She Just Needed a Little "Push" (A Labor Story)

DISCLAIMER!!! THIS IS GOING TO BE TOO DETAILED FOR SOME OF YOU. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK. (I'm thinking of my dear friends that are a little squeamish when it comes to labor and babies in general.) YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!


So remember my last (real) post and how I was so worried and frustrated about this baby coming out? Well I didn't have to worry long!! Here's the breakdown:

So Thursday I was out running errands with my mom and Lilia. We went to Lowes to buy some paint for the house and we ran to Joann's to pick up some fabric for curtains. All of the running around was making us hungry so we were about to go to lunch before heading home when I felt like I needed to use the bathroom. We were at a really tiny Joann's and they didn't have a restroom so I decided to wait until we got to lunch despite my growing discomfort and now a sort of wetness in my pants....
Well at this point I had the thought that maybe my water had broken as my pants were getting wetter, but it wasn't a gush and I wanted to make sure before I rushed off to the hospital just to be told I had peed my pants or something. I made the executive decision to go ahead with our plans for lunch and make a stop in the bathroom there. We arrived at a little Greek cafe a few minutes later and I rushed to the girl's room while my mom ordered our food and got Lilia situated. In the bathroom I discovered that no, I had not peed my pants. I was seeing (and had been feeling,) lots of yucky pink goop. I tried in vain to clean myself up and checked out my back side to see how badly I had soaked through my pants. It wasn't terribly noticeable unless you were really looking, so I rushed back out for a quick lunch! The owner of the restaurant was super sweet and got our DELICIOUS food out to us quickly and even through in a piece of baklava with Cliff's "to go" order on the house! We thanked her profusely and left for home.

At home Cliff was ready with our bags and we got on the phone with my clinic to see what we should do or at least give them a heads up that we were heading out. To give the reader some background, I had been having consistent contractions about 15 min apart for the last 3 weeks that at times would increase in frequency and intensity but never for very long. I was already dilated to 4 cm as of my last appt and because of the GBS situation and my need to be on antibiotics for at least 4, but preferably 6 hours prior to delivery, my doctor said that I should just go straight to labor and delivery if I was ever in any doubt. So even though the contractions weren't getting and stronger or closer together we knew we should go in. We got to triage at the hospital around 2:30 and got hooked up to the monitor while nurses got started on taking samples and running tests to see if it really was amniotic fluid that I had been leaking. They were CRAZY busy so we sat back there for quite a while while nurses and residents ran around and came in and out of our stall to get equipment for other patients. I was feeling pretty good after my delicious lunch and although I was having contractions they were merely annoying and not getting any worse. I was curious to see if it really was my water, and whether they would keep us if it wasn't since they had discussed an induction for the next day anyway. Were we going to have a baby soon? Was I ready?

Well about an hour and a half later they came back in and announced that it was indeed amniotic fluid. Probably a small leak, but a leak none the less. I was being admitted! Crazy! We got to work on some questions and paperwork. At about 4:30 they came in to hook me up to the I.V. for antibiotics. I was starting to feel a little nervous because my contractions had not really increased at all. I was now dilated to a 5, but in absolutely no pain and still not very effaced. Was I going to need pitocin? The O.B. on the scene decided that there was no extreme rush and that they wanted to make sure I got a round of antibiotics in me before going to any further measures. Cliff and I were left in the room to just kick back and chill...

So chill we did.... for 4 hours we just watched T.V. and chatted and chilled. We watched a LOT of Food Network and made a few phone calls. When the nurse came in at 8 to let us know that they were going to start the pitocin I wasn't surprised, but I was a little wary. I hadn't really dilated any more on my own. I was about a 5-6cm. I had heard so many horror stories about how awful the stuff is. They started me on a very low dose and told me it would start to take effect within 20 minutes. They would be back to check on me and make sure that both the baby and I tolerated the medicine well. They also asked me about pain management and medicine at this point. I was not against an epidural and let them know that I would almost certainly want one, but that I was in no pain and didn't see the point and that time. This would later come back to bite me.

