Labor Story

FYI-this is a full labor story, so if you do not want to know details, I wouldn't read...

For those who haven't been close to me (location-wise) during this pregnancy, I have had high blood pressure from about 20 weeks. It's been something my OB's had been keeping an eye on the whole time, in fact towards the end I was put on blood pressure meds to try and keep it in check.

I had a normal OB appt on monday and at each appt they have you check your urine. For the first time I tested ++ for protein in my urine. Not a good sign. Because of this, she had me do a 24 hr urine test. Yeah, just as fun as it sounds. So, tuesday I went back into to the dr with my "belongings" to drop off and to get more blood work done. I figured I would hear from my dr's office by friday if they found anything, or at my next appt if they hadn't found anything.

I was about to start packing up wednesday night around 6 to leave work to go home. I saw my phone had a voicemail. I thought it was going to be a friend about my baby shower thursday evening. Yeah, it was my dr telling me that I needed to go check into triage because I had indeed finally developed pre-eclampsia. Not what I was expecting. After I calmed myself down, I let my coworkers know that I wasn't going to be in the next day.

I got home, showered, collected all of our hospital bag ite

ms, put the carseat in the car (we had gotten it in the mail the day before). We got to the hospital, got checked in and settled into our room. My OB decided she was going to start me on a cervix softener overnight. (Like a big shoe string with medicine on the end) She said I might have some mild cramping after about 6 hrs. Yeah, an hour into it I started having cramping. Didn't get much sleep that night...

Beautiful I know!

I was allowed to eat breakfast in the morning at about 7:30. I was sitting finishing my breakfast and I felt like I had peed! But, at 8:20 am, my water broke by itself! At 10 am I was started on Pitocin. My mom came in on the 1st flight and was able to be at the hospital by then. Usually contractions start out about 20-5 min apart. ALL of mine started 2 1/2 min apart and only got shorter.

After about 5 hrs or so of me not moving or talking, working thru the contractions my dr came in and said my blood pressure was getting too high. Like 200/120 with a higher dose of blood pressure medicine. I had 2 choices, have an epidural or be put on magnesium sulfate. I was wanting to go natural and be able to squat during pushing. The epidural would likely drop my BP and magnesium would most likely do the same, but since its a muscle relaxor it has a chance of stopping labor and I would have to have a C-section. I chose the epidural.

Once that was in, oh man I felt like a new women! I was all chatty and couldn't believe how good I felt! I was able to still move and feel my legs, just didn't have pain! The nurse suggested for me to take a nap and build up my strength for delivery. I was ok with that and took about an hr nap.

When I woke up I was having some tailbone pain. I figured it was from the way I was sleeping. I also felt like I really had to pee, strange because I had a catheter in. At this point the nurse said it would be a good time to check and see how far along I was. Before my nap she check me and I was a 4. And after the nap, a 10! The most productive nap I have ever had!!! He wasn't fully descended, so they had be sit up cross legged for an hr to help him descend. After an hr the nurse said, OK, its time to push! What?! That fast?

I pushed for about an hr and a half and he was out!!! all 6 lbs 3 oz of him!

We had the joy of staying in the hospital from wednesday to Sunday, I had to be on meds for my high blood pressure and Memphis had to go under the bililights for 12 hrs overnight.

But we are at home and figuring out each other. He sleeps fairly well at night and for the most part is an agreeable baby. He does not do a good job getting his bubbles out, but we are working on that. He also doesn't fit into most of his clothes, but at the rate he is eating, that won't be the case for much longer!

We couldn't be more happy with this cute little guy!