From the very beginning of the pregnancy, I was set against induction. I had heard too many horror stories about inductions being very painful, lasting all day, and oftentimes ending up in a c-section. I had the option to be induced up to a week before my due date. I chose to stick it out and hope that labor would start naturally. As a formality, my doctor had me set up an induction for 10 days post due date, even though he didn't think I would go that long since I had been showing progression at the weekly checks. By the time my set up induction rolled around, I was more than happy to be induced and finally meet baby!
I was to be at the hospital at 6am Wednesday October 16th. After receiving much advice from a friend who is a labor and delivery nurse, I showed up to the induction around 6:30 (no one said anything about being late)! Why be there earlier than what was really necessary?! My parents had come in the night before and went with us to the hospital. They waited in the waiting room while I changed into my beautiful gown (ha!) and Steve and I settled into our delivery room.
(Last Pregnant Belly Shot!)
(Awaiting the mayhem to begin. . . )
The nurses started to ready everything, starting with an iv. I am not one for needles, and especially don't like to think about ivs being stuck in your hand. While they were putting it in, I got light headed and began to get sick. After some smelling salts, cool air and some ice, I was okay to continue. I was concerned about being hooked up to pitocin from the very get-go and had a discussion with the nurse to make sure she agreed I was ready for it (there are other medications and things that can be done before pitocin if the cervix isn't ready). I was already at 4cm and almost completely effaced. She assured me I was a prime candidate, and she hooked it up around 7:30.
At that point, we had my parents come back to our room to wait with us. I wasn't really feeling much, so we just watched tv and hung out. Around 8:30 they stepped out while the doctor came in and broke my water (no turning back now!). About 20 minutes after the water was broken, I began to start to feel the contractions and feeling sick. I fought the nausea as long as I could, but ended up throwing up - sorry Steve! My mom was there to help manage that portion of things. After a few more bouts of contractions, I called it quits and ordered the epidural! My parents headed back out to the waiting room while the anesthesiologist hooked me up (literally). After the epidural and a catheter was in place, I was told I was up to 6cm.
By 10, I was feeling absolutely nothing and my parents returned yet again to wait it out with us. Steve and dad were both working on the their laptops, mom worked on crocheting, and I just chatted away, watched tv, and texted on my phone. I was feeling great and couldn't even tell when I was having contractions. It was getting close to lunch time, so dad and Steve headed out to find some food while mom and I continued the wait. When they got back, the nurse checked my progress and said, "It's time to have a baby!" I responded with, "That's why I'm here!", and she then explained I was at 10 cm and it was time to push! WHAT?! Mom and dad said their goodbyes and left the room for the last time pre-baby.
(Post Epidural -- not what I thought labor would be like at all! Is it really time to push?!)
The nurse began to ready the room for the baby's arrival and then had me do some pushing. At first, I wasn't sure when I was having contractions and when to push, but with her help, I was finally able to figure it out. I would push in sets of 3 (do 1 push for 10 secs, and I would do 3 of those with 1 contraction). The 2nd push was always the best, and the 3rd I'd tire out. But I slowly made progress. After 30 min, she called for the doctor to arrive. Steve and I could barely wrap our heads around what was going on. He wasn't prepared to be as close to the action as he was. My legs were absolute dead weight from the epidural and Steve had to help hold one of my legs giving placing him close to the action - haha!
The doctor came in and I began pushing with him. I only pushed for about 10 min when he said that she seemed to be slightly stuck and that he wanted to use the vacuum. Her heartbeat would fall at a contraction (which is normal) and would then come back up, but it wasn't coming back up high enough for him to feel comfortable for me to just keep pushing to get her through. It took longer to hook the vacuum up than to actually use it. He attached it, turned it on and she came out with one push.
He suctioned her out and we waited to hear her cry, but she remained pretty silent. I was almost beginning to worry when she let out a grunt. Then it was time to push out the rest of her body. Before I knew it, Bean was laying on my chest! My first thought was look at that hair! From that moment on, there was a flurry of activity with her. The nurses took her over to the corner to clean and weigh her. Steve went to be with her while the doctor finished me up. I had a 2nd degree midline tear that required stitches. I didn't feel it when it happened, but well aware of it now :-/. After being stitched up, it was time for the placenta. I got a little science lesson about it from the doctor while I waited for Bean to be returned to me.
(Baby Bean was born at 1:20 pm 10/16/2013 weight 7 lbs, 7 ozs and measuring 20" in length. Check out all that hair! No wonder I had such severe heartburn. I guess it was worth it!)
Once I was all fixed up and she was cleaned up, the room cleared out and it was just Steve, Bean, and I. We cuddled and fed her for the first time. After an hour, Steve went out and got my parents. They got to meet her and hear her name for the first time. They were pretty excited to finally meet her!
(Cuddling with mommy after the nurses were done with her. She wasn't really crying, just making crazy faces. Her eyes were all wet from drops they put in to protect her.)
(Meeting Ahm & Abo! We failed at the picture taking and don't have one of the three of us together. I was preoccupied at the time.)
I got to stay in the delivery room another hour (I also got lunch while I was in there!), then I was transferred to our postpartum room. They were concerned about Bean's temperature and needed to put her in a warmer as well as give her a full bath, so she headed off to the nursery during the transfer. Dad left to go get Sara (who was at our house during the birth) and brought her back once I was settled in our room. They needed to head back to IN, but had to wait a little extra time for Bean to warm up and be released to our room. Sara was finally able to meet and hold her and then the two of them headed off, leaving mom to stay an extra day.
(I thought I felt great after delivery, but looking at myself in this picture, I realize I was pretty dazed.)
(Meeting Aunt Sara :-) Sara was all concerned about what her name was going to be and whether or not it would be pretty. Once she heard the name, she approved!)
We hung out the rest of the evening. Steve headed out to pick up some dinner and when he returned, mom headed to our house for the evening. It seemed surreal to have Bean just hanging out in her little crib next to my bed. Nurses came in and out all evening to check on my vitals as well as Bean's. She had to go back to the warmer before bedtime, but was then brought back to our room where she stayed the rest of the time!
(Daddy & Bean)
This brings back some sweet memories of my own babies births! It is a time you will treasure the rest of your life!
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