Ok... so it's been a week and a half since my little baby boy was born. 10 days ago, little Justus James was born after a long, exhausting labor that I thought would end in C section. I went in on Monday for my 39 week check-up. My mom came with me because it was going to be my last ultra sound and I wanted her to get to see my little man! I had the ultrasound then went in to see my doctor. The nurse who takes my stats whenever I go took my blood pressure and very casually mentioned that my blood pressure was higher than normal. It is usually the same every time I go in, 117/70. This time it was 136/90. Not typical for me.
Well, my doctor comes in, checks me... informs me that I am still very closed and the only progress was that his head was a little lower. She starts wrapping up the appointment and I mention the high blood pressure thing. She decides to check for herself. "Well, this is where it gets interesting." she said. I was very surprised to be sent to the hospital to get double checked.
They took my blood pressure lying down and sitting up. It started to normalize while I was laying down and as soon as she sat me up, my blood pressure rose again. She said that since it was that high while I was just sitting she didn't want to send me home to walk around where it could rise even higher. She told me I was going to be induced starting that night. I was really nervous and not excited at all. I was excited to have my baby, but I was dreading the induction because most people whose bodies aren't ready have terrible labors and end up having a c-section anyways. I was so scared!
That night they gave me cervadil, which is supposed to help soften the cervix and dilate you.. That was Monday. Well, they thought I would have him by the next night but when they checked me in the morning, I had only dilated 1 cm. I was very disappointed and dreading the pitocin they were going to give me. Pitocin forces your body to have contractions and push the baby down. If your body isn't ready, it's hell. Well, my body wasn't ready. I knew going in that it was going to be a miracle to not have a c section.
Well, the contractions weren't all that bad during the day, I could feel them and could tell I was having them but they weren't super painful... well, they started getting painful... I was having pretty strong contractions for 3 hours.. and around 7 or 8 they checked me and I had dilated one HALF of a cm. I was so upset. I had gone all day with contractions and was hoping for a couple cm at least. They offered to give me an epidural and I was hesitant because I heard that having an epidural can slow down your contractions and make your body kind of come to a halt as far as labor is concerned. I mentioned that to my nurse, and she said that I was in for a long hard labor no matter what and to take the epidural.
Oh, did I mention that they told me I would be having my baby around 7 or 8 Tuesday night? Yeah, that came and went... I hadn't eaten or had anything to drink for 24 hours and was heading into a night of no food or water. The epidural helped a lot... in the middle of the night, I started getting TERRIBLE heartburn... imagine that, heartburn and nothing in my stomach... it was disgusting. Well, I asked for heartburn medicine and the only thing they could offer me was this disgusting drink that tasted like bile and salt... what a thing to put in an empty stomach! Well after a couple hours, I started feeling really nauseous. Started throwing up that disgusting drink and the nothing that was in my stomach.
Well, needless to say, I didn't sleep that night much at all... even with the relaxing epidural... Feeling sick with heartburn and nausea... ya, no sleeping for me. Well, my doctor seemed to think that being on pitocin all night would make me have the baby Wednesday morning... yeah, I hadn't dilated at ALL when they checked me in the morning. Still one and a half cm. I cried. obviously. I talked to Jordan about just opting to have a c section if it was just going to end up that way anyways... It was rough... even with an epidural, i was miserable. I kept getting sick throughout the day. Most horrible experience ever... throwing up nothing and stomach acid. SICK!
They checked me sometime in the afternoon and I was 3cm and 75% effaced! I was making progress! I told Jordan that if I was still making progress, I wouldn't ask for a c section. I went all first trimester without throwing up, what was a few more hours of throwing up... bleh. Well around 3 or 4, don't remember... They checked me again and I was 7 cm and completely effaced. I was so excited! She told me I would probably be pushing around 7! I then just started praying that it would actually happen and that I would deliver naturally!
The nurse came in around 5:30 and told me I was ready to start pushing! I was shocked! and super excited... well I pushed for an hour and a half and my epidural almost completely wore off by the end. It was really rough... those are the contractions I was dreading... But it was all worth it! There was a little scare when he came out though, he had the cord wrapped around his neck and he was all blue and limp. There was a FLOOD of nurses and doctors who came in to make sure he was okay. It didn't take long for him to start breathing and making noise. It was precious!
All the crap and days of not eating were so worth it. Right when he was born, I asked for a huge glass of water... I was dying of thirst! I'm pretty sure I drank 64 ounces in like an hour. Best water I've ever had. 48 to 50 hours without food or water... yikes.
Anyways, thanks for all the prayers! I was so thankful to not have a c section! God really blessed me! :)
aw Lisa!! I'm sitting here all teary eyed just thinking of everything you had to go through and just how incredible it is to know that it was all worth it. wow. You are awesome. Way to hang in there!! And now you're not pregnant anymore and have your lil' guy to hold in your arms! :)
ReplyDelete