Spookygirl
12-18-2005, 08:02 PM
We checked into St Agnes at 5:30 am, and went right up to labor and delivery. They hooked me up to all the monitors, and we started the day worried about my blood pressure. They had me lay on my left side quietly to try to bring it down. Finally right around 7am, they were able to get started.
I reacted well to the pitocin drip, and was in a good labor pattern by 10am. My doula, Jaquie, was great as was my nurse Melissa, poor thing, she was forever having to come in and readjust my monitors, because I wasn't staying in one position very long! LOL! A while later Jaquie and I were laughing about something, when I felt that small pop, and my water broke! There was some meconium staining, and we let the nurse know. The great thing about the water breaking was, they were able to put in an internal monitor, so I had much greater freedom of movement. I was having a really hard time keeping up with the contractions, but wanted to try to do it with out the epidural. But when they came in and checked me and I was only to 3cm after 4 hours of labor, I decided to go ahead and get one. Jaquie was great, and very supportive. It was a good thing I did, because had my labor taken any longer, I would have not had the energy to do what came next!!
My nurse was getting ready to go off shift, so she came in at 2:45 to check me, I was at 5cm. She kept having me move to different positions, because both my blood pressure was going up, and Jack's heart was going down. They started to get very, very worried about the decelerations and put in a call to my OB. While they were watching the monitors, Jacks' decelerations got worse, and they started talking about opening the OR (for a c-section).
I told Melissa, and Jo-Ann, the nurse who was taking over, that laying on my right side was causing me a great deal of pain on my left side. So, just for giggles Jo-Ann decided to check me again. At 3:15, I was at 10cm, and Jack was at 0 station and the pain I was feeling was the pressure to push!!! My OB is no where to be seen. Jo-Ann asked me if I was a good pusher, and I had to honestly say I didn't know, LOL!
With my next contraction, I pushed, and was able to move Jack from 0 station, to crowning! I guess I am a good pusher, LOL! The next contraction, his head and hand were out. (that explains some of my pain, he had his hand up by his head! Little stinker!) And third contraction, he was all the way out, and whisked off to the warmer to be suction and cleaned. They had to spend little extra time with him because of the meconium.
About that time my Dr came in! He was shocked to see Jack out, and me waiting to deliver the placenta. 8 minutes from first push to Jack on the warmer. The nurses were all looking at what can only be described as a hole in the umbilical cord, that had healed over! I have a picture of it, it's rather creepy to look at. No one knew what it was, and it was sent off to pathology to be checked out. No idea if that had to do with his decelerations or not.
It took a while for them to finally give Jack back to me, but once they did, he latched right on and nursed like an old pro! He nursed for an hour, even though the baby nurse kept coming in wanting to give him a bath and check him again, I told her she could have him when he was done. She didn't like that much, LOL!
All in all, it wasn't exactly the birth experience I wanted, but considering the worrisome aspects of my blood pressure, his decelerations and that strange hole in the umbilical cord, I am blessed that Jack and I came out fine and healthy!
Pictures (http://spaces.msn.com/members/spookiez/)
I reacted well to the pitocin drip, and was in a good labor pattern by 10am. My doula, Jaquie, was great as was my nurse Melissa, poor thing, she was forever having to come in and readjust my monitors, because I wasn't staying in one position very long! LOL! A while later Jaquie and I were laughing about something, when I felt that small pop, and my water broke! There was some meconium staining, and we let the nurse know. The great thing about the water breaking was, they were able to put in an internal monitor, so I had much greater freedom of movement. I was having a really hard time keeping up with the contractions, but wanted to try to do it with out the epidural. But when they came in and checked me and I was only to 3cm after 4 hours of labor, I decided to go ahead and get one. Jaquie was great, and very supportive. It was a good thing I did, because had my labor taken any longer, I would have not had the energy to do what came next!!
My nurse was getting ready to go off shift, so she came in at 2:45 to check me, I was at 5cm. She kept having me move to different positions, because both my blood pressure was going up, and Jack's heart was going down. They started to get very, very worried about the decelerations and put in a call to my OB. While they were watching the monitors, Jacks' decelerations got worse, and they started talking about opening the OR (for a c-section).
I told Melissa, and Jo-Ann, the nurse who was taking over, that laying on my right side was causing me a great deal of pain on my left side. So, just for giggles Jo-Ann decided to check me again. At 3:15, I was at 10cm, and Jack was at 0 station and the pain I was feeling was the pressure to push!!! My OB is no where to be seen. Jo-Ann asked me if I was a good pusher, and I had to honestly say I didn't know, LOL!
With my next contraction, I pushed, and was able to move Jack from 0 station, to crowning! I guess I am a good pusher, LOL! The next contraction, his head and hand were out. (that explains some of my pain, he had his hand up by his head! Little stinker!) And third contraction, he was all the way out, and whisked off to the warmer to be suction and cleaned. They had to spend little extra time with him because of the meconium.
About that time my Dr came in! He was shocked to see Jack out, and me waiting to deliver the placenta. 8 minutes from first push to Jack on the warmer. The nurses were all looking at what can only be described as a hole in the umbilical cord, that had healed over! I have a picture of it, it's rather creepy to look at. No one knew what it was, and it was sent off to pathology to be checked out. No idea if that had to do with his decelerations or not.
It took a while for them to finally give Jack back to me, but once they did, he latched right on and nursed like an old pro! He nursed for an hour, even though the baby nurse kept coming in wanting to give him a bath and check him again, I told her she could have him when he was done. She didn't like that much, LOL!
All in all, it wasn't exactly the birth experience I wanted, but considering the worrisome aspects of my blood pressure, his decelerations and that strange hole in the umbilical cord, I am blessed that Jack and I came out fine and healthy!
Pictures (http://spaces.msn.com/members/spookiez/)