NOT PREGNANT ANYMORE!!!

Baby's Name: Alexandra Marie

Date of Birth: February 9, 2011

Original Due Date: February 19, 2011

Weeks Pregnant: 38 weeks 4 days

Weight: 8 lbs 2 oz

Length: 22.5 inches

Birth Story:

On Tuesday the 8th at my 38w3d OB appt my doc stripped my membranes.  It was uncomfortable and she told me that she really got in there and worked it up.  So I went home and made a grocery list and relaxed for awhile.  I noticed that my vagina felt very sore, like it was bruised.  I figured that it was from getting stripped and hoped that it would ease up in a day or two.  While walking around Wal-mart getting my groceries it was so painful to just walk.  I was having a ton more pressure and I was finally 'waddling'.  After I got home and made dinner I just laid on the couch and relaxed to try to help the pain. 

Throughout the evening my BH's were more painful but again I thought my cervix was bruised from the exam.  Went to bed and at 1:00 woke up and went to the bathroom.  Had 3 contractions between 1:00 and 2:00.  At 2:00am the contractions decided to come every 4 minutes.  I'd been having BH for weeks and they were annoying to I decided to ignore them.  Well, by 2:40 they were still there so I thought, 'Fine I'll time you for an hour and see what happens.'

At 3:30 I was sitting in my rocker and turned the fan off and accidentally woke my DH up.  He asked how far apart they were and told him they were now 3 min 30 sec apart.  He decided that we were going in and told me to call my mom. So we got dressed and went downstairs.  Called my mom at 4:00am and her and her boyfriend were at my house and we were at the hospital by 4:30am. 

The nurse checked me at 5:00am and I was at 4cm but still pretty far back.  They decided to watch me for an hour and see what happens.  Contractions were still pretty manageable at this point.  Well at 6:00am I asked to be checked again because my contractions were much more painful and I wanted to know where I was.  Well I was only at 5cm but was all the way to the front and 100% effaced.  The nurses decided that I would be delivering soon and I decided to get the epidural.  I was trying to go natural but the contractions were just so flipping bad!

Well they have to give you a full bag of fluid and we had to wait for the anesthesiologist (sp?) to get there.  I made it through my bag of fluid and Brad (my new most favorite person in the world) got there.  He asked me if I wanted the epidural or an intrathecal (sp?).  He told me that the intrathecal would be instant relief and epidural could take up to 20 minutes.

I decided on the intrathecal.  He numbed the spot between one contraction, waited until the next was passed, gave the intrathecal and I never felt the next one!  Heaven in a needle!  Best decision of my life!  You have to lay on your back for the full effect and I started to itch.  I thought I was having a reaction but apparently it's totally normal because of the phentonal (sp?) in it. 

So now I'm out of pain but itchy.  Totally worth it!!! This was at 7:00am.  I had 2 nurses, one charge and a training nurse.  They decided to check me again and so the charge nurse checked me and then had the training nurse check me (for educational purposes)  I was complete and my bag of water was bulging!  YAY!!!
My Ob was there with another doc who was also in training and my doc asked me if the new doc could deliver my baby.  Sure, why not! 

So they set up and she broke my water, yuck, very gross!  Then everyone literally stood around me waiting for me to feel a contraction and push.  It was surreal, we were all joking around and having fun.  My first two deliveries were very quick and there wasn't any fun!  Because of the intrathecal I was in heaven. 
Nobody was paying any attention to me and I felt pressure so I pushed.  

Well, on the 4th push there was a ring of fire and I pushed her head out.  The cord was wrapped around her neck and they couldn't get it undone until she was all the way out so I pushed her out with the rest of that push and she was here!  4 pushed total and she was laying on my chest.  I felt everything without any of the pain.

My 3rd little girl was here at 7:52am, less than 6 hours after the first contraction, weighing in at 8 lbs 2 oz and was 22 1/2" long. 

It was a blast this time and if you are debating the drugs I suggest you get it and enjoy the birth of your baby!  It was a ton of fun for me anyway!

This is my current fav photo but for some reason it's upside down online.  Sorry for that!