11-28-09 updates on birth

This time around it was important to me to have an accurate account of the events and when they occurred. Partly because I am neurotic and partly because I like to look back as my memories fade quickly when no sleep is involved. So here is the technical update and the emotional one will come later.

3:30pm almost 10 cm dilated past zero station

3:45pm epidural is awesome and knowing what is coming- -I manage to nap for 20 minutes. Time/progress is slowing, I suspect allowing me to gather the energy for the next stage.

4:45pm full 10cm dialated and began light pushing. The 3 hour push time limit begins.

5:30pm they suggest and do drop the epi dose hoping to assist with more effective pushing. The thought being if I could feel more I would be more inclined and able to push. They went from a 16 down to 4 on the epi.

6:00-6:30pm My Midwife leaves to check on her other laboring patients and the epi is almost off. The pain is now back to being intense and causing me distress, anxiety and panic. They keep having me change positions to try and relieve some of the pain, but manage to loose the babies HR . It is also causing me exceeding discomfort. I start vomiting and they give me zofran. Panic ensues-my blood pressure drops, I have a low grade fever (100.7), and the room floods with docs trying to determine the cause of the problems. They even started to suspect the cord being wrapped around him. There was a lot of commotion and whispering.

6:45pm My midwife returns and I insist on being in a comfortable position for me. They also up the epi again and relief is almost instant. We resume our normal pushing pattern and are making progress again. But because of the scare we are being monitored by the MD's and are on a tight time limit-we are approaching our 3 hours.

7:00pm Things are back in swing-I am energized and pushing well.

7:45pm Docs visit again ready to call time on me but instead see my sons head and my effective pushing. Go me!

8:01pm Spencer is born! Laid on my chest where he promptly poops all over me. The cord is left to pulse. And we start our bonding. His apgars were 7 and 8. He got a slow start with crying and took a few minutes to pink up but quickly found his way. The placenta is birthed and the cord is later cut. All is well in my world.

Later the midwife, who is doubtful, but wants to be safe indicates I may have contracted chorioamnioitis from being ruptured for so long and the labor taking a while. They put me on 2 IV antibiotics and Spencer gets tested too.

We are both fine and recovering well. Photos and updates soon! Xoxoxoxo

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11-28-09 1:45pm update

9 cm and station 0. She thinks in the next 2 hours I will deliver. They already wrote happy birthday spencer on the board in my room.

I started to cry – I feel nervous and excited and worried – all in the same breath.

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Epidurals rock

From 3am to 9am I didn't have any consistent or real contractions.

When the shift changed and a new midwife came on board she suggested, rather than start me on pitocin or an enema or castor oil, to sweep my membranes again and break any bag of water left. She also checked my cervix and I was 3cm-that was around 9:45am.

Very soon thereafter I began having contractions-strong ones with hardly a break in between. Hubby made me keep standing and walking and I was getting pissed. I broke out in tears several times and by 10:30am I was ready for an epidural.

We agreed that I would wait till 11am and hope that I had dilated more. At 11am I was 4cm and really in a lot of pain. I asked for the epi.

Holy shit-why people labor without one is beyond me. It was painless to administer and I feel awesome.

My contractions are steady and progressing nicely. Its 1pm and the initial pain meds should be easing off and the epi itself kicking over. Then I should start to feel more of the contractions and less numb.

More details soon-hopefully the next update is news of a baby. But I suspect I have a bit of time.

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3 am update

3:30 am and I am checked in to Labor and Delivery.

Positive test on my water breaking-duh! … And the 24 timer now starts. Already I feel anxious and under the gun to get my contractions moving and active.

Getting the IV was horrible. She poked around my right arm for a long while and didn't get it in. Then I needed a break because I thought I might vomit. Which I didnt-phew. Then a different nurse worked on the other side. It still feels uncomfortable. I hate needles and being prodded painfully.

If the contractions don't progress and cause cervical changes by 8 or 9 am then the midwife suggests taking castor oil or an enema. Or if I decline those I can start on pitocin.

