Hey Friends and Family!
Those of you who follow me on Facebook or Instagram know Teagan is here! I know it's been a couple weeks since my last post, but ALOT has happened (obviously) So I'll just get right into where we left off last time! (PS if you don't want to know TMI type stuff then this is NOT the blog for you! wait for the next ones when I put up cute pics and such.. this one is about BIRTH and it's NOT a clean and pretty process!)
Tuesday (10th): I had my doctors appointment. She checked me and I was STILL only at a 1 dilation. So they scheduled me for induction for Friday (13th) at noon.
Wednesday (11th): I woke up with some period like cramps at around 7 in the morning (the kind you get BEFORE your period starts... like "oh crap, time to check the supplies, lady time is coming"... so more annoying then anything else) And started my day (just keep this 7 AM time in your mind) We had my chiropractor appointment scheduled for 11 so we went to that. At this time I was still having period like "contractions" about 30ish minutes apart. The adjustment I got is specifically for women who are past due in their pregnancy. He checked for my shorter leg, then found the tendon in the corresponding but cheek (I know its weird haha) and put pressure on that tendon for about 20 min all the while using this stick thing that makes minor adjustments to body parts like my hips and back. Then we went to lunch and the grocery store and I noticed my contractions were getting closer together but still not to a strength that kept me from doing things. Later that night I noticed they were getting stronger and by 8PM I excused myself to go upstairs for the night. I took my birthing ball and set up a space next to the bed with it and would try to work through the now pretty uncomfortable almost painful contractions (now about 10-15 min apart). I even went and soaked in the tub a couple times and went into the shower to use the shower head for the water pressure on my back.
During this night the hubby had asked me if he needed to stay up with me or go to sleep because he was scheduled for work the next morning. (basically he was asking if he needed to call into work) I told him I didn't know and it was best he just sleep because I wasn't having contractions at the magic 5-1-1 (5min apart, lasting 1 min, for at least an hour) and was probably just in early labor and chances were I would still end up going to get the induction on Friday.
So I labored through the night, getting no sleep because the contractions were to close for me to actually lay down and get more then 5 or 6 min of sleep. My contractions started getting stronger and kind of closer together. I'd have one 10 min apart, then 6, then 8, then 3 ...etc.. so irregular and not the 5-1-1
Thursday (12th): by 7 AM I was basically in tears because by then I would have 4 or 5 contractions about 5-6 min apart then I'd have one like 8 or 9 min. The contractions were getting stronger and by this point I couldn't deal with the pain on my own. The hubby woke up and tried helping me out and suggested we go to the hospital anyway. I still said no because that magic 5-1-1 hadn't been reached. So I called my mom and asked her how it was for her and she told me she didn't ever get to having regular contractions so this could be me too. She suggested I call the hospital or my doctors office and ask them what I should do. So at 8:30 I called my doctor's office and the recording said for women in labor to call the women's center (hospital). The triage nurse at the hospital said that it is preferred to be at the 5-1-1 and suggested I lay on my left for two hours and down a bunch of cold water and call back in two hours. So upon doing this my contractions got worse... but farther apart. They got super strong but would be like 8-10 min apart. I lasted like this for about an hour and a half and called back and asked if I could at least come in to get checked. Once getting up, getting the dogs set for the sitter and in the car, my contractions went back to sporadic but closer together.
We got to the hospital around 11:30 AM and had to wait in line to check in, during the waiting period, they came like 3 min apart.. BUT as soon as we got to the check in desk they went back to 6 and 7 min apart. Once I got in the triage room I was so worried I would still be at a 1 like I was from two days before and they would send me home all I could think was how was I supposed to endure more pain like this?? So they put me on the monitor and tracked my contractions for a little bit and Teagan's heart rate and my contractions were coming pretty strong 5-7 min apart. Then the nurse checked me and said "well you aren't going anywhere... you said you were at a 1 two days ago? Well you are at a good 5 now and 80% effaced and +1... so this baby is coming!" (me oh thanks God I'm not just some weak sauce baby who cant handle little contractions!)
