much, I told Dennis we needed to head back to the hospital. It was 5am now. The nurse midwife checked me, and to my surprise I was 3cm dilated. Was so hoping I didn't go through those hours of pain for nothing. She said I could be admitted. Yay! I got my IV (which wasn't horrific like I thought) and I got a room and met my nurse assigned to me for my labor. Her name was Marsha but we were to call her "Mimi", what her grandkids called her. That was comforting.
I decided to try some IV pain meds before getting the epi since I was only 3cm, and I wanted to progress a bit more first, since I know the epi can possibly slow things down. That made me feel loopy in 5 seconds, but took the edge off the pain. I went for about 3-4 hours on that until I knew it was about to wear off. Mimi said they wanted it too, so I could talk to the anesthesiologist. I didn't want to talk to the anesthesiologist! As in answer the questions she asked like what was I requesting, and I said I wanted an epidural. They just had to make sure I answered clearly. I just wanted to not feel pain lol.
I got the epi at about 10am. I was SO scared of it but I hardly felt it! The numbing shot stung like the tiniest of pinpricks and burned a tad as she pushed the medicine in, but was so bearable compared to the contractions. Then she went to put the big shot, and that just felt like someone was mashing their finger into my spine. Just a lot of pressure. I laid down after and slowly went numb. I just rested until they checked me again at 2 and I was 6cm. The nurse midwife broke my water then and they had meconium in them. That made me a little nervous, but they weren't worried. My contractions did slow down and I ended up having to get pitocin before they broke my water. They just let me rest until 5, but during this time my epidural started wearing off on my left side. I started to feel contraction pain on the left lower part of my tummy. I poked my left leg and left side of my stomach and it didn't feel all numb like the right side did. It scared me so bad! I knew an epidural was the best thing they could give me, and it was failing. This was the only time I cried during labor. Another anesthesiologist come in and put a dose of something into the line that went into my back. Then I laid on my back. Before this they had me turning back and forth and laying on my left and right side since I got the epidural. To move the baby into a better position or something?
Anyways, they fixed that and I started using my button after that
I had a button I could press when I wanted more medication and I had been afraid to use it before. Not anymore
The doctor came in and checked me at a bit before 5pm, and I was 9cm, but she stretched me to a 10 where the babies head could get through. Mimi set me up to do some practice pushes, and I got three of those in before the doctor came in and they had me start for real. I didn't feel pain this whole time, but it felt very strange as the baby moved down. I could feel when her head was starting to crown, and the pressure as they were putting the ventouse on her head. I pushed for about 15 mins, and I heard them lose her heart rate once and I heard it slowly start going again. They had me push really hard, and even when I was going as hard as I could (tad hard to push when you are numb!) they told me to push harder! Her head had a hard time getting out and I heard the snipping as I got an episiotomy. The strangest feeling was when the widest part of her head was coming out. It also felt like my hip bones were moving apart. Once her head was out, it took a few more pushes and her body was out. They put her on me and I saw her chubby little arms. So cute! She was facing away so didnt see her face, and they took her pretty quick to start cleaning her and suctioning her out because of the meconium. She cried off and on. I had someone come and tell me to put a pill under my tongue. I asked why and she said to stop the bleeding. I didn't know what was going on, but there seemed to be a lot of mashing and pressure still going on down there. Apparently I was bleeding a lot. Nurses started mashing on my tummy, which I could feel was a tad sore. ugh. The placenta came out within 5 minutes. The doctor said I had a 4th degree tear, which was a bit upsetting cause I didn't expect that at all. The anesthesiologist came back in and took one look and said, Yep you are going to want this. *gulp* He gave me a stronger numbing medicine in my epi line. I couldn't get it before because baby was in there and its not safe for babies.
So I got sewed up in around 15-20 minutes or so. Baby Kayleigh Rose was fine, meconium was no problem for her, and she weighed 9lbs 5oz and was 20 inches long. We are having trouble with breastfeeding and are using nipple shields for now. A week and one day later Im still in a lot of pain and just keeping on top of my pain meds. Hubby is super wonderful and helpful, and my mom and mother-in-law have been staying at different times. Its super tough right now, as I have a UTI (gave me a bad fever for days after we got home), this silly 4th degree tear, drenching night sweats anytime I sleep, Kayleigh had really high bilirubin after a few days and had to get phototherapy, and it looks like I tore a stitch near my rectum after going to the bathroom after 6 days after delivery. Hadn't pooped in 6 days. Yeah I don't recommend Tylenol with Codeine. Messed me and Kayleigh up. She got constipated too, and couldnt poop out the bilirubin like she needed too. It also made her intensely groggy and she slept 24/7. She's much better now, as she was up for 4 hours straight last night keeping up me and hubby lol. All-in-all, i know its worth it
They said it was early labor and gave me an Ambien which I was told would make me sleep though the night. They wanted me to get further along in labor before coming back. Walk around, take hot baths, whatever made me more comfortable. Got home, went to sleep as the Ambien had made me drowsy. I slept for an hour and a half and woke up with worse pain than before. I told my husband and we got up to go watch a movie, at 2:30 in the morning. I was in quite a bit of pain at this point. Contractions were very predictable at every 5 minutes, sometimes every 3. I felt fine in between, but when they hit, OUCH! Horrid lower back back that sometimes stretched around to the lower front part of my tummy. I had always thought contractions would be felt all over your tummy. Wasn't that way for me.
