Birth Story

I had started getting contractions about 12pm Monday before we went in for my OB appointment at 2pm. Had my membranes swept at about 2:30. Contractions were 10 minutes apart and getting progressively stronger and more painful. Soon they were about 8 minutes apart and VERY painful back labor. 7pm Monday night I took about a 5 hour nap and woke to contractions coming every five minutes. I stayed up all night dozing off for almost an hour once, they were getting much stronger and ALL my pain was in my back. Michael slept all that night and about 8am he decided we should go be cause I couldn't walk or talk through them anymore. I was only at 2cm when they checked me in the hospital. We tried to walk around the hospital grounds but the back pain was horrendous so I got into the shower at L&D for a while. I tried to sit in the jacuzzi tub but squatting/bending/sitting (even on my birth ball) and walking were very painful at this point. After about 2 hours at the hospital Dr wrote me an ambien and lortab prescription and had me go home and relax. I never actually slept slept but rested well between contractions- Michael, my Ma and sister were all rubbing my back and feet trying to help me sleep. Then they started to get unbearably intense. DF said lets go back. I was at 3-4cm by then and was hoping for a natural birth. Michael came and met us there. By this time I had been in labor with serious back labor for about 30 hours. Well made it to 6cm in about 2 hours and I was BAWLING in between contractions which were about 3 minutes apart and 60+sec long. It was the perfect example of the chain of intervention---- I started with stadol (temporary IV pain relief- still mobile) then I received the sterile water injections (this HURT LIKE HELL do NOT do it) I labored in the birth tub for an hour or two, Michael rubbing my back for me. I gave into the epidural :(. All of my pain was in my tailbone. I am allergic to morphine so they used a different narcotic for the epidural. I got a catheter (which hurt like hell until about 3 hours ago when I finally got it out) Through the epidural I still felt intense pressure in my vaginal/perennial/ areas. I also began to have a slight fever and bad body shakes. I could feel the catheter jabbing me the whole time- this became my new pain focus as I couldn't feel the contractions much any more- just the pressure/pain down there. Dr. Eckstrom said that the epidural can stall labor- so lets break your water. I got to 7cm and stopped progressing. Dosed the epidural again (second time in a few hours)- instant intense body shakes-temperature spike. Received pitocin to try to restart contracions. Didn't work- received antibiotics because I was running a 102 fever and my HR was about 140 and Samantha's was around 200 for a good half hour. All the while still feeling severe perennial pain. We made the call for a C-section at about 4am this morning. The section was inevitable but my Dr left it up to me. Samantha LeiAnn was born at 4:48am July 14th 7lbs 0.7oz and 20.75 in long!!! APGAR 8-9. She cried for about 3 seconds right when she was born and I haven't heard her cry since! Michael told me that she let out a little cry when receiving her Hep-B shot. Other than that she has nursed great and sleeps great and is a very relaxed baby girl!!!!!!! She's soooo beautiful- I wish I would have held out because I know I probably wouldn't have stalled at 7cm if I hadn't had any interventions--- but all is well and she is amazing!!!

((First Picture))                                              

                                                                               ((Hospital))

And now!!!!!