So, you all know about the false alarm we had two weeks to the day before we actually had our sweet baby. After that, the contractions kept coming off and on and making me a little uneasy and on edge. My next doctor's appointment I was supposed to be given an induction date. I was so excited for the finish line to be in sight but Liesel had other ideas. She had decided after her almost appearance the week before that she liked it better up high in my uterus, so up she floated, dashing my hopes of knowing the end date. But! I would have my membranes swept at the next appointment, so there was something to focus on.
Next week came, membranes swept and the doctor requested that I book an appointment for the next day to have them swept again if I didn't already have the baby. There were a few contractions here and there that night but no baby so away we went the next morning. My mother-in-law kindly drove the boys and me in so that Matt could have a car at home in case I went into labour or was sent to be induced. Thanks, Jen!
Right after getting in the car after my appointment, I started having some hard and intense contractions, worse than when I went into the hospital the first time. I was told by my doctor to go to the hospital if they were coming 5 minutes apart and I could feel the baby being pushed down with the contractions. Now, tell me, could you feel what was happening to the baby during contractions? because I surely couldn't. I just hurt. A lot. After lots of internal debating about what I should do, go home or hang around and see if anything happened, we headed over to Matt's cousin's house. After some lunch and continuing contractions, a walk to the park seemed like a good idea. Let the kids run around and get me out walking to speed things up. Before we left, I called Matt and told him he should get into the city because I was pretty sure this was the real deal. I couldn't be in this much pain and not get a baby out of it within a few hours.
Progress to the park was slow as I had to stop every contraction and breathe. Seriously, I hate contractions. Kayty and I circled the park while my MIL played with 4 of the 5 kids. Around and around we went until contractions were consistently coming about 3 minutes apart and I decided I needed to go to the hospital whether Matt was there to take me or not. I called to check in on him when we got back to the house an hour after the first phone call. He was still 45 minutes away. We live about an hour away. Turns out, Matt had a shower. Good thinking, love. It would be days before we would be home again. :)
So, with him being that far away, Kayty watched my kiddos and Jen took me to the hospital to sit with me until Matt arrived. Apparently my doctor is one of the most generous with his measurements. I was measured at a four in his office and I was measured at a four at the hospital. The nurse acknowledged that with his generous measurements, that probably meant I actually had dilated more but because it said on my papers that I was 4 cm at my appointment, it looked like nothing had changed. She said that my contractions might have been just my uterus becoming irritated by the membrane sweeping. I cried at this point. How in the world could I be in this much pain without it doing something to bring this baby to me? Matt got there shortly before the nurse told me they'd have me walk around for an hour or more. Ugh.
Contractions were still coming between 2 and a half and 3 minutes. Every one made me stop walking, grab onto the supports along the wall and cry or cringe or cry out. Back labour. The worst. After the hour, they were just so bad, I couldn't stand it anymore. Returning to the triage, we were informed that literally NO progress had been made. Nothing changed. I cried some more. After humming and hawing, I decided I hurt too much to be sent home without anything so I got a shot of morphine. As it started to course through my body, the contractions slowed and got a bit easier. Until they weren't anymore and I would writhe on the bed every other contraction. When you get morphine, they make you stay at the hospital to make sure you don't react poorly and because it can sometimes calm your body enough to make things start to progress. After the hour, my nurse came back to check on me. I told her they seemed to have slowed but I was still in a lot of pain. Her thoughts were that I'd be going home, but then I had one of my writhing contractions. She was very surprised by the amount of pain I was under so she proceeded to check me again. I was still a four BUT my cervix was softening! That was a good sign. My doctor needed to be told the progress and we would go from there. To help me not get my hopes up, my nurse shared that she believed he'd probably have me sent home. More tears.
Upon her return, the nurse gave us the great news that Dr. Chua wanted me to stay. He needed to make sure the charge nurse was okay with it and then they'd set me up with a room and rupture my membranes. Wahoo! I was having my baby that day! Greatest news. I was admitted into a L&D room at 6:00. AND my doctor agreed to let me get an epidural before he ruptured my membranes! With the pain I was already feeling, I did NOT want to endure the instant increase in contractions that would follow without the assistance of some seriously intense drugs! These are my thoughts on epidurals if you are interested. ;)
I love my doctor! Through the ensuing hours, he kept joking about how he needed his beauty sleep. He is quick to add humour and do what he can to make his patients comfortable and happy. The best! Anyways, after the epidural kicked in, he came to rupture my membranes at about 7:30. He checked me first and I was at 6 cm! HA! I was actually in labour! No need for induction, but he still ruptured my membranes. :) After an hour, I had only dilated to a 7. I have this thing when I get epidurals that it wears off on one side at some point. I am now very prepared to request a top up from the anesthesiologist when I start to feel the smallest amount of pain. At around 9:30, it happened so in came my life saver to freeze me up some more. But. I ended up being SO frozen. My lower half was completely dead weight. I felt badly for my nurses when my doctor said we needed to rotate me from side to side to get baby's head turned down instead of up. Because I couldn't feel a single thing, I couldn't move an inch. It was pretty comical.
At ten thirty, Matt sent a text to his mom to tell her that things were moving slowly and I probably wouldn't have the baby any time soon. Fifteen minutes later, Dr. Chua checked me again and I was ten cm! He declared it was time to get this baby out. Problem was I couldn't feel anything. No pressure, no desire to push. With the boys, I felt that. I knew what I was supposed to do and it was incredible. I didn't think you were supposed to feel that but when I wasn't able to this time, I was surprised he wanted to go forward with it. He assured me it would be fine. My nurse was up by me, feeling my stomach for contractions, the student nurse and Matt were supporting my whale-like legs (that's what they feel like when you can't feel them, in case you were wondering) and when a contraction came, I was told to push. I had no idea what I was even pushing and didn't know if I was even doing anything. The comments around the room reassured me that I was doing something so I kept doing what I was doing. It took three contractions and there she was! Eleven o'clock on the dot. What a little miracle.
Because of the amount of drugs in my body, I was unable to move for a good two hours. Sitting in the delivery bed, I tested out my muscles every once in a way. I was so proud of the accomplishment of moving my toes! Then, I could move my legs a little side to side. Finally, I could lift them off the bed. The nurses deemed me sufficiently unfrozen (or is it defrosted?) to help me into the wheelchair. I wasn't ready for that first step and almost fell on the floor. Seriously, I just laugh when I think about how comical many moments of this delivery were. :)
After a long long day, we got to our room, I was brought a turkey sandwich (heaven in my mouth!) and we were able to shut our eyes for a bit.
What a joy it has been to have Liesel in our lives! She has been such a good baby and we are all smitten.
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