I have never blogged. I am not an expert, I'm not even a rookie. I am a blog virgin.
I am simply creating a space to write freely about my birth experience and the trauma that followed.
I'm not sure who I will even show this to. Perhaps my husband and sister. Perhaps my best friends, Cedar, Justine and Chianna, perhaps my whole facebook feed. I guess I will see how I feel after I write a bit
John and I were married on November 26th, 2011. We decided to try and start a family right away. It took some time for me to conceive. Once I did, we were over the moon. My midwife was concerned with my starting weight, (I have never been thin, but always have been healthy) and she wanted me to only gain 15 to 20 lbs during pregnancy. Ok, that should be easy! Well, I developed hypertension and insane amounts of swelling and gained about 60 lbs or water weight. I carried it mostly in my belly, face and thighs. Lucky me! my midwife was predicting I would have a "line backer" baby because he was always measuring "big".
 |
| Baby Moon September 2013 |
My due date was Oct 27th, 2013. I went in to labor and delivery a couple days before my due date because I thought I was having contractions. It was just braxton hicks. They decided to schedule me for induction on the Monday the 28th.
I went in to have a foley bulb placed in my cervix to dilate me more naturally than straight to pitocin. We went to a hotel and got all settled in for the night. We were to return to the hospital after the bulb popped out, or came out with a gentle tug. The placement of the bulb was pressing on my urethra. I could NOT urinate. We returned to the birth unit and they checked me in and inserted my first (of what would be dozens) of catheters.
*Relief*
Around 4 am on October 29th, the nurse came and gave the Foley bulb a tug and it popped out. She showed it to me. It was no joke.
Imagine the"bulb" part full of saline, the size of a pool cue. One goes inside your cervix, and the other hangs below. They work together to dilate and bring on labor.
At around 2 pm, I was ready for my epidural to happen.
I was so tired and uncomfortable. I was thirsty and hungry, I had planned on eating at the hotel, but since we had to go right back in, they wouldn't let me eat. Nothing until after baby is out.
Sitting in the position for the epidural was hard. I remember feeling sweat dripping down my back and I was nauseated. Little did I know (Until it was too late) that the woman preforming the epidural placement was a student. It took her an hour to place the catheter efficiently into my spinal fluid. So here's me after the meds kick in.
After the epi was in full effect, I was feelin pretty good. We watched Twilight, I napped a little, sucked on some ice. A Dr. came in to break my water. He took this long hook thingy...
and he dug around for what seemed like 30 minutes until the fluid released. It was brown. Johnny decided to poop while in the womb. The Dr. then explained to me that because he had potential of inhaling the meconium, there would be a team of Dr.s and Nurses just for Johnny and he wouldn't be placed directly on my chest, he had to go to the warmer first and he had to be checked out first. Ok, that was a little scary.
Hours and hours and more hours went by, my BP was high and they were telling me they may have to give me magnesium in my IV to lower my BP but it would make me really sick... I told them I would rather not be sick trying to push.... Luckily my numbers improved and no magnesium.
6:00 pm and time to push! EXCITING! But, wait... why am I feeling these contractions again?? Oh, my epidural needs to wear off so I can feel when to push? Cool. I got this. Some of the nurses were good coaches, others were more occupied with other stuff, so I just relied on my body and my husband to know when to push. I pushed for three hours straight. At this point, after so much pushing and not much baby decent, Dr. Terry is brought in.
She is the Dr. who would be preforming a Cesarean if necessary. My Anxiety skyrocketed because this was NOT in my birth plan. I was having a vaginal birth, not a c section. I wanted to breast feed. I wanted to be able to lift my baby!
Dr Terry had to turn johnny because he was "Sunny Side up", meaning if you looked up my canal, you would see his face. Dr. has her entire forearm up my Vagina and is turning my baby.... and my epidural is wearing off. She promised me three sets of pushes with a vacuum assist to try to get him out. If he was still comfy in there, C section.
I was hell bent on having a vaginal delivery and I am so angry about it now. The media and everything you read tells you "natural... breast feed,,,, no drugs..." If I could go back to the beginning of the birth process I would ask for a scheduled Cesarean.
