Lily's Birth
Well i went in on Wednesday for induction due to high blood pressure. Lily was just 38 weeks, so we did make it pretty far. Anyway the Dr on call was really great, and he agreed to use the pit as a last resort, and he would try to rupture my membranes first and allow me to walk and move about freely, i needed an IV because i had tested positive for beta strep.
When he ruptured my membranes i was 2 centimeters and about 50% effaced. I started having irregular contractions, but was having a hard time walking due to the fact that i was on bedrest, and very week, so the nurse brought in a rocking chair, and i sat and rocked for about an hour.
Well my blood pressure started rising again, so the Dr gave me a choice, i could either hold off on the pit, and stay in bed on my side and wait, or he would administer the pit in very small doses and allow me to stay in the rocking chair and keep monitoring my blood pressure. I chose the pit, because at this point, i was getting a little panicky about my blood pressure and really wanted to get things moving. The contractions started up about every 5 minutes, and very bearable, but i felt them in my back, and started worrying that i would go into intense labor at any moment and not be able to cope. So i told her i wanted toe epidural at 3 centimeters, and the Dr. okayed it, against his better judgement.
By the time the anesthesiologist came in i was just three cent. but very uncomfortable, I'm sure a lot of it was fear, but i was having pretty bad back pain. And again so paranoid of another intense pit labor (had one before). I had an epidural before and it was a pleasant experience, it was light, i was still able to feel the contractions, and it was administered with no problems.
This was a little different. First he didn't wait long enough for the local anesthetic to kick in so i felt the epidural needle going in a bit, but it still was not too bad, then as he was pushing it in he hit a nerve and my leg started jerking YIKES, it was pretty scary. It started working right away though, and i was able to relax a while. Then i started feeling the contractions on my right side, so he came back and administered another dose of medicines. I was feeling great for a while but then it got to be too much, it was very strong, and i felt like dead weight, i was numb all the way up to above my stomach, almost my chest, so i found myself meditating, just to relax myself a bit so i wouldn't panic!
I did manage to calm down and relax. I was stuck at 3 cent. for about 2 hours, then finally, progressed to 5, and within a 1/2 an hour to 10. I did feel the urge to push with some of the contractions but not all, i also managed to push effectively luckily!
She was out in about 6 pushes, no tears, no episiotomy.what a rush! They took her right away and checked her out, i didn't really get to hold her for about 10 minutes or so, but she is beautiful!
Her agpars were 8 and 9.Total labor was about 5 hours. She was very drowsy at birth, unlike my others medicated and natural, but latched on pretty quick.
Well about three hours went by and i realized i still could not fully move my left, and i thought for sure something was wrong, luckily the feeling did come back completely about 5 hours later! I had planned on putting her in the nursery that night, but she wound up rooming in with DH and i. She is a good baby, she is nursing well. She has A+ blood and i O- so they we are keeping our eyes open for signs of jaundice, so far none. I felt great yesterday, and over did things a bit, now i feel very weak and tired, so please even if you feel great RELAX! Also i have been having some bad cramps in my calves, I've been told that could be from the epidural, and my back is hurting pretty bad too, so i am off to cuddle with my beautiful little Lily :) BTW so far our biggest challenge has been trying to figure out how to change her poopy diapers!
So that is it, not the ideal birth, but lovely prize to show for it :)
Aimee
Lily born 9/24
