So Friday Shane's mom came to the house at 7am to watch Oliver. We got to the hospital around 745. They gave me a dose of Misoprostol and we thought we were on our way. I had to lay in bed for 2 hours to allow the Miso to be absorbed. I watched Project Runway. At the end of the 2 hours I got up and went to the bathroom. I noticed that the miso pill had come out. I informed my nurse of this and she said that she had never heard of that happening. That it ALWAYS absorbs in 2 hours. They decided to just see what happened. So I walked and walked and walked for an hour. I was then supposed to get my second dose of miso. Instead my midwife informed me that a bunch of women had come in in active labor, several of whom were in preterm labor. So basically, there weren't enough nurses, doctors, midwives, to attend to all of them and me. So since I still technically wasn't in labor, they were going to send me home. Before she did, she stripped my membranes to try and make me go into labor. As I said in an earlier post, I felt contractions for the rest of the day until we ate at the Friendly Toast. Then nothing.
Skip to Monday.
Irene, again, comes to the house at 7am. We got to the hospital around 745. The nurse told me that she remembered me because she was the one that discharged me on Friday (and I certainly remembered her!) and that becuase of that she was able to get me right into a room instead of a labor room (shared bathroom, boo). She was great. The midwife, Candace, came in and checked me and said that I was still extremely posterior and that she was going to try and PULL my CERVIX DOWN! And yes, its as painful as it sounds. So at that point I decided that this midwife was obviously nutters. I was not a fan. She then gave me a dose of miso and I had to lay there for another 2 hours. Luckily I had Marisa with me! She had already been set apart as a missionary, though, so we couldn't watch any TV. So we played Hangman, then the 13 year old girl classic...MASH! We had to adjust the rules for me, the married lady with kids, but it was still fun. We even did one for Shane! All 3 of us ended up living in Franklin! And Marisa ended up marrying Adrian Tidd!
They had me walk around for an hour after that. Marisa and I would have walk-races down the hallway. We also got lots of comments that I was smiling too much... We went back to the room and I had lunch...grilled cheese, mashed potatoes, peas, and carrots. It was the energy I needed! Candace came in at 145. She checked me and said that I was around 3.5 and that my cervix had come way down. Then out came the amniohook and she broke my water! After she left, Shane asked "uhh, did she just break your water?" It was wierd because there was no discussion, it was ust done, very low key.
I got up so we could start walking around again, and forgot that I now had amniotic fluid on the loose! I had to say really quickly to Shane and Marisa that I did not in fact just pee, even though it sounded like it! With Oliver my water broke when I was in active labor, so I didn't care as much. I put on some jeans so I didn't have to keep worrying about flashing people my bum. I'd say we were walking for about 20 minutes before I had Marisa timing my contractions. 1 minute apart, 30 seconds long. At about 3 I couldn't walk anymore and went to labor in my room. Sitting on the birthing ball slowed the contractions, but it felt good, so I stayed on the ball until 330 when Candace came to check me. When she checked me I was between 5-6 and fully effaced. She said "Now I know that's probably not the progress you were hoping for, but it's progress." I responded that I thought I was only going to be 4 cm, so I was happy. I was still able to tell Marisa to update my Facebook at this point to say that I was in active labor.
After observing a few more contractions, Candace, with concern in her voice, told one of the nurses to start setting up for the birth, that things could start happening quickly.
Right after this I started going through transition. I knew I was going through it because a) I announced the unutterable words "I can't do this!" (in the next breath I yelled out "Yes I can!") and b) I started shaking uncontrollably, which is what I did with Oliver.
After that I decided I wanted to go in the tub, but Candace gave me a look that said "Unless you want to give birth in the jacuzzi, you are not going in!" and suggested I go in the shower instead. So I limped over to the shower and the nurse held the shower head and sprayed it on my stomach. I was in there for about 2 contractions when I started to feel the need to push. They got me out of the shower and I sat down on the bed while they set up the birthing stool. Meanwhile I was saying "I need to push! I need to push!" to which Shane kept saying "Don't push! Don't push!" He later told me that he was afraid that I was going to give birth on the bed and the baby would have nowhere to go!
I got onto the stool and started pushing. After 3 pushes, I kind of wondered why she wasn't out yet, because that is all it took with Oliver. After pushing for several minutes, Candace told me that there was some scar tissue from my last birth that wasn't stretching, thus not allowing the baby's head to come through. She finally made the executive decision to cut through it to minimize my own tearing. I didn't hear it, I didn't feel it. Too much pressure. Shane on the other hand still shudders when he thinks about it! Once she had cut through it I think I pushed for three more times (one time declaring "GET HER OUT OF ME!") before Candace told me to reach down and touch my baby's head. My eyes were closed until this point, so I opened them and saw Lily's head coming out! She then had me reach down and help deliver my own baby! How cool! I remember saying, "She's tiny! She's so beautiful! Oh! I love her!" My brain was even functioning enough to tell Candace that Marisa was going to cut the cord, not Shane. With Oliver I was in shock, so I didn't say anything for several minutes, and actually worried Shane and my mom.
They then took Lily to warm her up a little and transferred me to the bed to see what the damage was. And it was bad. After several minutes, the midwife told me that she couldn't get the bleeding to stop and that she was going to have a surgeon come in and take a look. The surgeon told me that I had randomly torn and that the tears were deep inside of me. I was injected with several shots to numb my entire pelvic region (to which the surgeon said that I must have a very high pain tolerance because most women would be screaming just getting the injection.) The surgeon and midwife then spent about 45 minutes stitching me up making comments like "I think that goes there" and "I think we got all of the tears!" Not comforting words. But I was holding my sweet baby the whole time, so I wasn't really paying much attention.
Later I was again told that I have a high pain tolerance because most women with that much repair usually need Percoset to help ease the pain, but I was fine with just Ibuprofin. It's kind of nice to be told that. I always figured I had a low pain tolerance and that's why I have short labors, my body couldn't handle a long labor!
And my, how the time flies! I had Lily weighed on Monday and she was already 8lb 10.8oz. One and half ounces shy of a a 1 lb gain in 2 weeks! Usually, by two weeks they want to make sure the baby is back up to birth weight! What can I say...I make milk shakes!
On the way to the hospital Friday morning
Being monitored Friday morning (about 2 hours before they sent me home)
Monday morning playing some MASH with Ris
About an hour before delivery!
Getting stitched up, but enjoying my sweet distraction
2 comments:
Precious, and your story was not too scary. Trust me, I am not a fan of hospital stories, and I read yours all the way without getting light headed! Congrats again! She is so beautiful, and you are on tough cookie!
Wow Jess! What a story. I can't wait to meet her (and Oliver, of course).
Post a Comment