I'm going to try to keep this as short as possible, since I already have it written down in the baby book in full details :)
5am on the dot I got the call from the nurse saying there was room for me to have an induction that morning. Dan and I got ready as fast as we could, were out the door 15 minutes later, headed to Starbucks, I had a chonga bagel and he had caffeine. 5:30am I was in the hospital bed ready to start the show. Answered a bazillion questions, texted all the fam and waited til the IV nurse came in. This young gal starts my IV, and does a horrid job. HORRID. I've had plenty of IVs in my life, I know whats good and bad. My husband is an IV starter EXPERT, and he was cringing watching what she was doing. She put the wrong needle in me, far too big for my vein. It hurt so bad.
at 6 they started my cytotec, and after a half hour I could walk around. My sister Suz showed up with more coffee, then an hour later Alicia arrived. Bryn was with my mom at this point, thanks to George shuttling her up to her house at 7:30am. The contractions were so small. Just little crampies. I was 50% and 2cm, and she was far up there. Far.
3 hours later, another round of cytotec, same dilation.
By 1pm, my doc came in and agreed to break my water, I was BARELY a 3cm, but since this was my second rodeo, they figured my body would be more forgiving. She broke it, and holy moses, the flood waters kept COMING. I kept telling my nurses, you guys, I'm sitting in a swamp, it's going to flood the floor. They laughed and said they've never had a spillage yet, it wont happen today. Sure enough, it went all over the floor. All over. I gushed and gushed fluid. It was humorous. Alicia even got a pic of the flood waters on the floor.
The pitocin shortly followed and that of course brought on the big contractions. Ouch. They kept upping it til finally I got the thumbs up for my epidural. By now my parents had come, Jena, Alicia, Suz, Dan and Bryn had all been around. My nurse was so fabulous I couldve kissed her. I was in so much pain during my epidural due to contractions, she literally held me still so I wouldnt flinch while the needle was going in my back. Loved her.
All was well after that. I relaxed, felt very little. People came and went. My doc came to check me and I was at a 6cm 90%...and she noticed Lennon was caught on my hip. She said I wasnt going to have a baby tonight, see you tomorrow, and she checked out for the night. At this point my parents are ready to head home with Bryn.
My nurses werent satisfied. THey got to work on me, flipping me over left and right until finally they moved me to my left side, with my leg high up in the air.
I got Horrible shakes. The nurses said, once she's off that hip of yours, she's gonna come flying out. I was like no way. She was still at -3 station, only 6 cm. I was no optimistic.
Not 5 minutes later, I was hit with the force of incredible pain. THIS was what it felt like to go drug free.
My epidural had drained out of me, and I was now laboring without drugs, and frankly, it scared me because it came on so fast. I started wimpering, then crying for my nurses, begging them to tell me why I could feel everything. She lifted my leg, and yelled, it's baby time, your gonna have this baby right now.
Chaos. Well atleast to me. It was like a synchronized dance to everyone in the room.
My nurse ran and got whoever was in the hall way...and yelled for a doc.
My dad ran to get my mom who went for a walk with Bryn down the hallway.
Suz is getting the skype call ready for Sayle whos in Hawaii, ready to watch this go down.
Dan is getting in his position.
Alicia is so giddy with excitement and snapping a thousand pictures.
I am a blubbering mess.
Just a couple minutes go by during that dance, and this rockstar doctor comes in, and says push.
I gather my tears up clothes my eyes and push with all my might. I'm thinking, I cant believe this is happening.
Ten minutes ago she was -3 station, 6cm. Those nurses know best.
I pushed about 7 times? It hurt so incredibly bad. So THIS is natural childbirth. Huh.
Everyone is screaming and crying with excitement, the nurses are so fabulous, the doc is so encouraging,
my sisters are crying, Alicia is giggling with excitement, my dad is somewhere in the back, Bryn is looking out the window, my mom is in front of me..
Then she arrives. It was slow motion. It sounds cliche but the last few years of infertility flashed before my eyes. All the struggle, pain, nights we wept for a child. Here she was. I was dying to see her face, who was she?
She was familiar. Best way to put it. Looked like Bryn, but was her own self. Familiar. Like I knew her already.
We recorded the audio of the whole thing, and first words I say to her are I love you, and We waited so long for you.
I just loved the whole experience, once again. Although it mirrored Bryn's birth quite a bit, there was that pain this time that I cant describe, however, it's such a high, looking back. Such a high.
Brynlee just adores her sister. Greatest help. So tender and sweet to her. She is always asking if her eyes are open, because she wants to see her sisters "pretty eyes" so she says.
I had an internal tear and a minor external tear, but recovery has been harder this time around. I'm only 3 weeks out, but things still arent "normal" down there. I'm dying to start working out, but have a while to go still.
I gained 19lbs, and I have lost 25, within the first 6 days. However, I'm a big marshmallow :)
Ok that's all for now. I'll post more later.
