So sorry for the delay of posting. I know that many of you have been anxious to hear about our labor and delivery...especially after I started updating about it and then quit at 10 in the morning!
So, it wasn't too terribly long after 10:10 that I got my epidural. I knew that the really rough contractions were coming because the pitocin was in full swing. So, I got it and did really well with it.
I got to a 6 and -2 station (you go -3, -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, and then 3 station...3 station is where you're crowning). Anyway, the next time they checked...6 and -2. The next time...6, -2 to -1. The next time...you guessed it...still stuck. Oh, and all of those checks were 70% effaced.
Pretty quickly, I started getting a lot of pain down in the "delivery region" and they gave me a boost of epidural med to help. They checked me just after this and I was at a 7-8. The dr noticed with this check, though, that Keaton was face up and not face down, as he was supposed to be, so he flipped him. I started complaining of a BUNCH of pressure right away, so she checked me again and I was at a 9 and 100%, but still -1 station, which is really high. This was like 2 minutes after the 7-8 check.
The dr was putting on his "gear" by this point. I said, "He's coming!" They said, "Ok....." I said, "He's coming NOW." The nurse lifted the sheet and said, "Yeah, we're crowning, Dr. You probably want to come over here...." From the time I was dialated to 6 until the time he was born was somewhere around 6-1/2 minutes. It was crazy.
After the extra epidural medicine, though, I noticed my pelvis/hips really hurting even though I was completely numb in my legs with no function whatsoever. The nurse said that it was just the bones moving around for baby to pass through. I really didn't believe that because I'd done this twice before and never felt that feeling, but considering the fact that I was in the process of delivering a baby, I didn't argue.
As I pushed him out, the pain severely increased. They got him out and by this time, I was in agony in my hips, pelvis, thighs, calves, and feet...this confirmed that it had nothing to do with the bones moving around for delivery...something was NOT right. I believe by this point I was...not screaming...I'll say loudly proclaiming my discomfort. Moving helped minutely, but remember that I'm completely numb at this point and have no control. My sweet, sweet doctor and my loving, concerned husband are moving my legs around trying to help relieve my pain. I cannot describe it except to say that it was like the most extreme restless leg syndrome I can imagine combined with charlie horses in every inch of my lower half. I was griping the bed rails trying to move myself around to a position that would offer minimal relief, but could find none. The doctor ordered stat valium as a muscle relaxer/sedation. Apparently, by this point I was screaming, because my dad's patient was working in the pharmacy when the stat order was placed and she could hear me screaming in the background and she wasn't even the one ON the phone! They gave me the shot and it did nothing...absolutely nothing.
Needless to say, I was scared and confused as to what was going on. It didn't help that my dr and nurses were at a loss too. My dr had told me earlier in the day that he had delivered over 14,000 babies. Now, he was telling me that he had never seen or heard of anything like this. I kept saying, "I DON'T UNDERSTAND!" I kept my eyes mostly closed because the dr and nurses all had bewildered looks on their faces...especially after the valium failed.
He then ordered a stat order of Toradol, which is a really strong pain reliever in the same family of meds as ibuprofen. Somewhere between that shot and the epidural wearing off, I noticed that I could tolerate my legs being still a second longer than the time before. Then, it was 5 seconds longer. Finally, by the time the med was fully in my system and the epidural was worn off to the point that I could move my legs on my own, the pain was pretty much gone.
I'm not sure if it was the pain med or the lack of epidural meds that made the pain stop or if it was the combination of the two, but either way, I was back to normal and had no lasting effects. It was extremely strange (but I've always claimed to be a girl of medical mysteries...I was severely sick for 6 years and no cause could be found by specialist after specialist) and I would not ever wish it on anyone. I have never had severe pain in completely numb parts of my body before...that is the weirdest part to me. I couldn't feel the shots (I'm feeling them now, boy howdy!). I couldn't feel people touching my legs. I couldn't move them. However, something was sending severe pain signals to my brain.
I finally...FINALLY got to see my baby boy. I really hadn't to this point because I was thrashing around in the bed like a psychopath. My nurse actually told me that she was waiting for my head to start spinning! :) Anyway, he was all cleaned up and wrapped up and all before I ever got to see him or hold him. Instant gratification for all that I'd endured when I laid eyes on that boy. I must say that he was and is one of the prettiest babies I've seen. Everyone commented that he did NOT look newborn. I think that it was because he had no time to be squished in the birth canal. He was only in the birth canal for a total of about 4 minutes. In that moment of gazing into his little eyes, I dare say that I fell in love for the 4th time.
Did I mention that my 1st love was there with me the whole time. He was my strength and my focus through it all. I truly do not know what would have happened had he not been there. I might have been hysterical. But, the good Lord provided what I needed, as always, and he was by my side.
So, that's the long story of my delivery (really post-delivery is where all of the action was). If you're one of my preggo friends, don't let it freak you out. Remember...my dr has delivered over 14,000 and never seen OR heard of anything like this. My poor, poor nurse was 13 weeks along with her first and I dare say she'll be thinking about my delivery as she approaches hers.
More updates to come on life with 3
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