*I have to laugh reading this when I am so close to Baby Ogg #2's due date! Especially the part about not wanting to do it again anytime soon...well I guess we waited 3 1/2 years!
I decided it's about time for me to write about Carina's birth, while it is still somewhat fresh in my mind. I think it's important to document such a momentous occasion. This is not an attempt to scare anyone away from having children! If you have any fears about childbirth, then here is your version:
Everything went smoothly, the contractions weren't that bad, and I would do it all over again in a heartbeat!
Ok, if that is what you want to hear, then stop reading this right now. The REAL version will now follow!
Actually, it's probably good that I've waited 5 weeks to write this, because the memory has faded just enough to not traumatize me as I relive it. Here goes!
I sat around waiting for this dear child of mine to decide to be born, but she was quite comfy where she was! I tried everything-spicy food, chamomile tea, walking everyday...nothing worked so my doctor decided I would have to be induced. I was not very happy about this because I had heard that contractions from induced labors can be more painful, plus I wanted things to just happen on their own. But at the same time, I was 2 weeks overdue and very much ready to get the baby out! So Mike and I went to the hospital the morning of the 28th of Sept., and they started me on the Pitocin (a drug that induces labor) around 8 a.m. Long story short, I made ZERO progress that whole day. I was having contractions, but they were very bearable which meant it wasn't active labor. They decided to take me off of the Pitocin at 8 p.m. that night. We were disappointed because we just wanted something to happen, but we just kept telling ourselves that she would come out when she was ready!
The next morning they started me on the Pitocin again at 8 a.m. This time, things got going! I really cannot describe what a contraction feels like, but it does NOT feel good! I started having contractions very regularly, and they were so strong I couldn't even talk during one. I just squeezed the hell out of Mike's hand and tried very hard to breath like I had learned in child birth class. That helped for a little while, but then I started having back labor too. It was like the contraction was attacking me from both sides- a very unfair fight when you are trying to wait as long as you can before asking for an epidural! The pain got so bad I started tossing my cookies, which is hard to do when you haven't been allowed to have any food! I guess I was tossing my ice chips....anyway, the midwife happened to come in to check on me as I was dry heaving and asking (aka begging) for the epidural. She called the anesthesiologist (sp?), and he arrived within 30 minutes. (Oh, my water broke on it's own sometime before this, which was very much like peeing my pants, and it made the contractions come on faster)
The anesthesiologist had to ask me a bunch of questions. I swear they were the same damn questions the midwife and nurses had asked me during the entire pregnancy! Yes, first pregnancy. No prior surgeries except I had my tonsils out when I was 7. No I'm not allergic to anything. Don't they write this stuff down?! I was in so much pain at this point that Mike had to answer all of the questions for me. Then the doc has to describe what exactly he is going to do and how the epidural will work. HELLO I watch Baby Story I know what you are going to do JUST DO IT! Then he says I have to hold still during the contractions. This was not easy to do, but the thought of the big needle going into my spine helped me stay as still as I could. So he puts it in and I think I'm on my way to blissful numbness when I feel something running down my back. I tell him this, and he looks and says, "Oh, that's blood. I have to try again." All I could think was, "Are you FREAKIN kidding me?!" Of course I was only thinking this because the contractions took away my ability to talk. So I had to hold still AGAIN, and he re-did the whole thing. 15 minutes later, I was a completely different person. I could talk, and I felt warm and cozy. Ladies, do not be afraid of the needle. It is your friend. I thanked the doc (my new best friend) and I laid in bed not feeling the contractions I was having. An hour later, I had gone from 2 to 7cm dilated, and half an hour later I was 10 cm! They said I was ready to push-yikes! Suddenly things were very surreal. I started pushing at 4:15 p.m. The nurses said I was a very good pusher for a first timer...my epidural was low enough that I could feel where I needed to push, which was good. There was a mirror in the room so I could see what was happening, and it turned out to be good motivation for me. The pushing didn't really hurt until her head came out...I'm sorry but that really freakin hurt. But once her head was out, I looked in the mirror and saw her and thought "Ok this kid is coming out NOW!" I think I pushed one more time and whoosh! Suddenly my beautiful baby girl was in my arms at 5:14 p.m. on September 29th. She was crying and I was crying and Mike was in shock. I just kept saying " You look like your daddy! " and I told her how much I loved her already. It is so true when people say you instantly fall in love because we did. I barely noticed that I was getting stitches...until I happened to look in the mirror-bad idea! The nurses moved it right away...no one needs to see that! And it was amazing to me how I went from being in pain and so exhausted to being on cloud 9. I just kept looking at Carina-I didn't want to take my eyes off of her. I still don't!
Well I hope I didn't scare anyone away from wanting to have a baby. It definitely wasn't easy, but every time I look at our daughter I know it was worth it. She is absolutely amazing and I can't imagine our lives without her. It will be a looong time before I consider going through it all again though!
