Birth Story ~ Part 2

After we walked back to triage I was told to put on those pretty little gowns and get into bed so I could be monitored. Always fun!  As I was being monitored you could see that I was in fact getting contraction every 2-4 minutes apart and most if not all were extremely painful.  The nurse we had was awesome and go figure, I feel like we can't go anywhere with out running into people that know us or know our last name. The triage nurse had said hey your not related to so and so, John: Yes actually, she's my aunt!!  HA!  They worked together down in Yuma at the hospital! Kind of funny, so the nurse and my husband chatted it up.  Aside from all of that, I knew my Dr would be out of town until Sat night at the latest, so I figured that I would get the other Dr within the practice, I was very wrong. I was to get the Dr. on call and I kinda frowned when I was told that it was a male.  Okay so I have nothing against male Dr's, Yay for them, but I have an issue with male Dr's all up in my area.  So to make things even more uncomfortable, the nurse told him what I said and when he came in, he was like "so I hear you don't like male Dr's"  Me:  ummmm, well its not necessarily that, its just I thought I would have the other Dr within the practice, and acckkk here I was back pedaling, I felt bad because I really wasn't trying to be rude!  Anyway - he lightened the mood and made me feel 10000x better, after he disclosed that he was a huge VBAC supporter and that he would let me labor the way I wanted for as long as I wanted so long as things were going good. =)  Huge smile across my face.
After that I was told to go walk the halls for about an hour because at the last check I was only 2 and 70% effaced!!  Ughhh.. so John and I walked the 2nd floor for an hour and my contraction were pretty intense the last part of the hour. They were consistent which was good and I felt like their had to be some progress made.
So lets time this, we arrived at the hospital at 730am, they had me in triage and walking at 9 am and at 10 am we went back to get checked and NOTHING!!  I was still a 2 and now about 80% effaced. so I was making progress but very little. I thought for sure they would send me home, but they didn't - they admitted me because my contractions were still 2-4 minutes apart and pretty painful. They weren't about to send a VBAC candidate home just in case something happened. That was relief to my ears, I did not want to be sent home. So at about noon we were finally moved to an L&D room, I was hooked to an IV and was still allowed to walk the halls, which we did.  I still was not making progress one hour later and my contractions hurt, we ended up seeing the Dr in the hall, and he asked me if I was ready to have my water broke,, I honestly wasn't but he had a pep talk with me, which made me rethink it. He told me I'm obviously contracting my body is in the first part of labor and things are progressing, breaking my water will help things move along, make my contractions stronger and harder. So off to our room we went and he broke my water.  I asked for a an exercise ball and started bouncing while listening to some music that I love. John took a nap, because we knew we would be there for awhile!!  Saturday came and went and still was not making much progress.. Pretty bummed at that!  At about 5pm, the Dr. came in and asked if I was ready for my epidural, I really wasn't but yet again he had a pep talk with me and told me that maybe if we do the epidural your body can relax and we can make some progress, this made sense to me, but I just remember last time getting to a 5 and having an epi and not progressing past that point.So I was nervous about stalling.  Before I got the epidural I was able to get into the shower to get some relief while waiting for the anesthesiologist because he was  in surgery and then of course an emergency came in.. So I ended up not getting it until about 8ish.   At that point I pretty much just listened to my body and being that I had been labor since Friday night it is now coming up on Sat night I knew I needed to get some rest. So I agreed but asked that I still be able to feel my legs. My wish was granted and the anesthesiologist did an amazing job!  I was able to get some rest, both John and I did. We slept and rested and watched some movies. My nurses were amazing throughout the day and night.  My night nurse was pretty awesome, she left us alone for the most part only came in, to check me about 3-4 hrs.  until she checked my temperature and it started to spike. WONDERFUL!!
