On Tuesday night we were in Labor and Delivery asking about the possibility of induction, since the pregnancy was at term and was causing me numerous medical complications and medicinal restrictions. After refusing to even discuss the matter, our midwife transferred our care to the OB GYN on duty, who wouldn't do anything to be informative or helpful either (except to suggest repeatedly that I take a shot of morphine and go to sleep).
So at 5 am Weds morning I', up in all kinds of pain from contractions and sitting at the computer. When I lean across the desk to grab something (pickles, I believe) my water breaks. I wasn't sure that was it (it wasn't really a whole lot of fluid, maybe 3 oz or so), so the rest of that day I walk around and pray for labor to start. At about 1:30, it becomes, shall we say: apparent ?, that my water IS broken, we go home and pack, have some lunch and head BACK to Labor and Delivery for the 2nd time in 18 hours.
They admit us at 5:30 and start me on pitocin, since my water had been ruptured for 12 hours, and move us into a Labor, Delivery and Recovery room.
7.5 hours of contractions (3 minutes apart) later, I'm 2 cm dilated, 70% effaced and hurting!
I opt for a dose of fentanol to help with the pain in my back, which helps for about and hour. That was 3:00 am on Weds. I do another dose of fentanol, which only helps till about 3:30, and then give up and ask for an epidural. This was influenced by the wonderful (seriously, she is great...there is no sarcasm here) new OB (Dr Sandu) who felt that this would make labor easier on the baby, and Pablo's insistence that pain on the scale I was dealing with wasn't "normal." Epidural gets in place almost immediatley...and I labor continuously (same quick and strong contractions) until about 8:30 pm.
During this time, I'm hooked up to oxygen, antibiotics and had a chest x-ray one (all because of an elevated heart-rate (mine, not baby's) that concerned someone, somewhere.
And because Rory won't stay on their sensors, I'm confined to bed the whole time...and by the time they place the electrode monitor on her scalp, I'm basically a paraplegic from the epidural, and am unable to get out of bed if I'd wanted to. Of course, Pablo was filming the entire experience...
Anyway, 8:30 pm, Dr Sandu informs me I am 90-100% effaced, but only 5 cm dilated. This is after my water has been broken for 36 hours and I've been in HARD active labor for 27 hours! She also points out that every time I have a contraction, the monitors lose Rory's heartbeat altogether, and that worries her. It worries me and Pablo as well, but then comes the verdict: The cord is getting compressed because there's no amniotic fluid left, and she wants to do a C-section.
I don't.
We ask another doctor's opinion, and she agrees that postponing a section will only extend my pain, and so I am prepped for surgery and wheeled into the OR. Within minutes, I'm numb from the neck down and Pablo can see her head over the drape they have between my head and the rest of me. She's purple and the cord Is around her neck. She has also turned onto her side and her shoulder is caught over one of my hip bones...virtually ensuring that she wouldn't have been able to come out either way (and causing both back labor and regular pain from contractions...my little multi-tasker). They whisk Rory and Pablo away as soon as she's out, and stictch me up, so both Pablo and Mom het a look at her before I do
But as soon as he's allowed, Pablo brings her over near me so I can at least see her, if not hold her yet.
She is born at 9:12 pm on August 18th, one day after her due date, and cleared to leave the hospital less than 18 hours later. We stay one night beyond the 18th when we don't get a room till 2, and leave on the morning of the 20th, less than 2 days after the surgery.
I come home, write this, upload pictures and fall asleep. :)
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