Thursday, March 25, 2010

A Birth Story

*I posted Olivia's birth story on my other blog when I had her, but since I don't have it over here, I'm going to post a better one. Every mommy blog I read has one, so I'll jump on board too.*

December 7, 2008

It was Sunday morning, I woke up without Russ next to me because he was at the hospital visiting a family friend who just gave birth to her son. I refused to go because I was so sick and tired of being pregnant and she was due AFTER me. So, here I was 8 days overdue. I was laying in bed trying to bribe myself out of bed with a donut that sat in the kitchen when I had this painful twinge in my belly. My whole pregnancy, I never had a Baxton Hicks contraction until I hit my due date (11/29). This was no BH. I thought to myself, "That was my FIRST real contraction!" Hooray! I called the hubby up and told him I had a contraction. I told him I'd like to go walk around to maybe get things moving along. I got up and took a shower and proceeded to have more contractions. I started timing, but they were very irregular, so I stopped watching the clock and went about my day.
My mum was scheduled to come in from NC that afternoon. I was suppose to drive with my cousin to the airport to pick her up, but I called and told her the situation and that I was just going to walk around with Russ until she got there. Russ finally got home and we went to the grocery store, to which I walked for all of 5 minutes because it just was too painful to walk anymore. *I had HORRIBLE hip and back pain from about 24 weeks on* I suggested we go to Starbucks and get some hot chocolate. While he was running in, I texted my mum and said "I think I'm in early labor.". I guess she got it right as she was boarding the plane, because I never got one back until later.
We went home and I cleaned up the apartment and did all the last minute things I could think of. I was finally starting to think "This is it. I will have my baby girl soon!". My mum arrived in the afternoon and she walked in the door and said "Holy Crap, Amy! You are huge!" Gee, thanks, Mum. :) She then proceeded to tell Olivia she could come out now because her gramma was here.

We spent the rest of the day watching the Steelers football game, and Russ made dinner of penne pasta with meat sauce. During this time, we sat on the couch using the Contraction Master online tool. My contractions were about 5-10 minutes apart. Russ called the on call number for my OB office and talked to the on call OB. She said I should come in to L&D to get checked out.
This is the point where I started FREAKING out. I started crying, saying I couldn't go because I was scared. Scared of the needles, pushing a baby out of my lady bits, etc.

I got it together and we left around 8pm. My hospital was only about a 15 minute drive, so we got there fairly quick because it was a Sunday evening. I arrived, checked in, and got sent to a triage room where I was instructed to get undressed, pee in a cup, and get on the bed. I got hooked up to a monitor, and saw that I was indeed having contractions. A male doctor came in and checked me. I was 2cms and 80% effaced. *I was 1cm/80% effaced at the OB's appointment on Friday (12/5)* PROGRESS! But, they sent me home telling me I was in early labor and to come back when I was having "strong, painful contractions that aren't like menstrual cramps." I wanted to punch the doctor in the face. I cried. I wanted this baby OUT of me. I was a mess on the way home. But, I think the doctor checking me, made things move along. I got home and I was bleeding and having some more painful contractions. My mum told me to take a shower and get some sleep. While I was taking a shower, I got doubled over in pain. I calmed down, got dressed for bed, said goodnight and hopped into bed. This was around 11pm. Russ had the laptop open to time my contractions. At one point, I remember being in a lot of pain, I couldn't get comfortable on our bed. I got up and leaned against the outside wall. It was cool. The lights were turned off and Russ was laying on the bed asking if there was anything he could do. I just propped myself up and breathed through every contraction, watching the clock. At one point, Russ fell asleep. I was dozing off between contractions.

December 8, 2008

1am, 2am, 3am came and went. I was still propped up on the floor, sitting Indian-style. Russ was sleeping on the bed next to me. Contractions were becoming more intense, and coming in 5 minute increments. Around 4:30am, I woke Russ up and told him we had to leave now. My contractions were lasting more than 3 minutes and my breaks were getting shorter. He got up, packed everything into the car while I got dressed. I had my mum help me because I just couldn't move during a contraction. I leaned up against the wall and just breathed. Russ was amazing. He never once panicked or freaked out. He got everything in the car, warmed it up and helped me get into the passenger seat. I turned the radio off, and just stayed silent. We probably got there in 10 minutes, but it seemed like forever.

Russ dropped me off and I waited in the main lobby of the hospital for him. I was fine until the nurse started asking me questions. How the hell does someone answer health questions in the middle of a contraction?
Got sent to a different triage room, didn't have to pee in a cup this time though. Another male doctor came in, checked me like he was trying to reach to my throat. If I wasn't in an extraordinary amount of pain, I would have punched him in the face. I was 5cms/100%... TIME TO HAVE A BABY!

I got wheeled into my Labor and Delivery suite, and it was a whirlwind of nurses asking questions, getting an IV started, one of them asked me "Would you like an epidural?" Um, yes please. This hottie doctor came about 10 minutes later and hooked me up to the good stuff. Honestly, the IV hurt more than the epidural. It was sweet relief almost instantly. I could see on the monitor I was having contractions and I could feel the tightening of my belly, but no pain. I was only allowed on my sides since I got an epi, but that was alright with me. The labor and the epi made me shake a lot. My HR kept going above 90 so alarms would sound and my nurse kept telling me to take deep breaths and calm down.

Around 9:30 or so, my doctor came in to check on me. She told me that around noon, she'd come in and break my water. She was standing beside me filling out something on her computer when I felt a really warm sensation down below. I figured it was my water breaking. I told my doctor and she went to look. "Yep, and you're 8cms dilated!" Woohoo!

Around 10:30 or so, I started feeling a lot of pressure in my bum. I knew this was the baby pushing her way through the birth canal. Every contraction felt like I had to hold it in. You know the feeling when you got to poop, but can't because you're not anywhere near a bathroom? Yeah, it was like that. I was talking to my dad and other family members, when I just couldn't handle the pressure anymore. I told the nurse and she paged the doctor. My OB came in and checked me and I was fully dilated and ready to start pushing.

It was around 11:20ish or so when I actually started to push. Price is Right was on the TV, and Russ was watching it between pushing. My nurses thought it would be better if they turned off the epidural, to help me feel where and how I was pushing. I was slowly bringing her down.
At 12:35, Olivia was starting to crown and my doctor was still not in the room. I had to keep her in, stop pushing.... SHA RIGHT (as Wayne would say). That was the most agonizing couple of minutes. Your body has the URGE to get the baby out. Holding it in sucked. My doctor finally got her ass in the room and suited up. They pulled the table apart, turned on the UFO lighting, and I was ready to go. 1 push, 2, push... HOLY CRAP GET THIS BABY OUT OF ME NOW!! 3rd push she was out. I seriously thought I had to deliver her body still, but apparently, she had already been out. It was the weird feeling in the world. They plopped her on my belly and wiped her down. Russ cut the cord. They whisked her away to clean her up and check all that good stuff. Russ followed. I delivered the placenta, which was CAKE compared to a baby.

I had a 1st degree tear inside, but I didn't have to get an episiotomy. I got stitched up. Which was actually tickling me.. not hurting. Weird.

They announced my little bundle of joy was 8lbs 4oz and 21.25 inches long. Russ was holding her all swaddled up, and he finally handed her to me for the 1st time. Ah-Mazing moment in my life.





Remember that moment when she's almost 16 months old and throws a fit on the floor because she didn't get a Pop Tart. :D

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