I know it's been a hot minute since I last blogged, but life has been a big ole blur since baby girl arrived at the end of June. I've decided to finally sit down and write out her birth story so that I don't forget it!
As you know, I had something called Polyhydramnios, which is excess amniotic fluid, with my pregnancy and they were monitoring me and baby very closely. I was having weekly non-stress tests and Biophysical profile ultrasounds to make sure everything was going ok. My plan was to wait until she decided to come naturally, but that was just not in the cards.
I went to my 38 week appointment and we all were in agreement to induce at 39 weeks. I was extremely uncomfortable and there was just no more stretching my belly could do. I couldn't even let Lennon touch my belly without cringing in pain. Weirdly enough, I felt a sense of relief after scheduling the induction. No sitting, waiting, wishing this time around!
As the days went by leading up to my induction, I started to get increasingly more nervous and sad. We were set for induction on June 29th and I was a mess. I cried, sobbed, every night because I was just so sad for Lennon that she wasn't going to be my baby anymore. I was sad that it wouldn't be just her and I during the summers anymore. I was sad that she now had to share me.
The night before we let her stay up later than usual. We watched movies and had ice cream. We snuggled on the couch, as much as my belly would allow anyway. I wanted her to know that she was so special to us and that we love her oh so much. The next day we were going to bring her permanent best friend into the world and that made me happy.
5am rolled around pretty quickly when I was tossing, turning, and couldn't turn my brain off. The upside to an induction is I was very well prepared to leave the house. I was able to shower, do my hair, makeup and feel put together. As soon as my dad arrived at our house to watch Lennon, we left for the hospital.
6:45am is when we arrived, got checked in and went up to our room. At this point, I was just excited to get things going. Little did I know, it was going to take FOREVER to get everything moving. We sat in the room for what seemed like forever, just waiting. The hospital I delivered in provides a dedicated 1 on 1 nurse for every Labor and Delivery patient and apparently the one assigned to us was sick. So we waited and waited and waited for a new one. Finally, Maria came along.
Once our nurse had arrived, we could finally get things rolling! At 10:30am, when we started things, I was dilated to just under 2cm. They started me on Pitocin {I was already contracting on my own, just not strong enough} and I walked around the L&D floor with the Mr. and my Mom. Then, I bounced on the labor ball, then I walked some more. Contractions definitely started getting more intense, but were definitely tolerable. My doctor came in to check me at 12:30pm and I was only dilated to 4cm, but she decided to break my water anyways.
Warning, if you get squeamish at all, read past this paragraph. As soon as my Dr. broke my water, it was like the floodgates had opened and the dam had broken. I'm talking "Noah get your Ark ready" type of flood. It just kept on coming {thank you Polyhydramnios}. The nurses had to keep coming in to change the pads that were soaking it up. They thought it was the most hilarious thing and even went as far as to weigh how much fluid came out {6+lbs to be exact}.
After that, my contractions started to get more intense, although I was able to breathe through them. Let me remind you that I wanted to go all natural this time around and up until this time, I thought I could it! I started to get in my head, though. I just had too much fear about pushing with no epidural, so I caved. I ordered the epidural around 2:30pm and was still just 4cm at that point. I thought it would be hours upon hours until I was fully dilated. I just didn't think I had the strength. Hindsight, I most definitely could have made it.
The anesthesiologist came at a record breaking speed. It was like they had read my mind and they were already on their way before I even requested it. Unfortunately, the anesthesiologist had an "accidental dural puncture" {otherwise known as wet tap} on me and I felt a flash of instantaneous tingling shoot straight up my spine.
According to the Canadian Journal of Anesthesia, "post-dural puncture headaches occur in one to three out of every 100 women who undergo an epidural." Lucky me. More on this later.
As soon as I got the epidural, baby's heart rate kept dropping. Maria {our nurse} flipped me over to my right side and her heart rate would get better. Then it would drop again, so she flipped me to my left side. Then it would drop again, so she flipped me back to my right side and gave me oxygen. They checked me at about 3:15pm and I was still only a little over 4cm dilated. They also thought baby's umbilical cord may have prolapsed so they called in another nurse. She determined that was not the case, thank goodness.
Fast forward 45 minutes and Maria started to get a little worried, so she called my doctor up. She arrived 10 minutes later, checked me, and determined the reason why baby's heart rate kept dropping. I was fully dilated and her head was making its way out! They had to set up the room for delivery in almost an emergency because I wasn't pushing and she was still coming out! They called in reinforcements and 10 minutes later Teagan Jane was here! I think I pushed a total of 2 times and 5 minutes. No tearing and she was healthy as can be!
Unfortunately, as soon as Teagan made her way earthside, my spinal headache started. I wasn't really able to fully enjoy those first moments because my head and neck hurt so bad. It was the worst, most constant headache that I have ever had. I had to lay completely flat in bed, or else I got so dizzy that I almost passed out several times.
The next day, a different anesthesiologist came and completed a blood patch on me {where they take 20 cc's of my blood and put it back into the dural space of my spine}. I felt like a million bucks after that and we went home the next day. Unfortunately, the blood patch only lasted for 24 hours so I had to go BACK to the hospital and get another one the next day. 3 epidurals in a span of 4 days and my back was ruined. The second blood patch only lasted for 24 hours as well. At that point there was no way I was getting another one, so I just had to wait it out. Thankfully my headache only lasted for a week and it was finally gone, but so was the first week of Teagan's life. I was completely laid up the whole time. It was a big bummer, but I'm so glad it's all behind us.
Teagan is here, she is healthy, and she is beautiful. We couldn't love her more.
Until next time!
