xeryfyn's Diaryland Diary ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Another Angel Become Earthbound:Stage 2 (CONTINUED FROM STAGE 1) 12:30pm-I reluctantly get out of the shower so they can take out the IV and face the ire of the anaesthesiologist who has to re-do the IV on my other non-IV friendly hand as well as put in the epidural. Did I mention how much I hate and detest needles of any kind? Despite having had an epidural with my last birth, I didn�t have to hold still during contractions for that one. After barking at me, the epidural goes in, my IV gets re-done and I get hooked up to enough machines to make me feel like Frankenstein but at least I am able to relax enough to have a nap. Ahhh glorious numbness! The check me again and I cant believe after all that time in the shower, I have only gained �-1 cm and show no other signs of progress. Grrr, water stalls my labour again! Hubby and I quickly abandon and future plans of having a water birth and decide that I will not go near any water for the remainder of this pregnancy. They call my doctor and OB to see if they can jump start my labour again. Syntocin is brought in and I start on a low dose to see how things will go. My OB drops by to check my cervix once again and exclaims that I haven�t broken my other bag of water and quickly does so, spilling out a gush on the bed. That, along with a nudge of syntocin, should kick start everything again. Nap time for me, I think. 2pm-My mother stops in and fusses for a bit before leaving. She tells me that she will be back at 4 and that I should be having the baby by then. I scoff and say that things have stalled and not to hold her breath. 3:30pm-I am increasingly uncomfortable and can�t figure out why the epidural isn�t taking the pain away as much as it used to. They shift me around and up the epidural a bit since my nurse is on her break and we are waiting for her to get back. And we wait and wait. And finally I get impatient waiting and send hubby out to see what the hold up is. I am feeling a lot of pressure and maybe the urge to push! That sends them hustling in and when she checks me, I am fully dilated and ready to go. I can start pushing at any time! My doctor and some residents come in and I have been pushing with the nurse and hubby for a bit and the baby is moving down really well. It feels great to push and I have no pain, thanks to the epidural. I rest in between pushes, marvelling that I am actually doing it! I am having a baby and there is no c-section in sight! It is a bit disconcerting that the doctor and 2 residents just seem to stare at me in between contractions�the nurse seems to busy herself with something on the side and hubby goes to the window. The sky is blue now, a quick change from the small flurry of hailstones that pelted down momentarily not long before. I am intent on avoiding an episiotomy and my nurse assures me that my doctor has a very low episiotomy rate. I am glad and listen to her instructions as I push so I am not risking tearing. 4:14pm-I feel the baby crown, not the ring of fire that some people describe, but still very intense nonetheless. I ease the baby out of me, causing only a tiny 1st degree tear that requires 3 small separate stitches. IT�S A GIRL!!!!!!!!!!! I can�t believe it�I am overwhelmed with emotions, the triumph of my efforts, the success of my VBAC, the fact that I have another daughter!!!!! Euphoria sweeps over me as they deliver the placenta and I watch them clean the baby up and place her in my arms.
(CONTINUED IN STAGE 3) 6:12 p.m. - 2004-07-31 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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