Third set of three pushes.... POP the vacuum came off of baby's head. Dr. Terry said that one didn't count. She also said, he is too far down now, I have to cut you a little to get him out. "I HAVE TO CUT YOU A LITTLE TO GET HIM OUT"
Ok! Get him out! Give me that baby!!!!
As soon as I heard his head pop out I started sobbing tears of Joy and relief and felt so accomplished. I DID IT! I DID IT! He was born at 10:51 pm on Oct 29, 13. After they checked him over, weighed him, cleaned him, gave him the OK, let daddy cut the chord, they brought him to me.
Here are a couple other pics, some are of us breast feeding, fyi.
The emotions I were feeling are indescribable. I
felt like I was going to burst with joy and I had never sobbed happy
tears uncontrollably before. I was in awe that I grew him inside of me
and now I was looking into his eyes and his tiny little squeaks was the
sweetest music I had ever heard.
Dr Terry was still stitching me up. She had cut me really badly. I didn't know how badly until days later. I had a level four laceration. I could really feel the stitching that was happening so begged for more medication.It seemed like she was sewing for a long time. CAN SOMEONE PLEASE GET ME A DANG SANDWICH?
to be continued
*Relief*
Around 4 am on October 29th, the nurse came and gave the Foley bulb a tug and it popped out. She showed it to me. It was no joke.
 |
| That goes where? |
At around 2 pm, I was ready for my epidural to happen.
 |
| Ouch |
I was so tired and uncomfortable. I was thirsty and hungry, I had planned on eating at the hotel, but since we had to go right back in, they wouldn't let me eat. Nothing until after baby is out.
Sitting in the position for the epidural was hard. I remember feeling sweat dripping down my back and I was nauseated. Little did I know (Until it was too late) that the woman preforming the epidural placement was a student. It took her an hour to place the catheter efficiently into my spinal fluid. So here's me after the meds kick in.
 |
| Drugzzz |
 |
| Amniohook |
Hours and hours and more hours went by, my BP was high and they were telling me they may have to give me magnesium in my IV to lower my BP but it would make me really sick... I told them I would rather not be sick trying to push.... Luckily my numbers improved and no magnesium.
6:00 pm and time to push! EXCITING! But, wait... why am I feeling these contractions again?? Oh, my epidural needs to wear off so I can feel when to push? Cool. I got this. Some of the nurses were good coaches, others were more occupied with other stuff, so I just relied on my body and my husband to know when to push. I pushed for three hours straight. At this point, after so much pushing and not much baby decent, Dr. Terry is brought in.
She is the Dr. who would be preforming a Cesarean if necessary. My Anxiety skyrocketed because this was NOT in my birth plan. I was having a vaginal birth, not a c section. I wanted to breast feed. I wanted to be able to lift my baby!
Dr Terry had to turn johnny because he was "Sunny Side up", meaning if you looked up my canal, you would see his face. Dr. has her entire forearm up my Vagina and is turning my baby.... and my epidural is wearing off. She promised me three sets of pushes with a vacuum assist to try to get him out. If he was still comfy in there, C section.
I was hell bent on having a vaginal delivery and I am so angry about it now. The media and everything you read tells you "natural... breast feed,,,, no drugs..." If I could go back to the beginning of the birth process I would ask for a scheduled Cesarean.
Third set of three pushes.... POP the vacuum came off of baby's head. Dr. Terry said that one didn't count. She also said, he is too far down now, I have to cut you a little to get him out. "I HAVE TO CUT YOU A LITTLE TO GET HIM OUT"
Ok! Get him out! Give me that baby!!!!
 | ||||
| Johnny's first photo |
As soon as I heard his head pop out I started sobbing tears of Joy and relief and felt so accomplished. I DID IT! I DID IT! He was born at 10:51 pm on Oct 29, 13. After they checked him over, weighed him, cleaned him, gave him the OK, let daddy cut the chord, they brought him to me.
 |
| First moment I held my son |
 |
| First embrace |
 |
| First Latch |
Dr Terry was still stitching me up. She had cut me really badly. I didn't know how badly until days later. I had a level four laceration. I could really feel the stitching that was happening so begged for more medication.It seemed like she was sewing for a long time. CAN SOMEONE PLEASE GET ME A DANG SANDWICH?
to be continued
No comments:
Post a Comment