....On January 1st, 1997 I ended up going to the hospital because my braxton hicks contractions were getting very regular (about 5 mins apart) I was checked and found to be effaced but undilated...I was admitted as a precaution and kept for 2 days. After I was released my BP continued to climb and my doctors wanted me back in the hospital where I could be closer monitored. I managed to sweet talk my way out of it until January 13th..by then I knew it was time to go. My baby was engaging already and I was feeling a lot of strong BH contractions. At this time my blood glucose levels were under very good control. My OB had been getting very nervous about my gestational diabetes *twitchy* as my other two doctors were calling it! He was sure I was going to bottom out, even though my endocrinologist was very confident I would not. While in the hospital I was an insulin reaction on the afternoon of Wednesday the 15th. I ate a chocolate bar and drank 2 glasses of juice and was still low..and began to panic as I knew what that meant. I ended up having a very tearful hissy fit (for what the poor nurses were hapless as to how to help me--I was not making a lot of sense due to the irritability and confusion from having a reaction) finally I said I needed help figuring out how much insulin to inject for dinner so they phoned my endocrinologist at home. They had me go to the nurses station and talk to him myself. He set a dose and said he wanted to know what my 2 hr check was after dinner. Unbeknownst to me at the time, he phoned my OB and they decided if it was low..it would be time for me. It was still low. I was told my OB wanted me in L&D overnight for observation..it was about 9:30 pm by this time but they were busy and I was not moved until 12:15. When they took me over there and put my in labour room number 3 instead of the case room I knew what I was in store for. I asked a nurse if I was to be induced and she said she thought that was likely. I did manage to get about one hour of sleep during the night...very noisy place to try and sleep! I phoned Stacy at 1:15am to let him know where I was and to tell him to buy film. He went to work (we are self employed with a custodial company) I expected him around 6am instead he got there at 4:30am. (I cannot say how clean the club got that night! LOL) and he had stopped at a 24 hr gas station for film...it was over $11 after tax...maybe we should run a convenience store instead! (oh ya, we didn't use the film until the next day! We had a few shots left in the camera! LOL) At 7am a nurse came in to say Dr Jones had called, and I would be induced that morning. I went and got a few things from my room and took a shower and waited for the whole thing to begin. I was not that nervous because my Doctor was wonderful and he said the baby would be fine even though I was 35 weeks 3 days. At 8:05 my induction began with the breaking of my waters. Wow is that ever a strange feeling....the fluid was much warmer than I expected. I could feel it gush with each contraction...I was then put on an oxytocin drip to get my BH contractions doing more work. I had been 2cms dilated since Monday. I was also hooked up with an internal monitor on the baby. The drip made my contractions about 2 mins apart but still bearable. At 11am I was allowed up to pee and walk for half an hour. I wandered over and saw my roomates..I felt fine! For some reason I began to have my teeth chatter and shake like I was cold off and on, but I felt just fine. Again at 1pm I was allowed to pee and walk..still 2 mins apart and stronger but I could handle it. *smile* Halfway through my walk is when I hit true labour! Yikes...how was I to get back to my labour room...the walk seemed daunting! I could go about 20 feet before I got one of those contractions which necessitated my holding onto the walls. Boy did we get some strange looks, as we were on the maternity side of the ward! I made it back but couldn't get into the bed...nurse came in me bent over the bed with Stacy pressing on my back..and said "oh, there's a sight I like to see...that walk must have done some good". My teeth began to chatter uncontrollably and my whole body was shaking (this lasted until I gave birth) The nurse thought at one point I was seizing I shook so bad. She began talking pain medication I said I was fine. After awhile I was not so fine and said I would try the nitrous oxide. I hated it...helped during the contractions...but it made me abandon my breathing and made the room spin terribly. During this time my Mother arrived, she had phoned while I was walking and they told her I was fine, and had hours to go (she didn't want to see me in pain) so she came down, she was a bit surprised to find me in hard labour! Can't say as I was very good company at that point! LOL It was kinda hard to do anything but focus! My GP came to check on me and said I was at 4 cms...agggggg 4??!!! I began this at 2cms. I thought "I am going to be here forever"...and asked about the epidural after all. They phoned my OB and he said no not yet....they did get permission for the site to be prepped because the anaesthesiologist was on the floor. So they prepared the site, and gave me a test dose. Oh that was soooo much better. It lasted 45 mins!! That was it! I felt my legs again and was moving one of them back and forth with each contraction. At this point I got a new nurse..she was not as good as my original one. She never believed me when I said between chattering teeth that the epidural was wearing off. I then began saying there was a really sharp pain down low. She checked me and said I was 9cms..did I feel pushy? No I didn't. I kept commenting on the pain...not recognising that I was ready to push (common with preemies apparently) After a half hr of this she wanted me to practise pushing...not a chance! I was not pushing until I saw my Drs..I didn't have confidence in her! My OB peeked his head in....I was soooo relieved! He gowned up and came in..at that point my GP came rushing in. Dr Jones gave me a needle in my perineum...I didn't care. He said push, I pushed and he snipped, 3 pushes and my baby was born. What a feeling of power and completeness I had. I looked down and said "It's a boy". Then I heard the doctors mention "knot" I looked down again and the cord had a knot in it...it was amazing to see. It was a true knot so we are very lucky that Aidan arrived safely.
The nurse said I hit real labour at 2pm and Aidan Stuart was born at 5:35pm Thursday January 16th. Had I known it would go that quick I would have gone without the epidural (I only had relief for 45 mins anyhow). He had a beautiful round head (ya mom 3 pushes) with more hair than one would expect for a preemie. Weighed 2080 grams (4lbs 9oz) and was 43 cms long (17 1/2 inches). His apgars were 8 and 9. He stayed in the hospital for 2 weeks and had no unexpected health problems (he had very minor jaundice for which he would not have been treated had he been full term), he was just small. I am so grateful for the excellent care of my 3 Doctors.....they knew what they were doing and worked well as a team!
