Just when I had come to peace with the fact that I would be overdue, Isaac surprised everyone and came exactly when he was due! It started on Saturday with me cleaning like a mad woman. The house was already pretty clean, but I just had to rake the front yard, wash the floors, and scrub the shower. Looking back, I guess it was overboard. Since the house was nice and clean, Adam and I decided to go out to a nice lunch and then go and play some mini-golf. Right as we started on whole 2 (which I got a hole in one!!) I felt like a peed my pants. I thought it was just the excitement of actually getting the ball in the whole, but it just kept coming. It was so embarrassing!! I went to dry off, and after another 15 minutes, I was soaked again. I still wasn’t completely convinced, so when we got home I laid on a towel and called the doctor who said to come in to the hospital and get checked out. I kept thinking they would send me home, “Silly pregnant woman ~ she just can’t hold her pee!” Luckily, it really was my water that had broken and we were admitted at around 6:00.
They started me on my antibiotic (I am GBS positive) and pitocin since they wanted to get the baby out within 24 hours and checked me out. I was 2 cm, 80 %, but I was contracting on my own; I just couldn’t feel them even though they were only 4-5 minutes apart. After hours of no progress and contractions now 2 minutes apart, I got an epidural so I could sleep. Within 45 minutes, I went from 2 cm to 5 cm and 90 % effaced. I think I just needed to relax for some progress to be made. Adam and I were able to get some sleep until around 3 AM when my epidural started causing me some issues.
So, while the epidural was a complete blessing, it also caused us a lot of drama!! Isaac did not like me in any position except flat on my back! His heart rate dropped really low when I was on my side, so I was confined to my back for all 20 + hours. I didn’t really mind, but it made the epidural really only effective on one side, and that side was literally dead!! I could still move my left side and feel the contractions (a minor version of them,) but I could feel NOTHING on my right side. They said when it came time to push, they would just lower the level so I could feel my legs some more. It sounded like a plan to me, until I got checked at 7:15 AM. Good news—9 cm, 100%, and 0 station!! Bad news— while sliding down to get checked, my epidural actually came out!! I have so much more respect for Emily, because I have never felt that kind of pain ever in my life. Maybe it was the shock since I didn’t build up to the pain, but I felt EVERY contraction in full force for an hour before the anesthesiologist could get back to put a new epidural in. Looking back, I should have just sucked it up and gone for it without drugs, but I was crying for the epidural so much that they gave me one that just about took away all feeling, and by this time I was ready to push. We tried at 9 AM, and I just wasn’t effective with the lack of feeling in my body. We took an hour break, and they cut back on my meds, and we started trying again. At 10:05, the doc pulled out the vacuum to help Isaac and me as I was pushing. Luckily, he just popped out after about 9 pushes with the vacuum’s help.
Isaac Bishop Coleman was born at 10:24 AM on February 28th. He is 7 lbs, 5 oz and 18 inches long. He is the most wonderful thing I’ve ever been a part of and I am so in love. My favorite thing is watching Adam and my little man cuddle. Even right now, they are getting their skin on skin time, and it just brings tears to my eyes. There is nothing to say, except that I am in love.
I know this was long and drawn out, but this is also my way to remember what happened. It’s all a blur, but it was so worth the 20 hours. ~ Andrea
They started me on my antibiotic (I am GBS positive) and pitocin since they wanted to get the baby out within 24 hours and checked me out. I was 2 cm, 80 %, but I was contracting on my own; I just couldn’t feel them even though they were only 4-5 minutes apart. After hours of no progress and contractions now 2 minutes apart, I got an epidural so I could sleep. Within 45 minutes, I went from 2 cm to 5 cm and 90 % effaced. I think I just needed to relax for some progress to be made. Adam and I were able to get some sleep until around 3 AM when my epidural started causing me some issues.
So, while the epidural was a complete blessing, it also caused us a lot of drama!! Isaac did not like me in any position except flat on my back! His heart rate dropped really low when I was on my side, so I was confined to my back for all 20 + hours. I didn’t really mind, but it made the epidural really only effective on one side, and that side was literally dead!! I could still move my left side and feel the contractions (a minor version of them,) but I could feel NOTHING on my right side. They said when it came time to push, they would just lower the level so I could feel my legs some more. It sounded like a plan to me, until I got checked at 7:15 AM. Good news—9 cm, 100%, and 0 station!! Bad news— while sliding down to get checked, my epidural actually came out!! I have so much more respect for Emily, because I have never felt that kind of pain ever in my life. Maybe it was the shock since I didn’t build up to the pain, but I felt EVERY contraction in full force for an hour before the anesthesiologist could get back to put a new epidural in. Looking back, I should have just sucked it up and gone for it without drugs, but I was crying for the epidural so much that they gave me one that just about took away all feeling, and by this time I was ready to push. We tried at 9 AM, and I just wasn’t effective with the lack of feeling in my body. We took an hour break, and they cut back on my meds, and we started trying again. At 10:05, the doc pulled out the vacuum to help Isaac and me as I was pushing. Luckily, he just popped out after about 9 pushes with the vacuum’s help.
Isaac Bishop Coleman was born at 10:24 AM on February 28th. He is 7 lbs, 5 oz and 18 inches long. He is the most wonderful thing I’ve ever been a part of and I am so in love. My favorite thing is watching Adam and my little man cuddle. Even right now, they are getting their skin on skin time, and it just brings tears to my eyes. There is nothing to say, except that I am in love.
I know this was long and drawn out, but this is also my way to remember what happened. It’s all a blur, but it was so worth the 20 hours. ~ Andrea
Congratulations! Isaac is so handsome! Sounds like your anesthesiologist was not the greatest though!
ReplyDelete--Amanda
Yeah...my anesthesiologist was actually not even that nice either. I loved all the nurses and doctors we saw over the labor, but he was kind of a jerk. He actually implied it was my fault that the epi fell out. Whether it was or not, I don't think that's something you do to a woman who's 9cm and crying.
ReplyDelete