It has been 9 days now since my little button was born. It all happened relatively fast, well except for the 20 hours of labor! YIKES!
On Wed. March 29th, I went in for my routine appointment with my OB. He noticed that I had the beginning of Pre-eclampsia with protein in my urine. Things were progressively getting a bit worse. I was nauseous and vomiting, tired and very uncomfortable. My ankles were the size of an elephants. I was sent immediately to the hospital for blood work and a non stress test. Both tests came back fine, but the on call OB decided that it was probably best to induce me anyway. I look back and wonder if this was the right decision now, as Gracee just wasn't ready to come. She was very high still, and her head was not down in my pelvis.
This made for an incredibly long labor. The IV drip was started at 3pm and my water was broken at 6pm. My dh was working during the day, but his work let him come to the hospital immediately after I was admitted. I made the huge mistake of not eating before going to my app't so, I hadn't eaten since the night before. When I was at the hospital they wouldn't let me eat either, so I was famished!
Dilation from 2-3cm took 12 hours!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I thought for sure I would die with it taking so long. Many times my contractions were coming too fast and harsh, so they had to lower the dose of oxytocin in my IV. The pain hit hard soon after 3 cm. I tried the gas. It helped for about an hour. Then I was ready for something more. I am not a superwomen. I knew that I was going to have to have something for the pain. I requested an epidural. The anesthesiologist had to drive in 30 minutes to the hospital. Needless to say, by this point I was in huge pain. He put in the epi and it helped for about 30 minutes. It was a nice break. He left and went home again, and then the stupid thing stopped working. It turned out that the line had curled and so the medication was not getting in. Well, he had to drive back in to the hospital at 4 am, and it felt like he was coming from BRAZIL! He inserted a new line, which didn't work long either. A different anesthesiolgist inserted a stronger med into my line, but of course that didn't work either. I was feeling every contraction!!!!!!!
At about 18 hours I was totally finished! I was absolutely exhausted and famished. I had been vomitting throughout the labor. I knew I would be pushing and throwing up at the same time!
With 2 holes already in my spine we decided to have a spinal epidural. It numbs everything. AND LET ME TELL YOU, for the 3 minutes that I had it, it was FANTASTIC! Baby Gracee was born at 11:37 am March 30th with the help of forceps. She was still high up while I was pushing, and very very close to a c-section. What an incredible miracle. After 9 months of barfing and nausea, dizziness, SPD pelvis pain, fainting, and so much more everything was worth it!
My dh and I just sat and cried and cried at her beauty. We just couldn't stop staring at her, and her bright red hair! I just could believe that you could fall totally in love with something so quickly. She is such a gift. One that i will treasure forever with every ounce of my heart. SHe is also daddy's little girl. I have never seen him so at peace. We feel blessed!
The joy and delight of finally having our baby, made it easier to deal with the spinal headache I received from having 3 holes in my spine. THe CSF fluid was leaking in and out of the holes. I was going to have to get a blood patch done to cover the holes, but that would have meant another hole in my spine. So I ended up lying flat on my back in the hospital for 2 days straight trying to naturally get the holes to coagulate. Success, no trouble with the headache since!
We were in the hospital for 5 days. I wanted to come and write to you all so much sooner. So sorry joanna that I forgot to bring your number with me. Steve was able to stay at the hospital with me. THey had a pull out couch for him, so it was a big help. Unfortunately though, we didn't get a chance to get the number to call and give and update. So this is where I disappeared to for a week!
What an experience. No-one can tell you how incredible it is. It is definately something that you need to experience in order to full understand the miracle of life. What a rollercoaster. I feel like my HG ride has ended, and my new journey (perhaps on the baby rollercoaster) has just begun!
And now, I have this beautiful precious little girl. She is all mine, but I can't wait to share her with the world!
) you need to bring her. I want to hear that baby girl!
...notice no birth story from Suzanne anywhere around here 
. It's so not fair to get all the pain of natural child birth (since the happy drugs don't work) and none of the glory for natural birth, is what a friend told me