We arrived at the hospital early Wednesday morning on July 14 to settle in & get labor started. Paperwork, labs, etc were all done &Pitocin was started around 7:45am.
I was 2-3cm & my cervix was thick, but OB didn't feel Cervidil was needed. My water was broken around 8:30am & I started feeling contractions right away. I couldn't get the epi until my IV bag of fluid was empty. This helps prevent a drop in blood pressure (or so they thought) immediately after getting the epi. Finally around 9:15am it was time for the epi! Thank goodness! I was thrilled to hear that Blake could stay during the epi since it's commonly against hospital policy.
While getting the epi I started feeling dizzy & like I was going to faint. Remember the IV bag that is supposed to help prevent a drop in blood pressure? Well, my blood pressure bottomed out - drastically. They didn't want to give me any meds for the low pressure because it would impact baby Alyssa. So, I was monitored closely & it leveled off, still low, but level. I think the lowest it got was 80s/40s. It wasn't a pleasant experience at all! The epi hurt like hell along with the contractions! Not sure which was worse. Luckily, 45 seconds later I felt NO pain at all.
Addison & Grams came to visit around 11:00am. Addison wasn't too sure about me laying in the bed with all the cords & stuff around me. They left around 12:10pm & I was glad because I was feeling really nauseous & didn't want Addy to see me get sick.
At around 12:20pm the nurse came in & I told her I felt sick & also felt pressure. She suspected something was going on from the readings on the monitor at the nurse's desk & came to check me..... 9 1/2cm..... ready to push! This particular OB nurse was awesome, however, she kept mentioning that baby wasn't coming down enough & a C-section might be needed. Well, that went in one ear & out the other. I'm sure she wasn't trying scare me & just prepare me for the worst case scenario, but I didn't want to hear that! At least let me push a few times & let the OB assess the situation. Ha, the 'situation'. Did I mention that Blake walked Addy & Grams out to the car??? So, Courtney, a dear friend & our photographer for the day, hurried & called him on the cell to let him know NOT to take his time getting back to the room! LOL!
I started 'practice' pushing & everything went very fast from there. The OB came in & immediately said he didn't like the way baby Alyssa's heart rate was reacting when I pushed & said she had to come out now. I remember the nurse calling the NICU for back-up because of fetal distress & heard 'forceps'. Forceps are steel utensils used to assist the baby through the birth canal quicker than the OB thinks I would deliver just by pushing alone. Whoa! I think there ended up being about 10 people in the room in case of an emergency. I pushed a couple of times & then OB inserted the forceps. After another push or two baby Alyssa was born! Well, before she could come all the way out the cord had to be cut since it was around her neck & shoulder. This is what was preventing her from coming on out! Those dang umbilical cords!
At 12:53pm Alyssa Catherine was born 6lbs 14.6oz & 18 1/2 inches long. Alyssa's Apgar score was 8 & 9.
More to come...
2 comments:
Congrats on the new arrival !
Love the pics. Welcome ALYSSA! You are such a trooper!!! Cannot wait to meet her.
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