Frank's due date was July 2, 2011. Well at my 39 week appointment the kid hadn't even dropped yet. Also, I was not even dilated. Not even a little bit.
So we scheduled an appointment with the OB for the 5th to check amniotic fluid and progress. When I went in they put me on the monitor and I was having some contractions, none I could feel,but I could see them on the machine. After the ultra sound I was informed my fluid was low so we would be headed to to the hospital after the appointment. I would be induced. At this point I really did not care. I wanted Frank out. I just always felt after he reached full term, that he was safer out than in.
We ran a few errands before we went to the hospital. I went to Target for some granny panties because I had heard they are a good thing to have on hand after childbirth. I also bought a book, a night gown, and a salted pretzel because I knew it might be a long time before I ate again.
I got to the hospital at around 10:30. I was given my first dose of misoprostal while I was still in the triage area. Eventually, I was moved to a labor and delivery room, sometime around 12 in the afternoon. Time frames get fuzzy after that.
I got another dose of misoprostal around 2pm because when they checked me I was barely dilated. I was having fairly manageable contractions at this point. I did fall asleep only to wake up because I got in controllable shakes. The nurse said that was normal. At some point they started giving me magnesium sulfate because I had severe preeclampsia.
I remember the resident coming to check me at some point and telling me I was only 1.5 cm dilated. She explained to me that if I didn't show progress soon I would get a balloon catheter, my water broken,and Pitocin. I asked when I could get an epidural and they said at four centimeters.This is where things got interesting.
I fell asleep after the resident left, but not before I checked the clock and it registered that I had been in that room for almost 15 hours. I remember thinking half asleep, "They are gonna do all that stuff to me and then I get me epidural." It wasn't that I was in pain. It was just I was so sick of that room. Well, I woke up from that sleep in a blind panic. Joe said I looked like a caged animal. I made him call for the nurse and asked to be able to walk the hall. She told me that I couldn't because I was being induced. I flipped out and took the monitors off of me and threatened to rip out my IV. I was claustrophobic and could not even verbalized what I needed at that point. I think they gave me an Ambien to calm be down and help me sleep.
The doctor came in a few hours later and I still was not very dilated. So they gave me the balloon catheter. Then sometime after that my water was broken and the Pitocin was started. I got my epidural at three centimeters because of my freak out.
The epidural worked for a while. Although I started feeling some pressure. The nurse said it meant I was progressing. After awhile, the epidural wore off on my right side but the contractions were still manageable. Well, for me anyway. My sister was in the room during one and ran out crying.
Progressing my foot! Almost thirty hours later, I was only four and a half centimeters dilated and Frank hadn't even descended. the doctor said enough was enough and said it would be best if I got a c-section. And I swear I heard a choir of angels sing at that point. I was so relieved that I wouldn't have to sit in that room and having all these things done only to make very little progress.
They had to find some scrubs for Joe. The coverall thing they gave him was only a medium. Joe is 6'4. Frank was born at 6:16 pm.
So we scheduled an appointment with the OB for the 5th to check amniotic fluid and progress. When I went in they put me on the monitor and I was having some contractions, none I could feel,but I could see them on the machine. After the ultra sound I was informed my fluid was low so we would be headed to to the hospital after the appointment. I would be induced. At this point I really did not care. I wanted Frank out. I just always felt after he reached full term, that he was safer out than in.
We ran a few errands before we went to the hospital. I went to Target for some granny panties because I had heard they are a good thing to have on hand after childbirth. I also bought a book, a night gown, and a salted pretzel because I knew it might be a long time before I ate again.
I got to the hospital at around 10:30. I was given my first dose of misoprostal while I was still in the triage area. Eventually, I was moved to a labor and delivery room, sometime around 12 in the afternoon. Time frames get fuzzy after that.
I got another dose of misoprostal around 2pm because when they checked me I was barely dilated. I was having fairly manageable contractions at this point. I did fall asleep only to wake up because I got in controllable shakes. The nurse said that was normal. At some point they started giving me magnesium sulfate because I had severe preeclampsia.
I remember the resident coming to check me at some point and telling me I was only 1.5 cm dilated. She explained to me that if I didn't show progress soon I would get a balloon catheter, my water broken,and Pitocin. I asked when I could get an epidural and they said at four centimeters.This is where things got interesting.
I fell asleep after the resident left, but not before I checked the clock and it registered that I had been in that room for almost 15 hours. I remember thinking half asleep, "They are gonna do all that stuff to me and then I get me epidural." It wasn't that I was in pain. It was just I was so sick of that room. Well, I woke up from that sleep in a blind panic. Joe said I looked like a caged animal. I made him call for the nurse and asked to be able to walk the hall. She told me that I couldn't because I was being induced. I flipped out and took the monitors off of me and threatened to rip out my IV. I was claustrophobic and could not even verbalized what I needed at that point. I think they gave me an Ambien to calm be down and help me sleep.
The doctor came in a few hours later and I still was not very dilated. So they gave me the balloon catheter. Then sometime after that my water was broken and the Pitocin was started. I got my epidural at three centimeters because of my freak out.
The epidural worked for a while. Although I started feeling some pressure. The nurse said it meant I was progressing. After awhile, the epidural wore off on my right side but the contractions were still manageable. Well, for me anyway. My sister was in the room during one and ran out crying.
Progressing my foot! Almost thirty hours later, I was only four and a half centimeters dilated and Frank hadn't even descended. the doctor said enough was enough and said it would be best if I got a c-section. And I swear I heard a choir of angels sing at that point. I was so relieved that I wouldn't have to sit in that room and having all these things done only to make very little progress.
They had to find some scrubs for Joe. The coverall thing they gave him was only a medium. Joe is 6'4. Frank was born at 6:16 pm.
