As most everyone knows, our estimated due date was February 21st. I swore up and down that I would not deliver before this date. I had lesson plans to finish, a classroom to get ready, and a substitute that I had not yet met. My OB however had different plans. After seeing the estimated weight of our little guy at 8.5 lbs., she decided that I should be induced at 38 weeks, which was approximately five days after I visited her office. The 9th of February, NOT THE 21ST! I went into freak out mode, and Andy didn't believe me. After delivering the news to my boss and saying "I told you so" about possibly delivering early, I marched my very rotund booty and stomach home and began the final preparations.
February 8th came and our friend Chelsi came over to watch the pups while we were in the hospital. I had to call at 11 pm to see what time I should be coming into the hospital. I was hoping to come in around 8 am, but no, once again no one cared what I had planned. I was on my way at midnight. Once there, I put on my gorgeous new outfit that I would be wearing for the next week (you have to love the hospital gowns) and told that we would be starting something called gels...FOR 6 HOURS! This is what happens during gels: The nurse sticks her fist into your va-j-j and puts a gel in it. She also checks your cervix. It hurts. A lot. Then, you get to sleep for an hour. After that hour is over, you walk around the hospital for an hour. Then you go back to your room and do it all over again for a grand total of three times. Also, I could only eat ice chips. Andy had potato chips and I had ice chips. What a lovely husband.
After 6 hours of gels the induction finally began. My doc walked in, presented a very large instrument that looked very much like a knitting needle, and broke my water. Boy did it break. It sounded like a waterfall. Coming out of me. Let me remind you, I was still in bed and all that was under me were some towels. Very gross. They had to be changed a few times. I was then given pitocin, which helps to begin the induction. I believe at this point I was a few cm. dilated, but not much.
After the induction began, the contractions followed. They weren't bad at first. The nurse would actually ask me if I had felt a contraction and I told her I had no idea that it had happened. I didn't last very long. When I was 4 cm. dilated I couldn't take it anymore and begged for an epidural. Heaven! No more contractions, no more feeling the nurse stick her entire arm inside of me to check my service, no more feeling my legs! The last time we checked, I was 6 cm. dilated...and that's where I stayed. We tried to use this crazy peanut ball that I put between my legs to help the dilation continue, but that was a no go. Final decision...a C-section. This was my biggest fear. Even though I knew it would hurt, I wanted a vaginal birth. I wanted to be able to sort of see what what going on. I wanted Andy to actually cut the cord. But, it wasn't in the cards.
It's amazing how quickly they get you into the operating room for a c-section. As I was rolling down the hallway, I began to get nervous. When I get nervous, I start to shiver a little bit. I don't know why, but it happens at any interview I have, any parent teacher conference. It's just my anxiety thing I guess. So, the shivers started, and they were a little uncontrollable. Andy said he thought I was having a seizure. Shivers and all, I was rolled inside the room, a blue paper was placed in front of me (just like you see on TV!) and Andy came in wearing some scrubs. It was really happening. I know that I was pinched a couple of times to make sure I couldn't feel anything, which I couldn't thank god, and the c-section began. There was a lot of pressure going on down there, and the next thing I knew I hear crying.
Logan Patrick McKenna was brought into the world on February 9th, 2010 at 9:21 pm. He weighed 7 lbs, 13 oz (NOT 8.5 lbs!) and was 20 inches long.
I definitely cried as I heard him crying for the first time, just as Andy did. After a few minutes, Andy brought him over to me so that I could see his adorable face.
I was promptly wheeled into a recovery room where I continued to shiver uncontrollably (apparently the meds I was given also causes this to happen) and I asked to see Logan. The nurse looked at me like I was a little crazy to want to see him so quickly after coming out of surgery, but I had knew I wanted to create that bond with him that I didn't get to have right after birth, especially since I hadn't held him yet.
One great thing about having a c-section, you get the biggest postpartum room in the entire hospital. Thanks Logan! Andy and I moved ourselves into the room and our adventure of parenthood finally began. Things that I found out over the next few days...my milk did not come in (they said it was normal, I said it was because of the C-section), sleep was never going to happen again, showers are the most heavenly things when you have not had them in over three days, and daytime TV is overrated, it's hit or miss when it comes to nurses, and hospital food sucks! Since I was not producing enough milk I was not given Logan the amount of food he needed. This lead to him being jaundice and us staying in the hospital for 4 days total. TORTURE! I can't even count how many hospital neighbors we went through. I think that after 3 days the nurses were sick and tired of me. I gave them a bad rating on something and they brought in many presents. For as much as we paid the hospital I think we deserved a few freebies.
We finally left Saturday night and I was able to dress Logan in the adorable Carter's outfit that I brought for him:
One great thing about having a c-section, you get the biggest postpartum room in the entire hospital. Thanks Logan! Andy and I moved ourselves into the room and our adventure of parenthood finally began. Things that I found out over the next few days...my milk did not come in (they said it was normal, I said it was because of the C-section), sleep was never going to happen again, showers are the most heavenly things when you have not had them in over three days, and daytime TV is overrated, it's hit or miss when it comes to nurses, and hospital food sucks! Since I was not producing enough milk I was not given Logan the amount of food he needed. This lead to him being jaundice and us staying in the hospital for 4 days total. TORTURE! I can't even count how many hospital neighbors we went through. I think that after 3 days the nurses were sick and tired of me. I gave them a bad rating on something and they brought in many presents. For as much as we paid the hospital I think we deserved a few freebies.
We finally left Saturday night and I was able to dress Logan in the adorable Carter's outfit that I brought for him:
That's where the real adventure of mommy hood began...more on that later!
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment