9-15-03
8:56 pm
6 lbs 3 oz
19 1/4 in long
The pain got to be really bad so I gave in a requested an epidural so we had to wait for my insurance to clear it since I had refused to even sign up for it. The anesthesiologist finally was able to come and do it when it got cleared. I had not realized that at some point the nurse had cleared everyone at of my room including Brian. When it was put in then turned me over on my left side and propped up my right hip since I had been feeling the contractions really tense in that hip (been messed up for a while). I didn't realize how tired I was until after that and got some rest. At some point I woke up and the nurses were putting in a fetal scalap monitor on Austin and gave me so oxygen. Afterwards the let Brian and the others come back in a few at a time I believe.
At 7:30 pm I had the nurse to check me since I was feeling pressure. She checked me and I was not quite 10 cm yet but almost there. At 8 pm the pressure continued and I was checked again to say that there was a little lip left so they started getting the room ready. The pressure kept getting worse and I was feeling the contractions so the epidural was wearing off. Brian was telling me that I needed to have another round and I kept saying no that it was too close to delivery for that Finally at 8:30 they told me I could start pushing. I was glad they said that and started pushing but then thought I was not going to be able to continue since I would get half way through a push and had to gasp for a breath since my asthma decided to kick in. In between pushes I was breathing in the oxygen they had put on me earlier. At one point both JoAnna and Brian were telling me to take slow deep breaths and holding my hand. They started to get worried that I was going to rip the IV out when I was grabbing my leg to push so JoAnna moved over to me to hold my leg up and held that hand so it would not rip out. Then they told not to push anymore until Dr. Citty got there. They had went to page him and he had already left his house on his way to the hospital. He finally got there and got his gown and gloves on and grabed suction and I started pushing again. Then told me to stop at one point and I could hear the suction being used. I kept asking can I push again and they kept telling me no that his shoulder was stuck. Once the shoulder got free he came right on out at 8:56 pm. The nurses that were there were expecting to be there for 2 hours with me pushing. I didn't get an episotomoy and only got one stitch. He was crying and really alert when they handed him to the nursery nurse. JoAnna took a pic before that to take and show everyone in the waiting room and got mobbed when she walked in with the camera. The nurse checked him over and gave him his eye drops which he helped do. We thought that was really cute. He was then handed to me and JoAnna went to get some to come in and see him .Before everyone got in there Brian took him to the nursery to get weighed. After a few minutes of everyone there Karen helped me get him latched on so we could nurse before they came and got him for his bath and vitals. Everyone left and we got some sleep. At 2 am the nurse came in and got me up for a bath before he came back to the room.
My total labor was 14 hours from the start of the pitocin to the time I started pushing and it was 4 hours from my water being broke to me pushing and 23 minutes of pushing from start to birth.