Here it is!
On September 23rd at 7:30 p.m. Ritchie and I checked into the hospital to start cervadil to soften my cervix to prepare for an induction. While I was hoping that the cervadil alone would kick start labor, I wasn't expecting it to. So, I was pleasantly surprised when I started cramping right away. I was 3cm and 80% effaced at 8:00 p.m. My mother and doula decided to wait around until about 10 p.m. and see if the cramping got worse, or if it was manageable enough for them to go home. By 10 p.m. I was having constant contractions and was questioning whether we should take the cervadil out or not. A nurse checked me and I was 4cm, still 80% effaced. They pulled out the cervadil at 10:55 and I was considered in active labor. At this point contractions slowed a bit to anywhere from 2-5 minutes apart for about 90 seconds each. My doula had us using a tens machine, which sends your brain the signals to release more endorphins by pulsing your muscles. That was helping tremendously. I also got in the big tub that the hospital room had and that was a GOD send. I felt human again in that tub. I also leaned on Ritchie during contractions and swayed back and forth, which was very soothing. I used these three techniques until about 5:00 a.m. when I decided to be checked.
The nurse told me I was 4-5 cm at this point - 6 hours later! Ugh! I was so discouraged that I immediately began panicking and thinking about an epidural. Luckily, Diana was there and really spoke to me about what that might mean. I was high risk for the baby being in the wrong position and if I got an epidural I wouldn't be able to actively move to help get the baby into the correct birthing position. They wanted to give me pitocin to get things moving at this point and I decided to tough it out, skip the epidural for now and take one contraction at a time with no pitocin. I asked to be given a few hours to progress before any more measures were taken. at 7:40 a.m. (now about 11 hours into my labor) my doctor came in and checked me again. STILL 4-5 cm and 80% effaced. Dr. Kendrick decided that breaking my water would be the best plan of action. So, even though I was very scared about being put on a clock by having my water broken, I agreed. What else was I going to do?? I was stuck!
Now begins the real progress! I sat and watched FRIENDS (trying desperately to distract myself) and breathed through each contraction while using the tens machine. That worked wonderfully for about an hour. Then the pain became way more intense and I began to talk about the epidural again. I was exhausted and would go in and out of crying and saying that I just wanted to SLEEP. About 9:00 a.m. I caved and asked to just talk to the anesthesiologist to just ask him some questions. By the time he arrived about 20 minutes later I didn't even care what the answers to the questions were - I just wanted the epidural. The nurse wanted to check me one more time, but I begged her to wait until the epidural was in. The epidural wasn't NEARLY as bad as I thought - I was in so much pain I think I didn't care about any risks. I just needed to feel so relief and I kept thinking about how much I would enjoy a rest...
By 9:30 a.m. the epidural was in and working on my left side wonderfully, but I was still feeling contractions on my right side. So I had to stay laying on my right to try to get the medication to travel there. Finally it started working and I was checked. At 10 a.m. I was 9cm! I couldn't believe it! I had JUST gotten the epidural and I was a 9! So, basically those contractions were killer because I was in transition and just about ready. Then it hit me that this meant that I wouldn't get a rest after all. Right about then I started to feel pressure with each contraction. Since I had just received the epidural the nurse wanted me to wait awhile before pushing. So I laid there and breathed through contractions again waiting to push. At about 11:00 I began pushing and it took a few contractions to get the hang of what the heck I was supposed to be doing.
By 11:30 I was pushing with more success. I was moving the baby down, slowly but surely with each contraction. The problem was that my contractions had slowed and were about 5 minutes apart. So I was only getting to do anything productive every 5 minutes. At 1:30 p.m. Dr. Kendrick came in, checked to see how I was pushing, thought it would be a good idea to get me on some pitocin, so ordered that and then left me to push a bit more. I was bummed about needing pitocin after all of that without it, but at that point, whatever needed to happen to get that kid out I was doing it! So, my contractions became stronger and more regular and I became more and more tired and weak. I stopped moving the baby down with each push, and started to pewter out. The Dr. had come back and was watching me push and told me - probably at around 2:30 -2:45 p.m. that I had a few options. I had been pushing for almost 4 hours at this point and she was wondering whether I would need help with a vacuum. I was willing to receive help, but she told me once we put the vacuum on, she will allow 6 contractions and if the baby isn't out by then we would be doing a c-section. Apparently I dropped the "F" bomb a few times at this point. I told her that c-section is not an option! She said, "Well, fine - push him out then." So I did! I'd say it was within the next 10 minutes that he was out. I just pushed and pushed and it felt like I never really stopped pushing and out he came. They told me to look down and I was able to reach down and grab him out and put him on me. He had the biggest cone-head! haha! It was truly the most amazing moment. He cried right away but they still wanted to check to see that his lungs were clear and check some other vitals. He went over to the lamps for awhile with his Daddy and they eventually brought him back to me for some snuggle time while I was being sewn up.
I have a third degree tear that is healing so quickly and not causing any pain. My biggest complaint about the delivery is how sore I got from working my muscles. Our doula had us using rings that she would pull on and I would pull on to get a really good push going. My neck and arms are still sore from those rings. However, without them I'm not sure I could have pushed him out. I can't believe he is here! He is just so cute and we are loving getting to know him and all of his little mannerisms.
Welcome to the world, Maxton James Lincoln! You are our whole world already!
September 24, 2009
2:54 p.m.
7 pounds 7 ounces
20 1/2 inches