For the next two hours or so I continued to chill. I didn't notice the pitocin much at all. They continued to check on us and they turned up the pitocin. My contractions became more frequent and more intense, but still not painful. Our friend Michelle actually stopped by to visit around 10pm or so and stayed and chatted for a while. We laughed and joked around, but I was started to get nervous that NOTHING was happening. Why wasn't I hurting? What if nothing ever happened? Did pitocin not work for some people? Was I going to have to have a c-section? I asked the nurse how much pitocin some people got to get them going. She said the doses went all the way up to 20ml? and I was at 4. She told me not to worry. She was right.

Michelle left at about 10:3o ish and Cliff and I decided that if I was still comfortable I should try and get some sleep. I was afraid it could be a long night ahead of us. I called my mom and told her not to worry about coming over until the morning and there still wasn't much progress. Well.... at about 10:45 I called out to Cliff. I told him I didn't think we were going to be getting any more sleep. I was FINALLY starting to feel a little uncomfortable and decided I would ask for the epidural at this point. The nurses came in and checked me and I was at a 7. They went to get the anesthesiologist and I sat and waited. Here is where things get interesting and FAST.

The anesthesiologist didn't get to the room until after 11:00pm and I had to sign a few sheets of paper and go over a quick medical background with her. I was pacing at this point. She told me it would be a few minutes to get all of her equipment set up and I told her that should be fine. Uh..... turned out it was NOT fine. I was getting increasingly uncomfortable and then I was flat out in PAIN. Contractions were coming fast now and I was having a hard time tolerating them. Cliff was trying counter pressure on my feet and the doctor was finally ready to start the catheter around 11:45 or 11:50. Unfortunately I was having such strong contractions at this point that it was SLOW going getting the needle in. She tried once and I was feeling pain and pressure on my right side so she had to start over. I was not doing well. I was having trouble holding still and crying out from the pain. She and Cliff were trying to talk me through it and I was trembling from pain. We were having to stop so frequently that nothing was getting done. Finally she got it in a good place and asked me to hold still... Another contraction came on and she said, "I know, but you HAVE to hold still!" It was about the longest 60 seconds of my life. I was whimpering and tears were streaming down my face. "Cliff, talk to me please!!!" "You can do this, Jill, you are doing great - you CAN do this!" It was in. Whew! So scary!

So looking back... I don't think I was at a 7cm when she put in the epidural. I think I was at least an 8... maybe a 9, bcaaaauuuuse....

After she got the needle in things were AWFUL. I cried out "how long before this kicks in????" I was told it would be within 10 min. and that my contractions should start to get less and less painful. Well they weren't! It was the longest 10 minutes of my life. I was crying out and squeezing the crap out of Cliff and having trouble catching my breath. The doctor came in not long after that, maybe around 12:10am? and they decided to check me. The epidural had been put in less than 10 minutes before and what did they say? "You are at a 10 and the baby is low enough and you are fully effaced and ready to push!" "What???" The epidural hadn't even taken effect! Suddenly there were a ton of people in the room and my nurse was putting oxygen to my face and they were turning me on my side. The anesthesiologist was still there and having trouble working the pump. She was administering medicine manually and asking me if I was feeling me legs getting heavier?? I was STARTING too. Oh well, it was go time. They had me do a practice push and then everyone screamed "STOP!" "what?? why?" Can I PLEASE PUSH??? No, I could not. Cliff later told me that my amniotic sac was bulging out like a balloon with that practice push to the point where it almost exploded all over everyone. Ha. So they snipped that and and around 12:16 or 12:17 I was told to really push. I was all out CRYING from pain. Literally bawling my eyes out. After one push I couldn't feel as much and then went into a panic. NOW THE EPIDURAL DECIDES TO WORK???? "Am I doing it right? I can't feel as well!!!" "Yes!!! One more push!!" Seriously?? And they were right. One more push and Ivy Sofia shot right out with a full head of hair and the cord draped across her shoulder like a beauty queen. So crazy fast!

Ivy didn't look like my child at all, but she was GORGEOUS! Where did all of that hair come from? She was so much smaller than Lilia too. At 7lbs 5 ounces I just couldn't believe she was mine. Crazy unexpected, but then so was the whole delivery! So there you have it! The whole story. Lesson we all learned? If you think you want an epidural, just go ahead and get it. Don't wait until you are hurting!