So many cute items. It was so much fun going through everything. Me and my sister's babies have so many new items to last a long time. But, the contractions have not stopped. They are not getting stronger, they are not getting closer together, but I am now starting to bleed. I called my doctor's office and talk to the receptionist, but they say that if I'm bleeding than I have to go to the hospital. So, off to Labor and Delivery we go. I have the feeling this is going to be another visit there that is going to be a waste, but off we go.
By the time we get there, it is becoming hard to walk. The pain is getting more severe. The waiting room is packed. I was warned that there can sometimes be a wait, but no one else there seems to be in pain, so I am assuming that most of them are there for appointments and not labor (this happens at some hospitals). They take me in for a pre-admission check and say that there is a wait, but that since my contractions are so severe and I'm bleeding, that I should be pushed towards the top of the list. I sit down and start timing them again. 6 minutes. And so painful I can barely sit.
45 minutes later, they call me in. I now have a room in triage. They hook me up to machines and get a nurse to come in and check to see if I am dilated. They say I am still 1cm, but at risk for rupture. Not 10 seconds later she says I have ruptured. Wait, what? What does that mean? Me and my mom are shocked. Dad is waiting to find out if he needs to leave work and come to the hospital. We ask the nurse, unsure what the next step is. She says that I am being admitted. Since I am ruptured, I cannot go home. No matter how long it takes, I am staying. I could be a couple of hours or a couple of days, but I cannot leave. I am in for the long hall. We call Dad. He is on his way.....
The next 15 hours are a blur. I cannot get any pain meds in triage, so they start working on getting me a room in delivery. This takes about 4 hours with a lot of "ow's" and "omg's" (which is apparently what I say when I'm in pain). 4 hours later, they finally get me a room. And immediately order me an epidural and start an IV. Within a half hour, I am getting fluids and an epidural. I am not making any progress. I have to be induced. They start me on meds to thin out my cervix. Dad arrives. I fall asleep.
I have no idea how long I slept, but I remember them waking me up to check me again. My cervix is good and they are now starting me on something to get me dilating. At some point after that, and in a lot of pain, they check me and say it is time to push. They get the doctor and I try with all my might, but nothing happens. Apparently, she is not ready. They are going to wait and try again in a little while. I get an epidural boost for the pain.
Some time later, they pain gets worse and close together again. Contractions are on top of each other, They call the doctor again. How long has it been? It is a different doctor. I try everything I can to get her out. I can't feel anything below my waist. I don't know what muscles I am using. I try to use the ones they are telling me to. I am trying to do what they say. But, this poses more difficult than thought. They want to stop, but I cannot stop pushing. She is right there. I am in so much pain, I actually ask if I can get a C-Section. I am not sure if I can actually do this. It's too late. They said that they might have to try another approach. They recommend a vacuum and start explaining it to me. I have done my research. I don't even wait for her to finish. "Get it", I say. I trust my doctor. I feel like I'm failing, but I don't know what else to do. They get a whole team in the room. What was a doctor and two nurses is now a team of 10. We are all hands on deck. We get everything ready and one big push, nothing. We get three tries and that is it. What happens after that? Here comes round two. Another big push. I give everything I have. And there she is. Head is out. One more push and she is completely here. Just like that. They put her right on me and I can see and hear her. I want to grab and hold her, but my hands are still clenched and there is still so much pain. I still have to deliver the placenta. Dad cuts the umbilical cord and turns right back to me to see how I am doing. They take her to the table next to me to get cleaned off and checked. Dad is still with me, telling me how great I am doing. I tell him to go to the baby. I quickly deliver the placenta. It is the best feeling. Now just for the stitches. I have a 3rd degree laceration. It takes 15 minutes. Then another blur. I know that I hold her and wait for a room in the recovery wing on the 6th floor (we are now on 3). I remember them putting me in a chair and her on my lap and wheeling us up. I am not even completely sure what day or time it is anymore.
Madison Fynn was born at Katz Women's Hospital on Monday September 10 2018 at 9:24 am. She was 7 lbs 2 oz. 19 1/2 inches long. We stayed in the hospital until Wednesday morning. A lot of pain, little sleep, and learning how to breastfeed. So many questions. So many amazing nurses, doctors and lactation consultants. I don't know what I would have done without them. They helped me at every stage. Even when I was crying in pain at midnight trying to feed. They recommended I try a bottle if I was in that much pain. I was hesitant, but could not take it any more. We had already been going for 3 out of the last 5 hours. By the time I put on nipple cream and got covered up, she had finished half of the bottle. She was hungry. I am going to try to continue, but I physically cannot for now.
I was discharged with a manual pump, formula, diapers, and everything I need to take care of my stitches for the next few weeks. In major amounts of pain, I leave the hospital. Everything hurts, but me and baby are in perfect health and ready to go home. Her borderline jaundice is gone (probably because of the bottles) and we are cleared to leave. After an hour of packing up, dad gets the car and out we go. That is where the real story begins.....
