Friday, December 10, 2010

Birth story

Continuation from last post:

As we left the OB office that Friday (Nov 12th), I think Mike and I were pretty shocked, I was silently freaking out and trying really hard not to cry. I just didn't want to be induced! But I had to do what was best for my little boy.

We headed home to get some stuff we needed for the hospital and for a quick lunch. After that, Mike, my mom and I headed to the hospital to check in. We really wanted to have a natural birth, but I think that's one of the reasons I feared being induced, I knew things would go downhill from there, I just knew it.

First they did an internal and I was still only 2 cm dilated, the same I had been for the past few weeks. They started the induction process with Cervadil, it really hurt when they put it inside of me. I was of course, also hooked up to an IV (ouch!) and to some monitors on my belly to check the babys heartbeat and my contractions (which I felt none so far).


I felt super restricted and uncomfortable with all that stuff on me, but I guess I knew that would happen if I gave birth in a hospital, which at this point would have had to happen anyway, even if I would have chosen the birth center. My ob let me have dinner (my last meal until Sunday). I had a burger and salad from Outback.

Mike went back home for the night and my mommy stayed with me. I didn't get much rest because nurses kept coming through out the night to check on me. At around 3am, my OB came in to check if there was any progress, and there was none. I think it was at this point when they started the Pitocin.

The next morning, Mike and my mother in law arrived at the hospital. I remember there was a Harry Potter marathon on tv. I was hungry but was only allowed to eat popsicles or ice chips. It was an uneventful morning. I still didn't feel any contractions and the baby was doing good. At some point in the afternoon, that's when I finally started feeling contractions. It wasn't anything like cramps, to me it was more like a pressure on my butt and pain in my lower belly.

Edit: I forgot, but it had to be somewhere around this point where my ob came and broke my water, it didn't really hurt or anything. Afterwards they put "fresh water" back inside my belly for the baby, so I was hooked to a little hose that went to the baby.

I don't remember exactly when or how, but the contractions started to get stronger and stronger, and yup, it was the most painful thing I have ever felt in my life! I still get shivers remembering them. Mike tried to comfort me but I didn't even want to be touched. I don't know how long I was in agony, my mom was pretty much begging me to be checked by the OB again to see if there had been any progress and to get some pain relief.

I was scared of the epidural (Um hello? huge needle in your back!) and I knew that once I asked to be checked, it was going to hurt a lot again. I started to feel super weak, I was shaking from the pain and I felt like I was going to pass out any second. The contractions were coming right after another. I finally agreed to be checked for progress and yet again, no progress. So I agreed to the Epidural at that point, since there was no way I could be in that pain for who knows how much longer.

It took around 30 min to get the Epidural in, and of course while they were trying to put it in, I was still having contractions, but this time I had to stay still and not move, those were probably the hardest contractions. Poor nurse, I'm sure I left bruises on her from holding on to her so tight. The relief came soon after, I still felt the contractions at first, but not as painful, then after that I felt nothing at all, awww relief!

To be continued...

2 comments:

Chelsea Van Tol said...

i'm so glad you chose to have the epidural!

Anonymous said...

Looks like you are an expert in this field, you really got some great points there, thanks.

- Robson