around 7pm: We finally got into an open room in labor & delivery. Byron had gone down to valet to get our bags from the car & paid for the next day, so we were set for the night. My last meal was around noon, but since I was not able to eat anything, I had a dinner of popsicles & ice water. B meanwhile went to the cafeteria & came back with a big plate of food. I told him that was the meanest thing he's ever done to me.
around 8:30pm: Started a pitoson drip. About 4 cm and still not thinned at all. Contractions were about 3 minutes apart by that point & I was feeling them. Definatly feeling them! That internal made me cry, it was a pain that I can't describe and I swear she stuck her entire hand up there. The baby was still too high to be able to reach the water & break it.
9:40pm: I was ready for the epidural. The contractions were bearable, but painful. I didn't want to wait too long since I knew that you have to hold still during the process. I remember being the most stressed during that process with Emma, so while I wanted the pain relief, I wasn't looking forward to needle. It took over 30 minutes & 3 tries to get the epidural in the right place. The first one made only my right side numb, the second one didn't do anything, but the 3rd one worked. My right side was more numb than my left, but overall it was right. We were both trying to get some rest, but B had more luck than I. He wasn't comfy in the chair, but I know he was able to fall asleep. I shut my eyes, but I never really fell asleep. Kinda hard when the nurses pop in every few minutes anyways.
11:15pm: 5 cm and still too high to break my water. At this point I could feel the contractions, but they weren't painful at all. I was thinking epidurals were the best thing on earth just about now.
1:30am: 6-7 cm and they were finally able to break my water. Still able to feel contractions/pressure, but not in pain really. At some point after this they took off my contraction monitor belt & used a uterine cath instead. Apperntly this caused the babys heart rate to drop a little (he can't make up his mind!), so they stopped the pitosen drip as to not irrtate him more.
6:00am - 7-8 cm, contractions about 2 minutes apart and the epidural stopped working. I was hitting the 'more' button with every contraction, even though I knew it would only work every 10 minutes. Really started feeling pain at that point.
6:30am - A nurse came in & found me in tears. She said she would get a tech to check the epi machine.
7am - 8-9 cm. They were changing shifts, so it took awhlie for a tech to make it to our room. Once she did, she found that the epi was about out of meds. She said the bag had enough that I was still getting some, but she would change it anyways. She set it up to give a 'push' of extra meds to start off & said within 20 minutes the pain should be gone again.
7:45am - Still in major pain. I tried to describe it to B and all I could think of was that it felt like my insides were being ripped apart, put back together & ripped apart again & again & again. The nurse called for a tech again.
8am: 9-10 cm. Turned off the epi machine & went with pain meds through my IV instead. It took about 15 minutes to kick in & while it wasn't near the comfort level of the epi, it was better than nothing at all. I could still feel the contractions & pressure, but they were at a semi bearable point. B had been wanting to go downstairs & get coffee all morning, I told him that he better go now, and he better hurry. He finally left around 8:30.
9am: 10 cm and the nurse says we can start pushing. Problem is, B is not back yet. Seriously, at this point, I could have physically hurt him. The babys head was starting to crown & the pressure was INSANE. We waited a few minutes, which felt like forever. She had me do a practice push, to see if it was going to be awhile pushing or if it would be quick. Did the push & she said, 'Nope, this baby is going to come fast. Are you sure you want to wait?' Really, did I have a choice? We had gone through so much to get to that point, I couldn't let our son be born without him there. So we waited. And waited. I asked if they had an overhead system, they don't. I tried calling him even though I knew his cell was dead & turned off. She finally left to search the halls for him.
9:20am: The nurse walks in with B. My first words to him were, I'm going to kill you. Turns out he went to get his coffee & decided to eat breakfast while he was there. In an effort to not make me jeleous, he ate downstairs so I wouldn't have to watch him eat food that I wasn't allowed to have. Sweet, yes. Timed well, no. After he told me that, I said, I'm not going to kill you, but I want to push RIGHT NOW.
The nurse had me push through 2 contractions (about 5 minutes total, if that long) and then made me stop so she could call in the doctors. They walked in the door at 9:30am, got gowned up, gloves on, masks on, tools in position and we started to push again. They stuck a mirror so I could see his head, but I couldn't see over my massive belly....and told them it's OK, to just let me push & I'll see him soon enough. Push through 2 more contractions (another 5 minutes or less) and he was here.
Oslee Devlin
December 3, 2008 9:40am 7 lbs 12 oz 19.5 inches
and pretty much perfect.
December 3, 2008 9:40am 7 lbs 12 oz 19.5 inches
and pretty much perfect.
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