If you know me, you know that I push off going to the doctor as long as possible. I just don't like going to the doctor. Or the dentist, hair stylist, eye doctor, etc. Personal space, you know? So, I didn't end up getting to the midwives until I was around 23 weeks along. I did start out to have nightmare morning/all day sickness, but it only lasted about two weeks. I prayed to the Lord to have mercy on me with that. And, He did. It just stopped. I was so relieved!
When I was figuring up the due date I was thinking beginning of March, but at the ultrasound they said February 23, which was Tristan's Birthday. They calculated me being around 24 weeks, but I was thinking closer to 22. Everything with the baby looked fine. I did have a few small health issues. A breast cancer scare, which turned out to be only scar tissue from the incision I had with the mastitis from after Brooke's birth, also I didn't pass my one hour glucose test and had to go back for the three hour test, which I fortunately did pass, and my iron was very low. Other than that, and the stress from my husband losing his job, everything else was good.
All of my babies have been late. All eight of them. So, when my Monday, February 23 due date came and went I was not surprised. The following Monday, at one week late, I had an ultrasound and everything looked good with the baby. They wanted me in that Friday for a non stress test. I was relunctant to go in because everything had looked good on the ultrasound (and I was paying cash.) They wanted me to come in anyway, so Friday morning I went in for the non stress test. (They had gone ahead and tentatively scheduled me to be induced the following Monday which would have put me at 14 days overdue.) I was hooked up to the monitor for at least thirty minutes. The midwife came in and looked at the readings and said, "I'm going to go discuss this with the other midwife and I'll be back in a few minutes." I thought, "What's to discuss?" David had gone with me that morning and we both had not eaten and were starving. I didn't even think they'd make me do the non stress test.
She came back in and told us that the heartrate was not picking back up as quickly as they would like to see after contractions (I was only having those Braxton Hicks-or at least that's only as strong as they felt) and they would like to go ahead and send me over to be induced right then. Well, to say I was surprised was an understatement! I hadn't even brought my bag with me for "just in case". There was no doubt in my mind that they were just going to send me home and wait for Monday-or labor- whichever came first. With Tristan I was induced on the 11th day and on the 9th day, with my amniotic fluid low, they still sent me home to wait two more days to induce. I asked if I could go eat something and they said we could, so we went to McDonald's just down the street. I had a few nuggets and a side salad. I was afraid to eat anything really heavy as I do tend to get nauseaus.
We got back on over to the hospital and up to L and D around 1:00. They got me all checked in and put in the IV (which I HATE). It hurt terribly after she stuck the needle in, so she did it in the other hand. Ouch! I had to have it done twice! She said there must be scar tissue on my left hand from so many IV's with previous deliveries. I had to have the IV this time because I tested postive for Group B strep. I have only tested positive twice out of eight babies. They say that 25% of women carry this bacteria. I think the number is probably higher, because if you only have two or three babies, you might never test positive and just never know that you have it.
Anyway, so four hours of antibiotics before getting the pitocin. My friend Denise had gotten there shortly after we did, so she, David and I just chatted and had a good old time while we waited.
So, that takes us to 5:30. They started the pitocin. This is the only inducer they can use since I have had a previous c-section (less chance for uterin rupture). I had decided that I would go ahead and get the epidural since big baby+pitocin=OUCH. Remember, I am cheap but, I am not insane. The only problems with my epidurals is that they never take on one side and I always throw up. If I had just gone into labor on my own this time, I wouldn't have gone this route. So, I took the more bearable of the two scenarios. I told my predicament to the anesthesiologist and he said that it could be failure to get the needle directily in the middle of the spine, or maybe just my body. He said he would try extra hard to get it straight in the middle, and give that guy a raise, he did it! Epidural a success! The midwife also came in to break my water. There must have been gallons in there! No wonder Bailey always seems to enjoy her bathtime. That takes us to around 6:30.
I was joking with my midwife about a friend of mine who has ten kids and with the eighth, I think, there was a funny little story. This same midwife was also delivering her baby and stepped out of the room for a minute. Her husband came and got the midwife and said, "Can you come check things out? We can't find the heartbeat. The monitor must've moved." The midwife went back in and they see wiggling under the blanket. My friend had delivered the baby and not even realized it!
Denise and David were having fun watching the contractions on the monitor and many of them were going off the chart. Thank you anesthesiologist! Obviously this labor could have been much less pleasant. (I know from "no epidural" experience.)
