Long Labor

Two weeks later, I am finally getting this memorialized, as if I need to because I'm pretty sure the whole experience in imbedded in my brain for the rest of eternity!

We went in on Dec. 18, for a cytotec induction with Mr. Christopher! He inserted one cytotec and contractions got going a little bit before 11 a.m.! They didn't start slow either, they started right off every 2-3 min apart! We used that and tried to get up with them and on the ball to ger me dilating! They stayed that close all day! Nicki Dougherty, the nurse that delivered me and helped deliver Matthew did everything in her power to help get this baby out, but he was stubborn and my dilation was slow!

Friday evening, we were still contracting, but a long way from baby...so much for each delivery gets quicker!

Around midnight - 1 a.m. the contractions began to slow down and spread and I was able to get some rest in preparation for the pitocin on Saturday morning! Amanda was good with keeping my pain meds in check so I could get good rest!

Saturday morning we were greeted by Jolene who had every intention of getting Chris to show up as soon as possible...again, this child had a mind of his own. Pit got started around 7:35 a.m. and shortly after contractions were in full swing again. It wasn't until around 9:30 that they were starting to really bother me though!

At 10 a.m. or around there, Wendell showed up to get my epidural in and after many attempts to put it in, because my back was so swollen and my husband almost passing out, I was able to rest for awhile.

The afternoon moved slowly and i was getting frustrated because I couldn't do anything because I had no use of my legs and I wasn't dilating at all it seemed. Around 5 p.m. Doc showed up and broke my water. I had so much fluid...it was all over the bed and the floor and still kept flowing out like a flippin river!!!

Dilation took off shortly after and around 7 p.m. Jolene started setting up for a delivery that we were sure that we were going to have by 8:30 p.m.! We shut my epidural off so I could feel the contractions...my request.

At 9 p.m. I was STILL a 9 and wasn't making any progress. I was starting to have this piercing pain in my right groin area after each contraction that hurt worse than the contraction so Wendell came back in to help me get comfortable, which he did a great job with. I was exhausted though. I was crying and tired and didn't know why I was crying and the only thing I could do was apologize for crying! Jason remained surprised that I was still able to cry so much.

Dr. Pete showed up around 10 and had me push a couple times to then have the truth be known as to why I was progressing so slow...Chris was positioned wrong! So now, with each contraction, I pushed and Dr. Pete tried to turn Chris. He was able to get him turned slightly after 45 min. of pushing and had hopes that he would just come now.

After another 45 min of pushing and Chris not budging what-so-ever...the decision was made to take him out via c-section. By this time it was 11:30, I was exhausted and could barely hold my own legs up any more and the piercing pain in my groin was still there, although the rest of my pain was under control.

Jason, my sister, Jolene and Dr. Pete had helped me through the longest 90 min. Dr. Pete even stayed at my bedside the entire time, holding my leg and watching Chris on the monitor! Jolene had a knee in her chest the entire time and I felt bad for it, but am pretty sure she may have been a little sore the next day! Red later told me that I was pulling on her bad wrist and Jason got what he deserved as he had got me in this predicament...HAHA!

After Dr. Pete left the room to get ready for the C-section, I lost it! I was terrified! I could feel Chris' head where I didn't think it was good! We were able to get it through my cervix, but he wouldn't budge any further! I was terrified...there were so many things going through my head that could go wrong or were already wrong!

Mariclaire was there instantly to dry my tears as well as Jason, Red and Red was calling dad to let him know the plan!

The c-section started and they got him out...but he didn't cry right away...I did! His 1 min apgar was 7 (3 points off) and I cried harder! That meant that there was something wrong...maybe not bad wrong, but something was off and I didn't know if it was for color, tone or breathing!!! He then started to whimper and finally cry...and I cried more...he was fine...then they called out his 5 min apgar...9!!! He was close to perfect (10!)!!!

Amanda and Jolene held him up and he was so long and handsome! He had some awesome markings on his head thanks to my pelvic bone and ischial spine, but he was fine! Red called it his Harry Potter scar because it looked like a lightening bolt, but was gone shortly after!!!

After everything had settled down I asked Dr. Pete if there was any chance he was coming out...I meant vaginally...Dr. Pete just laughed and Dr. Ptacek said...yeah...c-section!!

He was positioned, face up coming out towards my right thigh, rather than straight on! To top it off, the cord was wrapped around his neck, then underneath his arm and then wrapped around his body!

Once I got my hands on him, he was perfect! He looked just like his brothers and Dad was proud and so were his aunt, great-aunt and Papa Shoe...who all greeted him outside the operating room!

I couldn't ask for a better team to bring him into the world!!! Dr. Pete was a little crabby the next morning, but I chalked it up to only a few hours of sleep! I later found out that he didn't sleep much when he went home because it bothered him that he had to section me! I had a healthy baby...I didn't care too much! I just wouldn't have signed up voluntarily for a c-section!

Now, 2 weeks later, I still have the perfect baby and 2 great big boys and an amazing husband who is lacking sleep just as much as his wife! I just don't know that I'm ready to repeat all of this again any time soon!