Let's talk about getting the epidural. I knew there could be complications so I listened closely and did everything the anetheseologist and nurse said to do. Hubs tried to stand by me to help comfort me and the nurse said he had to sit down because other husbands have passed out. The nurse was great comforting me and talking me through everything. They tell you to curve your back and that you will feel a sting like a bee after they put the sterile stuff on you. The bee sting is numbing medicine I think and most people say that's the worst part. It's important you don't move during that part and I know a couple people that had contractions during that part which made it worse I think. I just focused on breathing and not moving and it only hurt for maybe 30 seconds and the rest was easy and I was all numb pretty quick!
The nurse checked me an hour later and I was 8-9cm, we thought the baby would be here by breakfast. But things slowed down. My water hadn't broke, so I layed on my left side to try to get it to break. Oh, I forgot, after the epidural you get a catheter. It didn't hurt but I swear I could kind of tell when I was peeing and it was so gross to listen to them empty the bag! You also can't control your farts. It was ok when I was on my back, no one could hear them but they had me lay on my left side to try and get my water to break and there was one embarrassing fart, but we all just laughed. The nurse said the farts were good that they are a result of the baby moving down.
Remember, I had only had a smoothie at 2am and you can't eat anything after you get an epidural so I was feeling pretty hungry around 7 or 8. I had seen on one born every minute that it is common for women to throw up during labor, so I asked for something just in case. Someone went and got hubs Starbucks and I thought I wouldn't be able to stand him eating in the room but it was ok.
I felt a trickle and thought it might be my water breaking. I was right. Around 11 I was at a 10 and could start pushing. The nurse called the dr pretty quickly to come in and deliver the baby. When he came in (my dr wasn't available on a Sunday but he delivered my friend's baby and my mom knew him) he said what the nurse was seeing wasn't the baby's head but more of my water bag. The dr and nurse were calling it a four bag I think. There isn't info on the Internet about it but I don't think it's uncommon. All of the bag of water didn't break so the dr had to break my water. After he did that they realized the baby was higher than they thought so he left and I pushed.
I probably pushed for an hour and a half or so. They keep the room warm for when the baby comes out but it was no good for hubs or I. We both were not feeling good. At one point I didn't hear hubby say anything,_ he just went to the bathroom and I started freaking out thinking I would have to push the baby out by myself! Luckily, he rallied and stayed with me. I threw up three times while pushing. Not sure if that's normal.
The dr finally came back in and I pushed several times and he felt like the baby was pushing against a brick wall. He didn't want to but he had to do an episiotomy. Didn't hurt, just felt a tugging and the noise was gross. Hubby had to sit down after that!
Oh, I wear contacts and thought I would want to wear them during labor. I didn't put them in when we went to the hospital because I thought I might sleep after getting the epidural. Things progressed so quickly that I never napped. When pushing I felt like I could have been able to look and see things but I kept my eyes closed. No mirror for me. I told hubs not to look but he did look once and I don't think he is scarred for life.
After the episiotomy, I didn't have to push much and they even said stop pushing so I didn't tear more. They told me to open my eyes and I'll be honest I'm a little scarred with that image but I guess people like to see their baby being born.
We were 99% sure we were going to name the baby Chase. We started calling him Chase right when he was born. I thought we might discuss it but he just looked like a Chase.
He was crying right when he was born which was great! They were shocked he was such a big boy! They put him on my chest and the tears just rolled down my face.
Link up your birth story or any advice you have! Next week I'm going to be talking about what baby stuff we actually use.
i learned a lot from this post! I was sweating BUCKETS so I cant imagine how much worse I would have been if the room was hot. I kept making Andrew turn the heat down in my room. I had ice COLD cloths on my head for the last hour or 2 because I was so hot. At one point my mom was telling andrew to give me a fresh cold cloth and he thought my mom asked if HE wanted one, and you hear this on the tape and Andrew say "No thanks. IM all set" haha so it sounded like he was saying that about helping me, but he heard my mom wrong. ha. I bet you were STARVING. Did you eat right after?
ReplyDeleteHa! Apparently, the theme this time around is "survival".
ReplyDeleteI cannot imagine having an epidrual. TOTALLY FREAKS ME OUT. I think I'd choose a C-section over an epidural, so you are one brave lady in my book :)
DEFF eat next time, girly! You need the energy and you never know how long labor will last!
this was interesting to read. I realize I had a very quick and easy birth process with cullen. I never threw up but during my contractions since they were so painful I thought I was going to throw up with each contraction. And I can't believe you could feel your water break after the epi. I couldn't feel a thing, I ouldnt move anything on the lower half of my body at all. And like you I hadn't ate the whole 12 hours I was in labor and after C was born we had visitors and so much going on I didn't eat for another 6 hours after the birth. I was so hungry by then I was ligt headed. Again, good pst! Very informational :)
ReplyDeleteps sorry for any spelling errors, posting from my phone ;) cant see what i'm typing!
ReplyDelete