I think it is about time I post one of these! I will start from the very beginning.
On November 14th, I was admitted to the hospital for pre-term labour at 35 weeks 5 days. My contractions were every 4 1/2 min, and I had dilated to a 2 and was 90% effaced. The next morning, after 14 hours under the watchful eye of the hospital staff, I was discharged. Still contracting, but no progress had been made so they didn't need to keep me. They wouldn't stop my labour, but they wouldn't encourage it either.. I was stuck.
The next day in the evening I was contracting every 2 minutes and they were painful, so I went back to L&D, and still no progress and was sent home. The next few weeks were the same, my contractions ranging from every 2 minutes to every 15 minutes.. but they NEVER stopped. It was hell. But I was happy my lil' man was still baking.
At my 39 week prenatal visit with my doctor, I was checked and was 3 cm dilated and had my membranes stripped for the second time. We talked about induction, because the prolonged latent labour was really starting to take a toll on my body. He booked me for an induction on Thursday, Dec.9, but since it wasn't considered an emergency, the hospital couldn't take me because their induction list for the day was already full. Same thing the next day.
On Saturday, I got a call from the hospital to come in and get a non-stress test done, because they still couldn't take me for induction, but wanted to make sure the baby and I were ok. I went in around 4:30-5pm and after about 15 minutes of the nurse trying to find a regular heartbeat and not being able to (she said he was playing with his cord) she told me my contractions were coming every 7 minutes, and checked me for dilation.
I had dilated to a four!!! YAY PROGRESS! It was then she decided to admit me, and called my doctor for orders. I was given my room, and started on pitocin right away, and thankfully, they had this thing that they hooked me up to and it allowed me to walk freely. Within 20 minutes, my contractions were much closer together about every 2 minutes, and much stronger where it was very hard for me to walk or talk through one.
6:30pm came, I was checked and was 5 1/2 cm dilated and my doctor came to the hospital and he broke my water. There was a TON of fluid! Immediately my contractions got extremely strong and very shortly after, I got my epidural. Not too long after getting the epidural I was checked again and was already 7cm!!
Next thing I knew I didn't want to do anything, I couldn't talk, I didn't want people touching me, everything was a blur, and I felt like I needed to push! The nurse checked me and I was 9 1/2 cm dilated! Everything was going so fast! She got me to do a couple pushes while she stretched my cervix around the baby's head to a full 10cm.
My doctor came back just in time and I was already pushing! I have no idea how long I was pushing for, but it didn't seem like very long at all.. hakf an hour AT MOST.. but seemed much faster than that!
I got to feel his head as it crowned and I cried, my baby boy was minutes from being born! My wonderful husband and mother were at my side, telling me they could see his head and how great of a job I was doing.
Vincent Peter Charles M. was born on Saturday December 11th, 2010 at 8:57pm! He weighed 8 pounds 11oz and was 22 1/2 inches long! He was (and still is) absolutely perfect. holding my baby for the first time was the most amazing experience ever. I will never forget it.
<3
