My body tried to go into labor for 3 days, starting Sunday night. I had a Dr's appt on Monday, and when my Dr. examined me, he told me I was 90% effaced and 3cm dilated. He figured I would go into labor overnight or on Tuesday some time, and he was on call, so I was excited (he was the same one who delivered Drew). My blood pressure was a little elevated, so he wanted me to make an appointment for Wednesday, just in case I didn't go into labor, to have my b.p. checked. Tuesday came and went, and brought with it more contractions, but nothing happened. I kept contracting on and off until my appointment on Wednesday afternoon. This appointment was with my second favorite doctor in the practice, my b.p. was fine, and when she checked me I was 4cm dilated and 100% effaced. She asked if I wanted her to strip my membranes and I told her "YES." So, she did (and this time it was painless) and sent me on my way. When I had this happen with Drew, I went into labor overnight - so I thought it would be hours before labor really kicked in.
I was wrong.
My appointment had been at 2:30 and by 3:30, I started contracting. By 4:30, they were consistently coming every 5-6 minutes and by 6:00, I was at the hospital. Now, any expectant mother will tell you that you do not want to be sent home from the hospital and be told it is "false labor," and for whatever reason, I was worried about that. I knew I was in labor, but I was still worried. I was admitted to triage and assessed - and was now 5cm dilated. There was no question that I was being admitted. I got to my room relatively quickly and received my epidural and IV. Then, they broke my water - and I nearly passed out. Emmett didn't like it either and his heart rate plummeted. I was turned on my left and given oxygen and we both rebounded. I thought the scary part was over.
I was wrong.
I went quickly from a 6 when they broke my water to a 10. My epidural wasn't working well, so instead of just pressure, I felt everything. I pushed for awhile and was told he was posterior, or facing up. "Crap!" I thought. This was the same position Drew was in, but they were able to turn him. It was very clear that Emmett would not be so easy to turn. So, after pushing for awhile, it was obvious he wasn't descending any further. I was miserable and felt stuck. They gave me the option to increase my epi and turn me on my left side to encourage him to move. I agreed. They increased the epi, turned me on my left side and propped me up with a ton of pillows. I was told this would last an hour and when I was consistently feeling pressure again to let them know. Twenty minutes later, I was feeling everything. So, I started pushing again - and guess what? Emmett was still posterior. I pushed for a bit and they told me they could try the vacuum to get him out as nothing else was working. I was hesitant, but agreed in the end.
It didn't work.
So, there I was, being prepped for what was quickly becoming an emergency c-section. They shot a bolus in my epi, gave me some nasty tasting stuff to calm my stomach acid, and wheeled me down the hall. I felt everything and screamed the entire trip to the OR. By this point, I had lost control and just screamed with every contraction. In the O.R, and without Bill, they prepped me for surgery. I was thrashing around so much they were afraid I was going to fall off the skinny table. And they soon realized I was feeling WAY more than I should be and was able to move when I shouldn't have been. SO, in rushes another anesthesiologist to take out my epi and put in another spinal. Talk about fun. Finally everything started to kick in, they began the c-section and Bill was able to join me.
The c-section was definitely an interesting experience. From all of the A Baby Story episodes I've seen in my lifetime, I knew you would feel pressure and tugging, but I had no idea you would feel like you were being jackhammered on the table. I was asked if I wanted to see Emmett being born, and of course I said yes, so they held a mirror over my belly and I watched him come into the world. And I cried. I cried with relief and out of love for him. I cried because, unlike Drew, I wasn't the first person to cradle him in my arms. I cried because he was very far away from me, and like Drew, had the quietest cry, so I could barely hear him. For some reason, Bill wasn't allowed to go over to him, so I had him stand up to keep an eye on Emmett and let me know how he was doing. I was convinced something was wrong, but he was fine - thank God. Soon they brought him to us, and Bill held him right up to my face so I could snuggle up with him. In recovery, I was finally able to hold him, and nurse him, and we started to bond.
So, there you have it. Apparently, I have really exciting birth stories. No boring entrances into the world for my little ones. They are making their presence known from the beginning.
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