Alexandra Marie is here! (Long birth story and PIP)

halo_tx · February 2012

I can't believe I am writing this post, but our DD arrived a little early on Tuesday January 31 at 11:07 am, 20.5 inches long and 7 pounds 1 ounce! My birth experience was completely different from what I expected and extremely scary at the end, but once she was in my arms none of that mattered! We are so in love!

I had high BP most of my pregnancy, and was originally supposed to be induced yesterday but at my 39 week appointment Monday my dr. decided they'd waited long enough and sent me over right then to be induced. I had really wanted to go natural but decided that since the induction was necessary I would make the best of the experience and try to go without pain meds. When I got there, they got me into a room right away. I was 1 cm dilated, 50% effaced, and having some mild but regular contractions. They gave me Cytotec around 4 pm- my contractions became more regular but were very mild and not really hurting. At 7 pm I was 2 cm, but since I was contracting between 1-4 minutes apart they couldn't giveme more Cytotec so we tried a Foley bulb instead. Uncomfortable to have it put in, but 2 1/2 hours later it fell out and I was at 4 cm (contrax still very mild). At this point, the dr. started a low dose of Pitocin, and upped it over the next few hours; contrax picked up but weren't very strong and I was still at 4 cm so she recommended breaking my water to get things moving. I kept going for maybe 2 more hours, when all of a sudden my contractions were coming with literally no breaks between and incredibly strong and painful. It was unbearable, and after about an hour of trying to work through them, I decided that there was no way I could keep going for possibly hours and have energy to push, so I asked for the epidural. The nurse said that both anesthesiologists were in C sections and it would be 2 hours- I lost it. I think I was begging them to give me something, so I had some Nubain. It made it more manageable but I was loopy and don't remember much- at around 5 am they finally arrived for the epidural- I was nervous about having it placed but it wasn't bad even though I was having awful contractions. It didn't take on one side at first but they fixed it- and at last- relief!! I feel asleep- I was checked at around 7 and was at 7 cm. When they checked me at 10am I was 10 cm and ready to push! They had me push in different positions and even with the epi I could feel pressure and when I was having a contraction. I remember the nurse saying the baby's heartrate was a little high and they were keeping an eye on it. Suddenly after about 1 hour of pushing, about 15 doctors/nurses rushed into my room. They lowered my bed and basically were starting already when they explained my baby's heartrate was in the 200s and they were using forceps to deliver her now, and if I couldn't push her out right away they were wheeling me to an emergency C-section. I remember the attending dr. yelling directions at the nurses and never have been so scared in my life. I pushed with every ounce of energy I could and she was out on the second push. The pedis rushed her to the warmer and after just a second she cried and they told me she was beautiful and I knew she was OK. DH and I were both crying so hard. Within a few minutes they were able to bring her to me for skin to skin and nursing- she was so alert and beautiful and stayed there for about an hour and a half while I was repaired (I had a 4th degree tear and a episiotomy- thank goodness for my epidural!!). Anyway, after everything going not according to plan I was able to have that bonding time with DD right after delivery which was the thing I wanted most from my birth!

We came home yesterday- I'm feeling pretty sore but not as bad as I was expecting. Breastfeeding was rough the first few days b/c DD was so sleepy and it was so hard to get her to nurse, but my milk came in and now she's nursing like a champ! I can't believe how in love I am, I just want to stare at her all day long. If you got through this post, here's a few pics of our cutie!