When I got there, they checked my cervix and I was 5 cm dilated. I was also having contractions, but they weren't hurting, so I was ignoring them. My blood pressure was borderline high. They decided to admit me and had me walk for about an hour, and then I bounced on the ball for an hour. They checked me again and I was still 5cm dilated. No change.
They decided to start me on a low dose of pitocin because my BP came back elevated again and my pulse was high.
My nurse went on break after a while and my contractions started getting quite strong. I asked the temp nurse to request the epidural since I knew I was going to get it anyway with the pitocin. She actually talked me into using an IV drug and holding off for a while. I was only 6cm dilated by now.
The contractions got UNBEARABLE quickly and I was begging for the epi but the anesthesiologist was stuck in a room for an hour and a half. It was AWFUL. Hurt so bad. I was just begging for them to get it for me but they couldn't do anything about it.
Finally got the epi an hour and a half after I requested it. They checked me an hour afterward and I was 9cm dilated. We waited for me to get to 10cm dilated and then, since I wasn't in pain, they had me wait until I felt the urge to push which never really came. I could feel the pressure and everything, but not really the urge. Baby was not descending down a past a +2 or something.
Eventually they decided to just have me start pushing because we had been waiting a long time. Makayla would not come out. I was so thankful to have had a very patient doctor. She was so positive about it all and never "threatened" me with a c-section. She told me that they allow 3 hours of pushing before they have to do a c-section, but she kept saying "Don't worry, we still have an hour and a half to push her out." Just the way she said it made it sound so much better than "You need to get her out or we will do a c-section". She just would not come out.
Just like a diva, she waited until exactly 3 hours before she decided to come out. After 3 hours of pushing, her head was out and I thought I was done. It stopped hurting and I just relaxed. The doctors started shouting at me "KEEP PUSHING" and that we HAD to get her out. Makayla's shoulder was stuck. The doctors were literally tugging her out. But, they were able to get her out.
She came out not crying and they took her over with a team from the NICU. I didn't even get to see what she looked like. It felt like forever, but eventually they got her going and she was fine. I didn't get to hold her for what seemed like such a long time though. The doctor gave me a drug in my IV because I was scared of the stitches and it made me feel drunk. I think that was the only thing keeping me from totally freaking out about what was happening.
It was only minutes, but felt like I would never hear her cry. Finally, I heard her little cry start and I felt such a relief. I was so exhausted and once I heard her I just relaxed and felt like I would go to sleep.
Makayla was born at 1:24pm on February 18, weighing 8lb5oz. I don't normally post pictures of myself looking like crap, but I feel this picture accurately portrays how I was feeling after a 20 hour labor with 3 hours of pushing.
