Thursday, July 30, we had a sonogram with a high-risk doctor. He looked at my amniotic fluid and said it was at an 8.7 and anything below an 8 is dangerous. He said I would have another sonogram the next Monday and if my fluid levels dropped they might consider inducing or a c-section. Well, Sunday night (Aug 2) I was eating my chicken strips waiting on GT to come visit, and a nurse came into my room and said the high-risk doctor came in early since he had so many patients to see and he wanted to see me right then. So, I put down my chicken strips, put on my slippers and went down the hall. He checked my fluid and said it was between 6 and 7. He said he would call my doc and see if she wanted to induce me that night or observe me through-out the night. Well, my doc choose to have me observed overnight. That means we were put in this tiny tiny room with a bed and a chair. I was hooked up to an IV and had a external fetal monitor hooked up to my belly all night. This was one of the worst experiences of this whole ordeal. They could only get a good heartbeat when I was on my back. Well, being on your back is one of the most uncomfortable positions for a pregnant woman especially when it is 2 am and you just want to sleep. So every 15 minutes the nurse would come in and have to move the monitor. Then every time I had to use the restroom they had to unhook my monitors and carry the iv pole to the bathroom...AH! It was verrryy frustrating. So, I slept about 2 hours total that whole night.
The next morning, Monday, August 3. A nurse came and got us for a sonogram at 7:30 am. My levels had dropped to under 6. The high-risk doctor said this meant that my placenta was sick and the only way to make it better is to have the baby. Then my doc and the high-risk doc were contemplating whether I could be induced or if I would need a c-section. The high-risk doc said that women with pre-eclampsia have difficult labors and usually end up with a c-section anyway. So they decided that my doc would check me to see if I had any progression and if I didnt then we would have to do a c-section. Doc checked me and I was dilated between 2-3 cm and I was 70% effaced. WOOHOO!
So it all begins. I was brought into a Labor & Delivery room. My doc came in and broke my water (what little water there was), then she put in an internal fetal monitor (which I did not know that is what she was doing, but I didnt have a choice) and a catheter. The nurse came in around 8:30 am and hooked me up to pitocin and magnesium sulfate. The "mag" was given to me for the pre-eclampsia. The issue is they usually give "mag" to patients who go into pre-term labor to stop contractions. So here I am on medicine (pitocin) to make contractions stronger and on "mag" which causes them to slow down. We all thought I would be in labor for a long time. My doc told me that I had to have an epidural for two reasons: 1) to keep my blood pressure down during labor and 2) if I had to have a c-section, she wanted me to be awake and without the epidural they would have to put me completely to sleep. SO about 10:30 am the CRNA came in a gave me the epidural. I am not going to lie, at this point I was ready for the epidural. I was strapped to the bed with tubes in all parts of my body. My water had been broke and I was on pitocin. I was already experiencing pretty bad contractions and was relieved to get the epidural.
At around 11 am the nurse checked me and I was 5 cm dilated and my cervix was completely thinned out. The doc came and checked me on her lunch break. She said the same thing, and asked me not to have the baby until 5 (she acted like she was kidding but I know she wasnt). At 3:00 pm, the nurse came in and I told her that I felt like I was ready to push so she checked me a sure enough I was completely dilated and effaced, the baby was at 0 station. The doc wanted me to be in labor a little longer before pushing to see if Audrie would move down some (or because she wanted to see her other patients first). So at 3:30, we began pushing. Even though I had the epidural, this is one of the hardest things I have ever had to do. It started out rather easy. It was GT and my mom on either side of me, my nurse and a nurse assistant. Then doc came in around 4:15...and like 3 other nurses came in with her and the really hard pushing started. I was trying to relax and do deep breathing in between pushes and the nurses and doc where just chatting away about anything and everything. There was one annoying nurse in there that kept saying "push, push, push, push" during each contraction. I wanted to hit her, but I got her back later by throwing up all of her. So...then at 5:46, I did a few good pushes and Audrie was here. And like I said, I puked everywhere.
GT told me that the doc was pulling my placenta out. I am glad I didnt know this because it would have made me very mad. I was trying to look at Audrie as she was getting cleaned off and everything else. The doc then told me I had a 3rd degree tear but she wouldnt tell me how many stitches she put in me.
After about 15 minutes (which felt like 10 hours), they handed Audrie to me. Honestly, I was so tired and overwhelmed, I didnt know what to think or how to feel. I just kept thinking, I cant believe I just gave birth!
Everything was healthy with mama and baby after the birth! We have had some difficulties feeding...We thought it was due to my milk not coming in quick enough, but it is actually because Audrie is 4 weeks early so her development is behind a month. So, we are having to make some adjustments and feeding time can be very stressful. I know it is worth it and it will get easier.
I could not have imagined how wonderful it is to be a mom. I already have this overwhelming feeling to protect her and not wanting her to grow up--and she is 5 days old! GT has been so awesome through all of this. He is up with me helping feed and doing whatever needs to be done. He is so amazing, I dont know what I would do without him. He is also the only way I could have made it pushing during labor. I was ready to give up, but GT kept me going...Audrie is one lucky girl to have such an awesome daddy!!!!!!!!
So here we are at day 5. We are exhausted and I have been crying alot. But they arent sad tears, and sometimes I dont even know why I am crying, but it feels good to get it out. Yesterday, we met with a lactation nurse. Audrie weighed 7 lbs 10 oz, so we switched formulas and are giving her more now. We have this little contraption we use when feeding where she still breast feeds but also get formula. We go back Tuesday to get her PKU done and she will have another weigh-in. Hopefully, she will have gained some of that weight back.
That is about it for now. Tonight is GT and I's first night home alone with her. My mom has been here since Wednesday helping us out. Of course, I cried for like 2 hours when she left. I think we will be going to stay with her next week some. We will see how things go....
1 comment:
I bet you are glad it is over. Now you can enjoy little Audrie Kate. I love happy endings.
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