I'm back!

Sorry about the hiatus. I was getting very impatient waiting for my little girl. It was a busy month. DH quit his job in July after 12 years with the same company in order to embark on a new business of his own. After that happened I needed to step in at his office to assist in any way I could. It was a very welcome distraction, considering I was the LAST person I new this summer to deliver and I was about 1 week over due.

So, here is my birth story....
Here's the birth story Gigi, 6.6 pounds, 19 inches long. 40w6d.

Friday night at 1030, my water breaks. We drive to the hospital and its confirmed that my water did indeed break. Dilation = 0.

I cant go home because the doctors and midwives agree that I lost too much amniotic fluid. I get admitted and by 3 am, I am started on a small pill inserted into my vagina to start labor. By 6 am, I am dilated to 2 cm.

We decide to go on Pitocin by 3 pm with no epidural. By 6 pm I am dilated to 4cm. By 730 pm, I am dilated to 6cm. At midnight, I am still 6cm! And at this point, my hopes of a epi free birth are gone, bc I just cannot handle the pain. I have went 24 hours induced without any relief. Hypnobirthing was no longer possible as I was broken down with no encouragement in sight. At 1 am, I take the epidural and am a new woman. Still at 6 cm, remember this.

By 6 am, my parents are here, my ILs arrived last night (early enough to see me in pain, early enough to score some DIL brownie points). By 830 am, I am almost an 8cm. By Noon, I am 8cm. For some reason, I am just not dilated. My water has now been broken for over 36 hours, putting LO at risk for infection. But because there were NO signs of stress at ALL, I was able to continue with a vaginal birth.

Still at 8cm, the midwives suggest that I turn left to right every hour and up the pitocin to a gradual 30cc/hour. Now keep in mind, you need permission to go over 20 ccs. Its noon. And they increase my pitocin to 30ccs until about 6pm. At that time hopefully, I will be a 9 or even 10cm!!! Yay, baby is on her way.

But by 4 pm, I am still 8cm :(

C Section time. After 44 hours of HARD BACK LABOR, with gradual epidural relief, baby Gigi was born! From wanting a totally natural hypnobirth and vaginal delivery experience, I went in the TOTAL opposite direction.
The pain is in the past and is a distant memory. All I can think about is the new love in my life!

I really tried to go au natural with her. And the bummer is that I did everything during this pregnancy to ensure a fast labor. I was the top in my college swim class this spring. I worked out 2 days at the gym as well. I was stress free and DH and I had a great relationship during the pregnancy. And for what?

My labor was the longest I have ever heard of. But I guess when you think about it, all of that was for something. Gigi lasted almost 2 days with a ruptured sac. And throughout the whole time, her hear rate showed absolutely no signs of distress. She as able to take did not auma and handle it.

We were the talk of the ward. How on earth can someone stick it out so long? the truth was....I knew she was coming either way. I never really reached the point where I wanted to just give up. I gave up when there weren't any more forks in the road.

So, please DH, I think this qualifies me for a push gift even though I technically did not push. I could have given birth 3 times for as long as I was in labor.

Anyway, its now 6 days, since she was born. I spent 5 days at UCLA. I'll post recovery crap after CSection later this week.

ttfn,
SOHW