We checked into St. Luke's Downtown at 6:10am (how sad is that? I was late for my own induction. We were supposed to check in at 6:00am, but what were they going to do? Send me away?) and was told "Hope" would be out to get us in just a minute. As I walked to the restroom, I thought to myself, "My nurse is named Hope. That is a VERY good sign." After using the restroom and talking with Justin for a bit, Hope came and greeted us. She looked as if she was in her late 50's (she is actually turning 60 next month!) and was as sweet as could be. I swear, I first thought she was talking to me as if I was a teenage mother of maybe 14, but I soon realized she was just a nice, calm, sweet lady that doesn't expect you to know everything just because this is your 2nd delivery.
Me and nurse Hope 1 hour before Tian's delivery. She was leaving for the day, we were so sad she missed Tian's delivery.
After taking some vitals, using the restroom once again, starting an IV (which was the BEST needle stick I have EVER had in my life! Way to go Hope!), calling Dr. West, etc. the Pitocin began at 7:10am and I was in labor! At this point, I was dialated to a 2; no change from my appointment with Dr. West 6 days prior.
7:10 and the D-Day (delivery day!) begins.
The Pitocin offered pretty consistent contractions but nothing too strong. Hope, Justin, and I just sat around and chatted. Hope was a wealth of knowledge. I asked her all kinds of questions, like, "How can I make my uterus shrink faster after delivery" (I was not planning on breast feeding and supposidly that shrinks your uterus faster. Her response was, "Don't climb stairs, don't vaccuum, empty your bladder a lot, and don't carry anything heavier then your newborn for 6 weeks! Got it and will be staying away from ALL of those as long as I can) "Why did my face get SOOOOOO fat after labor with Trey" (she thought it was because of all the narcotics they gave me to control the pain and help me dialate with Trey. So sad. I will be staying away from those drugs! Hence, the need for an epidural!). She was so nice, caring, and very comforting.
Nurse Hope and I chatting it up!
At about 10am I had to use the restroom AGAIN (due to the IV and Pitocin mixture) and Hope asked if she should call the Anasthesiologist. I had told Dr. West, Hope, and the sweet lady who called to pre-register me for my induction that I wanted an epidural as soon as possible. The reasoning: I basically dialated in no time when I was in labor with Trey after the epidural. AND, who the heck wants to be in pain if they don't HAVE to?! So, I told Hope, "Why not!" I truly wasn't in a lot of pain, I could have held out longer, but WHY?! Thank you Dr. West for ordering that epidural and thank you Hope for seeing it through.
So, the epidural arrives. I have to sit at the edge of the bed, bend from left to right, tilt my head down into my chest, and grab onto Justin so he doesn't faint, (there was a pillow resting on my lap for Justin to crash on JUST in case. I swear, this Hope nurse knows us all too well. Justin felt a little light headed with Trey's delivery, but he was showing no signs of fear with this delivery!)
I wasn't supposed to be eating anything, but could drink clear liquids. Justin was my little waiter and brought me 7-Up, and nurse Hope brought me a banana flavored popsicle. Justin then went to the cafeteria to have some lunch and nurse Hope said she would come and check on me in a few minutes.
My mom called and we chatted just for a few minutes before I hung up with her quickly, stating I was going to be sick. And I did get sick. Got sick in the styrofoam cup the popsicle was in, got sick in an extra blanket, anything I could find. The waste basket was too far from my bed, and I wasn't about to get out of bed because I couldn't feel my legs of course. What a helpless feeling. I rang for nurse Hope, she came in a minute or two later and realized what had happened. My blood pressure got too low, she she quickly gave me some Ephedrine through my IV and a shot of it in my booty. This was supposed to bring my blood pressure up and make me feel a whole lot better. She asked if I wanted any anti-nausea medication and I quickly told her "no." During Trey's birth, I used Reglan to help with my stomach and it really helped with the nausea. 6 weeks later I used Reglan to "help with my milk supply" (which was a total joke!) and ended up in the ER with a drug allergy reaction. (If anyone would like a laugh and hear my "perma-grin" story which landed me in the ER the night before Trey's blessing, let me know. It is a great ice-breaker story! Hence, the reason I was chosing NOT to breastfeed. Perma-grin for life due to a breast-milk producing drug, or a happy mom and baby who smile when they want to. It wasn't a difficult decision to make!) I didn't want little Tian to see me for the first time with a Perma-grin. The Ephedrine really helped and I was able to feel better again!
Noon came and gone, 1:00pm came and gone and I thought this day would never end. I was told by Christy, Dr. West nurse AND Hope that I would probably be eating lunch by now, but I wasn't. I was sucking on 2 ice chips, watching my contractions come and go and sitting in darkness. (nurse Hope turned down the lights, hoping I would get some rest, but I wasn't about to be napping. Resting is what Justin and I did for several hours!) I was in labor with Trey for 17 hours, so I really don't know WHY I thought I could possibly be in labor for 6 with Tian.
At this moment, Trey was going to be taking a nap and my mom and I were trying to figure how she was going to come and witness Tian's birth. We were planning on having Miss Michelle's daughter Taylor go to the hospital with my mom, wait in the waiting room with Trey until Tian was born, and then come into the delivery room when the excitement was through. My mom was calling every hour just to check on us and I told her I didn't think Tian was going to be coming any time soon.
At about 2:45, nurse Hope brought in Jennifer, the nurse who would be taking Hope's shift. Hope was leaving at 3:00 and we were so sad to see her go. I met Jennifer briefly, she checked me and thought I was about 5.5 cm or maybe 6 cm. I couldn't believe nothing had changed.