Around 7:45 or so, I started to not feel well, and it felt like someone cranked up the heater. David asked if I wanted him to get the nurse and I said like a true labor veteran, "I don't know." He said he was going to go to the bathroom and he'd go ahead and tell the nurse to come check on me. The nurse came in and when I told her I was hot and didn't feel well, and asked was she going to check me, she said she didn't want to check because of the group B strep (didn't want to accidently spread the bacteria) and she would go get the midwife. The midwife came and said, "Well, let's take a look. OH! There's the head! Um, where's the dad?"
Someone went off to find David, the midwife quickly got her supplies together and after they found David, everyone gathered around. The midwife told me that when I was ready to go ahead and start pushing. So I took a deep breath and the midwife said, "Slow down!" And I thought, "But I didn't do anything yet." I know I had the epidural and all, but I seriously did not push. That girl was on her way regardless. At 8:30 we had a Bailey. She was mostly cheeks-so cute. Then there was a small debate between the midwife and my husband about cutting the cord. She was all, "Dad! You can cut the cord!" and he was all, "No." My husband is NOT a cord cutting kind of guy. He is a "leave it all to the professionals" kind of guy. But, I love him.
I think that if the midwife hadn't come in when she did, then Bailey would have been wriggling under the sheets! Unfortunately, the epidural did make me nauseaus, so instead of holding her, I was puking. So fun. Denise and David held her and she peed all over them. Several times. She's a generous girl.
The recovery went well. I have heard that stomach cramps get consecutively worse with each child. Yes, yes they do. Oh, my word, it's as bad as labor contractions. And that motrin they give you does NOTHING.
Ahem.
Nursing went very well. I was nervous because since my mastitis/incision after Brooke's birth, nursing my last two babies was excrutiating for about the first six weeks. (on the left side only though.) But this time, it really wasn't painful at all. I was so thankful.
When I was figuring up the due date I was thinking beginning of March, but at the ultrasound they said February 23, which was Tristan's Birthday. They calculated me being around 24 weeks, but I was thinking closer to 22. Everything with the baby looked fine. I did have a few small health issues. A breast cancer scare, which turned out to be only scar tissue from the incision I had with the mastitis from after Brooke's birth, also I didn't pass my one hour glucose test and had to go back for the three hour test, which I fortunately did pass, and my iron was very low. Other than that, and the stress from my husband losing his job, everything else was good.
All of my babies have been late. All eight of them. So, when my Monday, February 23 due date came and went I was not surprised. The following Monday, at one week late, I had an ultrasound and everything looked good with the baby. They wanted me in that Friday for a non stress test. I was relunctant to go in because everything had looked good on the ultrasound (and I was paying cash.) They wanted me to come in anyway, so Friday morning I went in for the non stress test. (They had gone ahead and tentatively scheduled me to be induced the following Monday which would have put me at 14 days overdue.) I was hooked up to the monitor for at least thirty minutes. The midwife came in and looked at the readings and said, "I'm going to go discuss this with the other midwife and I'll be back in a few minutes." I thought, "What's to discuss?" David had gone with me that morning and we both had not eaten and were starving. I didn't even think they'd make me do the non stress test.
She came back in and told us that the heartrate was not picking back up as quickly as they would like to see after contractions (I was only having those Braxton Hicks-or at least that's only as strong as they felt) and they would like to go ahead and send me over to be induced right then. Well, to say I was surprised was an understatement! I hadn't even brought my bag with me for "just in case". There was no doubt in my mind that they were just going to send me home and wait for Monday-or labor- whichever came first. With Tristan I was induced on the 11th day and on the 9th day, with my amniotic fluid low, they still sent me home to wait two more days to induce. I asked if I could go eat something and they said we could, so we went to McDonald's just down the street. I had a few nuggets and a side salad. I was afraid to eat anything really heavy as I do tend to get nauseaus.
We got back on over to the hospital and up to L and D around 1:00. They got me all checked in and put in the IV (which I HATE). It hurt terribly after she stuck the needle in, so she did it in the other hand. Ouch! I had to have it done twice! She said there must be scar tissue on my left hand from so many IV's with previous deliveries. I had to have the IV this time because I tested postive for Group B strep. I have only tested positive twice out of eight babies. They say that 25% of women carry this bacteria. I think the number is probably higher, because if you only have two or three babies, you might never test positive and just never know that you have it.
