She needed some convincing to come and meet us, just like her sister. The week before my due date I went in for my weekly doctor's appointment and things didn't look so hot. There was enough concern that the doctor asked me to come back in two days and if things hadn't calmed down she would schedule a C-section for the end of the week. That was a lot to take in. Laila really should have been a C-section. I fought it so hard. I was already so torn up about being induced (not sure why)..She was a long and hard 20+ hour labor, on the pit drip for all 20+ hours. By the end of it all she was so stressed and we were loosing her heart beat...things started to look kind of scary. How grateful I am that she is strong and healthy.
I think one of the things I learned from my experience with Laila and the week before with Braylee, was take it as it comes and just be ready to go with the flow and be okay to go with the flow. To do whatever I could to be prepared for any situation and be okay with whatever needed to happen. Luckily, things calmed back down and the doctor let Braylee cook for a little longer. Almost two weeks past my due date we decided she had to come out though... no more cooking! Hooked up to the pitosin once again! Blah!
So pitosin is the synthetic version of the natural oxytocin hormone that induces labor. I don't remember all the specifics, but the body produces up to around 10 well, whatevers (I don't remember the units). With a pit drip, they can crank that up to 30 whatevers and that usually means you are having contractions about 1-3 minutes apart from here on out. They start out pretty mild but as they keep cranking the pitosin up things get kind of crazy. And "crazy" is the biggest understatement ;-)
L came to visit a couple times throughout the day with my mom. They came that evening for dinner but we sent them home (after we shared a popsicle together...my last moments as just the two of us!) after I really couldn't hold a conversation and needed to just focus on things. After 14+ hours (10:00 pm) of the pitosin, liquid diet only (which mostly just consisted of ice chips and popsicles) and still only dialated at a 2 the doctor decides to break my water (FINALLY!). Hello! Things were really strong now. By 12:30 am they end up turning down the pitossin because my contractions are less then 1 minute apart and crazy strong to where they were actually doing more harm than good. I was so terrified of getting an epidural (that was really the worst part of my experience with Laila - side note.... After a really long day laboring with Laila we got an epidural. I remember a short second after the needle went in my back, a surge of fire going down my left leg and a scream exploded from my mouth. I seriously thought my knee was going to explode. From that point on my right leg was so dead I couldn't lift it and I felt every pinch and prick in my left leg. But that first surge down that left side was some of the worse pain I have ever felt. Needless to say I vowed to never do that again. ) but we ask the anesthesiologist to come in at that point. We were second in line and at that point I was just focused on waiting for him to get there. I remember just telling myself get through one more with each contraction...again at about a minute apart. I was so grateful when he walked in about 1:30 am. They got everything situated and taken care of and then they left me alone for a little bit. After some time the nurse came back in and I told her I was having some pain and significant pressure in the southern regions. She said to just embrace that and not hold back and let me be again. She came back a little later, I was a little embarrassed, but I told her that I really really really think something is coming out, that the pressure was getting really strong and I could feel something there. So she peeked...and oh, hello baby's head! She called the doctor in right away and one push later Braylee was here. (After 4 hours of pushing with Laila, I was really quite, well, delirious. 4 hours! By the time I saw her face I could not keep my eyes open. I remember thinking that it was the craziest, coolest and most exhausting thing in the world. And that the thing I was now holding was my baby girl...but I couldn't tell you which end was her head and which were her feet...sort of.) This was a completely different experience. I felt strong...I remember grabbing my knee and in one push feeling a small sting as I tore and feeling her nose, then her shoulders and then a quick sigh of relief as the rest of her slipped out. It was an incredible experience. I felt so relieved. I was up and walking in the same hour....needless to say it was a dynamite epidural. After hours of labor, I had some sort of relief but was still able to feel so much and experience it on a very real level.
I love both my girls very much. I am grateful for their good health, their strong bodies and their smart minds. I am grateful for medicine, for the sciences, for experienced medical professionals and for God's plan. I am grateful for families. For a husband who, is a silent giant at times. He was quiet but held my hand. Just that look in his eyes can speak for itself... "I love you." Although, to not give him too much credit.. ;-) I did kick him out of the room when he walked in with a hamburger for lunch and I am starving. Stupid popsicles!!! Ha!
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