If you follow my blog, you knew that I went in to be induced at 39 weeks due to high blood pressure that I had prior to pregnancy. I was all set to be induced on June 8th and we were pretty hopeful for a June 9th baby! Due to a failed non stress test, we were sent to Labor and Delivery that Friday before, so she almost came even earlier then expected, but after a few hours we were discharged because baby girl had perked up!
Since we were back on track of our game plan, that Saturday I decided to spend some extra special time with Hailey! We went and got hair cuts and then we cooled off with some Sonic drinks. We headed off for pedicures together at our favorite spot, and somehow I was talked into manicures too for both of us so we got the whole spa treatment that day! Finally I grabbed a dozen crabs and headed home. We ate dinner together and then watched a movie. It was a great way to spend our full last day together before I headed into the hospital.
That Sunday I woke up with a ton of things I wanted to accomplish. I went nuts trying to clean and get everything in order. I wanted so badly to have the house looking amazing so that when I came home with the new little baby that I would not have to worry about anything! Of course, I wasn't able to get everything done before it was time to pack up and head off. I was stressed and an emotional mess!
We loaded up the car with all our bags and the dog and headed on out around 3pm that Sunday! We dropped the dog off at one of my best friends house on the way and then we were at the point of no return. We got to the hospital around 4pm and put in a room. I filled out a ton of paperwork, they started an IV, and labs came in and drew some blood. I sat around for a long time waiting for a doctor to check me. We still had Hailey with us and Kenny had to get her back home and showered, so I said my good byes to Hailey and they left. Kenny was coming back, but Hailey was spending the night at the neighbor's house so she could attend school that Monday for a "Summer Birthdays" class party. She even got to take in cookies and a party favor for the class!
While they were gone, the doctor on call came in and checked me and I was still only 1cm and not thinned at all. They inserted cervidil and I was told to get a good night sleep and have a good dinner. I called Kenny and placed my "last meal request" so he could pick it up on his way back. From that point on, it was just a quiet and uneventful night.
Monday morning I was awaken at 7am and they took the cervidil out. I was allowed to shower and eat some breakfast. My doctor came in around 8am and checked me again, hoping that the cervidil had helped make things progress and help soften and thin my cervix. Of course, my luck there was little change. I did have contraction the entire night, but I didn't even know I was having them. After she checked me, I started pitocin and basically napped and sat around waiting all day. At one point I looked down at my hand and it was three times the size it should be. I had blown my IV. I was given a new one and, but because of the time the IV was out they had to drop the pitocin way down again and we had to start the increase process again. My Mom came over and picked Hailey up from school. They stopped by for a bit so the very disappointed Hailey could say hello to us. She just didn't understand why Emily wasn't here yet! After they left, I went back to the waiting game. I was still having steady contractions every 3 to 5 minutes, they were strong, but not long. Around 8pm my doctor returned and said she didn't see a baby coming in my near future and that we were to stop the pitocin and do cervidil another night. She was pretty confident that I would be having a baby by noon that next day. That night I tossed and turned and hoped there had been some change. I also managed to blow another IV during the night!
The next morning was very similar to the day before. I was awakened early so I could have the cervidil removed and could shower. I was pretty confident that something had happened overnight. When the doctor came in she said I was at 2cm, but the baby had moved down and I had thinned a lot. We decided to break my water now. It was strange because with Hailey it was a huge gush when they broke my water. This time was a pop feeling, but neither her or I were sure it had broken. That was until I had gotten up to use the bathroom and that started the trickle I would have constantly until I delivered! We started pitocin again and she headed back to the office and said she would see me around noon. My contractions got very strong and were very close together. After about an hour I decided to get an epideral. They came in and set me all up for an epideral. Believe me, it's not fun, but I figured it's well worth it. It worked pretty good, but within a half an hour, all the feeling came back in my left side, then shortly after that my right side. They came in and did a big shot into my lines, but it didn't help. Now I was in a lot of pain and I was in tears. They came in and took it out. It had to be redone again. I wasn't a happy camper, but hey! about ten minutes later, I was back to being comfortable, so I guess I shouldn't complain that much! Lunch time came and went and I had only made it to 3cm. My doctor said we should have a baby around 5pm. Dinner time came and went and still no progression. They took me off the monitors and put internal ones on both the baby and I. They hoped this would get us a better picture of what was going on. I was 4cm at this point. She said she would return at 8pm if she didn't hear anything sooner. 8pm came and went and this time when she came to check on me she stopped telling me times. She told me that she was confident that I would all the sudden go from nothing to ready to push. My contractions were very strong and I spent most my time rotating from side to side every 30 minutes with a big rubber peanut looking thing in between my legs to keep my pelvis spread. There was a few times where when my contractions would get really strong, that the baby's heart rate would drop, but besides that I was having strong contractions and the baby was still doing good. I was able to move around a bit more comfortable after I was taken off the monitors that were on the bands and were put on the internal ones.
At bed time I was starving, tired, and pretty sure that the baby would never be coming out. I tried to get some rest. Around 4am I woke up and had gotten really uncomfortable. I had been told to watch for pressure. I was pretty sure that's what I was feeling. I called the nurse and they came in. I was 8cm when she checked. At 4:30 it was getting a lot stronger and I was 10cm when they checked this time around. The nurse called my doctor and she arrived at 4:45am in the middle of a very loud thunderstorm. Shortly after she arrived she said she when I was ready it was time to start pushing. I can honestly say that child birth is the most exhausting and physically excruciating thing I have ever experienced. I had Kenny on one side of me, a nurse on the other and my doctor right there coaching me on. I was told to grab my legs and pull them to my stomach, put my chin to my chest and push with everything I had. Now I will admit it was a completely different experience then when I had Hailey. It was calmer and I was in charge, when I was ready to push I pushed! I pushed constantly for 15 minutes (it was 30 minutes with Hailey) with little break in between. I wasn't in the insane pain that I was with Hailey, but after days of contractions I was exhausted and ready to throw in the towel, but somehow I kept going!
After 59 hours from start to end, at 5:12am on Wednesday June 11th, Emily was born. She was 7lbs 8oz and 18" long. They laid her on my chest and even though she was purple and full of baby goo, it was such an amazing feeling. Kenny cut the cord and they wrapped her up and handed her to me. All I could do was look at her and tell her hello, and how we had waited for her, and that I was her mommy and Kenny was her daddy and that she had a big sister waiting to meet her. She never once left our sight that morning. They gave her her shots and did everything right in the room right next to my bed. She stayed between mine and Kenny's arms the entire time.
Shortly after, I was helped up out of bed and to the bathroom. I definitely forgot how messy childbirth was afterwards! We packed up our bags and with our baby in my arms I was wheeled to our next spot, the postpartum area!
And I think this is a perfect spot to stop for the night! Emily had a very busy first day of life so that deserves it's own post! But don't worry, I have pictures to share up until this point!
Monday!
Tuesday! Still waiting!
Welcome to the world Emily Elizabeth!
Wednesday June 11, 2014 at 5:12 am
