Wednesday morning, I noticed some odd colored discharge (copped it up to the exam the day before.) Mike woke up and went to work around 7. I went back to bed and slept until about quarter to 10. When I got up, I headed to the bathroom thinking about what things needed to be done, and what I was willing to actually do. After using the bathroom, I was standing in front of the sink when I felt a gush. After a few minutes of leaking, I realized it might have been my water breaking. I wasn't having contractions or any other symptoms, so I called my mom and Mike to get their opinions. They said call the hospital and both headed over. I went around gathering up the random things that weren't in the bag yet. Mom and Mike arrived around 11 and we headed to the Women's and Children's Pavilion. When we checked in (oh, and I was having contractions that I wasn't feeling 5 minutes apart.) I had had nothing to eat since the night before. They sent us to a room where we waited. More and more family showed up, and we waited. I was allowed a turkey sandwich and a yogurt.
At 4pm, still nothing was happening, so they started me on Pitocin to try and jump start labor. They were surprised when I refused pain killers of any sort (apparently, going through chemical labor is much worse than natural, and no one does it) and some were even abusive about our decision, calling it stupid and telling me there was no point in being a martyr at some point in the night. We continued to wait until about 9 or 10 when the pitocin was starting to really kick in. We kicked everyone out of the room, and started our night.
After a LONG night of steadily worsening contractions, a lovely sign of constant excruciating back pain told us that L1 was head down, but faced backwards. Straight into my tailbone, and was stuck there. At 7 am, we were only dilated to a 7, and the contractions that didn't stop, also weren't doing anything helpful. The Dr came to us, to tell us that there was very little chance of things progressing if I wasn't given a chance to relax, and suggested an epidural. By then, Mike had been digging his fists into my back for 5 hours, and I was really having a hard time, especially being that I had had a tiny lunch in over 24 hours. So we said go for it. As soon as that thing was in, I was asleep. They kept trying to ask me things, and I would only answer every few I was so worn out. All they kept saying was how amazing it was to make it that far with L1 facing wrong and on pitocin. I am sure they said it just to help me justify the choice to go to the epidural, but I really wasn't happy about that.
At about 11am on Thursday, the Dr came in again to say that there were some irregularities in L1's heart rate, and they were getting concerned that L1 was having to hard of a time with the labor. Also, we were showing signs that the cord was wrapped around something (a shoulder or hand, not neck they said) and that the placenta had also seemed to have stopped functioning properly. A c-section was going to be needed.
So, we were prepped and sent in. They started the meds to numb me from the chest down, but I started feeling pressure and some sharp pains. It turns out that L1'S heart rate had dropped sharply, and they had started the procedure before I was completely medicated. The extra dose they popped in at the last second to help that only succeeded in making me go numb from the neck down after they had L1 out and were sewing me back up. Mike was with me, and told me it was a boy. Our L1 was here! And he had A TON of hair! Mike trimmed the umbilical cord (couldn't do the initial cut, with me open on the table) and watched the bath and check up. He was 9 lbs 1 oz, 21 in, and scored an 8 on the APGAR scale in the first minute and a 9 at the 5 minute mark (the best is 10.)
We stayed in the hospital until Sunday after lunch. L1 has jaundice, so we have to really work to get him to wake up to eat, and play with him to stimulate movement to expel himself (fill the diaper). He has also been referred for his hearing. We know he can hear, but he didn't react they way they like for his hearing test. So, we will head to the Dr in the next day or two to have him checked again. I have a large incision that needs to heal, so I can't really do anything but take care of myself and most of what L1 needs. My sister is coming to help with the rest, and if I start telling you about how great Mike has been about all of this, I start to cry. Even without all the hormone stuff, I am amazed at what having a baby has done to Mike. But, this is long enough, and now I am crying thinking about Mike. So more about him, and everything else later.
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