WARNING: This may get long. If you’ve followed my blog for very long,
you’ll know I’m a pretty details-oriented kind of gal.
From the time I had internet access (I guess college,
maybe?), I’ve been an avid reader of birth stories. The more details, the better. I can hardly believe I’m about to share my
own. I’ve truly been blessed. Just like with everything else I’ve waited
for, this little guy was definitely worth the wait. Sure, I wish he could have come along earlier
in my life, but I’ll take what I can get.
Maybe he will keep me young. ;-)
Dr. G made the decision a few weeks ago to not let me go
past 39 weeks due to my chronic hypertension.
While my blood pressure had been good throughout the pregnancy, he
didn’t want to risk late complications, as things can change quickly. So, at my 38 week appointment, he made
arrangements for me to “check in” at the hospital at 6:00 on Wednesday evening
(August 15) if things didn’t happen on their own before then. The plan was to administer Cytotec in 3 doses
at 8:00, midnight, and 3 a.m. and then move on to Pitocin at 6:00 a.m. He did warn that it was possible that Cytotec
would do the trick and put me into labor, but I didn’t hold my breath. I was given this drug vaginally after my
d&c last summer to help rid my uterus of its contents and not much
happened.
We got to the hospital just before 6:00 and got all
settled. They started my iv (first try…I
was quite nervous about this) and drew some blood. One of the million questions the nurse asked
was if I had a birth plan. I
didn’t. I was still on the fence about
the epidural—not opposed, just wanted to wait and see if it was needed. After all, I did switch to Heparin so it could
be my own choice. First dose of Cytotec
came right on time at 8, but nothing much came of it. The nurse checked me right before she gave me
the pill (orally this time), and I was 2cm and still 75% effaced. At 10:00, I took the sleeping pill they gave
me, but it didn’t really make me sleepy, either. I did finally drift off, but it was not a
deep sleep. After all, I was in a room
with galloping horses (that’s what Lincoln’s heartbeat sounded like on the
monitor). Second dose came at
midnight. Again, not a lot of change in
contractions. I was still having them,
but they weren’t any stronger than the ones I’d been having for weeks now. I resigned myself to the fact that Pitocin
would be started in just a few hours. I
dreaded that.
Around 4:30, I woke up with some stronger contractions…at
least I thought that was what it was. I
craned my neck around to see the monitor, but the TOCO was in the low teens
each time I looked. Maybe I was
wrong. Each time the nurse came in to
bring my meds, she reminded me that she could get me something for pain if I
was too uncomfortable. At around 5:30, I
told J that if things got much worse than they were right then, I’d have to
take something. I apologized for being a
wuss. He told me to call the nurse, but
I wanted to tough it out until she came back at 6 to start the Pitocin. She brought the Pitocin in, hung it on the
pole, and I told her I would like to have something for pain. Before she left to put the order in, she
checked me. I was at 5 cm and 90% effaced. That was definitely labor I was feeling. The monitor just wasn’t adjusted correctly to
pick things up.
A few minutes later, she came back with a team of
people. They were going to start
“setting up” for delivery. I thought
they were jumping the gun a bit here…I was only halfway there, after all. But they had an inkling that things would
move quickly. Good thing, too. They were right. Nurse T (I can’t remember how to spell her
name) gave me the bad news that because baby’s heart was showing some
decelerations, I couldn’t have any pain medicine. “But you can do this,” she reassured me…right
before the shift change came and she left me.
I wasn’t so sure. But what choice
did I have? The doctor came in around 7:00
(I think), checked me…I was at 8 cm. He
tried to break my water, but there was nothing there. We guessed that maybe it broke when I was
using the restroom at 6:00. Pitocin
never got started. I didn’t need
it. He had to leave to do a C-section,
and I was completely dilated. We started
pushing a bit after 7:00. I’m not sure
of the exact time, even though I tried to look at the clock frequently. The nurse was getting a bit anxious for the
doctor to return because there was more bleeding and clots than she liked, and
sent word for him to do so as quickly as possible. (She earned her pay that day…I started
pushing right after she came on duty.) I
didn’t expect so much pressure in my bottom.
But I definitely recognized it after the first couple of pushes.
Dr. G finally made it back, and with a little help from
the vacuum (talk about pressure!), Lincoln arrived at 8:20, face up and looking around. No drugs at all…except the local I got before
the episiotomy cut. He didn’t cry, but
he was looking around all over the place.
He didn’t even whimper until the nurses started messing with his feet
for his footprints and such. I made the
comment that my friend was right. She
told me the other day that giving birth was just like getting saved—afterward,
there was nothing but love and relief.
Couldn’t have summed it up better myself.
Everybody abandoned me (J, my mom, his mom) to go check
out Lincoln while Dr. G stitched me up.
Apparently, he had a tough time “putting me back together,” because he
told me that each time he came to check on me before I left the hospital. J said he was probably still talking about
me!
We were able to do an hour of skin-to-skin contact, then
J took our sweet little bundle out to see those who were waiting.
Our little miracle was finally here!
