Now that family is gone (they were here all together a total of 5 weeks and an amazing help!) I am finally going to catch up on some blogging. I know it makes more sense that I would have more time when family is here but we only see them maybe once a year I like to spend all the time I can with them!
Charlotte's birth story starts on Monday May 2, 2011. I went in for my 40 week check up which you can read about here.Once we checked into the hospital at 6:15 on Monday night the real story begins.
About 45 minutes after we checked in the Dr on-call placed my Foley bulb catheter (Google it) to dilate my cervix. The placement hurt REALLY bad but I pushed through and once it was over we rested for a little bit and snacked on popsicles (the red, white and blue rocket ones..how fitting for a military hospital :)) and jello and ice chips. A few hours later the nurse came in a pulled the tube attached to the bulb to further progress the dilation...HOLY COW the pain set in like crazy! I was trying to push through it but my face must have said it all becuase the nurse asked if there was anything I wanted to take the edge off. I asked for just pain meds not an epidural. Dr. Molina (my OB) had prescribed me Stadol which I hate so I passed on that and asked if there was anything else. The Dr on-call suggested I go ahead and get my epidural so I could sleep plus it was only a few hours until they started my pitocin. I gave in (like they really had to try hard to convince me) and the epidural was in and working within the hour. I fell asleep and slept well until they woke me at 6:45 am to start my pitocin.
For the next few hours I just layed around and talked to Jason and my mom while having contractions that I wasn't aware I was having! Then the contractions picked up and my back started hurting really bad so they gave me a little more pain meds to get me through the rough patch.
At 10:15 Dr. Molina broke my water and I was then at 4cm. I told the nurse (Valerie...loved her...she literally styed in the room with me the WHOLE time) in casual conversation that with Clayton I was 4 cm forever and then once I got to 6 it was super fast. Turns out the same happened with Charlotte.
I was laying in the bed chatting with my mom and the Dr and several nurses rush in. Dr Molina checked me and I was 6 cm. She wanted to put in an internal monitor to better track Charlotte's heart rate. This was a little tricky because the baby kept floating to the top of the uterus...crazy baby! Once the monitor was in place several alarms went off and they made me flip several times and put on the oxygen. Dr Molina decided to check me again even though it had only been 13 minutes. Sure enough it was time to push!
Molina told me to do a few practice pushes while they got ready...she then said ok don't push for a minute...she got ready. Once everyone was in place it took 3 contractions, 5 minutes, and maybe 5 pushes and baby girl was born at 12:54.
It was a great experience and much different than my first. I will say it all came down to the facility and the nurses and of course Dr Molina! I learned that you can not listen to what others say about childbirth or hospitals because everyone's experience is different. I'm glad I had her here at Irwin and I'm glad I trusted my nurses and doctors to make it a great, safe and healthy experience!
Minutes after birth with her monitor still attached
Me just minutes after birth
This hospital let her wear her own clothes
The baby was born while C was at school...first time seeing her
Ready to go home!