I was at about 99.1 around 10 pm - So she came in about every hour just to check, I asked for a cold washcloth to cool me down, but it just wasn't working, It kept going higher, and I knew then that my chances of having this VBAC was about to go out the window.  All I could do was keep the washcloth on my forehead and pray that my fever would go down. At her last check around 2 am it had spiked to about 99 which was way better, it had spiked to about 100 earlier.    The night wore on and at one of my checks at 5 am I progressed to a 7 and 100%   HECK YES!! That was so awesome to hear!  I was left to rest.. and that I did, until I was woken up to the most painful contractions that radiated through out my back to my the front of my belly. This was at 7 am and shift change, both my nurses who I loved walked in and saw me crying in pain, my epidural had stopped working.. they brought the anesthesiologist back in and put some more meds back into my IV which was heaven, my nurse checked me and said  I was about 9 1/2 with some cervix left!! WOOHOOO... We were so close.  The Dr came in again and asked how I was feeling and if I was ready to have this baby.. Seriously I never thought I would be able or let alone given the chance to have this baby vaginally, I really never thought it would happen. but it was about to happen, and man that felt so good to know!  Except, my epidural was just not working, the pressure was insane and the pain was just nuts. I tried to do my hypnobabies, go to my place, sing to myself, breathe and nothing was working.  Micah was there and ready and I wasn't because I could feel it.  At 9 am, I was able to start pushing and I pushed through the pressure and the pain and the whole time complaining how it hurt. The Dr. came in and watched me push and said your doing great keep at it and he was gone again.. Thanks Doc!! oiiiiii.. I pushed for an hour and I just couldn't push anymore. At 10 am, the Dr came back in and said he had been fired by Dr. Laughhead, (not literally) but that she would be in to deliver me.. RELIEF!!  I was told she would be in, in about 20 - 30 minutes and that she would get this baby out, I was in so much pain that I just kept asking for a csection. I was crying and moaning and in PAIN!!  They were able to get the anesthesiologist back into my room and I kept feeling medicine, Cold medicine come through my Epidural line, I know It was working, but the immense pressure I felt below was just not normal, I was told that Micah was sunny side up so this was why the pressure was so immense.  I know my cries and moans were lessened to a point but my body was just in pure shock and I just had nothing left in me. So I saved my moans and cries for pushing.. 1030 am rolled around and we started pushing again, Dr laughead came in and  I have to say she was beyond my biggest cheerleader, I felt relief and felt like I was getting somewhere so that made me want to push harder.   For another long hard hour I was told to push my hardest and that I did, I also yelled out that after I was done, I wanted the biggest Dr pepper ever waiting for me!! During that last half hour-15 minutes some of my labor expectations went out the window. I was told that Micah had pooped and that it was possible that he swalowed it, if that was the case, he wouldn't be able to lay on my belly.  Hearing that he had pooped made me want to get him out so I pushed with all my might, maybe so much so that I started to tear so the Doc had to do an epsiotomy a 4th degree one. OUCH!  AND she forget to put her gown on!!  So Micahs head popped out and I was told to hold him in... ahhhh are you kidding.  So I held at least 2 contractions while she got ready while having a head hang out of my crotch!!  Interesting sight I'm sure.   She was finally ready and said lets go, I started to push and then she said look down, look down, I did and i watched as my child entered the world.. PURE PERFECTION!!   She sucked his nose and mouth as much as she could, John was able to cut his cord but I was unable to hear that first cry and I wasn't able to have him thrown on my belly, because he did in fact swallow his poop, he was immediately taken over to the baby table and I watched as they suctioned him, patted his back did everything they could to get him to finally take that first breath and cry, the room filled with tons of nurses as well as a nicu Dr and that was scary!!
I was in and out of it, because a nurse came over and I remember getting a shot into my leg to help with pain and the shakes, I could hear everyone talking and the baby nurse  made a joke about boys and swallowing poop, it lightened the mood a little.   I know I asked if he was okay and was re assured that he was. John and my mom were taking pics for me and i was stuck getting cleaned and stitched up. I had Micah at 11:31 am and was not done getting cleaned until almost 130pm..  I was so out of it from all the meds they were giving me. It sucked so bad, but the pain I was in was even worse. I wanted to so badly to hold Micah because yet again, I was not the first person or the 2nd person who was able to hold him, I was the third, just like when I had T. That was not my plan! I wish he hadn't pooped and I know its not my fault, but part of me feels as though it was, I should of gotten him out faster, I shouldn't of taken that 45 minute break.. all these things play into my head, but I have to remind myself, that babies do these things and its not our fault.
