Abi's Birth Story

Abigail (Abi) Ann

Born: August 31, 2011, 1:16pm
Weight: 9lbs 8oz

Length: 21in

I am starting this post on August 30th, currently at 41w +5.  This afternoon we have a non stress test scheduled to see what she is doing in there! :)  I have had three membrane sweeps so far. 

At about midnight on the 30th I was laying in bed chatting with God about being induced.  I really wanted to have the baby...but really didn't want to be induced.  It was starting to feel like the only option although I knew that I could go longer without having her and us both be fine.  Finally I said, God, I need a sign - tell me what I'm supposed to do.

I got up to go to the bathroom a few minutes later...and my water broke.  Good enough sign for me! :)  I went downstairs to tell Aaron I thought my water broke - it wasn't the huge gush you see in movies so I wasn't sure.  I called the doctor and told her what happened and she said I should definitely come in and get checked out.  At this point I was continuing to have some leak issues so I felt more sure that was what happened.  Aaron and I talked for awhile and decided I would go ahead to the hospital and get checked out, see if they would admit me and then we would wake up the people we needed from there.  (So yes, I went to the hospital by myself while he stayed home with Grace and got some rest.  And I was completely on board with that decision...that way when I need my people around me they are well rested.)

I got to the hospital about 12:30am.  I spent an hour in triage - they monitored the baby and contractions.  EVERYTHING was funny.  I remember telling her at one point that either my water broke or I had lost all control over my bladder.  I think it was from a lack of sleep and the bizarre feeling of the water breaking.  I'm pretty sure the nurse thought I was nuts.  I was having almost no contractions and baby was doing great.  Finally they checked to make sure it was indeed amniotic fluid (although at this point there was really no doubt) then got me moved to a delivery room.  Because I was still have no contractions and was not in pain I decided to let Aaron and my parents sleep as long as they could before waking them up to spring into action!

At my appointment on Monday I had been 1cm, before I left triage I was 1.5cm with the baby still very high and very light contractions.  I got checked in and moved to a room.  About 2:30am I was still having very mild contractions and they decided they were going to start pitocin to keep me in labor.  (How is this different from being induced you ask?  I feel like my body at least gave me a sign it was ready to start)

Around 3:30 they had not started the pitocin - I was debating when to call Aaron but knew that as soon as they started it I would want him there.  They started it a little before 4am so I called and dad went to our house to stay with Grace, mom picked up Aaron to come to the hospital.  They arrived around 4:50am.  At that point the pitocin had kicked into gear and I got an epidural at 5:20.  I always say I want to try to do them naturally as long as I can, but I think I need a no-pitocin birth before that will happen. 

Labor progressed pretty steadily at that point although I stalled at a few points.  Right before 12pm I was 8cm and the epidural had worn off.  I was NOT in a good place.  I didn't know if I would have time to get more medicine before it was "pushing" time and oh my goodness it hurt!  I threw up once at this point (and once going from 6-8 which is consistent with my labor track record, did the same with Grace).  I did get more medicine and by 12pm I was 100% dilated and effaced.  Now they were just concerned that, like Grace, she was going to come out face up.  Of course that scared me because I tore very badly with Grace and was worried about what this was going to do to my body and how I would handle it being home with both girls.  They did some "lay on this side, put your leg like this" stuff and then we just had to hope for the best.  That part was super uncomfortable, but hopefully it helped. I could tell she was still moving around and based on pressure on my back I felt fairly confident we had been able to get her turned.

At 12pm they wanted to make sure I was completely ready to go so the Dr told the nurse to take her lunch, let me get to the point where I was ready to push (the baby was still VERY high) and then we would start to get her moved down.  About 12:45pm I felt NO urge to push but started to during contractions and got her moving.  They were also trying to get me to look at a lunch menu and order lunch - while I'm pushing - because I might "miss" lunch.  Really guys?  It was pretty funny.  I remember laughing a lot during the whole pushing process.  We started to push anyway and got her moved down...and the nurse would NOT call the doctor!  She pretty much refused.  And she kept saying stuff like "She isn't going to come out before she gets here, but even if she did this wouldn't be the first baby I delivered"  It was a little crazy.  Finally my mom said she could see the baby's head and it was starting to actually come out when I pushed so I stopped pushing and told the nurse she HAD to call the doctor.  The doctor was already in the same building, not sure why it was a big deal.  The nurse asked if I'd 'push better' if the Doctor was there...umm, yeah?  So finally Doctor Miller got there and I resumed being a good patient and pushing.  The Doc said to the nurse something to the effect of "Hold on, you can at least let me get my gloves on"...She was out 15 minutes later.  She was face down as she should be and I did not tear at ALL.  It was delightful.  This baby was a pound and a half bigger than Grace but a MUCH easier delievery!