Birth Story- Cliff notes version

Monday, 18th Water broke at 9am
very brown and cloudy= hospital birth :(

Checked in @3pm with very few contractions and 1cm

4pm started me on pitocin (gr)

6pm 2cm, more pitocin

8pm wanted to up it again and I wanted to cry- was so nauseous I wasn't breathing during contractions and shaking.

9pm asked for epidural (gr) 4cm

9:30 epidural only half-worked-could still feel everything on my left side- but I was very happy :)

11pm 10cm-ready to push!

11:25 Samantha was born and whisked off to NICU

Tuesday afternoon, she got to stay in the room with me

Wednesday afternoon, we were discharged.

Read the following post if you want the FULL story!

Birth Story

Well, as the blog says, God likes to remind me over and over that He is in charge!

As most of you know, we had planned a home birth. I'm sure you also have heard that we ended up in the hospital. To some it is TMI, to others it's interesting and still some it's proof that I was an idiot to think I could have a home birth. *Shrug* Whichever way you take it, I enjoy sharing it. Judge me or not, here it is!

The morning of the 18th, around 7am I heard/felt a *pop*, but nothing happened, so I went back to sleep (thought I'd imagined it).

At 9 I felt what can only be described as bad menstrual cramps. I called to Jeremy and asked him not to go into work. Labor or not, I didn't feel well enough to be on my own. I then got up to use the restroom. As my peeing didn't stop when I did, I looked down and saw a dark brown liquid.

My heart sank. This had been my biggest fear. I knew that my water being that brown meant a hospital birth. I called Debbie (our midwife) and left a message.
Even though I knew we most likely wouldn't be staying, I told Jeremy what was up and had him fix up the bed. We watched a few episodes of Everybody Loves Raymond as we waited for Debbie to return our call.

I wasn't having many contractions at this point. Maybe one or two every hour.
Debbie ended up coming over around noon and checked out the liquid. She confirmed my suspicion and said that we would need to go to the hospital, as she was not equipt to handle a birth that required respiratory care that would be necessary. She did, however, give us the option as to when we could go to the hospital. She said we could wait to see if we could get my contractions going before we went in. Things weren't going to get any worse, nor any better by waiting a little while.

We ended up waiting until 3pm. I knew that I'd be started on pitocin and was dreading it.
Why? With as slow as things were going, I knew I was going to have a longer birth if things went about naturally. I knew the pitocin would make things go too fast for me to handle.

Blessing number 1: our first nurse told us that we were lucky Dr. Wood was on call. Out of all the doctors, he was the best one for us, as he would do all he could to let us do things naturally if we wanted to. (apparently he's an O.D.)
Dr. Wood started me on pitocin at 4pm. I was 1 cm dilated. They started me on a level 4. The contractions are measured on a scale from 1 to 10. I responded really well and was having level 6 contractions about 3 minutes apart. I was able to handle them in the bed (I was hooked up to 5 different monitors/IV's) and have conversations.

This is the part where I get a little frustrated. I was responding well and having consistent contractions and they wanted to up me to a level 6. Why? Because they wanted the contractions to be stronger.
ooooooooook.

So around 6pm (?) they upped me to a 6. I was 2 cm. By this time I was allowed to "walk around" (a whole 3 foot radius from the monitor) They came in with a yoga ball (their "help"). This is where Jer really earned his stars. The contractions went to a level 9. Well, not all of them, but about every other one was a 9. With all the wires coming out of me...(insert single picture taken during labor)


...it was hard to find a comfortable position. He untangled me constantly and was using his blessedly cold hands like an icepack on my neck (they don't have ice packs in the hospital...?)

After about an 2 hours, I started to get real nauseous. Jer was constantly reminding me to "breathe!" I didn't realize, but I was holding my breath trying not to throw up during the contractions. This, in turn, would make my legs and back shake uncontrollably.
This went on for about an hour and I knew that I was not going to progress as I was not relaxing during or between the contractions. I'd forgotten completely that I was in labor, and all I could concentrate on was not throwing up. The nurse then came in and wanted to up me to a level 8.