So far the contractions are totally tolerable and about 3 minutes apart. It feels like a gradual tightening of my lower abdomen. They are steadily getting stronger the less anxiety I feel. My digestive system is still purging and I feel nauseas. Even as I am typing they are getting more frequent and harder.

Spencer is moving around fine and his heart rate is great. I feel a huge amount of love for Elliott right now-hormones? We had the best week together and compared with the 2 weeks prior-i am very grateful for that time. I feel like we really bonded and were able to reconnect.

Jeff is trying to nap while he can, and I am enjoying my hour in between the fetal monitoring to be alone with my contractions and anxiety.

The irony in all of this is that the day before I went into labor with Elliott I ate at CPK for lunch. Tonight, before we went to the Del Mar Festival of Lights we also ate at CPK. We never eat at CPK. Today is also my BFF's daughters first birthday…will they share the day?

When we arrived home tonight I started to feel some mild contractions and felt compelled to show my MIL all the things she would need to know around the house and regarding Elliott. Then we went to bed early. I got 3 great hours of sleep and here we are.

I am ready to welcome this boy into the world. Bring it on. More soon.

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39 weeks 3 days

Nothing yet. The baby is doing awesome, plenty of fluid, good heartbeats and fetal movement, still at 2 cm, 80% effaced, he is weighing in at 7-7 3/4 lbs.  And with all of the digestive clearing I lost 3 pounds since last week.  She also wrote me a RX for lidocaine for my hemorrhoids–yippee!!!

She swept my membranes again which while uncomfortable was not nearly as painful as the first time. And there wasn’t any cramping this go round.

His head isn’t engaged which isn’t ideal as that was part of the problem with Elliott, but she thought labor would fix that. She will let me go to 41 weeks and then suggests breaking my water so that I don’t end up in OB care (42 wks) where they give pitocin straightaway…and with pitocin the risk of uterine rupture for VBAC candidates increases from one to four percent.

More waiting. I hope the kid holds off till Friday now that we are so close to Thanksgiving as I have a yummy dinner planned.

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Nothing to report

39 weeks and 3 days tomorrow. 8am Non-stress test and Midwife appt. tomorrow.

Nothing new to report. Pressure, heaviness, light cramps, more digestive track emptying, the bloody show is more like mucous again and of course hemi’s… The sucky part of all of this is that my lady parts are sore and I haven’t even pushed a kid out yet. Epidural please!

Do I get my membranes swept again tomorrow or just let nature take its course?

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Please dont ask, there is nothing to report

Nope, nothing to report.  More show.  No Contractions.  No broken water bag.  Pelvic pressure, fatigue, irritation.  But no baby.

We are trying to enjoy our family of  3 during these last few hours or days.  All of my commitments and obligations have been fulfilled.  There is nothing left but to welcome this baby into the world.  I even got a good night of sleep last in preparation.

I promise to text everyone when it happens.  And, I am updating the blog regularly with details.

It was a movie kind of night

I skipped the social part of the evening last night, and ended up meeting everyone at the movie theatre.  I was nervous the whole time thinking my water was going to break.  But, alas nothing happened and the movie was enjoyable.  I didn’t get home until after 1am and Elliott wakes at 5:30am so I am tired.  

The hubby and Elliott are at Sea World for some last minute one on one time.  I was glad to have them leave the house, but envious that I couldn’t join them.  So, here I am — home alone for what will likely be the last time for a while.  And all I can think to do is walk around the house in circles moving things from one place to another.  

I hate the waiting game.  More bloody show this morning, more digestive track clearing, more pelvic pressure and BH,  But, no contractions and no amniotic fluid.  I am stuck between wanting to just carry on with my life and go grocery shopping and the like.  Or just sit on the couch with my heating pad and do as little as possible.  I don’t want my water to break while I am shopping  or at the park with the kiddo…that would be super embarrassing….but I feel unproductive not doing anything.  And then inversely I am tired, and I know what lies ahead as far as work and sleeplessness so I think I should rest…but resting isn’t helping the labor come on any faster.  It’s a vicious mental cycle.  ARRRGGHHH.

What did you do?  What would you do?