On June 30th I had my 39 week appointment. Our 38 week appointment
didn't really go as well as I thought, as you read here, and I was
anxious to see if anything had improved. Since my doctor was out of town
we pre-scheduled my appointment and membrane sweep to help things
along. I had stalled at 1 cm and 50% effaced for three weeks. I went in
and gave my urine sample. I moseyed over to get my weight gain and blood
pressure. No weight gain, but the blood pressure had jumped up again
and was now 157/93. Which is dangerously high. I panicked and knew a
trip to labor and delivery was in my future. When my doctor came in he
was his normal cheerful self but had a look of concern. I didn't ask if
there was protein in my urine because there was some the week before and
considering my blood pressure had gotten so high in four days I knew
things were not going well. He looked at me and said the only way to
make things better is to induce. My blood pressure was not going to
improve until I gave birth. I had been feeling this whole time that I
would go into labor on the 30th but never did I think I would actually
be right. He checked my cervix and stated that I was still 1 cm dilated,
but completely soft. Things were there. He explained to me how the
afternoon would progress. He wanted me to go home, get our things and
then have lunch and go to the hospital. He would give me a small dose of
misoprostol or "Cytotec" every four hours until contractions were to
begin. After that I would be monitored and given pitocin to keep the
contractions steady. He said I probably wouldn't give birth until July
2nd. How fun that sounded to me. I was very glad he ok'd me a meal. Lol. I said
ok and he left the room to call the hospital. I looked at my mom with
panic and tears in my eyes. She asked "what's wrong?" I said to her that
I wasn't ready and I didn't know if I would even be good at this whole mom thing. It
was a major emotional moment knowing that we were going to meet our
little girl vey soon. We left the doctor and I called the hubby to
inform him of the plan. He was working, informed his boss and met us at
home. We both took our time prepping to leave for the hospital and
mentally preparing. All the parents had been called and he loaded all
our packed bags into the car. My mom painted my nails in an effort to
get me to relax. We made our bed, straighten up a little and gave our
pup a little loving and told her that soon she would be a big sister. We
all met my mother in law for lunch before we headed to the hospital.
When we walked up to the nurses station, the nurse said to me "we've been waiting on you!" I looked at her and said "Yea. We needed to mentally prepare!" She brought me into the room and asks me to change into the lovely and confusing hospital gown. Another lady had wheeled a computer in and was getting all my insurance and billing information. Once all that was settled I asked the L&D nurse if D should get our things. She said yes, and we were there for the long haul. She reiterated the fact that this medication works slowly and I would probably be there, in labor, until Wednesday. While D went to get the bags she came back with the medication. She had me take a pill the size of a small nerds candy and hold it under my tongue until it dissolved. My mom and M.I.L. were saying how this baby would be here that night and the nurse kept saying no. This was at 2PM. We then did all the standard question and answer portion of the program. Once all that was done I had a contraction, and it was registering on the monitor with a large arch. The nurse looked at me and asked if I felt it and honestly it felt like a mild menstrual cramp. I guess it lasted for well over two minutes and the nurse was impressed. She left us to get settled in and the grandmas ran an errand and went to get snacks. Thanks. I'm going to be here for three days without food and your over there munching away! While they were gone we watched the contraction monitor and the heart rate monitor, just watching the peaks. The nurse came back in and asked where the grandmas were. We told her they ran an errand and she looked at me and said "They have some good juju. You have been contracting since I gave you that pill!" In between contractions, that we're getting progressively stronger and more painful, I played slots on the television and talked with the hubby. We were still in disbelief that we were having a baby. I looked at him and said "If I win the big jackpot we are having this baby tonight!" My lower back was really starting to hurt and I couldn't get comfortable in the bed. D moved to the other side and rubbed my back for a bit and then the grandmas got back around 5:30PM. They both looked at my contractions and got wide eyed. The nurse came back in and said that she had never seen this medication work so fast, but was adamant that baby was going to stay in until 8AM the next day. Shortly after that I was still playing the slots game and I hit the big jackpot! I couldn't believe it and I knew that the baby was coming soon! Too bad it wasn't real money. We would be up 11k! D's dad came in and there was lighthearted conversation in-between increasingly painful contractions. My F.I.L. left to get himself and D dinner. While he was gone my doctor had called to get a progress check and ok'd me to have jello! It was very hospital tasting but anything was better than nothing.
My contractions were getting progressively more painful, but tolerable. D was rubbing my back and my mom was rubbing my arm. All of a sudden I felt lil miss move, a big pop, and then a gush of water. I looked up and said "Um, yea. My water just broke." Then four contractions hit right on top of one another. The nurse came in and needed to check to see if it was amniotic fluid. Honestly I think I would know if I peed myself. While she was gone everyone had left the room except D and the contractions were right on top of each other and I started to feel sick. I told him I needed a bucket and he went running to find a nurse.The second he left the room I lost it, my lunch and the jello on the floor. How fun. But I felt better, a little. I was breathing through the contractions while they were cleaning up the room. This all happened in a matter of 10 minutes right around 8PM, at shift change and everyone was a little lost. I looked at Darin and asked him if he would be disappointed if I got an epidural? He looked at me and told me no, that if I needed it then to get it. I told the nurse that I wanted the epidural. Originally when I got to the hospital I had asked them to do everything they needed just in case I wanted it. Apparently they forgot and needed to put a bag of fluids in me before I could get the juice. Contraction after contraction, trying to breathe through them and my doctor comes in to check on me. He said to me, "Had I known you were going to progress this fast I would never have let you eat!" After that I had a large contraction and I was breathing through it. Everyone was cheering me one and saying how good I was doing. Someone mentioned that I had asked for the epidural and he looked at the nurse and said "get her the epidural." D's siblings arrived in the mix of this chaos as did a major fire alarm that was going off in the hospital. I mean it was crazy all at once. Then the nurses stated they were moving my room. While breathing through contractions my bed and all my stuff was whisked up the hall to a huge corner room where I would spend the rest of my visit. The whole family settled us in and talked until the anesthesiologist came in to give me the juice. Everyone but D was asked to leave. I wish D could have been the one to comfort me while they were hooking me up but the nurse had me hug a pillow and she supported me. When the dr gave me the numbing shot and inserted the needle he told me to tell him if I felt pain. Lots of pain shot through my right side and he adjusted until I was comfortable two painful contractions later and it was in. Whew. My right side immediately felt warm and numb and my left had nothing. He adjusted everything and said that he was glad that I was very still, even during those contractions. The nurse put in the catheter, ouch, and D watched the whole thing. Finally we got the uneven numbness to subside and the family was allowed back in. They all stayed until about 10:30PM and left us to get some rest. Rest was not in the cards however.
Stay tuned for part two, the delivery tomorrow! :-)
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