So, we had our baby! yay!
I had cramps and then early labor on Tuesday, and then piddly stuff on Wednesday
morning. After Chris, my husband, got back from his grandma's viewing (3 hours away), real labor started
immediately. I tried to sleep through the contractions, but by 4:30am, we were
both up and working on having this baby. At 7am, I called the midwife, who
checked me at 7cm! Yay! By about 10:30, I just had a little lip. She said to
keep laboring until I felt an urge to push. So, I labored and labored with no
urge. I kept eating to keep my strength up, but would immediately throw up. By
about 5pm, the midwife determined that, though I wa completely effaced and
dialted, the baby's head was not yet under the pubic bone. We tried some
different positions to help with that, and the midwife and her assistant tried
gently guiding the head (from the outside) during a contraction. The whole
time, Evie was doing great - strong heart! By about 9pm, the midwife gave me a
choice - possibly another day of contractions to get the head under the pubic
bone, or try pitocin at the hospital. I was tired and ready to have this baby,
so I picked the hospital.
We had to wait three hours to get the epidural (I'm not doing pit without
drugs!) and the pitocin, which was annoying. I also got stuck five times
before getting an IV because I was dehydrated from throwing up. Finally got
everything started and rested while having the the pitocin increased for three
hours. Finally, the baby's head made it under the pubic bone. Yay! I was
ready to push.
I pushed for three hours with some progress, but no baby. I had trouble
feeling how and where to push, so they dialed down the epidural, which helped,
but not enough to get the baby out. My doctor is the only doctor who, at that
point, was willing to try forceps instead of a c-section. We tried pushing
with the forceps a few times, then he did the episiotomy (both on top and
bottom - and without asking, but hey, he did already have two foot long metal
tongs down there...). That worked and her head was born, but her shoulders were
stuck. Immediately, two nurses jumped on the table and started pushing on me
to get the shoulders out - apparently pushing on my pelvis, according the my
husband. The doctor was shouting and everyone was moving quickly. He was
screaming to push, so I pushed as hard as I could one last time, and apparently
tore completely from stem to stern, 3rd degree tear. It took over an hour to
sew me up. Yikes.
So now I am totally tender and home recovering. There is
more to tell about the hospital stay, but I'm not sure how interested people
are.
Anyway, Evie had a huge head and weighed 9 lbs 7 oz, much bigger than anyone
imagined. I didn't have GD, and her blood sugar was great - she was just a big
one!
I had cramps and then early labor on Tuesday, and then piddly stuff on Wednesday
morning. After Chris, my husband, got back from his grandma's viewing (3 hours away), real labor started
immediately. I tried to sleep through the contractions, but by 4:30am, we were
both up and working on having this baby. At 7am, I called the midwife, who
checked me at 7cm! Yay! By about 10:30, I just had a little lip. She said to
keep laboring until I felt an urge to push. So, I labored and labored with no
urge. I kept eating to keep my strength up, but would immediately throw up. By
about 5pm, the midwife determined that, though I wa completely effaced and
dialted, the baby's head was not yet under the pubic bone. We tried some
different positions to help with that, and the midwife and her assistant tried
gently guiding the head (from the outside) during a contraction. The whole
time, Evie was doing great - strong heart! By about 9pm, the midwife gave me a
choice - possibly another day of contractions to get the head under the pubic
bone, or try pitocin at the hospital. I was tired and ready to have this baby,
so I picked the hospital.
We had to wait three hours to get the epidural (I'm not doing pit without
drugs!) and the pitocin, which was annoying. I also got stuck five times
before getting an IV because I was dehydrated from throwing up. Finally got
everything started and rested while having the the pitocin increased for three
hours. Finally, the baby's head made it under the pubic bone. Yay! I was
ready to push.
I pushed for three hours with some progress, but no baby. I had trouble
feeling how and where to push, so they dialed down the epidural, which helped,
but not enough to get the baby out. My doctor is the only doctor who, at that
point, was willing to try forceps instead of a c-section. We tried pushing
with the forceps a few times, then he did the episiotomy (both on top and
bottom - and without asking, but hey, he did already have two foot long metal
tongs down there...). That worked and her head was born, but her shoulders were
stuck. Immediately, two nurses jumped on the table and started pushing on me
to get the shoulders out - apparently pushing on my pelvis, according the my
husband. The doctor was shouting and everyone was moving quickly. He was
screaming to push, so I pushed as hard as I could one last time, and apparently
tore completely from stem to stern, 3rd degree tear. It took over an hour to
sew me up. Yikes.
So now I am totally tender and home recovering. There ismore to tell about the hospital stay, but I'm not sure how interested people
are.
Anyway, Evie had a huge head and weighed 9 lbs 7 oz, much bigger than anyone
imagined. I didn't have GD, and her blood sugar was great - she was just a big
one!
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