My delivery story

Just and FYI this is very long but if you enjoy reading birth stories here is mine...

This delivery was much different than my past two deliveries.  Anna’s delivery was crazy hard, emotionally draining and also very scary.  Kali’s was somewhat healing and just what I needed at that time.  This delivery was by far the coolest experience so far.  I hope with every baby I have I feel at peace about the people that are helping me with the delivery.  One thing I know for sure is that things always do happen for a reason even if we don’t know why at the time.  

I thought I was in labor Wednesday night after my Mom had gotten to our house.  She decided to drive all day Wednesday because Thursday was supposed to be bad weather.  Thursday morning I had had some contractions and it also had snowed some so Zach decided to work at home.  Well needless to say I didn’t go into labor on my own and we ended up going to the hospital at 6am to be induced on Friday.  When we went in I was having contractions about every 6 minutes.  I was also 70% effaced and dilated to a 3.  It took the nurse 2 tries to get my IV in and to get the blood work that they needed.  It seemed like hours before the Midwife came in and put a bulb (balloon) in and then finally got the oxytocin started in my IV.   I did walks, sat on the ball, leaned again the edge of the bed, and knelt on the bed on my knees, anything to help labor progress.  I asked the nurse to check me because I was getting in a lot of pain but she couldn’t quite tell where I was and so she said I would have to wait for the midwife.  When the midwife told me I was only at a 5 I wasn’t sure I could last hours in that kind of pain.  That is when I asked for an epidural.   Once I decided to do it they were there

pretty quick.  3 people came in to do it and that worried me.  The 1^st lady didn’t do a good job and she was moving the needle inside of me during my contractions and I’m pretty sure she poked me 3 times.  Once for numbing me and the other 2 times trying to find the right spot.  I was so mad too because she wasn’t very considerate of me having contractions.  Here I am in so much pain and she can’t even wait till my contraction is over?  Anyways after she missed another guy tried.  He did alright but only my left side got numb.  I felt everything on my right but I was numb on my left.  They had me lay on my right side trying to get the medicine to work on my right but it didn’t work.  I was so frustrated.  When they came in to re due it I wasn’t sure I wanted it re done.  The midwife came in and asked if I had given it any thought of just trying to push.  I didn’t know what to say.  Sure I’d be happy to not be getting poked anymore but I didn’t know if I was close to being complete.  The last thing I knew was that I was at a 5.  When he re did the epidural he hit my spinal fluid sac and it caused me to have an instant head ache.  (I will explain more about that experience later.)  About ½ an hour after I got the epidural I started pushing.  What a crazy experience.  The midwife took her time helping me open up and stretch.  She helped me push slow enough that I didn’t tear very much.  She said I tore a little but it was less than an episiotomy would have been.  What a huge blessing.  Kali came quick and easy but I’m pretty sure that was because he cut me and then she came right after that.  I feel like that was what was supposed to happen but this time was so much different.  They also put a mirror up for me to see her being delivered.  That was really cool.  I really enjoyed seeing that.  The midwife also took time to show me the placenta after she was born.  It was cool seeing what was inside of me taking care of my baby for 9 months.  I’m so grateful for a vaginal delivery!  It is so much easier to heal and take care of kids if you don’t have to have a c-section. 

After I delivered the guy who did my epidural came in and told me he was really sorry but there was a 50 percent chance I would get a spinal fluid head ache within the next 24 hours.  Well it happened.  Not fun!  They said if I did nothing it would go away in like 4 or 5 days but then every time I sat up I would be in pain….or I could have them take some of my own blood and put in in my spine where the epidural was and it would make a band aide where the hole was and instantly help my head ache.  They called this procedure a blood patch.  Well I guess I should have asked for it right after the baby was born but I didn’t know so then I had to get poked once again in the arm and also in my back.  After being poked at least 10 times in the last 2 days I’m so done being poked.  After the procedure was done I felt the weirdest pressure in my spine and around into my stomach all the way to my head.  The craziest part was I couldn’t move for like 15-20 minutes.  Zach put a pillow under my head and it hurt so bad I wanted to scream.   Even though I was in so much pain for the first few minutes it was amazing how 20 minutes later I’m sitting up in a wheel chair going back my room.  Ever since then my head has felt so much better.  My back will be sore for quite a while though.  I kind of feel like my back will be just as sore as where I delivered a 9lb baby, that’s crazy!  After this experience I really think I will try and deliver without an epidural next time.  

We are so happy that this baby is hear and healthy.  Having this baby away from family has been hard but I’m SOOOO grateful that my Mom is here helping.  I know she has made some major sacrifices to be here but it has been so nice to have her help.  She is leaving tomorrow and reality will finally hit.  Zach is going to do half days for about a week so that will help but dealing with these 3 is going to be tricky.  They don’t want me picking up Kali either and I’m not sure how that is possible!  Here’s to surviving life with 3 kids for this 1^st time tomorrow!