Why?

Because the contractions weren't consistent. She wanted 4 per "page" on the screen. Plus not all were the same level.

I begged her to wait, telling her that I had been using the restroom a lot, so that might be why there weren't as many as she wanted on the screen. When she left (not happy) I wanted to cry. All I knew was that I was hanging on for dear life during the level 9's, forcing myself to breathe with barely enough time to recover in between and she wanted to make them stronger and closer together "because." I was able to get 4 per page on the screen, but she still wanted to up the pitocin.

Jer told her I was real nauseous, and she offered to get me something for that, but said it might make me really drowsy. This was the last thing I wanted- to be groggy during the birth. At this point I felt so defeated. I couldn't move, was strapped to 2 monitors and an IV, was thisclose to puking all over Jeremy and knew I had hours ahead of me. The only help was something that might make me groggy or something that would numb me (epidural).

With little time to think between contractions and a nurse trigger happy on the pitocin, I swallowed my pride and asked for an epidural (not without a snide comment and laugh on the phone to the doctor as she walked out of the room). Jer thought I might be showing doubt and be in transition. I was only 4 cm and knew that me not relaxing was preventing me from progressing.

Blessing #2: The epidural only half-worked. My whole right side was completely numb, but I could still feel everything on my left. The nausea was gone, the level 9's only felt like 7's and I was able to continue to labor. Granted, it wasn't like I'd wanted, but with the nausea gone, I could concentrate on what I was really there for!

In under 2 hrs the nurse checked me and I was complete! (I had thought so, as my hands and leg were shaking) The rest happened so quickly, Debbie only made it just before the end.

I pushed for 25 minutes. She never really crowned. There was just a little bit of head, and, even after pushing many times, she would go right back in. Then, suddenly she popped out! I had a 2nd degree tear (about 8 stitches).

She was placed on my chest for a few seconds and sneezed. Lots of brown liquid came out of her nose and they whisked her away. They had to work on her for several minutes, but she didn't cry the whole time. In fact, she didn't cry when the pricked her a million times, put tubes up her nose, or gave her an IV. But at the end of her bath- I guess that finally ticked her off! After her bath (and a few good screams) her oxygen levels stabilized. Tuesday afternoon (the 19th) she got to stay in the room with me.

Both sets of grandparents arrived 30 minutes after she was born. It was so surreal- a baby, Jer's parents, my parents, so many visitors and gifts- wow.

We finally went home Wednesday afternoon, and had a shot-gun baptism the next day before everyone left (a later post).

I have to add, with as nice as the rooms were in the hospital, I got about 5 hrs of sleep total from Monday to Wednesday. The entryway to the room is also a storage room, I guess, so the outside door was constantly being opened. Plus the room made lots of random noises. And Samantha is a noisy sleeper.
BUT
for those of you who know me well enough (and several of you who have lived with me) you will know how badly I need my sleep. Despite this, I was in a fairly good mood, and, given I've only gotten 1 1/2 hr spurts of sleep since then, I'm still in good spirits!

....Well, I'M impressed with myself!

Now, on to the next adventure tomorrow- 8-12 hrs in a packed car with a 12-day-old...

Introducing...

Samantha Marie

born 5/18/09

5 Lbs 12 oz

19 in long

Samantha Marie

born 5/18/09

5 Lbs 12 oz

19 in long

Birth story to come soon, I promise!

Why I can't wait to move home...

My child's Aunt:

40 weeks WWF

To answer the never-ending stream of the question, "Is the baby here yet?"

I think, deep down, I knew the baby wouldn't be here early. Honestly? It's not in his/her blood!

Last night was looooong. Actually, most nights this week were looooong. I'm not sure if sleeping during the day is helping. Around midnight the babe starts wrestling with God-knows-what. And I'm talking WWF style. I get flashbacks of my brother bodyslamming his WWF pillow doll.

