More about the birth experience
Hi... It's been a hectic week and I've been wanting to post more on this blog, but am always too tired when I get home. Tonight I have a little energy so I'll tell some more about Cassidy's birth, for those interested in that, and then post some more pictures. :)
Maybe the easiest way to tell the birth story is to describe the timeline of certain highlights. I guess that begins with Saturday night, March 10--when Breanna couldn't sleep at all. She says she was awake all night. It might have been the energy burst some women describe that comes soon before labor. Anyway, here's how Sunday developed.....
7 am - Bree notices what she thinks is her water breaking, and 5 minutes later, feels a contraction. She wakes me up to tell me. We're not 100% certain that her water has broken, but we decide to get ready for the hospital, just in case. Contractions seem to come about every 7 minutes and last about 50 seconds. She feels them mostly in her back. We conclude after an hour or so that yes, we should get to the hospital.
9:30 am-ish - We check into the hospital, but for the first several hours, they can't decide either if Bree's water has broken! She's having contractions, and they're getting closer, and really hurting her back. But she's only 1 cm dilated for some time. The nurse keeps saying they may send us home if they can't determine her water's really broken. We try to stay distracted between contractions watching a "Super Nanny" marathon on TV. :) Bree also talks to friends on the phone and sends text message updates to everyone.
1:00 pm-ish - First exam by a doctor, and he finally declares that yes, Bree's water is leaking out. The membrane is torn, but not ruptured, so that's why it was hard to tell. She's only about 3 cm dilated, but we get to stay at the hospital, which is good news because we had gotten the last bed! It turned out to be a busy few days for baby deliveries. The doctor wants Bree to get started on an IV and have some pitocin to keep things progressing (even though it seems to me that labor is progressing well naturally; contractions are continuing to increase in length, strength, and frequency).
2:00-4:00 approximately - IV torture! Three nurses and one anesthesiologist try SEVEN TIMES beween them to get an IV started. Breanna's veins are large enough, but they constrict once the tube is in, cutting off the fluid flow. Also, she's rather dehydrated, so that makes it worse. Each try is excruciating for Breanna. I feel so helpless! They finally get an IV to work, but it's in the crook of her right arm. She will have to keep that arm completely straight the rest of labor and delivery. All this time Bree's contractions are getting harder for her to handle. The back labor is awful.
5:00-ish - The IV is working and a pain drug (Stadol) is administered to help "take the edge off" the contractions. I think that means you still have pain, but you're so high you don't really care! Breanna feels better, at least between contractions. The drug's effects typically last for about 1.5 hours. She wants an epidural at the earliest opportunity, but they want her a little more dilated.
6:30ish - Pitocin is started.
7:00-ish Bree's at 5 cm and ready for an epidural. However, now her pain is so intense, it's impossible for her to sit still for the procedure, which is what you have to do, even if you have a contraction. The anesthesiologist comes in, but leaves when he sees how she has to rock and squirm to make it through contractions. He tells the nurse he'll come back if Bree can sit still. I speak up and say that she was much more calm and still right after having the Stadol; why can't she have another dose? The nurse got permission for another dose and it worked like a charm. Soon Bree was relaxed again; the anesthesiologist came back, and the epidural was put in during an unusually long lull between contractions. I think that lull was a small miracle! And the epidural itself is a modern-day miracle. By 8:00, Bree was pain-free and able to rest and even sleep, regardless of contractions. Whew. Her contraction frequency slowed down quite a bit, but we didn't care. We just wanted a break from the intensity of this labor! I called Dave and asked him to bring me some dinner.
10:00-ish Breanna gets an oxygen mask because they want to see the baby a little more active on the fetal monitor. (She's probably sluggish due to the Stadol.) Dave shows up with my salad for dinner and encourages Breanna. He stays until almost 11, and right after he leaves, Breanna's contractions get intense again--though she doesn't feel pain, she feels lots of pressure. The nurse says everything's fine.
11:20 pm - Breanna says she feels pushing urges! The nurse thinks it's too soon, but checks her anyway, and lo and behold she's fully dilated and ready to start pushing! The last few centimeters of dilation happened quite rapidly. Pushing is hard work, but Breanna does a fantastic job. And then....
12:36 am Monday, March 12 - Cassidy Joy makes her debut into the world! What a beauty. Her umbilical cord is cut and she's placed on Breanna's tummy. (I might have a picture of that on Breanna's camera, but I don't have access to that yet.)
So that's the story of Breanna's labor and delivery, and Cassidy's birth--as best I can remember it. It was certainly the experience of a lifetime, being a labor coach. How awesome to witness the birth of a baby firsthand like that! Thanks to Breanna for allowing me to be there with her. Thanks to Tri-City Hospital for (generally) excellent care. Big thanks to nurse Amy in the L&D room; she was wonderful. Also nurses Jodi and Betty. (Betty was off-duty but on the floor as her own grandbaby was about to be born! She heard about our IV troubles and tried to help. What an angel.) And to Dr. Musinski of Vista Community Clinic. We are very grateful for all these professionals, and plenty of others throughout Bree's and Cassidy's hospital stay.