1ish: we get moved into our labor and delivery room (HUGE ROOM) and get settled in and with my nurse (that's right I got a nurse all to myself the WHOLE time I was there) and start working through some contractions. Also got changed into my birthing gown I made because it gave more coverage then the one they had me in.
2 PM: The doctor on call (one from my ob office) came in with a resident and checked me, I was at a solid six centimeters dilated and they offered to break my water to help my body progress with contractions getting a little closer. I said yes and they said they'd be back in the next hour.
3ish: The resident checks me says I'm at a sold 7 now and breaks my water. Contractions start getting closer together and are pretty strong. I'm walking around, bouncing on the ball... pretty much going through all the things I learned in the birthing class, even took a shower in the 2X2 box with the broken hand held water sprayer. My hubby was a great asset massaging my back and getting me juice and water when I asked.
4 PM: The doctors come back and check up on me and I'm at a good strong 8 centimeters. I'm still coping with the contractions pretty well. At this point I've decided the birthing ball is the devil and actually prefer sitting on the edge of the bed leaning on the hubby and having him massage my back. I also actually like being on the monitor because I can watch the contraction monitor and knowing when the contractions are going down helps coping with the pain. The doctors said I'm progressing so well, that at the rate I'm going I'll probably be able to start pushing at around 6 because I've been progressing about a centimeter an hour.
5 PM The doctor assigned to me switched out with the next doctor on shift because her 24 hour shift is up.. AND it's MY doctor!! YAY!
6 PM: My doctor comes back and checks me and I'm still at an 8. :( Also my contractions have kind of started to slow down, BUT they are getting super strong (like off the charts strong) so she suggests I get put on pitocin to get the contractions back to being closer together and hopefully that will help get those last two centimeters done. At this point I'm like "the P word! Nope, can't do it, I'm already in so much pain and they want to add MORE?!" So I say I'll get the pitocin but only if I get an epidural (Here is where I say that I was NEVER against an epidural, I have always said I wanted to TRY all natural, and I did, I tried it until I couldn't take it anymore) They tell me no problem, they won't give me pitocin until the epidural is administered and should be in the next 20-30 min because the anesthesiologist was going into a c-section.
Now basically the next three hours are me in agony as my contractions don't get closer together but are continuing to be really strong. They gave me a pill of something that is supposed to take the edge off but all it does is make me sleepy, so I'm back to how I was the previous night, tired not being able to sleep because of the pain of the contractions coming every couple minutes. They are also monitoring my temp, blood pressure and pulse rate and notice that all of them are going up so they are staring to get concerned. I also am still getting checked periodically but am still and an 8. I get hooked up to fluids to make sure I have enough before the epidural comes
9:00ish PM: Anesthesiologist comes and I finally get my epidural. As I'm waiting for it to kick in I'm watching the monitor like crazy to try and cope with the contractions. I start to see that I'm having contractions and not feeling them (still super sleepy from the pill from earlier) so I know its kicked in. It actually gets so good I can't feel the entire left side of my body: arm, hand, side, chest... but I can still move them, its just like when you are at the dentist and cant feel but can still move your mouth. I'm given pitocin and watch as the contractions get closer together and they check me and I'm at a an 8 1/2 so some progress! They give me a catheter.
10ish : I'm at a 9! yay! Cant feel a thing and am happily watching the monitor and my catheter bag fill up. I also try to take a nap, but kind of hard to do as they continue to monitor my temp and blood pressure.. I'm at 99 degrees now and they say the magic number to not go above is 100.5
11PM: I'm at a 10 finally! They have me do some some practice pushes and say I push really well however my temp is still high and blood pressure is still not going down. So the doctor says she'll give me 3 hours of pushing and if I make no progress we'll have to discuss the possibility of of a c-section. So I start the first round of pushing. Even though I "push really well" I would push her down during a contraction and while waiting for the next contraction she would go back up. So I continue this pattern for a while.
