At my last drs appointment on Wednesday the 21st I was absolutely sure my dr would announce I had made some progress, as I had been having contractions the last couple of days and I was already 2 days overdue. I was sad to hear that I had not made any progress at all, and that my dr wanted to schedule an induction for Friday. We agreed to the induction but later on that day I started having second thoughts. Why did he want to induce me so early? I would just be 4 days overdue on that Friday and many women go up to 2 weeks past their due date as a first time mom. I was stressing over it all day and finally decided that I would go to the hospital Friday and if I still felt unsure about it after talking to the doctor I wouldnt go through with it. Luckily, I was spared the whole induction!
Thursday evening Skyler, my mom, my MIL and I went to dinner at Outback to celebrate the last evening without a baby. I was starting to get excited that we would actually get to meet baby the next day. Halfway through dinner, around 10 pm, contractions came on all of a sudden fast and hard, so I pulled out my phone to start timing them with my handy contraction timing app. They were coming on 2 minutes and 50 seconds apart consistently, strong enough that I couldnt swallow the Bloomin Onion or respond to the waitress' pregnancy questions. They kept on coming, and after a while I realized that this was it, I was actually in labor. I told everyone we better go home and get our bag and head to the hospital. On the way home the contractions kept on, getting stronger and I just couldnt get over the fact that I was actually in labor. We showered quickly and packed the car and headed to the hospital. We arrived about 11:30 and we were sent to L&D room #2. The dr came in to check me. I was 1 1/2 centimeters and 90 percent effaced. I was happy that I had made a little progress but was irked when my doctor told me I had to walk for a couple hours. However, they were admitting me, which was good news, and I wouldnt have to be induced, which was better news. So we started walking, every other hour for an hour. The contractions made walking difficult, they were still coming every couple minutes and I had to stop and breathe through them. The stronger they got the more miserable I felt. Skyler held my hand and let me lean on him when they got too strong. I started losing lots of mucous plug, and the contractions continued on. Around 2:30 I stopped in the hall during a particularly painful one. I felt a pop, and I knew my water broke. We went to tell the nurse and she had me sit on the toilet so she could strip test the fluid. She looked and told me that it wasnt my water and there was not enough fluid. I was convinced it was my water as I felt the fluid gush out more. She ignored me and told me to get in bed and I could have my IV. I was dreading the hand IV because I knew it was going to hurt. And to make matters worse, the nurse hit a valve in my hand and blew my vein. It was in between contractions so I couldnt decide which was more painful. She tried again and finally got the IV set. She started my fluids. The contractions continued on and started to become unbearable. I was checked a couple more times and was making more progress. Still at this point nobody acknowledged that my water had broken. The contractions got bad enough that I asked for some pain meds. I was given Fentanyl and it immediately made me drowsy. The contractions still hurt really bad but I was so drugged I couldnt react. I. was. MISERABLE. Whomever said contractions feel like bad poop pains and period cramps LIED. I thought I was going to DIE. As they continued I didnt know how I was going to make it through. I asked for more pain meds. I wanted to puke. I asked for a barf bag. I called my mom and asked her to come, as I glared at Skyler who was snoozing in the recliner by the bed. I wanted to stab him, I was so mad that I was in so much pain and he was sleeping. SERIOUSLY?? The next couple of hours are a blur, thanks to the pain meds. I asked for my epidural and they said that the anesthesiologist was busy and offered more Fentanyl. I didnt want anything except my epidural and for someone to bury me alive in the ground. It was AWFULLLL. Around 7 am a man entered the room. OH THANK GOD i exclaimed, certain he was here with the giant needle of pain relief. I was then told that he was the dr, not the drug man. DAMMIT. Of course the one doctor from the practice that I had never met was the one on duty that day. Oh well, at that moment I didnt care I just wanted the baby out. I was checked again. 8 1/2 centimeters where the hell was my epidural. More Fentanyl. Finally, around 9 am, the epidural arrived. I was so happy. I couldnt even think about how bad it would hurt because I was in so much pain already. Plus I was drugged. I sat up and leaned against the nurse while he prepped my back. I felt the stab of the lidocaine and jumped a little, but I didnt feel the cath going in. It started working immediately. My epidural, I have to say, was perfect. I was numb enough to not feel the same pain I had been feeling but I still felt pressure and could move my legs. I rested while I waited to dilate the rest of the way. I started feeling immense pressure and tried to hold her in. I felt like I needed to push. The nurse checked me and said I was still 8 1/2. crap. I really thought I couldnt hold her in. With each contraction I felt pressure. Finally after a couple of hours I knew I couldnt hold it anymore. GET THE NURSE I HAVE TO PUSH. Someone got her. I was checked. I was complete. FINALLY.