I decided it's about time for me to write about Carina's birth, while it is still somewhat fresh in my mind. I think it's important to document such a momentous occasion. This is not an attempt to scare anyone away from having children! If you have any fears about childbirth, then here is your version:
Everything went smoothly, the contractions weren't that bad, and I would do it all over again in a heartbeat!
Ok, if that is what you want to hear, then stop reading this right now. The REAL version will now follow!
Actually, it's probably good that I've waited 5 weeks to write this, because the memory has faded just enough to not traumatize me as I relive it. Here goes!
I sat around waiting for this dear child of mine to decide to be born, but she was quite comfy where she was! I tried everything-spicy food, chamomile tea, walking everyday...nothing worked so my doctor decided I would have to be induced. I was not very happy about this because I had heard that contractions from induced labors can be more painful, plus I wanted things to just happen on their own. But at the same time, I was 2 weeks overdue and very much ready to get the baby out! So Mike and I went to the hospital the morning of the 28th of Sept., and they started me on the Pitocin (a drug that induces labor) around 8 a.m. Long story short, I made ZERO progress that whole day. I was having contractions, but they were very bearable which meant it wasn't active labor. They decided to take me off of the Pitocin at 8 p.m. that night. We were disappointed because we just wanted something to happen, but we just kept telling ourselves that she would come out when she was ready!
The next morning they started me on the Pitocin again at 8 a.m. This time, things got going! I really cannot describe what a contraction feels like, but it does NOT feel good! I started having contractions very regularly, and they were so strong I couldn't even talk during one. I just squeezed the hell out of Mike's hand and tried very hard to breath like I had learned in child birth class. That helped for a little while, but then I started having back labor too. It was like the contraction was attacking me from both sides- a very unfair fight when you are trying to wait as long as you can before asking for an epidural! The pain got so bad I started tossing my cookies, which is hard to do when you haven't been allowed to have any food! I guess I was tossing my ice chips....anyway, the midwife happened to come in to check on me as I was dry heaving and asking (aka begging) for the epidural. She called the anesthesiologist (sp?), and he arrived within 30 minutes. (Oh, my water broke on it's own sometime before this, which was very much like peeing my pants, and it made the contractions come on faster)
The anesthesiologist had to ask me a bunch of questions. I swear they were the same damn questions the midwife and nurses had asked me during the entire pregnancy! Yes, first pregnancy. No prior surgeries except I had my tonsils out when I was 7. No I'm not allergic to anything. Don't they write this stuff down?! I was in so much pain at this point that Mike had to answer all of the questions for me. Then the doc has to describe what exactly he is going to do and how the epidural will work. HELLO I watch Baby Story I know what you are going to do JUST DO IT! Then he says I have to hold still during the contractions. This was not easy to do, but the thought of the big needle going into my spine helped me stay as still as I could. So he puts it in and I think I'm on my way to blissful numbness when I feel something running down my back. I tell him this, and he looks and says, "Oh, that's blood. I have to try again." All I could think was, "Are you FREAKIN kidding me?!" Of course I was only thinking this because the contractions took away my ability to talk. So I had to hold still AGAIN, and he re-did the whole thing. 15 minutes later, I was a completely different person. I could talk, and I felt warm and cozy. Ladies, do not be afraid of the needle. It is your friend. I thanked the doc (my new best friend) and I laid in bed not feeling the contractions I was having. An hour later, I had gone from 2 to 7cm dilated, and half an hour later I was 10 cm! They said I was ready to push-yikes! Suddenly things were very surreal. I started pushing at 4:15 p.m. The nurses said I was a very good pusher for a first timer...my epidural was low enough that I could feel where I needed to push, which was good. There was a mirror in the room so I could see what was happening, and it turned out to be good motivation for me. The pushing didn't really hurt until her head came out...I'm sorry but that really freakin hurt. But once her head was out, I looked in the mirror and saw her and thought "Ok this kid is coming out NOW!" I think I pushed one more time and whoosh! Suddenly my beautiful baby girl was in my arms at 5:14 p.m. on September 29th. She was crying and I was crying and Mike was in shock. I just kept saying " You look like your daddy! " and I told her how much I loved her already. It is so true when people say you instantly fall in love because we did. I barely noticed that I was getting stitches...until I happened to look in the mirror-bad idea! The nurses moved it right away...no one needs to see that! And it was amazing to me how I went from being in pain and so exhausted to being on cloud 9. I just kept looking at Carina-I didn't want to take my eyes off of her. I still don't!
Well I hope I didn't scare anyone away from wanting to have a baby. It definitely wasn't easy, but every time I look at our daughter I know it was worth it. She is absolutely amazing and I can't imagine our lives without her. It will be a looong time before I consider going through it all again though!
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