And now I'll close this blog entry and start another with some pictures! :)
Maybe the easiest way to tell the birth story is to describe the timeline of certain highlights. I guess that begins with Saturday night, March 10--when Breanna couldn't sleep at all. She says she was awake all night. It might have been the energy burst some women describe that comes soon before labor. Anyway, here's how Sunday developed.....
7 am - Bree notices what she thinks is her water breaking, and 5 minutes later, feels a contraction. She wakes me up to tell me. We're not 100% certain that her water has broken, but we decide to get ready for the hospital, just in case. Contractions seem to come about every 7 minutes and last about 50 seconds. She feels them mostly in her back. We conclude after an hour or so that yes, we should get to the hospital.
9:30 am-ish - We check into the hospital, but for the first several hours, they can't decide either if Bree's water has broken! She's having contractions, and they're getting closer, and really hurting her back. But she's only 1 cm dilated for some time. The nurse keeps saying they may send us home if they can't determine her water's really broken. We try to stay distracted between contractions watching a "Super Nanny" marathon on TV. :) Bree also talks to friends on the phone and sends text message updates to everyone.
1:00 pm-ish - First exam by a doctor, and he finally declares that yes, Bree's water is leaking out. The membrane is torn, but not ruptured, so that's why it was hard to tell. She's only about 3 cm dilated, but we get to stay at the hospital, which is good news because we had gotten the last bed! It turned out to be a busy few days for baby deliveries. The doctor wants Bree to get started on an IV and have some pitocin to keep things progressing (even though it seems to me that labor is progressing well naturally; contractions are continuing to increase in length, strength, and frequency).
2:00-4:00 approximately - IV torture! Three nurses and one anesthesiologist try SEVEN TIMES beween them to get an IV started. Breanna's veins are large enough, but they constrict once the tube is in, cutting off the fluid flow. Also, she's rather dehydrated, so that makes it worse. Each try is excruciating for Breanna. I feel so helpless! They finally get an IV to work, but it's in the crook of her right arm. She will have to keep that arm completely straight the rest of labor and delivery. All this time Bree's contractions are getting harder for her to handle. The back labor is awful.
5:00-ish - The IV is working and a pain drug (Stadol) is administered to help "take the edge off" the contractions. I think that means you still have pain, but you're so high you don't really care! Breanna feels better, at least between contractions. The drug's effects typically last for about 1.5 hours. She wants an epidural at the earliest opportunity, but they want her a little more dilated.
6:30ish - Pitocin is started.
7:00-ish Bree's at 5 cm and ready for an epidural. However, now her pain is so intense, it's impossible for her to sit still for the procedure, which is what you have to do, even if you have a contraction. The anesthesiologist comes in, but leaves when he sees how she has to rock and squirm to make it through contractions. He tells the nurse he'll come back if Bree can sit still. I speak up and say that she was much more calm and still right after having the Stadol; why can't she have another dose? The nurse got permission for another dose and it worked like a charm. Soon Bree was relaxed again; the anesthesiologist came back, and the epidural was put in during an unusually long lull between contractions. I think that lull was a small miracle! And the epidural itself is a modern-day miracle. By 8:00, Bree was pain-free and able to rest and even sleep, regardless of contractions. Whew. Her contraction frequency slowed down quite a bit, but we didn't care. We just wanted a break from the intensity of this labor! I called Dave and asked him to bring me some dinner.
10:00-ish Breanna gets an oxygen mask because they want to see the baby a little more active on the fetal monitor. (She's probably sluggish due to the Stadol.) Dave shows up with my salad for dinner and encourages Breanna. He stays until almost 11, and right after he leaves, Breanna's contractions get intense again--though she doesn't feel pain, she feels lots of pressure. The nurse says everything's fine.
11:20 pm - Breanna says she feels pushing urges! The nurse thinks it's too soon, but checks her anyway, and lo and behold she's fully dilated and ready to start pushing! The last few centimeters of dilation happened quite rapidly. Pushing is hard work, but Breanna does a fantastic job. And then....
12:36 am Monday, March 12 - Cassidy Joy makes her debut into the world! What a beauty. Her umbilical cord is cut and she's placed on Breanna's tummy. (I might have a picture of that on Breanna's camera, but I don't have access to that yet.)
So that's the story of Breanna's labor and delivery, and Cassidy's birth--as best I can remember it. It was certainly the experience of a lifetime, being a labor coach. How awesome to witness the birth of a baby firsthand like that! Thanks to Breanna for allowing me to be there with her. Thanks to Tri-City Hospital for (generally) excellent care. Big thanks to nurse Amy in the L&D room; she was wonderful. Also nurses Jodi and Betty. (Betty was off-duty but on the floor as her own grandbaby was about to be born! She heard about our IV troubles and tried to help. What an angel.) And to Dr. Musinski of Vista Community Clinic. We are very grateful for all these professionals, and plenty of others throughout Bree's and Cassidy's hospital stay.
And now I'll close this blog entry and start another with some pictures! :)
posted by Oceanside Kim @ 9:36 PM
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