I had been having contractions for days, if you want to be technical weeks. There were nights where I had contractions all night long but they never got regular and they would eventually just STOP. Extremely frustrating. Thursday night was one such night, but I went to work for most of my shift on Friday on my 2 hours of sleep. Friday night I had contractions but not too bad, but then at 230 in the morning they woke me up with the intensity and the pain. I had started back contractions, still not regular. This was pain expected since Johnny had tilted the entire uterus about 2 weeks prior. Well, they were regular enough for me, so we went to the hospital. I wasn't any more dilated than I was Thursday at my doctors appointment, so I walked around for a few hours trying to start labor. Then the doctor came and checked me, still only 2.5 cm. So the doctor stripped my membranes and sent me home with some percocet for pain. By this time the contractions were at least 10 minutes apart. So I went home with a repeat doctor appointment for Monday, and took a Percocet to try and sleep.
Matt and my Mom tried walking with me, stretching exercises, trying to get me to sleep, but every contraction was painful. Never did get regular. So I took my second and last Percocet around 11 to sleep. Didn't work. The back pain contractions got so much worse and I couldn't sleep and it was all I could do not to cry through contractions. Matt decided that was a good enough reason to go to the hospital.
Apparently for the first time my contractions had paid off and I was a whopping 3.5 cm which was enough to be admitted since I was also having the back labor pains. I got a dose of nubain and said goodbye to the world until 7 am. I just remember a few contractions I had to breathe through. At 7 am I woke up ready for a baby. So I started walking and walking and walking, and they kept checking and checking and checking. At about noon the decision was made to induce me since I was only at 5 cm and my contractions had never become regular. The back pain had gotten MUCH better though.
We decided that an epidural was in order since they were starting pitocin and the back pain really wasn't gone. I had the anesthesiologist use a lower dose than usual though with a patient controlled button so I could have more control over my feeling. It ended up being great because I could feel every contraction and it took a huge edge off the pain and made it completely bearable...but I still felt completely in control since I felt the urge to push, felt the contractions, and was able to feel and move my legs and support myself on my legs.
They started the pitocin and within 2 hours it was time to push. An hour an a half, an episiotomy, and a vacuum extractor later we had our little son. He was born with his little hand at his chin and his eyes wide open. When they put him on my chest he just looked around trying to figure it out, not making much noise at all except grunting and short protests.
I truly enjoyed the birthing experience and felt like I had accomplished everything I had wanted by maintaining control throughout the entire time. I have my adorable little son to show for it too, so nothing about the experience could be bad since he is in my arms.
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