Really it wasn't that bad. So my induction was scheduled for Oct 29th. We did it this way because if i had Will one week before my due date of Nov 6th, then it meant I got a few weeks more off work- due to how the holidays fell. Otherwise, my leave would be up and I'd have to return before the holidays, instead of just having off straight through them. He was already a big baby and in great shape, so the doc okayed an induction at 39weeks. I was relieved I wouldn't have to be overdue too. I was pretty miserable at that point.
So on Monday, Oct 29th, we checked into the hospital at 5pm. I was placed in a room and given cervadil to soften my cervix. I was already dilated to almost a 2cm for weeks as it was. I was monitored overnight and given an IV etc. Alan stayed the night and went and got us some dinner- it would be my last meal until after Will was born. By 5am on Tuesday morning- they checked me again and removed the cervadil. It had done its job and they started the pitocin iv to start contractions. By 9am, the contractions were going good and I was just slightly uncomfortable, but nothing too bad between 5am-9am. They checked me at 9am and she decided to break my water to move things along, since i was about a 3cm.
time for a nap! this is hard work!
Well after she broke my water, which was a strange feeling.....the contractions really got bad. By 10am, i was ready for the ever popular epidural. I figured I had been poked and prodded enough through the last year and in pain, i was ready to get some pain relief, why suffer if I didn't have to. So they came and gave me the epi which was not bad at all. Everyone was kicked out the room except Alan which they kept asking him if he was okay, which he was. but i guess many fathers to be don't do well watching that huge needle go in their wife's back. I was so happy and relaxed after the epi. My family was all there- my parents, cousin Nancy and Alan's mom. I slept off and on for the next few hours and we all had fun watching the contractions on the monitor. They did give me oxygen when they noticed some irregularity. But no big deal. Everything still looked good.
They continued to check me all day and the pelvic checks were pure torture. They actually hurt worse than actually delivering the baby! The doctor came and checked me at about 3pm or so. I was having more pain, the epi was wearing off and the back pain was getting severe and unbearable again. So the 'happy doctor' or anisthesiologist came back and upped my dose. While the new pain relief was good, it was also a little too much. I literally could not feel my legs or thighs. Someone could have stabbed me in the thight and I would have had no clue! it was like jello. The doctor was okay with the extra epi, since I was only about a 5 or 6cm then. She said it would be many more hours before I was ready to push- probably around 8pm or later. So we all settled in for a long wait.
they came and checked me again at about 4pm and surprise! I was a full 10cm. I had fully dilated within an hour! I guess those stronger painful contractions were doing their job. The bad news- I couldn't feel a thing. The doctor kicked everyone out of the room except Alan and my mom- as I was only allowed 2 people in there. They prepped everything and I was ready to push by about 4;45pm. The nurse told me how and we did some practice runs. They had to tell me when to push, since i couldn't feel the contractions at all. good thing we had become pros at watching the monitor! Alan and my mom had to physically lift my legs up for me- i could not move them at all. I was like- how am I supposed to push if I can't feel anything??? The nurse said just to try and she acted like i was doing a good job. So I pushed, or so I think.......i don't really know, as I couldn't feel. The time flew, it seemed like i pushed for only 30 minutes maybe, but it was closer to 2 hours. Finally around 6;18pm, little Will was born. I felt a small 'pop' as his head made its appearance, but nothing painful. We heard his wonderful little cry! he weighed in at 8.6 and 20inches and was healthy as can be. They brought him over to me and let Alan hold him. We were so thrilled to finally meet our little miracle!
At this point, is where the horror picture started. Of course most people don't think about the afterbirth----they had to do the unfortunate job of delivering the placenta and massaging my uterus back down to normal size. This is when the pain started. I endured about 12 hours of labor and a vaginal delivery with no problem and not much pain.....but oh, this made up for it. They realized I had a bleed......and couldn't find where it was or how to stop it. so I was bleeding out everywhere. I remember the doctor asking for more help and sounding panicked, which made me panic a little, but not too much as I was too busy being in the most severe pain of my life. They spent from 6:30-8pm trying to get me all fixed up. it was not pleasant and I hate that i missed what is a normal 'after the baby is born' moment where you get to have your family come in, hold the baby and take pictures. I was too busy almost bleeding to death. I couldnt' see what was going on, but Alan said it looked like a horror movie there was so much blood. They finally got the internal laceration sewed up and the episiotomy. the pain from massaging my uterus down was undescribable. I wanted to die. They had to give me hemoglobin shots and other pain meds from losing so much blood, so i was totally out of it. I was dying of thirst too, but they would not let me have any water or ice in case they needed to rush me to surgery. My family tried to come in at certain points, but only got to peek in. They didn't move the baby to the nursery until i was fixed up, so that was after 8pm. Needless to say my family was tired from waiting all day.
Alan and his mom stayed while they prepared to move me to my postpartum room. I was so so sick and felt nauseous. They wheeled me down to the other wing and I hardly remember it, I was so sick and clueless from the meds. It was just horrible. I got settled in and conked out. They brought Will to breastfeed shortly thereafter, but i was so out of it that Alan sent them back to bottlefeed him instead for his first feeding. Later on at 2am, i felt better and was able to breastfeed then finally. And finally eat some jello which was heaven! who knew jello could be so yummy?
So that is the birth story.....labor and deliver-----a cinch! afterbirth------a nightmare! But it was all totally worth it, pain or not for the little miracle we had been waiting for for years!!! William Reed Peters!
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