Settle in, this is a loooong one I wanted to have a nice detailed record for myself as well...

So, on Monday, February 23rd, I decided to call my OB’s office to inform them that I had noticed a major decrease in baby’s movements over the weekend, and almost no movement that day. I felt a bit silly calling, but I figured better safe than sorry. The nurse asked me to go in to labor and delivery to get monitored. So, off I went with my parents, since my husband, Ali, had to work that night. I got checked into L and D and they monitored baby’s heartbeat for 30 minutes. His heartbeat was strong, but I still had not felt him. The nurse called my OB to let her know, and she sent me to get an ultrasound where they performed a movement test. I can’t remember what it’s called, but they score the movements on a scale from 1-10. He scored a 2. The doctor there came in and said that his heart rate was great, but due to lack of movement, and my fluid looking a bit thick, she recommended I get induced. She said she didn’t believe the baby was in any immediate danger, but wanted to take action before that happened. I had no intention of fighting her on it. I was so nervous at this point, but also kept thanking God that I had listened to my instincts and called the doctor’s office. I called Ali and asked him to find coverage for work. When he walked into the hospital room, I almost cried from relief. He’s a doctor that works nights, and I was terrified during my entire pregnancy that he wouldn’t be able to get off work and miss the birth of his child.
Meanwhile, I was admitted into L and D, and had the nicest nurse ever, Glenda. She hooked up monitors to my tummy to monitor the baby, and started my IV drip. She told me to order some dinner, and that afterwards she would start me on Cervadil to help prep my cervix to be induced with Pitocin in the morning. I thought I had plenty of time to “prepare” to have a baby, even though I had been SO impatient(as you ladies know). I guess you’re never really prepared once things start happening. Around 8:45 PM the nurse inserted the Cervadil, which looks like a plastic tab with a long tail attached to it(super uncomfortable process, btw!). I settled in, thinking I had time to get some rest, and some sleep(HA!). Ali fell asleep around 11 pm. Glenda kept telling me to get some sleep but I just couldn’t…too anxious I suppose. About an hour later I felt my first “real” contraction. I used to worry that I wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between BH contractions and real ones…no such problem! It hit me like a ton of bricks. Around 1 am I decided to wake up my husband and ask him to call for the nurse. She came in and suggested Nubain, which is supposed to take the edge off, however, all it did was make me loopy and sleepy, but did nothing for the pain. Not even an hour after that my contractions started getting closer and closer together. Thanks to the Nubain, this is where things get blurry. I really wish I had just requested the epidural right away, rather than the loopy juice.
Here’s what I remember: Ali called the nurse back in and asked her to get the anesthesiologist for the epidural. My contractions were pretty much right after the other, I was in so much agony. I’m surprised I didn’t break my husband’s hand. I don’t remember what the epidural felt like, I just remember thinking, “stop talking so much, and just give me the juice!!” However, even in the throes of labor, I was too polite to say so. She asked another nurse to, “Get Dr. M.(Dr. on call from my ob office-not mine, though) to get to the hospital, NOW.” She took out cervadil, and broke my water. I kept feeling fluid leaking out of me. I figured it was from my water breaking, but apparently it was my bloody show. People kept coming in and out of the room.
At one point, they had to put me on oxygen due to baby’s heart rate slowing down. The room filled up with residents and the attending. Husband looked like he was going to cry. Baby’s heart rate returned to normal. Around 4 am, my actual OB, Dr. R, showed up, which I thought was so amazing of her, since she wasn’t the one on call that night. She had asked Dr. M to let her know if I went into labor. According to my husband, baby had the cord wrapped around his neck twice. I don’t recall Dr. R saying this, which is probably good, because I would have freaked out. She reached in and undid the cord. I wonder if this could have contributed to his lack of movement? The Dr. and nurse told me to start pushing whenever I felt the pressure from a contraction. I pushed for about 30 min(I think), Dr. R used a suction thingy to get him out. I will never forget seeing his slimy little body and hearing him cry for the first time. He arrived at 3:54 AM, 6.7 lbs, 20.5 inches long. Poor thing spent the first 5 days of his life in the NICU, but all is well now! I think he was not ready to come out yet, but we didn't really have a choice...