Ok so now we're at the point where they start me on the pitocin. This is administered Friday night after the 2nd steroid shot. I am still extremely lethargic on the MAG, I am seeing double, I'm being poked every few hours for blood draws, and my arm is being squeezed every 15 minutes to take my blood pressure (which is still freakishly high).
Because I'm not due for another 6 weeks, the pitocin isn't really doing anything. I don't feel any contractions and my cervix isn't progressing. That's when they decided...hmm, she isn't uncomfortable enough - let's kick this up a notch. First they tried a ripening agent which was basically medicine that they put eh hem..up there for 3 hours in the hopes that it will help my dilate, that didn't do anything. Next, since I wasn't dilating they tried "stripping my membranes" a few times. I won't describe it for the faint of heart - but it HURT LIKE HELL! Anyway, that still didn't do anything so then they inserted a foley ball catheter into my cervix. Again, I won't describe it but yes that HURT LIKE HELL TOO! However, that did get me dilated to 3cm's...now we're getting somewhere. But still, I didn't feel any contractions. We were in for a long haul.
Sometime on Saturday things started happening. I started feeling contractions a little bit. They went from mild to pretty painful quickly. That's when it was time for me to ask for an epidural. So the anesthesiologist shows up and I'm told that I need to sit up and lean over the hospital tray table thingy so that they can put the needle in my spine. Um...sit up? Oh sure, no problem. I can barely move my arm to my face but I can just pop right up. Anyway - a few people had to assist me in sitting up and then I'm leaning over the table...
Ut oh...I start feeling like I'm going to pass out or throw up. Turns out that by sitting up my blood pressure dropped dangerously low! They quickly laid me back down on my side and put some meds in my IV to regulate my blood pressure again. So I cant' sit back up - thus making the epidural insertion more difficult for the anesthesiologist. Sorry guy!
So Sean is behind the nurse who's holding my hand and is watching the anesthesiologist's face. It took way longer than it should have, and it hurt like hell...and Sean told me afterwards that the guy's face made it seem that it wasn't going exactly as it should. Awesome!
So now it's in...I'm still having contractions...and I'm still feeling them. They are getting worse and I kept hitting the button to dose me and it isn't really doing anything. I called the anesthesiologist back a few more time to up the amount...but I think what happened is that it didn't go in exactly as it should and there was nothing he could do. Oh well...it's time for the show!
At this point my water hasn't broken yet so they decide they're going to break my water for me. After they take a look up there they decide not to because they aren't sure if the umbilical cord is in the way. They decide to give it just a little more time. About 15 minutes later (or at least that's what it felt like - it could have been hours for all I know)...I felt it break. It was a very weird feeling. I called the nurse and let her know. I don't know how much longer after that but all of a sudden I felt like stuff was about to happen. Like I said, I had the epidural but I still basically felt a lot down there so I felt a lot of pressure like she was close to coming out.
Next thing I know there are about a dozen people in the room and my legs are up and I'm pushing. The actual pushing part only lasted about 40 minutes...and then...out she came!
There were about 6 people off to the side waiting for her because she is a premie and they needed to tend to her. A few seconds after she came out we heard her cry - it was amazing! It was also scary because they basically just handed her off to this team of doctors and we hadn't even seen her yet. After about 15 minutes or so (again my timing could be off) they brought her over, let me kiss her on the cheek...and she was gone off to the NICU.
I was left on the bed being stitched up (yes I was lucky enough to tear on a 3lb 9oz baby!) and my baby was gone. It was a very surreal feeling because I was so incredibly drugged up and out of it. I kept thinking to myself...did I just have a baby? What the hell just happened?
*next up...the final chapter of the birth story. 24 hours of MAG to go and updates on baby P
3 comments:
sidenote, i hate hearing how scary this actually was and what you all weren't telling us.
Honestly I was so out of it during the whole thing that I didn't even know how serious and scary it was. It was only after I came home and read more about pre-e that I realized how bad it could have been. P and I are very lucky!
I am going with the Biz on this one. Scary shit! Again just so glad you are both okay.
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