Now to take you back two weeks ago. It was Tuesday May 8th, and I had gotten up to get ready for work and take the kids to school. I felt pretty good, I was disappointed that my original due date had come and gone with no baby, as well as finding out the week before that I was not dilated despite all my contractions. I went into work to start my shift and my charge said I made her "nervous" being past due and working. She said she had enough staff and told me I could go home. Home?, nope I was going to walk and get the baby out. I ran home real quick to change into walking clothes. My husband had been sleeping because he worked the night before. He asked what I was doing home, and I told him I was going walking to get the baby out. I got a thumbs up and a look of good luck. I don't think he actually thought my walking was going to get the baby out! After walking for a while I was having more contractions and pelvic pressure, I really didn't think anything was happening because remember I was having no signs of labor the week before. I waited a little longer and decided to go to the hospital just to check my progress and the baby.
I got to the hospital about 10:30 in the morning. I was really just having pressure and dizziness from all the walking in the heat, the contractions weren't that bad. I waited in the triage bed for about an hour before anyone came in to see me or get hooked up on the monitor. See the hospital just started this new charting system and they were trying to figure out how to get me in the computer. Once they figured out that issue, I was hooked up on the monitor(our baby boy was sounding great) and the nurse checked for dilation. I was quite surprised when she said I was dilated to 3, 70% and 0 station. I knew it was early but thought if I did more walking, I would dilate more. After she talked to my doctor, the verdict was for me to walk for an hour and be checked again. I had to get to 4 cm and have closer contractions or I would get sent home. I was not going home without a baby!! I didn't call my husband because I wanted him to get sleep and there was still a chance I could get sent home and I didn't want to wake him for nothing. I did tell my mom what was going on and she insisted on coming to the hospital, even though I told her nothing would decided until after I walked.
I ended up walking almost 2 hours because my nurse was with another patient, I kept walking until she was ready to check me in hopes I was dilating more. The nurses were surprised all the laps around the unit I was doing and said I was a woman on a mission. Once I went back to triage, the nurse checked me and I was between 3 and 4 cm dilated, but my contractions weren't regular. She decided since all the walking and her checking me might have helped the contractions that she would watch me for an hour or so. After that time she checked me again and I was 4 cm dilated and having contractions every 3 to 6 minutes. She called my doctor and he gave the orders for me to be admitted!!! It was baby time and time to call my husband to let him know what I was up too while he was sleeping. It was now around 3:30 in the afternoon. He was quite surprised when I asked him if he was ready to meet the baby that day with a reply of "oh sh*t, are you serious?" He was getting stuff for the kids together, getting ready and heading to the hospital.
My doctor had decided that since my contractions weren't consistent that he wanted the nurse to start Pitocin. I was tolerating my contractions pretty well and knew that Pitocin could make the contractions intolerable very fast. I requested my epidural first before they started the medicine. Did I need it? no, but I didn't want to feel Pitocin contractions either. By the time my husband got to the hospital I had my epidural and was relaxing. The epidural was more painful than the other two, and it worried me she said the pain I was feeling was from her accidentally hitting the bone. After about an hour, the Pitocin was started, I hadn't dilated anymore since triage. At around 7:00, my new nurse came in and checked me, she noticed I was scratching alot and offered me some Benadryl to fix the itching that was most likely from the epidural. I was checked again, had no change in dilation and the Pitocin dose was increased. At 7:45, I was talking to my cousin Sarah, trying to stay awake from the Benadryl, and I noticed I could lift my left leg and I was feeling more of the contractions and pressure. My epidural was wearing off. The nurse checked me around 8:00, I was dilated to about 6 and while I was changing positions, my water broke!! She checked me again, after my water broke and I was an 8!!! I was feeling lots of pressure and pain. She called my doctor, who replied, "I only live 10 minutes away." It wasn't too much longer, and I told my husband to go get the nurse because I had to push!! The nurse came in and said I was 10 cm, ready to go, but not to push because the doctor was on his way.
I had never felt such a strong urge to push or so much pain with the other two, because those times my epidural worked through the delivery. I was to the point to tell the nurse to get any doctor because I couldn't keep from pushing anymore, when my doctor walked in. He shook my husband's hand and leaned up against the counter. I then asked, "Can I push now?" He said, "Oh yeah, we were waiting on you." I replied, "I'm ready, I was waiting for you!" It took two pushes and our baby boy was here!!!
Eric Richard-Hays Fitzgerald was born May 8th, 2012 at 9:06 pm, weighing 8 lbs, 0 oz and 20 1/2 inches long!! He was beautiful and our family was complete!! In another post I will explain how we came up with his name.
~He kept peeing on the nurse!!
After delivery, I had some problems with hemorrhaging, which got me a shot in the thigh and another IV that took three tries to get. It was all worth it for my baby boy!! We got to go home the next evening and Eric has been doing great since.
I experienced things this time around that I never had before. I actually felt what it was like to feel my son come out of me and the urge to push to do that. I had never had an allergic reaction to the epidural before or hemorrhage. I am happy my last labor and delivery went overall pretty well and I am thankful for our healthy baby!!
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