Labor/Delivery

Finally catching up on my blog. (kind of)

On Wednesday night at 5pm they gave me something to start softening my cervix. This would start the labor process. That night they gave me Ambien to help me sleep because Thursday would be a "long" day. This is when I found out Ambien and I do not get a long because I had 2 very WEIRD dreams that night that consisted of 5-6 imaginary people and Care Bears. I started having contractions that night. That next morning they gave me the medicine that would induce me. The contractions were a cramp feeling (from what I remember). I don't remember when I got the epidural but I don't remember it being painful or scary, I just remember I got it. I'm assuming that was the least painful thing that happened that day. I also don't remember them checking dilation or the numbers even mattering to them as was explained in my class. It was just "hey do you want the epidural now, the anesthesiologist is available right now?" YES PLEASE!

Now as you remember my doctor is out of town this week so we have Dr. Lopez (Dr on call that day) who I've never met before but who was very nice. She did come check me a few times but I don't remember being told how far I was or wasn't. Around 4:00 or 4:30 they decided I was ready to start pushing. I remember it being hard trying to grasp how I needed to push since I couldn't feel everything clearly. Once I got the hang of it everyone felt that she would be there within the hour. Well 2 hours later she still was not here but she was so close. Supposedly you could see her head starting to come out as I pushed and then go back in when I would stop. It was like this for an hour or more (or at least it felt like that long). Towards that 2 hour mark my sciatic nerve and tailbone started to really bother me, a pain I can barely explain in words. I was in so much pain and supposedly the epidural wasn't going to be able to address this pain. They had given me a button I could push to give me more and more pain medicine via the epidural, which I kept forgetting I had but they refilled the darn thing several times because my nurses were awesome and they didn't forget to remind me to hit it.

Around that 2 hour mark the doctor came and tried to help get Aubrey out but we were still having the issues with her not coming all the way out for whatever reason. Then the doctor realized that she had turned her head to the side and she couldn't get her to turn her head back the way it needed to be. At that time she told me I could either A - Keep pushing and probably be at this same point within another hour or B - Have a C-Section. I wasn't ready for this decision but I was worn out beyond words. After some questions and answers we decided the c-section would be the best way. Dr. Lopez told me she could tell I was hitting that wall and my body was exhausted which I fully agreed with. The next 5 minutes were utter chaos between a shift change so a brand new nurse to me got me thrown at her and a c-section prep which I am sure she was just delighted to get....NOT! So she's stressed out, we are stressed out, and lets just say you could feel the stress in the room. I'm pretty sure my husband was ready to snap on her and had I had any energy I probably would have too, but I also understood that she was just thrown a not so ideal situation.

They wheeled me to the surgical room and got me all situated. The anesthesiologist was very nice and gave me the "good" drugs to take the pain away from my sciatic nerve and tailbone. I can't even describe how instant that pain was gone. We had Dr. Lopez and Dr. Walters (my old OBGYN) conducting the c-section. All I remember from that point was asking the nurse a few questions, the doctors making sure I couldn't feel them poke me (which thank God I couldn't), and then lots and lots of pressure. I heard the doctors say that they were going to have to push Aubrey up so she wasn't as low since she was already so low from me pushing and then they made the comment that they were going to have to pull her up and out from that low position. The next thing I remember is hearing Aubrey and the doctor saying "he's here and healthy" and my heart hit the floor as I slightly in my high drugged up state tried to muster the words "HE!!!??!!" But before I could even figure out how to speak that one word the doctor quickly said "no no, she, I meant SHE!", to which we all laughed and in my head I thought "You better have meant SHE!" So they lifted her over the curtain so I could see her before they whisked her away to get weighed, clean her, and do whatever else they do. Dave followed her to take pictures for me while the doctors closed me up. At this point I remember nothing else but a few days later I found that there were pictures of Dave, Aubrey and I on my camera that the anesthesiologist took of us. Dave and Aubrey look great, me on the other hand look like I am high as a kite, drugged up beyond belief; which I was! I'm still not sure why the heck they took those pictures and can't use any of them because I look awful in them, like beyond bad. You can tell I have no idea where I am. ha ha From this point I have been in labor (if you count the softening cervix; whch I do since that had to be done to start the process) for approximately 27 hours.

Next thing I know I'm being wheeled back to my room and told they are having to put me on something called Magnesium (or Mag for short) because of my blood pressure. I am warned this drug sucks, I'm going to feel like I have the flu, I can't get out of bed, and I have to stay in Labor/Delivery until I am off of this Mag which I have to be on for at least 24 hours. Since they didn't officially start me on this until midnight Thurs night, I am told that we won't be released to Recovery until midnight Friday. They ask if they want the nurses to do Aubrey's bath and measurements in our room or in the nursery to which I replied my room because originally I wanted to be able to assist with these "firsts"; however, now know I will only be able to watch and hope I remember anything they say since I'm still coming down from my high. At this time they tell us she is 7 pounds and 20 inches. She hated her bath and screamed the whole time. I got to cuddle with her some and attempt to feed her (which I don't really remember). We were told we could send her to the nursery and they would bring her to us to feed every 3 hours; which I agreed to and was glad they offered to do this. That night went well and she fed great. However, throughout the night we had so many nurses in and out to check my blood pressure which was still VERY high, take blood work, check vitals, adjust meds, give pain meds, ect, ect.

On Friday, my blood pressure was still high but coming down. I was flushing fluids as I needed to and the nurses had hopes that I would be released by 8pm instead of midnight to go to the recovery side. My family stayed with me during the day on Friday and they were such good sports because on the Mag I was burning up and kept having them lower the temperature.At one point everyone was in jackets or hoodies because I was freezing them out. I found humor in this because I felt great and still a tad warm but you would have though it was winter according to them. I still could not get up but one of my nurses on this day told me to start practicing coughing because it would help get stuff moving (or I think that was her reason). Coughing hurt like no other but I was determined to get this down because I wanted to get out of Labor/Delivery. That afternoon Dr Cope (who was on call for my doctor) came by and decided that since I was doing so well that she would allow me to be taken off the Mag at 8pm and then I could be transfered to Recovery. Woohoo!!!

The nurses started the process of getting me off the Mag and off the catheter and making the transition smooth. Aubrey was taken back to the nursery until we were moved into our room where she would return to us until we requested her to go back to the nursery. My mom and David take all our bags; which by the way appears as if we have moved into the hospital, to our new room while the nurse gets me ready to transition to the wheelchair. Now remember I haven't been able to get up or move since the c-section and now they want me to stand, get out of bed, take a few steps to wheelchair and sit into the wheelchair. I had my nurse and David to support me but the pain that came with those movements was intense. I felt like I was ripping inside out because everything was so stiff. Typically with a c-section they want you up and moving within the first 24 hours because your recovery is easier, but I didn't have that option.

I then was told that not only would I be recovering from a c-section but also a vaginal birth because I had pushed for so long and she was so low. Fantastic! :) So I transitioned to Recovery.

The nurses I had in L/D were fabulous and I couldn't have asked for a better team, even the few that may have started out bad and had us concerned. I had them relaxed and being nice within an hour to which I attribute to the manners I was raised with. A please and thank you can get you a long way as does the saying if you give respect you will get respect. Thank you to all my L/D nurses, I won't forget all they each did to make me comfortable and relaxed.