It all started on Tuesday, Dec. 28th... We went into the hospital promptly at 8pm and checked in for our scheduled induction - and that was about the only thing that went according to plan.
After being assigned to a room and getting "set up" (which included a hand IV catheter that I still have nightmares about), I was given cervidil to begin thinning my cervix. I slept overnight with the cervidil insert- seeing mild contractions beginning on the monitor, but feeling no pain yet. The next morning, I was not yet dilated, so I was given cytotec which was similar to the cervidil but was inserted closer to the cervix so it was sometimes more efficient in thinning the cervix. After four hours on cytotec, I was checked again - still no dilation, but regular contractions about 2 minutes apart had begun. The nurses decided to let me "walk" the halls to try to induce labor naturally. I walked round and round that small hallway for about an hour, afterwhich my OB came to visit.
As he checked he again to see if I had started dilating yet, he decided he would stretch my cervix himself and manually dilate me.... OUCH! Not a fun procedure, especially since I had
NO idea this was his intention. After feeling completely tramuatized, he reported I was now about 2 cm dilated. I cried and writhed in pain for the next few hours. Later, he came back in jeans and t-shirt to anounce he was going out of town and wanted to check me again before going. This time he broke my water - again a horrifying, unannounced experience... but at least now we were on track. He left... the contractions began mounting and so did the pain.
Patrick slept ... I continued to writh in pain. Finally around 3 or 4am, after Patrick had been woken up about 10 times to re-heat the heat packs for my back, I agreed to receive IV pain meds. Not a good idea! Although I requested only a half dose, as soon as my nurse plugged the meds into my IV, I was instantly UBER-drunk and extremely nauseous. As my wonderful nurse was still setting up the meds, she mentioned "If you begin to feel nauseous, let me know - I can give you something for that." Before she could even finish that sentence, I was panicking. Give me the anti-nausea!!! She quickly started the anti-nausea drip too. For the few minutes before the anti-nausea meds, I was right back in vertigo-land. *Sidenote: I had a vertigo in March/April of last year for 7 days straight. It was hell!!! I couldn't eat, sleep, sit up, go to the bathroom, or function at all. Thanks to the IV pain meds, I felt like I was right back there. I'm telling you - there's nothing scarier than vertigo. The on-set of vertigo begins suddently and without cause, and nothing can be done once it begins to ease the pain. Apparently it has to do with the small hairs in your inner ear having off and tumbling around in the inner ear canal causing extreme dizziness until they re-attach. AWFUL! I pretty much live in constant fear now that it'll come back...
Anyway, after finally becoming somewhat stable on the IV pain meds, the contractions continued to increase in duration, frequency, and pain! Not long after, my nurse and I had a discussion about the epidural. She encouraged me to go ahead and get it so I could sleep (which was really what I wanted to hear anyway :) ). She called for the anesthesiologist and within minutes he was talking me through the process with a chipper smile (especially impressive for 4 in the morning). He made me feel so comfortable and at ease as he stuck the giant needle into my spine... not so much for Patrick though. Patrick stood in front of me holding my shoulders steady, when his knees began to buckle. The nurse quickly slid a chair up behind him and he melted into it. It wasnt a total loss of consciousness but it was very close. (I told you our nurse was wonderful!) Moments later, I was fully epidural-ed and could finally breathe a sigh of relief. Total comfort! Patrick and I both curled up to finish out the night with some much needed sleep!
The next morning around 8am, my wondeful night-shift nurse left and 2 crazy day-shift nurses entered - Tina and Kip! They were a hoot! They came right in to check on me and found I was 9.5 cm dilated! Hallejuah! "This is go time," I thought to myself! Tina with her Jamaican accent and hilarious wit and her sweet trainee Kip hurried around our labor and delivery room transforming it from it's hotel-like resemblence into a true labor room.... tables, supplies, tools, baby things were suddenly surrounding us. Then they ...
Hours went by and no one returned. Finally, around 10am they came back only to ask if I needed to use the restroom. I was so confused and said no. They left again after saying "Call us when you need to poop." This whole process was so weird and confusing, I thought. Just before 11am they returned still asking if I needed to poop... still my answer was no - but shortly after a midwife from my OB's practice appeared and the pushing started. I remember hearing Kip and Tina call for a baby nurse, and I knew I was in the home-stretch! After 30 mins or so of slow-paced, totally painless pushing, baby Lyla Rae finally arrived! What an experience!
I held my lil baby girl all covered in blood and nasty white goop while the unmentionable part of childbirth continued. Then they whisked my baby across the room to measure and bathe her. TMH is great because your baby never leaves your room for this process. I could watch in amazement from across the room, as Patrick put on her first diaper and shirt and sat to hold his little baby girl.
Childbirth is truly amazing! Certainly unlike anything I've ever experienced! God is so great to have blessed us with a healthy, happy little baby girl. All ten fingers and toes, beautiful blue eyes, and an expressionary forehead. The whole process of growing a baby inside your body with bones and organs and functioning senses is amazing! How could anyone not believe there is a God with an experience like that?!
Lyla Rae Barton
December 30, 2010
11:33am
6 lbs, 5 oz
19.5 inches long
33 cm head
Our darling little girl, we are so thankful for you!