I took it as long as I could. We turned on Karate Kid (the original one) I ate carmel rice snacks (my fav preggo snack) and took 2 hot baths. When I knew it was getting to be too much, I told Dennis we needed to head back to the hospital. It was 5am now. The nurse midwife checked me, and to my surprise I was 3cm dilated. Was so hoping I didn't go through those hours of pain for nothing. She said I could be admitted. Yay! I got my IV (which wasn't horrific like I thought) and I got a room and met my nurse assigned to me for my labor. Her name was Marsha but we were to call her "Mimi", what her grandkids called her. That was comforting.
I decided to try some IV pain meds before getting the epi since I was only 3cm, and I wanted to progress a bit more first, since I know the epi can possibly slow things down. That made me feel loopy in 5 seconds, but took the edge off the pain. I went for about 3-4 hours on that until I knew it was about to wear off. Mimi said they wanted it too, so I could talk to the anesthesiologist. I didn't want to talk to the anesthesiologist! As in answer the questions she asked like what was I requesting, and I said I wanted an epidural. They just had to make sure I answered clearly. I just wanted to not feel pain lol.
I got the epi at about 10am. I was SO scared of it but I hardly felt it! The numbing shot stung like the tiniest of pinpricks and burned a tad as she pushed the medicine in, but was so bearable compared to the contractions. Then she went to put the big shot, and that just felt like someone was mashing their finger into my spine. Just a lot of pressure. I laid down after and slowly went numb. I just rested until they checked me again at 2 and I was 6cm. The nurse midwife broke my water then and they had meconium in them. That made me a little nervous, but they weren't worried. My contractions did slow down and I ended up having to get pitocin before they broke my water. They just let me rest until 5, but during this time my epidural started wearing off on my left side. I started to feel contraction pain on the left lower part of my tummy. I poked my left leg and left side of my stomach and it didn't feel all numb like the right side did. It scared me so bad! I knew an epidural was the best thing they could give me, and it was failing. This was the only time I cried during labor. Another anesthesiologist come in and put a dose of something into the line that went into my back. Then I laid on my back. Before this they had me turning back and forth and laying on my left and right side since I got the epidural. To move the baby into a better position or something?
Anyways, they fixed that and I started using my button after that
I had a button I could press when I wanted more medication and I had been afraid to use it before. Not anymore
The doctor came in and checked me at a bit before 5pm, and I was 9cm, but she stretched me to a 10 where the babies head could get through. Mimi set me up to do some practice pushes, and I got three of those in before the doctor came in and they had me start for real. I didn't feel pain this whole time, but it felt very strange as the baby moved down. I could feel when her head was starting to crown, and the pressure as they were putting the ventouse on her head. I pushed for about 15 mins, and I heard them lose her heart rate once and I heard it slowly start going again. They had me push really hard, and even when I was going as hard as I could (tad hard to push when you are numb!) they told me to push harder! Her head had a hard time getting out and I heard the snipping as I got an episiotomy. The strangest feeling was when the widest part of her head was coming out. It also felt like my hip bones were moving apart. Once her head was out, it took a few more pushes and her body was out. They put her on me and I saw her chubby little arms. So cute! She was facing away so didnt see her face, and they took her pretty quick to start cleaning her and suctioning her out because of the meconium. She cried off and on. I had someone come and tell me to put a pill under my tongue. I asked why and she said to stop the bleeding. I didn't know what was going on, but there seemed to be a lot of mashing and pressure still going on down there. Apparently I was bleeding a lot. Nurses started mashing on my tummy, which I could feel was a tad sore. ugh. The placenta came out within 5 minutes. The doctor said I had a 4th degree tear, which was a bit upsetting cause I didn't expect that at all. The anesthesiologist came back in and took one look and said, Yep you are going to want this. *gulp* He gave me a stronger numbing medicine in my epi line. I couldn't get it before because baby was in there and its not safe for babies.
So I got sewed up in around 15-20 minutes or so. Baby Kayleigh Rose was fine, meconium was no problem for her, and she weighed 9lbs 5oz and was 20 inches long. We are having trouble with breastfeeding and are using nipple shields for now. A week and one day later Im still in a lot of pain and just keeping on top of my pain meds. Hubby is super wonderful and helpful, and my mom and mother-in-law have been staying at different times. Its super tough right now, as I have a UTI (gave me a bad fever for days after we got home), this silly 4th degree tear, drenching night sweats anytime I sleep, Kayleigh had really high bilirubin after a few days and had to get phototherapy, and it looks like I tore a stitch near my rectum after going to the bathroom after 6 days after delivery.
Hadn't pooped in 6 days. Yeah I don't recommend Tylenol with Codeine. Messed me and Kayleigh up. She got constipated too, and couldnt poop out the bilirubin like she needed too. It also made her intensely groggy and she slept 24/7. She's much better now, as she was up for 4 hours straight last night keeping up me and hubby lol. All-in-all, i know its worth it 
she is adorable
