Frosted Square: One Week Ago

About a week ago I had my usual hospital day--Mondays were sonogram and non-stress test days. I was 39 weeks and 2 days. I figured this baby was staying in through the new year! She was so comfortable in there, but I was getting quite uncomfortable. At about 38 weeks, I developed Cholestasis again and had planned on discussing induction with my doctor despite my aversion to being induced. While having my non-stress test, my doctor called the hospital to discuss a development that was found on the sonogram that I'd just had. Dr H. called to tell me that I had polyhydramnios--too much amniotic fluid. I had double the amount that I should. My nurse had told him about my itching and I shared about it with him as well. Then he said, "In light of these 2 serious developments as well as the velamentous insertion of the umbilical cord, I think we need to induce you." As much as I wanted to hear that, I didn't want to hear it either. I was induced with my first baby due to Cholestasis, I had recently watched the Business of Being Born (which I HIGHLY recommend!), and I have terrible fears of being cut open--a C-section is one of my biggest fears when pregnant. After having 2 natural births after my first induction, I knew another induction would be hard and could easily end in me having a C-section. I knew though that this time things were out of my hands. For my daughter's well-being, we needed to get her out. I agreed to be induced the next evening. We were scheduled to arrive at the hospital for a 6pm induction. Knowing my feelings on interventions during labor, my doctor said he'd break my water in the morning if necessary and he also agreed to wait as long as possible on the pitocin and hopefully avoid it. Dr H is a pretty awesome doctor. :) Jaime wanted to arrive at the hospital closer to 5pm so that we could get things started sooner. I drug my feet, showered, took pictures, made sure everything was ready to go for the next couple of days for the kids (they still had a day left of school before the Christmas break), and ate dinner--thank you, Azadeh for the delicious chicken Marsala, rice, and broccoli.

We got to the hospital at 5:50pm. Check-in is at the ER. In the past we've always checked in then headed directly upstairs to Labor and Delivery. That night we checked in and then were told to wait. Eventually we got to go up. We walked in to the LD area and were told to wait. I've never seen that place so busy! So many rooms were full! After a couple of minutes, we did get a room, 529.

I got to say hi to some nurses that I'd come to know over that past 3 months of weekly visits. We got settled in to our room and thought things would get started right away. While answering the various questions while getting ready, we found out that not only were they extremely busy, but there were 3 C-sections that were getting ready to occur. My thoughts weren't good with this news. I hoped that this info wasn't a foreshadowing of what I was in for. I still had some questions regarding the induction and type of medicine that was going to be used, so I talked with my nurse, Christi, and on the phone with my doctor. Finally, I was confident in the method we were going to use--Cervidil--and with the way we were going to proceed. The Cervidil could be removed. I liked the idea of starting with the medicine, then getting rid of it when my body could proceed naturally. The medicine was put in at 8pm, I was dilated to a 2 and 50% effaced--I'd been this way for a couple weeks. I had about an hour and a half where I tried resting and sleeping through contractions. From 9:30-10:30 I had to start breathing through them more. From 10:30-11:30pm, I was fairly uncomfortable and having to really focus and breathe through the contractions. Sometime before midnight I agreed to being checked again. I was fully effaced and at a 3. I about died! Only a 3!!! I was going to be working all night long! The contractions were pretty close together. Outside of getting up to go to the bathroom--which I chose to do every 45-60 minutes--I had to stay laying in bed because of the medicine. Knowing that is the WORST place to be while in labor, I flipped from side to side about every 15 minutes, stretched my legs and made walking motions through every contraction. By midnight I was begging my nurse to let me get up and walk around or at least sit up and rock. She said as long as she could get a good strip of heart rate from the baby I'd be allowed to get up and the medicine would be removed. Well, the medicine was removed, but we weren't getting continuous good heart rate. My dear nurse let me sit up and she hand held the monitor in place through all my moving so that we could get off the monitor. We were also told that our doctor was there (had been there, and I think had even come in a couple of times) and was staying because the roads were getting icy. He was open to breaking my water since I was fully effaced. I was so torn. I didn't want that C-section. I agreed to being checked and trying a jacuzzi bath--the back labor was strong. This was about 1am. I was so torn about being checked. I even told the nurse if she checked me and told me I was only at a 5 that I would be crushed. She said if that was the case she'd let me enjoy a bath :) Ha! if I only knew what that bath would bring. Well, I was checked, I was a 5, she promised that I would dilate faster now because I was fully effaced, and she started that bath for me. During all these contractions, I was having to have Jaime remind me not to push. Freak! I was already having to not push and I was only a 5! I couldn't get in the bath fast enough--relaxation, right? It was 1:30am when I got in that bath. I know this because I sat on the edge of my bed through a contraction and looked at the clock and told myself I could take a 30 minute break. Again, if only I knew what that bath would bring! Somehow moving about 10 feet to the tub and stepping in caused me to start having those undeniable feelings to push. My mind immediately pictured tears and rips and other way gross things as a result of pushing a baby out when I was only half way ready. Just sit down in the water. That warm water and the jets felt great...for about 7 seconds. The nurse left when I finally lowered myself in to the water and said it felt good. Then the contraction came. I just had to push, no way to deny this feeling. Jaime pretty much yelled at me not to, I told him that the baby would come out my butt then, he immediately called the nurse back in (remember, he's been through this a few times with me and knows that I mean business when I start talking like this). My nurse and another one rushed in to get me out of the tub. I had pushed hard about 3 more times. During the third one and still in the tub, this other nurse got about an inch from my face, demanded I open my eyes and stop pushing. I can still see her eyes and hear her intensity. I was half walked half drug back to my bed. I had zero desire to get in that bed. So much for a relaxing 30 minute bath. Doctor Wonderful was in the room, I got to the foot of the bed, was told that if I got on the bed he'd break my water. I leaned my arms behind me on the bed and pushed again. I kinda got on the end of the bed and said I needed to push again. I was shocked when I heard 2 voices--my nurse and doctor--say that I could do what "feels natural." I pushed, my water was broken, a head came out, I pushed again, a body came out, more water gushed. It was 1:51am. Stella Lucia arrived along with the most gushing water ever. Jaime described it as a hose turned on high. He said the water soaked Doctor Wonderful. I was holding my baby and couldn't believe it! Jaime got to cut the cord. While holding Stella, they started giving me 2 doses of Stadol. Jaime seemed calm, doctor was down there, I was asking how bad I had torn, doctor said to push, I did. Doctor Wonderful was morphing in to Doctor Crazy. Pitocin was started. What the heck was he doing pushing on my belly and digging around in me?! Oh well, I had my 6 pound 8.8 ounce, 19.5 inch baby with 10 fingers and 10 toes, and my ears. Someone said something about the medicine making me loopy, my eyes wouldn't quite open right. Dr Crazy was still down there despite telling me that I didn't need any stitching up. "Push," he said. Oh yeah, that durn placenta still had to come out. He said something about it being 15 minutes since delivery and we had to get it out. Do you know what that means??? He stuck his hand in me and pulled my placenta out! The cord had snapped he explained to my husband. He said we were lucky that it didn't snap during pregnancy. He said it would be cruel not to give me the Stadol. The 2 of them examined the placenta while I loopily attempted to take a few phone pictures of Stella and send a couple texts announcing her birth. Later when Dr H was talking with us he said, "You realize you went from a 5 to holding your baby in just under 30 minutes?"