Labor & Delivery

Disclaimer:  This next post is about labor and delivery.  Do not read it if you do not want the details.  It is a “PG” rating.  But let’s face it:  Labor and Delivery is Labor and Delivery!!!!!!!

Most of you probably noticed there was a lull in posts during my labor with Garrett.  We REALLY hit a standstill with the Pitocin.  I dilated to a 4 very quickly, and then just stopped progressing for HOURS.  They kept upping my Pitocin level.  Considering I was contracting away when it was set on a level 2, I was REALLY contracting by time they upped it to a 14 – which is the highest we got to (even though the machine goes up to a 20).  

            Around 10:00 at night I was exhausted and still had not progressed.  We had started Pitocin at 8:00 that morning, so I REALLY needed to sleep a little.  They kept trying to give me some IV pain meds, which I kept telling them I didn’t need, and finally I gave in.  They gave me some medicine to help me sleep through my IV.  This stuff was hysterical.  They told me it would make me a little goofy; it made me BEYOND goofy.  After making some crazy comments to my family, I started laughing uncontrollably for a solid 5 minutes and then immediately fell asleep.  To bad the drug only lasted short term and within an hour it had worn off.  They gave me another dose which wore off even faster. 

            Next thing I remember is waking up and noticing the medicine had worn off and my contractions were crossing my pain threshold.  I told the nurse that it was time for the epidural.  They checked me and I had progressed enough (FINALLY) to get it.  At his point I kicked my mom out of the room because I was turning ‘not very nice’ do to the pain.  It was just after 1:30 in the morning at this point.  They ordered the epidural and my mom went and got Paul from the lounge area where he was with my dad.  Paul tried to come in when they were getting ready to do the epidural and got yelled at by me, twice.  So he waited outside.

            Once the epidural was in place I was, of course, a MUCH HAPPIER CAMPER.  This was about 2:00 a.m.  I finally settled in for a little sleep and Paul got situated in the recliner in the room.  I was in active labor at this point, so even with the epidural, the pressure from the contractions kept waking me up.  So I was dozing on and off.  Just after 3:30 in the morning, while I was half asleep, my water broke on its own.  And when I say broke, I mean BROKE.  I had a high amount of fluids, which is common with CDH babies.  I thought someone turned on a hose for trying out loud.  The bad part was, my water broke with such force that Garrett almost came out with it. 

            Paul sprang into action.  I called the nurse.  She came down to the room and checked me.  She told me NOT to sit up or uncross my legs again.  Garrett was seriously about ready to pop out and I REALLY NEEDED to deliver in the OR if possible.  She stepped out of the room for a second and I swear at that moment I thought he was coming out with or without a doctor.  I told Paul to tell SOMEONE to get back in there with me.  He literally ran in the hall to the nurses’ station saying something to the effect of, “The baby is coming out!!!!!!!!!”  The doctors and nurses fly in the room.  The doctor tells me to try to hold it in so they can get me to the operating room.  So I am LITERALLY crossing my legs and not breathing because this baby felt like it was going to fall out.  They race me down the hall and the doctors are getting dressed in their operating gear as they are running down the hall next to me.  It seriously felt like I was in an episode of ER or something.  They get me to the OR, put my feet into the stirrup things, FINALLY let me push and he popped right OUT.  Geesh.  If I have a third child there is a good chance I would have him in the leg of my pants gauging by how fast Garrett came out.  Incredible. 

            Since he came out so fast.  He had a PERFECTLY round head.  I was amazed.  He was also a very pretty baby who looked NOTHING like his ultrasound picture.  If I hadn’t have seem him come out I would have doubted he was the same baby!  They immediately took him away after birth, which I knew was coming.  I was a little sad; but I also knew it had to be done and was best for HIM.

            I (yes I am totally patting myself on the back) recovered like a champ.  I was up on my feet within the hour following delivery to go use the bathroom and such.  I even moved to a new recovery room before Garrett had even been transported.  MUCH DIFFERENT from my first recovery experience.  I have only been taking Motrin for a little cramping; other than that I was released the next morning to join Garrett at Cardinal Glennon.

            I’ve been spending my days at the hospital with the baby; my nights and early mornings at home with Grant.  Grant will get a little less mom time over the next few weeks.  However I am hoping to even out my time a little better once Garrett gets his repair surgery and is on a nice road to recovery – positive thinking here.

             So that is why the blog did not get updated for a little while.  Considering this entire pregnancy has been so tumultuous, it was nice at least the delivery was SUPER EASY (once the labor part of over of course ;)