Our scan on Wednesday, Dec. 5th didn't go as we had hoped. We were praying Lorelei would measure 20th percentile or above to avoid induction. Unfortunately, the ultrasound measured Lorelei as 7th percentile and therefore labeled her as IUGR (Intrauterine growth restriction) which meant I would need to be induced the following day for fear she wasn't growing properly in the womb for
some reason.
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| Our squished daughter |
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| Last night as a family of 3! |
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| The wee hours of the morning, before going to the hospital to be induced! |
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| My LAST belly shot! |
Liam spent the night at Grammy & Papa's and our doggies spent the night at Grandma & Grandpa's. We arrived at the hospital at 6am on Thursday, Dec. 6th and by 7:15am the pitocin had been started in my IV. I was at 4cm when they admitted us. They increased my pitocin from 6mg to 30mg from 7:15am-11:15am. NOTHING was happening. Pitocin really wasn't causing strong contractions (definitely not strong enough to put me into labor). Honestly, my contractions were stronger the week before when we visited the MIU.
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| CLEARLY the pitocin isn't working! |
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| Texting & facebook'ing... definitely not working! |
When the doctor came up during lunch, I was 6cm (thanks pitocin, that route would've been a LONG labor!) so they decided they'd go ahead and break my water and strip my membranes. The doctor said he'd check on me within the next hour, but that plan changed abruptly. He no sooner left the room and my contractions became INTENSE and rapid. I gripped Kevin and BEGGED for my epidural! The nurse checked me and I was 8cm dilated, literally that quickly. She called the doctor back in and he looked PANICKED! Said he didn't expect me to progress that fast. Our nurse HONESTLY told our doctor to leave the room, she had the situation under control and would call him back when I wasn't SOBBING in pain. Oh my goodness people, get it together! (Just for the record: I did love the doctor who delivered her, VERY good doc, but he scared me for a second there!).
The nurse said she had asked the anesthesiologist to come up and they said 15 min. At 12 min. past that statement I was shaking uncontrollably and pleading for my epidural! The contractions were so intense. Then, the nurse realized she hadn't stopped my pitocin! I was contracting ON MY OWN and she had the pitocin helping me along. Ummm....OUCH!
The nurse YELLED down the hallway that I needed the epi immediately. We even discussed me being able to deliver on my own (without it). That nurse talked a great story, but when I asked her if she delivered without one, she looked at me like I was crazy and said "no!"... well lady, that certainly is NOT inspiring! That's how close I was to NOT getting an epidural. But alas, during that conversation, the anesthesiologist walked in the door. She offered me some local anesthetic since they thought baby would arrive within the hour BUT luckily Kevin spoke up for me and demanded the epidural (in the end, I guess the anesthesiologist felt so bad for me, she gave me both!).
And just like that I was out of pain! Ahhh!
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| This is Shannah AFTER an epidural! & NO there are no photos of me before this! |
And then, suddenly I was 10cm and it was time to push. Seriously, I think Kev texted a few people around 12:20p.m. that I was going to start pushing and at 12:37p.m. Lorelei Rose entered the world. I pushed four times and there she was. My first push resulted in a head, the second push her entire head, third push and her shoulders got stuck, doc manuevered those out and VOILA! One more push and it was Lorelei's birthday! 12/6/12 @ 12:37p.m., 6lbs 4oz and 18'' long!
I was BLESSED with a VERY easy labor! Lindsey you were right! I did A LOT of the work a few weeks beforehand--there was a reason for all the pelvic pain. I found out at the hospital that day that I likely never would have progressed on my own because Miss Lorelei had pushed my cervix back to get into place. As a matter of fact, she was so low they accidentally poked her head when breaking my water (she still has the marks on her head!).
My parents were already at the hospital (my mom in the delivery room and my dad in the waiting room). Auntie Kimber came over a few minutes later and then Liam (with Grammy, Papa and GG) was technically our second visitor...
More on how it went over with big brother and our first few days to follow. Time to nurse the little lady.
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