Cossets: 2011

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Sunday, December 18, 2011

Baby's First Shopping Trip

The Stoller with the little baby and massive diaper bag. All done after a 30 minute trip to the Mall for Christmas Shopping.

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Monday, October 24, 2011

I went to the perinatologist to check my amniotic fluid level. It was a 4. Since the week before it was already low at 6, I knew that 4 was a very now number and the baby could be in danger if she stayed in for much longer. The technician called my both of my Doctors and they both wanted me to go to the hospital to have labor induced immediately. We had the girls waiting at home, so we went home, cleaned up a bit, dropped Munchie off with a friend and headed to the hospital.

When we got to Labor and Delivery, the nurses acted like they had never heard of me. They took me to triage and set me up on the monitors. I was appalled when the nurse told us that they were probably going to just send me home because the baby looked fine and they were "full". I asked to see a Dr. immediately. A Dr. I had never met (but by reputation I knew to be a good Dr. with with zero personality points) checked me and let me know that I was not ready to go into labor at all, my cervix was unfavorable for giving birth anytime soon. After all that bedrest, I really wasn't surprised. After roughly checking my cervix, the Dr. was very straightforward and said I had a 50% chance of needing a C-section if the induction didn't work, and he didn't think it would. I was really happy to be having the baby that day. I wasn't excited about the prospect of a C-section of course, but I really didn't think that it would go down like that. I was also happy that the baby wouldn't be arriving on her scheduled induction date. Too many sad feelings associated with that date.

The nurse didn't seem to share in my excitement, but she let me know she was going to start my induction in an hour. She had to take a lunch break first. I was told to walk around and that I had an hour before I was to be strapped to the bed for god knows how long. So Mr. took Emmers to eat and I walked up and down the halls.

I knew it was going to be a long night. They told me that it would take 12 hours for the medicine to start to soften my cervix, after that, who knew how long the dilation would take. It was about 4 pm when I was finally given the Cervidil insert. An hour or so later Alisa and Chris arrived. They settled in for the evening, laptops, candy and I phones in hand. Emmers stayed with us but Munchie really wanted to hang out with her friend and not be around while all the medical stuff was happening. Anything to do with bodies gives her the heebeegeebees. Krysti was at work and couldn't get away no matter what until at least early morning. I told her she wasn't really missing anything.

At around 11:30pm, Emmers was fast asleep and Alisa and Chris were tired. They took Em to a friends house and went back to LA.

This is right around where things start to happen. I don't remember ever seeing the monitors showing my contractions or the baby's heart rate. I was so focused on the pain and getting through the minute of agony that I could think of nothing else. As soon as one was over I only had a few seconds to catch my breath and another one hit. It took over ever cell of my body. There was really no reprieve. Mr. kept eye contact with me and helped me He-He- Who through every contraction for around 6 hours. At about 6 am a nurse finally appeared in my eye line. I begged her, "Please can't you give me something? I didn't want to be suffering like this. I am so tired. I can't do this! I need help. Please give me anything...please help me." She told me there was only one thing she could give me. It was called Stadol. I said "Ok, sure give it to me please hurry." Poor Mr. was right there with me, saying "Yes. Give her something anything." That stupid drug was given to me and made me hallucinate. I started telling Mr. about how the clock was alive and it was controlling the room. It made perfect sense to me at the time. After a few minutes I realized it was the drug making me think these thoughts and remember what was actually happening, so I had a few minutes of lucidity. The medication didn't take away the pain, but it let me take my mind off the next contraction coming so I could sleep in between them. I used to think it was impossible to sleep for 1 minute, wake for 1, sleep for 1, wake for 1...on and on. But it's possible and that's pretty much exactly what Mr. and I did for half an hour.

At 6:30 the nurse came in again and I asked her to please find out why I couldn't have an epidural. She said Oh you want an epidural? You can have an epidural? I was like, are you kidding me??? I've been suffering like this and I told you wen you started your shift at 7pm to know that I want an epidural as soon as possible. But I said to her, "Then GIVE IT TO ME NOW!" So a few minutes later, she was sitting there chatting and flirting with the anesthesiologist while I got my epidural. I swear that nurse came in 3 times during her entire shift. The last two times were in the last half hour! Mr. and I were on our own. It was ruthless of those nurses to abandon a patient like that. I would never recommend that worthless hospital to anyone giving birth. (Actually I've been there for another surgery and many other ER visits-the whole place is worthless.)

Thank God for epidurals. Even when they are about 12 hours late. I finally got mine at 6:30am. My friend Krysti arrived at about 7:30 am to a happy, calm, and focused Mommy. They must have given me a very light one because the pain was still pretty bad, but I could handle it.

Right around the time Krysti came, a new nurse and a Dr. I had never met came in to see me.

I asked Mr. to call my parents so they could be on speaker when she was born.

It was such an incredible feeling to feel her slide out of me. I was in shock ... I had a perfect baby girl... she was mine ...she was here ...she was safe.