Birth Story, Part I

I have been thinking about the fact that I never really posted a birth story for Annie, and the fact that I really need to do it now, to make sure I remember all of the details. But it is difficult to put it all down on paper, and I know that a lot of it will be hard for other people to read…but I don’t want to forget it, either…so, here it goes!

I had my 39 week OB appointment on Monday, and by that point, I was pretty determined that this baby was going to be born soon. I was miserable and just needed her out! So, after the doctor said she was still measuring big, I decided to ask about being induced. As it happened, my BP was slightly elevated again and that, with the constant contractions and the threatened “big baby”, she didn’t argue with me this time!

I was scheduled to go in on Thursday night- check in a 5 pm, and they would check me. The plan was, if everything looked good, they would insert something called cervadil into my cervix, which would help dilate me, and then start me on Pitocin in the morning.

So, Thursday morning I dropped Riley off at school. I was a basket case, but didn’t want her to see me like that, so I rushed through dropping her off- told her I loved her- and practically ran out of there. Then I sat in the parking lot and cried. Not completely sure why- hormones, nerves, and the fact that the next time I would see her, her whole life would have changed. I didn’t really know how she would handle everything, and I was sad that the time we had together would now be different….

Anyway, I spent the rest of the day relaxing and trying to get everything organized- my bag packed, the house somewhat clean! Todd came home and we got ready and left for the hospital.

They checked us in and I had the same nurse who took care of me earlier with the pre-term labor stuff, which was nice. She checked me and said I was still about 1-2 centimeters dilated, and hooked me all up to the machines. They had a really, really hard time keeping Annie on the monitor- she was moving all around, and it kind of became a joke. I knew she was ok- we could see her moving from the outside, but it was still a little nerve-wracking! I had to lay completely still because every time I moved, she would go off the monitor. I now know that this was a sign of things to come....Then, I started contracting…steadily. Like every 4 minutes! It wasn’t fun.

At one point, they lost her again on the monitor, and our nurse called someone else in to check it, and also to check the dilation again. She did, but also said that she could not feel her head engaged! They started feeling around on my abdomen and started to think that she was no longer head down, but transverse! So, out comes the U/S machine and the first OB. They did an U/S, and determined that yes, she was still head down, just still moving quite a bit. At the same time, they also determined that apparently, those contractions were doing something….because I was now 2-3 centimeters, and that meant no cervadil for me…I was in labor!!!

So, they took me off all of the monitors. The plan was for me to rest overnight, and they would check me periodically, but if I hadn’t progressed in the morning, they would start the Pitocin then.

I took a shower- that was not fun! She had to wrap my hand in a baggie and a glove b/c of the IV, so really couldn't use it, and plus the contractions...I was out of there pretty quickly! Todd and I watched Survivor, and I had a crappy sandwich they brought up- the cafeteria was closed by this point! We attempted to sleep. I didn’t get much…contractions, heartburn, very uncomfortable bed…Todd slept a little, I think.

Up next….the big day!!!