Anyway, so four hours of antibiotics before getting the pitocin. My friend Denise had gotten there shortly after we did, so she, David and I just chatted and had a good old time while we waited.
So, that takes us to 5:30. They started the pitocin. This is the only inducer they can use since I have had a previous c-section (less chance for uterin rupture). I had decided that I would go ahead and get the epidural since big baby+pitocin=OUCH. Remember, I am cheap but, I am not insane. The only problems with my epidurals is that they never take on one side and I always throw up. If I had just gone into labor on my own this time, I wouldn't have gone this route. So, I took the more bearable of the two scenarios. I told my predicament to the anesthesiologist and he said that it could be failure to get the needle directily in the middle of the spine, or maybe just my body. He said he would try extra hard to get it straight in the middle, and give that guy a raise, he did it! Epidural a success! The midwife also came in to break my water. There must have been gallons in there! No wonder Bailey always seems to enjoy her bathtime. That takes us to around 6:30.
I was joking with my midwife about a friend of mine who has ten kids and with the eighth, I think, there was a funny little story. This same midwife was also delivering her baby and stepped out of the room for a minute. Her husband came and got the midwife and said, "Can you come check things out? We can't find the heartbeat. The monitor must've moved." The midwife went back in and they see wiggling under the blanket. My friend had delivered the baby and not even realized it!
Denise and David were having fun watching the contractions on the monitor and many of them were going off the chart. Thank you anesthesiologist! Obviously this labor could have been much less pleasant. (I know from "no epidural" experience.)
Around 7:45 or so, I started to not feel well, and it felt like someone cranked up the heater. David asked if I wanted him to get the nurse and I said like a true labor veteran, "I don't know." He said he was going to go to the bathroom and he'd go ahead and tell the nurse to come check on me. The nurse came in and when I told her I was hot and didn't feel well, and asked was she going to check me, she said she didn't want to check because of the group B strep (didn't want to accidently spread the bacteria) and she would go get the midwife. The midwife came and said, "Well, let's take a look. OH! There's the head! Um, where's the dad?"
Someone went off to find David, the midwife quickly got her supplies together and after they found David, everyone gathered around. The midwife told me that when I was ready to go ahead and start pushing. So I took a deep breath and the midwife said, "Slow down!" And I thought, "But I didn't do anything yet." I know I had the epidural and all, but I seriously did not push. That girl was on her way regardless. At 8:30 we had a Bailey. She was mostly cheeks-so cute. Then there was a small debate between the midwife and my husband about cutting the cord. She was all, "Dad! You can cut the cord!" and he was all, "No." My husband is NOT a cord cutting kind of guy. He is a "leave it all to the professionals" kind of guy. But, I love him.
I think that if the midwife hadn't come in when she did, then Bailey would have been wriggling under the sheets! Unfortunately, the epidural did make me nauseaus, so instead of holding her, I was puking. So fun. Denise and David held her and she peed all over them. Several times. She's a generous girl.
The recovery went well. I have heard that stomach cramps get consecutively worse with each child. Yes, yes they do. Oh, my word, it's as bad as labor contractions. And that motrin they give you does NOTHING.
Ahem.
Nursing went very well. I was nervous because since my mastitis/incision after Brooke's birth, nursing my last two babies was excrutiating for about the first six weeks. (on the left side only though.) But this time, it really wasn't painful at all. I was so thankful.
4 comments:
What a birth story! And quite a story about your friend whose baby came without her knowing it!! I always had the same problem with the epidural--it would only "take" on one side (very weird sensation being able to feel on one side!); I never had anyone explain to me that it actually might be an error on the part of the anesthesiologist!
Sounds like a great arrival on Ms. Bailey's part. :) I'm so glad everything went well. My hubby was not a 'cut the cord' type either - but he did offer to fix the computer if it needed it.
How'd you know about me having the baby unknowingly? Did Terry tell you? You can't imagine how weird it was to just sit here and read my birth story on your blog. LOL!! And it was number 9, my sweet Courtney. She's 5 now.
Hope you're getting settled.
Love Dawn Mole
Yes, Terry was telling me the story "anonymously" and I said, "Was it Dawn?" and she said yes! But I thought it was so funny since the same thing almost happened to me! Ha!
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