I was taken to recovery and I was finally given the baby to hold. My short ride to recovery with Micah on my chest was heaven, because when we got to recovery I was told he needed to go to the NICU for meds and monitoring.  I told John to go with him, so my Mom stayed with me.  I had like 2-3 nurses talking to me and telling me things but have absolutely no idea what was said, I was just so out of it.. I could barely keep my eyes open, I do remember how hot I was and sweaty. I think I had the coldest room in recovery the nurses were like dang its cold in here and I here I was telling them to turn it down, HA!!  
All in all, looking back now 3 weeks later, I wouldn't have done things differently. My recovery has been way better than it was when I had my csection. Yes my bum and crotch were in pain and I got a 4th degree tear/cut, but it was way better than getting cut wide open.   I was scared beyond belief to go to the bathroom especially knowing that I had a 4th degree.  All in all it worked out.   I am so proud of myself and so proud to say that I had a successful VBAC, that I was given the chance to have the labor and delivery I have always dreamed of!  Even when I had given up and kept saying how I wanted the csection, I'm glad that my husband, mom and most of all my Dr. didn't allow me to give up on myself.    I am blessed beyond words and Micah is the most amazing baby.  He's a feisty little butt, but I knew he would be!!!    
Next up-- explaining our first week at home with a 3 year old and a newborn = not fun!!

Birth Story Part 1

***Please note this is mainly for me to remember and log my own birth story- its long and drawn out and will be in parts. Your more than welcome to skip over.  =)

Lets start with the fact that M's birth story is kind of a unique one, Unique? Yes.. because everything that I did up to having M was all for a successful VBAC.  I can proudly say I am one of those women who had a successful VBAC and so very happy about it!
My original due date was Aug 6, 2011 and if I didn;t have M on my own than we had a scheduled C-section for Aug 9th per my request (that would have put T and M 3 years and one month apart exactly). After the few weeks of being checked and only making it to a 1 dilation and 0% effacement,except at my last appt on that Tues. she said I had progressed to 50% effacement and a 2, so she went ahead and stripped my membranes. to no avail I decided that I would take Thursday and Friday off and begin my maternity leave somewhat early. I also had a plan of action to get M to come on his own and that plan included a reflexology appt on Thursday.  I went to my appt at 10 am and was there for about an hour, hour and half- the foot rub was amazing but all i could think about was, is this really going to work?  Her turn around time she said out of every 6 pregnant patients was 24 hours. After my appt I was advised to go walk, walk, walk, but I had other things I had wanted to get done just in case this actually worked. So I went and ran my errands as well as went and had a pedicure and manicure. I went home that night with still nothing happening. Mild cramping but that was normal.  Friday I had a plan to hang out with Tristan, just me and him for the day. So we went and got my truck washed, went and saw Cars 2 for the third time, ate lunch at the mall and had pretzels, went grocery shopping. During that time I was cramping and contracting but nothing worthy enough to make me think anything was happening.  We ate dinner as usual and we put T down as normal. 9 pm came and my contractions were coming closer and closer and stronger. I told John about it and we made sure to get our bags packed and ready to go. I fell asleep only to be woken up at about 2 am with some pretty strong contractions and discomfort, I downloaded an app on my phone so I could time the contractions and realized that they were coming every 7-10 minutes. So I got up walked around and they were still coming just more intense. I tried to go back to sleep and that wasn't happening. As the hours passed they just became stronger and closer together like 2-4 minutes apart, I'm pretty sure I just doubted myself because I didn't wake John up until almost 5 am and finally told him "I think its time", as soon as he heard that asked how far apart they were, he set the ball in motion! He told me to call my mom to have her come over, he jumped in the shower and I started to panic just a tiny bit in between contractions.  My mom got to our house around 5:45am and I just wasn't sure if we should go. I mean i was doubting myself but it was clear that I was having c contractions, the ones you can't talk through. I explained to my mom last minute things about T and we finally left our house at about 6:45am.  I told John to stop at McD's so I could eat something because I knew that if I was admitted I wouldn't be able to eat and I wasn't about to have that considering I didn't eat for 30+ hours when I had T and i was starving! So I had a good ole fashion Sausage McMuffin and it was super yummy!
We got to the hospital and made that last walk to the front admittance only stopping so I could get through my contractions. I told them who i was and I was met by a triage nurse who opened those big doors to the beginning of our "new life!!"