It use to be cute. You know, when the baby was 2 lbs and I could sleep through it.

From midnight last night (post wrestling match) the beloved BH started up and continued ALL NIGHT. In fact, they only stopped 4pm today. I'm not complaining. Seriously, I'm not! I really wish they were actual labor. I know all this pre-labor is going to make labor easier later, but I just want the labor to be real. I feel like such a wimp and lazy bum sleeping all day b/c I'm up with "fake" contractions all night.

*sigh*

No other news, other than the occasional blank deer-in-headlights stare either Jer or I will get from time to time. We are moving in 15 days people!!

15 DAYS!!!

Seriously Child- FOCUS!!

11pm-2am
contractions 4-6 minutes apart, one minute long each

2-5am
fell asleep between contractions and throwing the covers on and off

5-7 am
slept

7-7:50 in and out of sleep due to Jer's alarm clock
(funny, considering how he tells me hitting the snooze button is not recommended)

8-9am
everything has stopped.
slept.

What is up with you child? Are you coming or not?

39 Weeks- house arrest

One more week??

Let's start with Sunday night: up for 4 hrs with contractions (breathing, sweating, whole bit)
Monday night: up for 2 hrs, same thing
Tuesday night: another 2 hrs
Wednesday night: no contractions!! But 70 bathroom trips
Thursday day: Contractions all day
Thursday night: no contractions!!
Friday day: emotional wreck
Friday night: 1 hr contractions

SO, although I'm not working for money right now, I'm definitely working for a baby.
To come out.
Soon.

In other news:
We almost lost our apartment this week. They called and said because we were going to be three people in a one bedroom, we had to have a bigger place (I guess 800 sq feet is not enough for 3 people?)
The issue was sleeping space. They said with three heartbeats, you have to have another sleeping space (can't a 6 x 8 closet count??-sh... I didn't say that)
So, panicked, I called my dad, Super Fire Inspector

Using his super powers he spouted off the city rules (after double checking with his sidekick, City Hall):
Each person must have 50 sq feet of sleeping space.
Our bedroom is 12.5 x 12.5. That is 156 sq feet. Three people need 150. We're legal.

So, I called the complex back and they still insisted that municipal regulations state 3 heartbeats need separate sleeping spaces. They offered a much pricier place for us to stay. After restating that it was well out of our budget (although all apartment people I've spoken to don't seem to understand what a limit is. I say 550 is our max, they offer a place for 590 or 625- um, hello?? Do you not remember <> from grade school? those are both greater than 550)

anyway, after asking if we could still get our deposit back I tried one last time;
I assured them that my dad, Super Fire Inspector, would be more than happy to approve the apartment according to city regulations.

They did their own calculations, double checked with their powers that be and said 156 is, in fact, greater than the required 150, so we could still have the apartment.

*collapse on the floor in relief*

38 Weeks Our new friend Braxton

Aren't the chipmunk cheeks wonderful?!?!

This week has been full of contractions. I thought I'd had Braxton-Hicks before. But now we are fully acquainted. They take my breath away (and not in an "oh how beautiful" sense).
Other than that, everything has just been ho-hum. I've adapted to the numb fingers, mastered getting my pants and shoes on in quick, swift motions (Jer thinks there should be Pregnant Women Olympics) and have grown accustomed to 70 bathroom trips a day.

I'm ready to be done sharing living space in my body, so please pray that our little bundle is ready soon!

In other news:
We found an apartment! Oh, how we are relieved. I can't tell you how hard it was to find a 1 bed, 1 bath apartment with either w/d hookups or included, in a family friendly part of town in our price range. But God blessed us yet again! A huge plus it that it is within walking distance (up a biiiiig hill) to Jer's work.
Everyone together now, big *sigh of relief*

I thought I'd leave you with one-last picture. Jer thought it would be funny to capture me burping. He would have died, but I couldn't help but laugh when I saw it.
Notice the "wait a sec" finger. Obviously he didn't listen.