- Pregnancy
- Baby & Toddler
- Parents
- Getting Pregnant
- Baby Names
- Product Reviews
-
Registry
- Community
-
More
Want a personalized experience?
Download the free app
March 2014 Moms
SassyFlats
member
SassyFlats has a baby GIRL!
SassyFlats
member
Okay, I think I'm ready to share about Kara's birth. I've actually spent all week (and a lot of tears) piecing together a full story because I am so worried that I'll forget something and I'm still very emotional about it. This will be a (looooooong) summary.
We went to the hospital at 5:30am to start induction. Pitocin started dripping at 6:30am and things started out pretty gradually. A few hours later, my OB came in to check on me and broke my water. I was able to have wireless monitoring and a "light diet" (ate a couple of graham crackers and some applesauce but vomited them up a couple hours later). I tried the labor tub and a birthing ball, neither of which helped much because I had terrible back pain. So we stood. All day. Just stood and rocked and swayed and DH would stand behind me with one arm around my chest and the other hand pressing a tennis ball into my lower back for counter pressure. Lamaze breathing helped, but I modified it for what seemed to work for me.
Around 4pm, my contractions felt really strong and basically one on top of another. That's when baby's heart rate started decelerating during contractions. My OB opted to turn off the Pitocin for a while and monitor things closely. She offered me some Stadol to take the edge off the pain so I could rest a little bit and lay in bed so they could get really good monitoring for a short time. I accepted it. I was so beat and it made me feel loopy and made time stretch out so I felt like I was actually getting naps between contractions even though they were still pretty close together.
Everything looked okay during that time, so my OB came back and checked me at 5pm-- I was still not making much progress with dilation. She said we needed a game plan: step one, restart Pitocin at a low dose and increase slowly because I needed to have the stronger contractions in order to dilate, it wasn't happening on its own. However, if baby's heart rate decelerated one more time, she thought I should get an epidural and hope maybe it would relax me and I'd dilate quickly and things would move along on their own. Our new goal would be a vaginal delivery (with epidural) as long as it was safe. But if baby didn't tolerate the strong contractions that were needed, we'd have to have a c-section and the LAST thing I wanted was to be put under general anesthesia and miss my baby's birth.
Well, I guess you know how it went-- baby decelerated again and I asked for the epidural. I didn't feel bad about it, either. I made it 12 hours in a great deal of pain with very little time between to recuperate. I knew when the deceleration happened that I'd be getting a c-section, so I wanted to just get the epi and I didn't care any more about how it skeeved me out-- I had a bigger worry on my mind but I did NOT want to be out cold for a c-section, as much as it scared me.
So, epidural... and still more decelerations. So my OB called from home (where she was monitoring me) to break the news. She was super sweet and told me it wouldn't affect breastfeeding, the incision would be really low and out of the way and she'd make sure I could have a VBAC if I want to next time (I don't think there will be a next time, but I didn't tell her that).
So they prepped me and she stopped in to make sure I was okay (I was sad and scared but about as okay as I was going to be). And then things get really muddled in my head.
It was really hard to breathe with the epidural up to my armpits. That was really distracting. I felt like a failure. Like I should have waited a few more days to induce. I knew DH was terrified, but he just held my hand and looked calm.
When they pulled her out at 9:07pm, my OB said "IT'S A GIRL" and I laughed and cried. DH has been saying all along that we'd have a girl and he'd be a melty pile of goo (truth). Then she said that baby's umbilical cord was wrapped around her neck twice, and she was facing sunny-side-up instead of toward my back (explains the back labor). So it looks like a c-section would have happened due to the cord no matter if I'd gone into labor naturally or induced. That weirdly made me feel better (because I didn't know about it before it was no longer a danger). I told DH to go over to the warmer to be with her. I don't think he wanted to leave my side but I wanted him with her since I couldn't hold her right away.
There's a lot more to the whole experience... including my parents walking into my room while I was laboring in the morning EVEN THOUGH I told my mom several times over the past few months and weeks that I did NOT want anyone in there but DH and that she'd have to stay in the waiting room. Apparently nobody told the front desk otherwise (it was in my birth plan and I told my nurse) and when my parents said they were my parents, the receptionist gave them passes and they walked right back. I told them I was busy and to leave. *facepalm*
Yeah, so that's the summary. I'm still very emotional about it... especially about being so dazed and jittery that I can't remember many details about the recovery room.... if I nursed her right away, if I even held her except when they were moving us from the OR to recovery... DH says I did hold her and that I made sure when I couldn't, that he was with her at all times. So that's good. But I was just in such shock and so exhausted I can barely recall. 
ANYWAY, on to happier things: Kara Danielle was born March 14th at 9:07pm weighing 7lbs 8oz and 20 inches long! Here's my beautiful girl:
GREEN to PINK on 3.14.14
This discussion has been closed.
Re: SassyFlats has a baby GIRL!
#2 It's a Boy! EDD 3/23/14
I'm sorry it didn't go as planned but you got a wonderful little girl!!
Check out my blog: http://blondheimtwins.blogspot.com/
Your daughter is beautiful!
Me: 28 DH: 27
I am sorry that the birth didn't work out the way you'd hoped. Hugs! I'm glad you're processing mentally, both at home and here. :-)
And again, CONGRATS!
Sorry about the experience. But like you said, the cord situation drove the change and the induction had nothing to do with it. You worked your ass off for her, and now she is here and perfect!!
Married my love 6/11/11 | MMC 10/11/11 | Eliza Frances born 9/18/12 | Rhett Garland born 2/24/14
You definitely aren't alone. I had to have a section after my induction and I barely remember any of it or my recovery. I'm still processing it all, but holding this little guy certainly helps. Hugs!
Proud Cloth Diapering, Babywearing Mommy to Desmond (5.30.2011) and Evangeline (2.26.2014)
Loving wife, best friend and teammate to Babywearing Daddy, Kelly (7.27.2000)
Volunteer Babywearing Educator at Babywearing International of South Central Pennsylvania
Born 2/4/14
Weighing 6 lbs 10 oz and 20 inches long
But I think I'll probably have a lot more tears before I really come to terms with it all. Not because it didn't go as planned, so much as because it was a shock and such a blur of things happening and being unable to truly focus on her during that time.
You're a rockstar with a beeeeeautiful baby girl! I can't wait to see more pics of her!
Not sure if this is the case for everyone, but I continue to have flashbacks and memories to my l&d experience. Things I forgot about keep popping into my head. I'm sure you'll start remembering more once you've made it through this exciting, emotional, and overwhelming time.
Keep your head up!!