12:30 AM After pushing I notice I'm starting to feel the contractions again. It starts with me feeling my arm, then I could feel my legs and then the super strong contractions. At this point I tell them I can feel the contractions again so we have to call the anesthesiologist back.
1ish: Anesthesiologist comes back and readministers my epidural and says to relax a bit so it can kick in, even suggests taking a nap. So me and the hubby have the lights turned down and try to take a nap because by this point its going on almost two days of no sleep
2:40: I get woken up from my nap after the epidural is working again and I'm so sleepy my pushing they try is getting no where. The hubby too is basically falling asleep on the hospital bed instead of holding my leg so I send him to the couch to get a bit more sleep and tell him I'll wake him up if any progress is made. They then take out stirrups for me to put my feet in because I can't hold my left leg (left arm is numb) and I actually like the stirrups! It was a good stretch for my hips and it generally felt better to not have the nurse yanking on my other leg!
3:40 AM: Last hour aloud to push. At this point I've made some progress, she's down to where when I push I can see about a nickel sized piece of her head but again when the contraction ends her little head disappears again. (they brought in a big mirror to help me concentrate and see/ visualize where my pushing was supposed to go)
4:40 The doctor comes in and sees that I have made some progress, but not much. At this point my pulse is not evening out after each round of pushing, they have me on oxygen to just make sure Teagan is getting what she needs, and my temp is up to 100 so they are super concerned about me So my doctor watches me go through a push cycle and tells me I've got a few options: 1: try to push a bit more, but if my temp goes up any more Emergency c-section. 2: vacuum suction assistance to get her out. Here if the suction pops off 3 times (not by the doctor, but by just from pulling) then I get a c-section. But basically I push, she pulls and if all goes well, she comes out and will probably have a more pronounced pointy head then a regular vaginal delivery, but the swelling would go down after a few days. then 3: go strait to the c-section option and have an added couple days to my stay. I opted for the vacuum and started yelling at the hubby to get up. In the few minutes it took for him to get up and come over to the bed, my room went from me, 2 nurses and the doctor to like 10 other people: NICU people to check the baby when she comes out, some more nurses and some other people I don't even know what for. So I start pushing and the doctor pulls, the suction popped off once. But by this point she's crowing and I get to feel her head (pretty cool). Then, we try again and this time my doctor had me keep pushing even without a contractions and after a couple rounds of contractions, Teagan pops out. (Hubby later tells me it was disgusting to watch and had to just focus on me) They take her away after letting me have her for a couple minutes to the the NICU people in my room to make sure she's ok, and surprisingly she's doing wonderful! She passes all her tests they do and gets wiped off and handed back to me :) Meanwhile the doctor informs me I tore so she stitches me back up after getting the placenta out (this took... FOREVER.... even though she assured me I only "tore a little" BS I say these stitches HURT). Then after a bit the doctors and nurses leave and we get to enjoy skin to skin and her first feedings AND get some sleep.
So after nearly 48 hours of no sleep and around 16 hours at the hospital Teagan Rae was born on November 13th at 4:51AM. She weighed in at 7 lbs 2 oz and measured 20 inches long.
The crazy thing was, she had no pointy head at all! Very minimal swelling from the suction too! As you can see from the pic, Teagan looked pretty confused as to what all the commotion was. Needless to say she was perfect.
And here is where I will end my post for this week! Its a long one, and I'll do an update again soon. I defiantly wont be doing weekly posts like I have been for the last 10 months, but I'll post at least monthly for updates. I have a couple more posts for the next few weeks because so much more has happened in this last week! Teagan is already a week old and we have loved every minute of getting to know her!
In the next post I'll have a BUNCH of pics of her, but for now I need to take advantage of the fact that she's napping and get a nap myself! I'll also update you on my
So until next time,
Bre and Teagan (no longer the bump)
