Keira's Birth Story

Hello everyone! I am taking a quick moment of quiet to write Keira's birth story. As you all know, I went in the hospital Thursday, April 9th for a scheduled induction. When I arrived and was registered and checked, I was already 2 plus centimeters dilated (I'm glad those contractions I had been having did something!) They started me on pitocin at 945am. I was checked again two hours later and was 4 plus centimeters and 70% effaced. Things were going well. I felt great. The contractions I had were not super strong... they were very manageable. They decided to go ahead at that time and break my water (this is now about 2 hours 45 min-3 hours into everything). I actually was completely fine with this, and besides the lovely feeling of peeing my pants (I wasn't really, but the fluid is just really warm, and you can't control it) every time Keira moved her head or I had a contraction. The contractions definitely picked up, and were about every 3 minutes or so. Again, I felt great, although I was beginning to feel a bit shaky. They started checking me every hour, and it seemed I was progressing a little over a centimeter an hour, but was remaining at a -2 to -1 station and staying at only 70% effaced. The shakiness I was feeling earlier had progressed to what I can only describe as at times full on involuntary convulsions. They said this was normal and was called the labor shakes. I have never heard of it before, so was a bit freaked out by the whole thing. I was on the birth ball the entire time, and chose to lean over and hug pillows, and again, despite the contraction picking up to 1-2 minutes apart, I knew they had reached their peak, as they weren't getting worse anymore, but just closer together. My doctor came in and checked me and when I was the same, (very disappointing news for me) she told me that she could feel a bulge of membranes and was going to break my water again. OK, I will be honest here. My contractions were every minute and a half or so and being on my back to get my water broken, or even examined was torture, but because the baby's head was still around -2, almost -1, she had to reach much further back and the combination of breaking my water, having to be much more invasive and having contractions during the whole thing (oh and shaking like I had been standing in a freezer for 10 hours) was just too much. I admit it, I cried at that point. But, despite my momentary break down, I was determined to carry on and push through it. The nurses and my doctor believed this bulge was what was keeping me from progressing, so they felt confidant I should progress really quickly from there. An hour later, I had also started feeling incredibly nauseous. Every contraction (although the contractions themselves momentarily stopped my shaking, and in that sense were a relief) was a fight to not puke, although at one point I said I wish I would just throw up and get it over with. Two hours later and NOTHING. I was 7 plus centimeters, at a -1 station, and had progressed to 90% effaced. Since She had come down a bit more, and I was almost 100% effaced, my doctor could now tell why I was not progressing. The baby's head was facing the wrong way, or was presenting OT. She was face up, not face down and chin tucked to her chest like she should have been. They said this is definitely why it was taking so long, and although I didn't have much more to go, it could take a lot longer if she didn't turn, and I could be pushing a lot longer for the same reason. They did say since she was still at a -1 station she had a chance of still turning. I elected to wait it out one more hour and see if I made progress. If I did, great, I'd continue naturally, if not, I would have an epidural. An hour later, more nausea, more convulsing (those bothered me more than the contractions) and a big fat nothing had changed. I said, fine let's do the epidural. They gave me spinal medicine first, and that lasts about an hour and a half, and then I can turn up the epidural from there. Once again, even that couldn't be easy for me... they numbed me, and inserted the needle saying "This shouldn't hurt at all" but alas, one side was not numbed and I felt it, while having a contraction at the same time. Horrible. So they had to numb me again, and try all over again. The spinal medicine was great because I could feel and move my legs completely and I could still feel the contractions and the pressure from them, just not the cramping pain. They had me switch from side to side to try and get the baby to turn, and an hour later, still no change. A half hour after that check, the spinal definitely had worn off and I was feeling the contractions again, almost as strongly as before I got any medicine. I was okay with this though, and because I didn't really want an epidural to begin with, didn't press the button to make it any stronger. Well within five more minutes, I felt like I had to go to the bathroom... now I know this can also be a sign that it's time to push, but I have felt that feeling before and this was different. I was hoping they would let me up and just try and go to the bathroom on my own, and I told Nathan he could DEFINITELY leave the room for this part, because well, I would if the roles were reversed! I called my nurse and told her, meanwhile I was getting a terrible cramp in my left side. It felt like a running cramp times a million. My nurse checked me and said, nope you're having a baby now! My mom called Nathan who had just gotten in the elevator. Literally within seconds my doctor and another nurse were in the room and getting everything ready. Apparantly she was within an inch of crowning, which explains all the pressure I was feeling and she was also (yay!) turning at the same time as she came down. She crowned during my first push, and after that her head came out pretty quickly. Her shoulders were actually harder for me to deliver than her head, but in a push, they were out as well. All in all 5 minutes after I felt that pressure, she was here. Keira was born at 9:41 pm. Fun Fact, Tyler was born at 8:41 am, Nate was born at 1:39 pm, and Brody was born at 6:40 am. At least she was consistant in the minutes with the rest of the kids! Keira was 8lbs even and 21 inches long. I am really glad I had medicine for that hour and a half. It gave me relief for a little while, so I had the energy to push. (Not to seem like I pushed with no problems and like it was a piece of cake, it hurt a LOT, but it was worth it!) Keira's apgars were 8 and 9 after birth, and she nursed for the entire two hours I was in the room recovering with her! She has dirty blonde hair, but lots of it (good girl, she listened to me about the hair thing.) She has such long girly fingers, and despite what she looks like in pictures, is teeny tiny. She also has the world's smallest ears. They are pinned tight to her head, which is such a change from the boys. It is definitely a HUGE adjustment having her. She has her days and nights mixed up a bit, but we're working on that. They had given me pain medicine for the cramping from nursing, but I had a really bad reaction to it on Saturday night so I am hoping I can have something not as strong. This is the 3rd day I have added to writing this, and thankfully am finishing it now. Thank you all for your messages!!! I promise I will get back to you all. I thought it would be much easier to write this out first, so I wasn't re-telling it a bunch of times. As for now, it is MOnday morning, and I made it through getting Ty off to school, and now have to take Keira and Brody to the doctor. My mom is meeting me there to help out. I promise I will upload pictures as soon as I get the chance!