Friday, September 5, 2014

Halle MaryAnn, a birth story

I wrote a couple of posts (here, and here) about how scared I was to give birth and how nervous I was that everything would happen like it did with Dawson.  I thought I would share how this experience went and what was different- in good ways and bad.

As everyone knows, I was scheduled to be induced bright and early on Tuesday August 19th- 39 weeks exactly.  I tried to relax and distract myself the night before.  Joe and my mom were on cloud nine, all excited, while I paced and really just tried to not think about it all.  My bags were packed, and I took anti anxiety meds late that night.  They didn't work.  I got maybe an hour of sleep, silently praying for natural labor.  Obviously, my body didn't hear me.  

Pregnancy 39 weeks induction

I was admitted right away and by 9:30am I had seen the doctor, had my IV placed, and knew I was still 2 centimeters dilated.  Pitocin was started.  I was having contractions even before it was started, but they were pretty weak.  At noon or 1pm, my doctor was back to check me and hopefully break my water.. No such luck, I was too tense and he couldn't reach or get my water broken.  He said at that point he didn't want me to have any more cervix checks or my water broken until I had an epidural.  I still was doing okay, but contractions were getting strong enough that I wasn't talking through them anymore.  

I was scared to have an epidural after how poorly mine went with Dawson so I put it off.  At 6pm I asked for it.. but I wanted anti-anxiety meds first.  The nurse and anesthesiologist both looked at me like I had 4 heads, but I was really scared.  The anesthesiologist gave me something in my IV and then started.  First placement hurt like hell and didn't work.  He took it out and I cried and cried.  I felt like it was a repeat of when I had my epidural with Dawson.  I just wanted them to get it in and get it over with.   He had to use a massive amount of numbing agent and then go in from the side.  Apparently the spaces in my back are pretty crooked and small.  

By 8pm I was numb and happy!  They cranked my pitocin up and then we waited.  At about 10:30pm it was like my epidural quit working.. My legs were still numb but I was feeling contractions again.  Anesthesia came back in and re-dosed me.  It made my legs way more numb, but I was still feeling contractions and they were excruciating.  My nurse decided to check me.  It was about 10 till midnight and I was 9 centimeters!  

Now we just had to wait for Halle to drop down a bit further.  Little lady did not waste any time, and the  nurse began to prep the room.  Cameras were out and ready, and by the time the doctor arrived I was more than ready to push.  Three pushes later, Halle MaryAnn was born, all 7 pounds, 5 ounces of her!  I immediately said to Joe "she's so small, she's smaller than Dawson." Yep! By almost a whole pound!  I still tore in the same location but the doctor was wonderful.. There was no manual stretching, no needles, none of the scary stuff.  She just let my body do what it needed to do.  

Halle

I had to be catheterized twice, which was horrible.. but it's part of getting the epidural.  I had so many fluids pumped into me it was ridiculous.  It's taken me 2 weeks to get rid of the fluid retention.  Overall, I'm healing much better this time but there have been some bumps in the road. 

Induction was scary, but it turned out to be a better experience.  Still not great, but that may just be because it's fresh in my mind.  Time heals.