Part II: From Theory to Practice - Labor and Delivery

Part II: Things Don't Always Go as Planned

Headed to the hospital with a packed car!

 
After trying every natural induction technique that exists (per our earlier post), on September 3, 2012, we headed to the hospital to be induced. It was a difficult decision for us as you can imagine and there were times we both considered going it on our own so we wouldn't be pressured into inducing. Calmer minds prevailed though and we decided to (finally) listen to our midwife.

Incidentally, our "labor day" started on our nation's Labor Day. Started is the key word. Unlike my mother who popped my sister and I out in a matter of   hours, for us the holiday actually marked the beginning of a three day event.

So let's revisit our original labor goal shall we?
Labor Goal
-- We would like to have a natural childbirth if possible.--

(This of course would include, no meds or other medical interventions.)

Yeah, not so much. This sentiment pretty much went out the window when we agreed to be induced.

 
We were admitted to the hospital at 8:00am. By 10:00am I had my first dose of Cervidil. I was checked throughout the day and unfortunately did not progress.

So the beginning of labor was a lot of sitting around trying to entertain ourselves.
 

Bananagrams anyone?

 
Our midwife decided to give me a second dose at 10pm that night. Luckily this time around something did happen! Overnight I became entirely effaced, but only a few centimeters dilated. Boo.



My midwife was worried about fatigue (there is no eating on Cervadil) so she recommended I start Pitocin, a synthetic oxotycin which should get the real contractions going. Unfortunately for me, I only progressed slowly throughout the day despite feeling intense pain. I tried my best to cope, but it was hard to manage the Pitocin induced level of pain. Pearce tried to whip out some of his best Doula moves including the aromatherapy kit. The nurses commented that they loved coming in our room because it smelled so good!
Unfortunately because of the Cervadil, etc. I had to be constantly monitored which required me to stay in the bed for most of the time. There were remote monitoring devices I used every now and then, but we were warned that the battery life was limited and so should save them for "the really rough times". Uh, have this people never been in labor?!

When it got really intense, I tried to use the bath tub, but for some strange reason there were no bath tub stoppers in any of the rooms. We tried jamming a wash cloth down in the drain, but that only worked for a limited time. By the evening of the second day I made it to 7 centimeters through pure determination, but I knew that I was running out of energy without food.

In the end I made the tough call (for me personally) and decided to have an epidural. I felt this was best way to regroup, rest up, and mentally prepare for the pushing phase. I was most worried about running out of steam and getting an emergency casearean.

Luckily for me, my strategy paid off. I got the epidural causing my lower half to go numb, with the exception of one leg. I had a few hours of rest and then pushed for three hours. I was able to get her down fairly quickly, but her ginormous head stalled the progress and I again was running out of stamina (epidurals require no food or drink).

Approaching the 40 hour mark I decided to have an episiotomy. Within two series of pushes she was out.


At 2:24 am, on September 5, 2012 Lucille May Korb was born.  She timed it so that she would be born on her grandpa Hendryx's birthday.
 
She weighed 8lbs 8ounces and was 21 inches long. It was confirmed she did have a big head- coming in at 13 and a half inches.

Due to her length of stay in utero she was immediately taken to a "meconium removal station" where her lungs were cleared from any stool that she may have inhaled. Meanwhile, my blood pressure dropped (which happens often with epidurals) and I started shivering uncontrollably. They pumped me full of Epineferon -3 doses I believe- and I quickly normalized as well. Well at least until I had my first sips of water and then I started puking.  Lovely.

 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

                                         

 




Notice anything in this photo??

Tummy time

Needless to say, Pearce was the first to hold Lucille, unbuttoning his shirt to lay her on his chest. After recovering a bit, I was able to hold her in my arms for the first time. Having waited a long time to meet her - ten and a half! months - it was overwhelming to say the least. We were allowed a few hours of bonding time where we all kind of stared at each other in wonder. I also attempted (and succeeded) feeding her for the first time.
 

 
 
Eventually the "clean up" nurse came in to give Lucille her first bath and not long after we were shuffled off to our recovery room where we tried to get some rest before our visitors came the next day.

 Not a fan

 Butts Up!

 

Pearce playing the newborn song - checkout the time!

 
Her birth didn't go exactly as planned. 

BUT. 

The most important part of it did. After a long and hard labor, I was able to give birth to a healthy baby girl. We couldn't be happier.