Labor with Georgia was in one word LONG! Overall, it wasn't too horrible, 20 hours total, but the work I did to get her here, seemed to take forever!
I went into Labor about 7:30 on monday June 11th, but was in denial that it was really happening. We went out to dinner and right when we sat down I had a REAL contraction, but was convinced it was just gas or something. Later on that evening, we went home and they kept coming, stronger and faster, so I decided to go lay down and try to get some sleep. No such luck. At around 1am, I knew we were going to be going into the hospital at some point, so I had to take a shower because I wasn't sure the next time I would get a chance, and do my hair. Everyone said I wouldn't care what I looked like, but I did. I just needed my bangs to not be crazy! So there I was at 1:00 in the morning, blowdrying may hair between contractions. And while I was at it, I put on some mascara, and a little bronzer so I looked somewhat human.
We called into the hospital, since my contractions were about 3 minutes apart, and they said to come in and they would check me out. Driving over Bear Creek Road to get to Santa Clara, in labor, was not fun, but we made it. We did find out that the "oh sh*t" handle is very sturdy, since I was hanging on it with most of my body weight pretty much the whole time.
We got to Labor and Deliver and they sent me to Observation to make sure I was really in labor and had progressed enough to be admitted. When I was finally checked, I was at 4cm. THANK GOD!! If they told me that I was not dilated and to go home, I would have ended up in jail because someone would have been murdered. So around 4am, I was admitted and and said I want the epidural ASAP.
Before the anesthesiologist came in, I was still in a lot of pain and really anxious, so they suggested fentanyl. I was a little apprehensive, I didn't want the baby to be all drugged out, but with very little persuasion, I took it. I felt great!! At around 5 or 5:30 am, the anesthesiologist come in. He was all business. He gave me the rundown, risks, how it worked and what not. Then asked if I had any questions, I had one. "Have you ever paralyzed anyone?" His response, "No... Well, not that I know of." That was good enough for me.
After that, I was much more comfortable, the fentanyl had worn off, and they wanted to check me again. But before that, POP! My water broke. I had no idea, I though the noise was the bed squeaking. I was then at 6cm. After thatI decided to try to get a little sleep. If I knew that was the last sleep I would get for 3 days, I would have tried to sleep even more. After about an hour or so nap I woke up feeling better, and was checked again, 8cm. Great! Not too much longer! Then about an hour later I was checked again and found I was at 10!! All I could think was "Oh my God, it's really gonna happen, I really have to do this."
At noon, my nurse said we would do a few practice pushes and then go from there. I think them saying "practice pushes" is a way to take the edge off of the gravity of it all. But I was told I was pushing really well and didn't need to practice and just to keep going. Gabe was great, holding my leg, helping me switch from side to side and on my back. After about an hour, they kept saying, "great job keep going, she's almost here!" I heard that for 2.5 hours!! But I didn't give up. I gave it everything I had every push. When I had been pushing almost 2 hours, they said if I was done, that I could get some assistance, which means a vacuum or forceps, but I was not gong to let that happen. Around that time, my contractions slowed down, way down. 5 minutes apart. I enjoyed the longer breaks, but just wanted it to be over. So they gave me a little pitocin to speed them back up. It worked. I wasn't even finishing a contraction before another one would start. Still I was giving it everything I had and then some. I was still flipping from side to side and on my back. The epidural was starting to wear off, and I was getting really tired and sore form bearing down so hard for so long. Gabe had me in what he describes as a crazy wrestling hold. Holding my leg up and back and my back up and forward, because I had no strength to do it myself.
At the 3 hour mark, Gabe asked if I was OK and I said no. I was done. I kept trying to push, but I had no stength left. My whole body hurt. I felt like I had been in a car accident. So the doctor said, they were going have to use the vacuum. It had been 3 hours, and the baby's heart rate had dropped a little so it was best to just get her out. I was disappointed, but I knew I had done everything that I could. I was on my side at that point, so the Doctor asked me to move to my back and scoot all the way to the edge of the bed. She then gave me the best news ever! She told me I didn't need a vacuum and in just a few minutes the baby would be out. She was right! I manned up again and pushed a few more times. More nurses came into the room for the baby right before she was born. A nurse grabbed my other leg. I was convinced she was going to dislocate it! But it was all worth it. Georgia came out, and I had done it. She was finally here! And Perfect!
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| Georgia Clare Vega June 12, 2012 at 3:09pm 7 lbs 11oz and 20.5 inches |
