On our way to the hospital. My last pregnancy picture!
This is how the story goes (I will spare you some details!)...
Saturday, July 4
My due date. Not feeling any true contractions and beginning to think that it was never going to happen. I even jumped on a trampoline hoping that would start something!!
Monday, July 6
I had a Doctor's appointment Monday morning and I was only 1 cm dilated. She scraped my membranes hoping that would start something. Unfortunately I still didn't feel any painful contractions the remainder of that day, and began to become very frustrated. I was worried that I wouldn't progress on my own and would have to be induced and end up with a C-section. Sometimes it isn't a good thing being a OB nurse. The plan was to go in on Thursday evening for Cervidil to ripen my cervix and then induce on Friday morning if I wasn't doing anything. Aaron and I were praying hard that I would go on my own.
Tuesday, July 7
Aaron's baseball game was canceled that night due to rain. We had a nice dinner and rented a movie. It was a much needed relaxing night.
Wednesday, July 8
Aaron and I enjoyed sleeping in before the excitement began (little did we know!)
I was lying in bed when I thought I heard and felt a pop. I thought to myself that maybe it was my bag of water breaking, but didn't feel anything. About 15 minutes later the water started flowing. I remember thinking, "This isn't pee, because I can't stop this from coming out!" I went running to the bathroom and proceeded to tell Aaron that I think it was finally time to go to the hospital. The time was 0940. I jumped in the shower and finished packing a few last things before we left.
We arrived around 1100 and they verified that my water was broken. My IV went in and then we started walking because I was still only 1cm and not feeling any contractions. At 2:30 I still wasn't feeling strong contractions, so they started Pitocin. We continued to walk "the mile," a long hallway outside the OB unit. Talk about boring!
At 5:45pm I was only 2cm and so my doctor said to crank the Pit. They wanted me painful so that it would change my cervix.
At 8:15 I was 3cm and starting to get really frustrated again that my body was not cooperating. I continued to walk.
10:00pm I was 4cm and threw up. I was excited because sometimes when you throw up during labor that means that you are progressing to the next stage. I evidently was not. In the mean time, the contractions were getting more painful and I was exhausted. I had been awake all day and did I mention that I didn't eat before I came to the hospital. My nurse instincts set in and I told myself I couldn't eat because you are never suppose to eat during labor. Stupid me.
12:45am I was 5cm and moving slowly.At this point they put in an internal contraction monitor to see how strong my contractions actually were. I was becoming more painful and began thinking about my pain med options. My intention was to do it without pain meds, but at that point I was exhausted, hungry and in pain. I kept thinking that if I had to push for 3 hours and was this tired, it wouldn't happen. I opted for some IV pain meds that gave me a short rest. After 3 doses of IV meds, I finally told the nurse that she could call the anesthesiologist for the interthecal.
3:30am I got my pain meds and was out instantly. I couldn't feel any contractions and feel into a deep sleep (I woke to myself snoring!)
5:00am I was 7cm
6:00am I started feeling my contractions again and was only 8cm. My doctor thought it would be best to get through the last 2cm without pain meds and then when I was complete I could push through the pain. If we would have redosed the interthecal, I think I would have been asleep during pushing!
8:30am I was 10cm and began pushing!!!
9:38am Easton Josiah Reasland was finally here!
The rest of the day I could hardly keep my eyes open or sit up without feeling nauseous, but it was all worth it.
