My Labor Pt. 2

10/19- 7:15 am- I call my Mom at my house to let her know we are admitted and then Shaun and I call work to let them know we will not be coming in. At least I think I called work, but I am not sure, but they will figure it out when I am not there, right?



7:30-8:30 am- The nurse suggests we walk around to get things rolling, but I have to wheel my IV bag with me, and the nurses are changing shifts, and there are millions of them roaming about, so I keep heading back to my room.



8:45 am- They check me and nothing has changed in 2 hours, so they want to give me pitocin. I immediately ask for an epidural, after my experience with Drew* I don't want to take any chances. They tell me that they don't recommend I get one yet, because I need to move around to get him to move farther down as he seems to be stuck. In other words "You silly little wimp, unless you want a C-section you better wait it out." I agree to wait and the nurse offers some ideas on positions to try to get the baby "unstuck".



10:30 am- I am on my hospital bed, on all fours, rocking on an exercise ball with my ass in the air, while Shaun rolls a hot rolling pin on my back. I am shaking with pain when I yell out, "when are they going to check me again?" Luckily it's moments later- I am now at station -2, 90% effaced and 4 cm dilated. I ask "does that mean I can have an epidural?" They say yes and everyone, my mom, my sister and my husband all cheer. (I never mentioned, my mom and sister got to the room in between my walking and my ass hanging in the air). Now they just have to wrangle the anesthesiologist before he goes in for the 2 c-sections he has to do. I cross my fingers.



10:50-11:10 am- I am getting my epidural. It doesn't hurt that bad, and neither do the contractions during it because I know the pain will end soon. I tell the anesthesiologist (who I think I might be in love with) I still feel a lot of pressure, and they check me and see that I am now 6 cm. They tell me to take a nap (yeah right, I am shaking like crazy) and turn off the lights and it gets quiet. Everyone makes bets when the baby will be born and how big he will be. My guesses are born at 3:45 pm, 9 lbs 2 oz, and 21 in. The earliest anyone guesses is 12:30 pm and the smallest is 8 lbs 7 oz, by my Mom (how sweet).



11:25am- I feel intense pressure, then feel like I am peeing. It scares the crap out of me and I tell my sister. She calls the nurse, who says, "no you didn't pee, you are ready to push, wow that was fast." She tells me we have to call the Doctor to hurry and get here.



11:30-11:50 am- Waiting for my Dr. I call in the hospital Doctor and tell her I really have to push, I can't wait and she tells me that waiting will only make pushing easier, which reassures me, but the burning pain is awful. When my Doctor arrives, everyone cheers, (not in our room this time, but in the hospital) and I am allowed to push. The burning pain, coupled with my extreme desire to not be in pain, make me push really hard, and my contractions are constant, so I just keep pushing. What feels like 15 min of pushing is really only 6 min (I am told) and Jacob is born at 11:56 am.



11:56-1:00 pm- He looks just like Drew only smaller! They weigh him, guessing he is only 7 lbs, but he is 8 lbs 4 oz, 21 inches. All those euphoric feelings rush over me. I was very worried that I couldn't love another baby like I loved Drew, and that worry is out the window. I am ridiculously happy, and even though I had an epidural, I feel great and I am ready to walk around, if only my legs would let me.



So that's the short and sweet of it. It was a much easier experience this time around, and I credit that to my epidural. My suggestion to all pregnant women? Get the epidural, don't feel guilty about it, please!



*With Drew I waited too long to ask for it and then I couldn't get it, because I was almost ready to push (read two hours away from pushing).