They started setting up the room and broke my bed down. I was in such a daze I could not believe this was happening. And God, was I tired already. The pain had worn me out. Everyone left the room but we had Cari stay to take pictures. This was not the original plan but I was so drugged I didnt care and I thought I would be happy to have the pictures later. The nurse had me do some practice pushes. And yes, I pooped on the table. I was happy I could feel everything so I knew when to push. I hear lots of women have such a strong epi that they cant feel ANYTHING. not me. I felt it all. The nurse announced she had hair. They could see the head. After about an hour of pushing the doctor came in to check it out. He watched me push a couple times. Apparently I would push her head down and it would go back up. He offered a couple of options, a vacuum assist and episiotomy possibly. I said fine, whatever it takes to get her out without c-section. I really didnt think I could push anymore. I was SO tired. The dr told me I could have her out in 10 more minutes if I pushed hard. So I did. Skyler was such a good supporter. He and Cari cheered me on while I pushed with all I had left. I felt the episiotomy. It didnt hurt but it felt WEIRD. The vacuum popped off the first time. I felt the most immense pressure and knew she was almost out. I slept between pushes. literally. I was that tired. I would wake up to the pressure of needing to push, push for a couple seconds then pass out again. Finally, I looked down and saw her as he pulled her out. I couldnt believe it, she was HERE. They suctioned her and she cried and she had hair, look at all that hair. The dr cut the cord and gave her to the nurse quickly. I was a little upset about this. One, I wanted Skyler to cut the cord, and two, I wanted her on my chest right away. They started cleaning her up and I watched from across the room.
Meanwhile, the dr pushed on my stomach and delivered the placenta. He proceeded to stitch me up, which I felt. I meant to count the stitches but was distracted by the beautiful baby across the room. She cried and I cried and I just couldnt believe that she was here. I finally got to hold her, and it was the most amazing moment of my life. She was so tiny, and looked just like Skyler. The lactation consultant came in and helped me breastfeed for the first time. This part is a little hazy for me because I was so tired. They took her to the nursery to be checked out, and the nurse helped me shower. I was so drugged and so tired, I just couldnt believe it was all over. My total labor was about 14 hours and I pushed for an hour and a half! We chose the name Autumn since she was born on the 23rd, the first day of fall, and Johanna after my Grandma Jo. It fits her just perfectly.
We spent the next 48 hours in a postpartum room. I had some type of infection that caused me to have a fever for a few hours, so I got a couple rounds of antibiotics through my IV. they never figured out what exactly was wrong. Autumn had a little trouble regulating her body temperature so she was put under the heat lamp a couple times. She also was a little jaundice so we had to supplement formula for the first few days. Breastfeeding was hard in the beginning. Every time a nurse came in the room I asked for help. It was frustrating and not what I expected. Im glad we had the extra day in the hospital so I could get more help. I had to get 7 shots of Rhogham because I had too much of baby's blood mixed in mine. My dr said he had never seen this in his last 11 years of practice. We were discharged on Sunday when everyone was announced healthy.
Here we are a week and a half later. Breastfeeding is getting a lot better. I didnt expect it to be this hard, but baby and I are learning together and it gets a little better each day. She is growing fast already and I cant hold her enough. She is the sweetest, most amazing thing I have ever seen, and I cant believe she grew inside me for 9 months. I kiss her constantly and just cant believe she is mine. Skyler is an amazing daddy and I love watching him with her.
Im actually pretty pleased with my recovery. I was down 15 pounds already when I was weighed a couple days ago, so just 10 more to go but I feel like it will come off quickly. My belly is almost back to normal and I have hardly any pain at all down below. I honestly dont feel like I delivered a baby a week ago and although I know I was in so much pain then I cant wait to do it again!!
just minutes after delivery
after her first bath
going home
family photo!
1 week post partum
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