We took pictures with Hope, told her how appreciative we were to her, and thanked her. She leaned over to me and said, "You are going to like Jennifer!" I told Hope if she was to leave, she had to send someone just as sweet as her my way. She didn't let me down, Jennifer was very sweet, but unfortunately, I didn't get to chat with her all that much.
Justin had called my mom at this point saying that I was dialated to a 6 and she might want to start heading in our direction. I was feeling horrible for my mom and Taylor. I didn't want them to be waiting around with us for the rest of the afternoon. I really didn't think things were going to happen, but Justin reassured me that once I dialted to a 6 with Trey, things happened really quickly. GRANTED, I don't remember A THING and just agreed with Justin. He was definitely in the labor and delivery room with Trey, I was definitely NOT! (I swear, how the HECK do people function in normal life situations on drugs. I totally checked out with Trey's delivery thanks to those nasty drugs!) My mom said she would be picking up Taylor in just a minute and make her way over as soon as she could.
Jennifer checked me again at 3:00 and nothing had really changed. Jennifer said she was going to leave us alone for a while. In the next 15 minutes, something seriously changed because I was starting to feel the contractions very strong by this point and thought Tian might just leap out of me. I put it off for a few contractions, but then thought I couldn't wait any longer. I rang for Jennifer, and in walkes Brie. Brie said she was in charge, that Jennifer was in a meeting and that Brie could check me while Jennifer was out. She checked me and said I was at a 10. At this point, I started to FREAK!
10cm's and wishing I had something to bite on to take away the pressure. AHHHHHHHHH, soon Tian would be born and I was FREAKING out!
I really don't remember what happened, but Brie left, and in runs Jennifer. Jennifer checked me and agreed with Brie, Justin grabbed his cell phone and said he needed to call my mom to tell her to hurry. Because cell phones complicate heart monitors in hospitals, we weren't supposed to be using cell phones. AND, my mom's cell number was long distance; we were unable to use the delivery's room phone. So, as Justin is running out to the lobby, Jennifer said, "Go ahead and use your phone, I don't want you to miss anything." I started to FREAK even more.
Dr. West waltzes in as calmly as ever, and I ask if it is too late to ask for an increase in my epidural. I was starting to really feel these contractions, and this was NOT in my birth plan. I told him I was seriously freaking out, this was happening all too fast. He started to giggle. "You are just freaking out huh?!" I told him, "Yes. I thought I had a few more hours to mentally prepare myself." He just kept teasing me and said everything was going to be fine.
Justin said my mom was hurrying as fast as she could. She was picking up Taylor as Justin and she spoke and they were on their way.
As I could feel the contractions getting worse and realizing Tian was wanting to exit as soon as possible, I realized I didn't want him to come at all. After a few pushes that were so wussy, I fessed up saying that I was really restraining myself. Dr. West and the nurses all laughed and said, "We can see that!" They were no dummies.
After pushing for about a half hour, Tian was born. He was so alert, so grumpy looking and so dark complected, I sat and stared at this guy we had been calling "Tian" for so many months. He looked nothing like Trey!! (Dr. West joked with me, asking me if I knew the Schwann's man. I told him we don't order anything from the Schwann's man!!! Especially not babies!)
Just minutes after being born
Tian's first pictures with Mom and Dad
Dr. West, the greatest OB Dr. and actually "Dr. McDreamy" as voted by the Treasure Valley! If Dr. West was to ever move, our family's blood line would stop right here and now because I don't think I could see another OB Dr. again!
Look at those alert eyes. Seriously, Trey NEVER looked this alert. Once again, thank you Narcotics for drugging my poor Trey-man!
I was so proud of Justin. He cut the cord and didn't seem to think twice about it. He said he was pressured by Dr. West, but he did it pretty willingly. Way to go Justin!
At 4:10, about 10 minutes after Tian was born, my mom ran into the delivery room to see me holding Tian. I think she was a little confused, thinking I would just be laying there, waiting to dialate. I thought I would be too! I was so sad she missed it, but looking back at the whole "delivery" portion of it, it wasn't as smooth as Trey's delivery. I didn't feel a thing with Trey's, didn't have a care in the world. Dr. West could have cut me up in little pieces on the delivery table during Trey's birth and I wouldn't have cared or felt anything. I would have been so embarrassed if my mother would have seen me in my "Freaking Out" stage. It was nice to see her after the whirlwind and introduce her to Tian. We chatted for just a little bit, and then she went and got Trey and Taylor, who were in the waiting room.
After Tian was checked out by the nurses, Trey and Taylor came into the delivery room. Justin was holding Tian in his arms and said, "Trey, who is this?" Trey said, "I don't know, who is it?" Justin responded, "This is Tian, you little brother!" Trey said, "Oh, he is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO cute," and the rest is history. Trey loves his little brother and thinks he is the coolest, cutest baby around! He introduced his brother to Taylor, who I think was a little uncomfortable. I am sure she saw things in that delivery room that she DIDN'T want her to see, but we were grateful to her helping with Trey and being our first "non-family member" visitor.
Doesn't Trey look so happy?!
Taylor
Picture Trey took
2 comments:
Darling! What a great story. I'm glad things went well and I'm sorry you got sick in the middle of it all...that stinks. You look great in your pre/post pictures.
Wow. Thanks for sharing. I know it seems wierd but I do like to hear birth stories. Everyones is so different and unique. And even then every child is so different when it comes to labor and after birth and sleeping and breast feeding. When I got an epidural with the twins david almost fainted too. I think you are just so brave to just get the epidural. Those things scare me too, it is a good thing we cant see behind us.
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