Friday, May 19, 2006

MY birth story

i have horrible birth stories - please don't read if you don't want to hear the deets!

#1 son, my water broke but didn't gush. so they put cervidil in my cervix to make it thin, for 12 hours. then they started the pitocin drip to induce labor.

20 hours and four epidurals later, i had pushed for 3 hours. the FOURTH epidural wore off. (it was june in Philly and i had gained 20 pounds of WATER the last month, so they couldn't get them in the right space.) (they finally realized all the fluid hadn't come out with the water breaking and broke the bag lower down so it could get out. labor progressed rapidly from that point.)

so they reached in with forceps and ripped him out. it doesn't make me queasy to say so, but watching that movie [see post below] - whoo, pass me the damp cloths! tore all over the place, too. then the OB stitches me up without local - and epidural worn off.

so i focused on the newborn in my arms and ignored the sting as best i could. (i'm sure the local would have still been a stick, so he figured sew me up quick and it'll be done. he was that kinda guy.)

we had a little while to bond, then took baby to the newborn nursery. meanwhile, i kept bleeding. every time i massaged my uterus, gush. (they "say" readheads bleed more; who knew?)

five hours later, baby still in newborn nursery (apparently it's a one-way trip; can't come back to delivery room), i finally got to my room. nurses are very solicitous, it's after midnight, can they get me anything? i'm like, MY BABY!

(i was humming Chili's baby-back ribs song - i want my baby back, baby back, baby back, baby back - for hours!)

#2 - scheduled induction. #1 was 9-6, my sister's #1 was 9 and #2 was 9-4 (#2 born just a few months before mine, and we had the same OB! ran into him at the hospital when visiting sister's baby, and he says, yes, jennifer, we'll induce you.)

it snowed that morning and nobody wanted to go to the hospital. but it was a light snow and we didn't live far, so when they called me and said can you come? i answered, how soon do you want me?

IV started at 10:30 with the pitocin, and broke the water then. i actually felt urge to push around 4:30. doctor came and checked me at 5:00 and said, time to push!

well, he turns to scrub and gown, and i swear, i thought to myself, "you're a pure idiot if you think this is going fast enough for you to stick around."
at 5:17, #2 son was born, 9-14.

how's that for contrast? they "say" induction is more intense (though i'm sure those of you without epidurals would argue!). so you get an epidural straight away. i'm terrified of needles but when you need an epidural, you don't care. much.

the anesthesiologist with #2 was awesome - he'd tell you the position he wanted you in, you'd do your best, then he reached out and picked you up and moved you. i mean, i'm over 200 pounds, and he just moved me so nicely. it was the easiest position change in MONTHS!

so - i'm insane to want to go through it all again, but i do. if only DH would come around!

Thursday, May 18, 2006

"birth story"

i just watched a "birth story" type video online.

i think i'm going to throw up. or pass out. and i'm not squeamish usually! oh. but my babies were HUGEHUGEHUGE (9-6 and 9-14) and i know i bled like heck with #1.

ok, put my head between my knees and drank some Coke. i'm SO not squeamish!

DH had his septum straightened last month; i watched them remove the packing (lots of blood and mucus, gross), and when he had a seizure immediately afterward _I_ held him in the chair, and took care of him. i'm more lightheaded now than then!

guess i won't be "birth story"'s next huge fan...