On Thursday, September 29, I started having contractions late in the evening. I was excited- with both Cade and Connor, my water broke without me being in labor. Therefore with both of them, I had to endure an induced labor, complete with pitocin (artificial oxytocin), IV fluids, constant monitoring of fetal heart rate, contractions, and blood pressure, an epidural, and a catheter. I was looking forward to trying out this "natural" labor thing! I'd seen Dr. Susan Kracht twice that week for acupuncture to help onset labor, and I was seeing results.
Or so I thought.
By about 10am Friday morning, the contractions had stopped. I walked, I saw Dr. Susan again. But that afternoon at my scheduled ob/gyn appointment, nothing had changed. My (slightly) elevated blood pressure worried the doctor, but since my readings outside of the office weren't as high as theirs, he said "see you next week."
I asked Oxana, our new yoga teacher (yes, Oxana is as stunning as her name makes you think she is) to teach my Saturday yoga class... just in case.
Still no baby.
Sunday night, I woke up feeling bad. Nauseous, uncomfortable, with a weird pain in my upper back and under my ribs. I spent most of the night awake, and called the ob/gyn office in the morning. Dan and I walked three miles after dropping off the kids, hoping to get labor restarted. At the doctor's office, my blood pressure readings were high. He asked me to go to the hospital "to get some labs done." I agreed, knowing simultaneously that I both needed to have the baby for my body's sake - and knowing the "natural" birth I desperately hoped for was going to evade me again.
At the hospital, my blood pressure did nothing but climb. The decision had to be made. I was 3 centimeters dilated. I was induced again, but this time with the addition of IV magnesium sulfate. Despite the magnesium, and several other medications, my blood pressure remained high. It eventually came out of the stratosphere after the epidural.
Around 9:45, I started having sharp pain from the contractions. I was only 4 cm. The nurse called the anesthesiologist back in to adjust the epidural. When he arrived a short time later, I was 8cm. Wow.
At 10:08 pm on Monday night, October 3, little Chiana Rain was born, 5 pounds ans 10 ounces.
Our boys have a baby sister.
Or so I thought.
By about 10am Friday morning, the contractions had stopped. I walked, I saw Dr. Susan again. But that afternoon at my scheduled ob/gyn appointment, nothing had changed. My (slightly) elevated blood pressure worried the doctor, but since my readings outside of the office weren't as high as theirs, he said "see you next week."
I asked Oxana, our new yoga teacher (yes, Oxana is as stunning as her name makes you think she is) to teach my Saturday yoga class... just in case.
Still no baby.
Sunday night, I woke up feeling bad. Nauseous, uncomfortable, with a weird pain in my upper back and under my ribs. I spent most of the night awake, and called the ob/gyn office in the morning. Dan and I walked three miles after dropping off the kids, hoping to get labor restarted. At the doctor's office, my blood pressure readings were high. He asked me to go to the hospital "to get some labs done." I agreed, knowing simultaneously that I both needed to have the baby for my body's sake - and knowing the "natural" birth I desperately hoped for was going to evade me again.
At the hospital, my blood pressure did nothing but climb. The decision had to be made. I was 3 centimeters dilated. I was induced again, but this time with the addition of IV magnesium sulfate. Despite the magnesium, and several other medications, my blood pressure remained high. It eventually came out of the stratosphere after the epidural.
Around 9:45, I started having sharp pain from the contractions. I was only 4 cm. The nurse called the anesthesiologist back in to adjust the epidural. When he arrived a short time later, I was 8cm. Wow.
At 10:08 pm on Monday night, October 3, little Chiana Rain was born, 5 pounds ans 10 ounces.
Our boys have a baby sister.
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