Monday night 2/3/14, after feeling sick and icky for almost 2 days:
i decided to go to bed. i went upstairs to put my pajamas on and felt something run down my leg. i went into the bathroom and it was bloody. i freaked out, not knowing if the amoxicillon had affected the baby or my infection or what. i ended up coughing from freaking out and threw up my chicken noodle soup. i called for al to get my phone so i could call the midwife and then he cleaned up after me. with my sore throat i could barely talk but i eventually got to becky the midwife and explained to her what had happened. she said since it was more pink than actually blood, it could be my water breaking and that we should come in. my thoughts were: there's no way it's my water breaking (11 days early) and we were just there in urgent care!
al grabbed our bags and the carseat just in case, we said bye to tator, and headed out with full intentions of coming back home that night. well, we were wrong. we got to the hospital about 9 pm. after vitals, conversation and some testing (lasting about an hour), it was confirmed that it was indeed my water breaking (at 1015p) and we were staying. even though i felt like crap and hadn't slept in 2 nights, i was in labor. i called mom, who left st paul to come to the hospital at that time. we sent the text to the remaining family members and work people, and attempted to let it settle in that we were going to have a baby very soon!
my water had broke at 8:30pm, meaning that due to the risk of infection, i would be having him one way or another within 24 hours. this meant that he would be born on my 30th birthday!! becky checked me and i was dilated to a 2, 50% effaced and he was in a 0 position. due to my infection and how crappy i was feeling and having a fever, they decided to give me an iv so that they could get some antibiotics into me. it took 3 unpleasant tries to get the iv in; they said i have good veins, they're just wiggly.
mom arrived just before midnight and we chatted a bit then decided to try to nap: al in the chair, me in bed, mom on the couch in the waiting area. i slept off and on from 2-4a with some occasional contractions but couldn't feel most of them. once i could feel some (mostly in my back) i decided to try the tub. it felt good but i really disliked not being able to move during the contractions, so i didn't last long in there.
about 7-730a my contractions were about 5-8 minutes apart and i was only 2-3 centimeters, 90% effaced and he was at 0 to -2 position (still high). at about 830a, nanette (the next midwife on, the only one i hadn't met out of the 6) came in and discussed that we needed to take action to get labor going because i was moving too slowly to get him out within the 24 hours necessary. this meant pitocin and no water birth, but i was fully ok with that since i had been forcing myself to keep a very open mind about the birth plan. they decided to have me switch rooms so that if someone else came in wanting the water birth room. i also had another fever somewhere in the morning.
after we switched rooms, they gave me the pitocin in a very small dosage (8) and that's all i needed. hard, quick contractions came fast and they were predominantly in my back and hurt a lot!! i was also very tired which made me extra whiny during the back contractions. i said multiple times that i didn't want anymore contractions. when nanette came in after a couple hours, she was fantastic in gently reminding me to breathe and be calm. i am so thankful that nanette was the midwife on and that i got so lucky that she was great even tho i hadn't met her before. about 1130a (after 2 hours of these contractions) the resident midwife came in to chat with me and mentioned an epidural. i said yes. she said when. i said as soon as possible. to which she replied ok i'll put in for it, but it could take half an hour to an hour to get someone up here and to get it in place. i sighed as that seemed like forever but at least relief was in sight. at the same time they sent for the epidural, nanette decided that since i hadn't had the flu shot and due to my symptoms (lots of fevers) she'd like me to be tested for influenza. she thought i didn't have it but wanted to be sure; so i got swabbed for that through the nose. that was one of the most unpleasant things i've ever experienced.
they were a lot faster than that though, thank goodness!! about noon i got my epidural and thank goodness once i sat on the bed my contractions switched to the front because there is no way i would have been able to sit still that whole time with back contractions. once the epidural was in place, nanette checked me again. i had quickly come to 5 cm, 90% and 0. once the epidural kicked in, i felt amazing and such relief! i was able to finally get some sleep; about 45 minutes. i could still feel everything, my legs were just tingly and i couldn't feel the contractions.
nanette checked me again at 1:20p and i was 8 cm, 100% and a 0; which was great progress for just an hour! especially since i had only needed 8 mm of pitocin. they shortly after turned the pitocin down to 6.
at 2:40p i was 10 cm, 100% effaced and he was at a +1; so they decided i was about ready they just wanted him to drop a little bit more, "labor down." at this time, nanette came in to tell me that i did indeed have the flu. :( which meant we'd be on quarantine throughout the rest of our stay. this included: us having to stay in the delivery room (with the hard delivery bed) our entire stay, everyone having to wear masks, gloves, and gowns that came and went from the room, baby and i were not allowed to leave the room, and i would be masked as soon as he crowned before he came out. they sent down immediately for some tamiflu for me and nanette worked on a way to get al tamiflu as well.
the sign on our room door.
the nurses and midwives kept saying how sorry they were that i had to deal with this as they hadn't heard of a laboring person having the untreated, unknown flu at the same time before. they had to look up hospital protocol and call the infection specialist in to figure out what all had to be done. this was the only point during labor that i cried. i was worried for the baby, extremely sad that i wouldn't be able to kiss him, we'd have to wear masks around him even at home for 5 days, and i felt like a science experiment with all the covered up people around me.
i ended up having another fever at 245p; at this time they gave me tylenol for the fever and my first dosage of tamiflu. and then we waited to labor down more, which i was very happy for since i felt so icky again. i was supposed to sleep some more but couldn't with all the thoughts running through my head.
the epidural was fantastic! i could still feel everything including my legs except they felt tingly, like they were asleep. at first i couldn't feel any of the contractions but then eventually i could feel pressure from some of them. around 430p, nanette started to describe pushing to me and thought i was about ready to push. she also indicated that my epidural had run out and she'd like to turn it off for pushing in hopes that would help me to feel the contractions and have effective pushing. i was fully ok (i told her i liked a challenge :]) with that also because then i'd be able to get up on my legs afterwards to get out of bed and shower.
at 440p i told nanette i felt a contraction and she said ok let's try pushing; it blindsided me a bit, i didn't know she wanted to start so soon. so i started pushing even though i still had a fever and felt like crap. but i actually really liked pushing. i felt like i was finally working for something other than just dealing with the contractions. as soon as i started pushing, i forgot about feeling like crap and focused on pushing in the correct place and feeling the contractions. mom held one leg while al held the other. pushing felt a little like a crossfit wod :) after a while he was finally crowning and the last 2 rounds of pushing/contractions where the only ones that i didn't enjoy but it was more the pressure than pain. i didn't really feel any pain while pushing, only a small amount of burning/"ring of fire." once his head was out, i was preparing myself to push out his shoulders when all of a sudden the rest of him slipped right out with both mom and al watching. they both said it was cool to see. he was born at 540p after exactly an hour of pushing.
i got to do almost 2 hours of skin to skin with him directly after he was born. during this time i pushed out the large placenta and got my stitches i had torn on the inside a bit. i got a bunch of stitches but only because i had little tears in multiple spots. the stitches took about half an hour and then we tried breastfeeding. it didn't work all the way but at least he was interested and sucking. at just before 2 hours out, i gave him to al to hold so i could get up and go to the bathroom (i had pushed out my catheter in the first push), change gowns and stand for a while. i really liked standing at this point as i felt like i'd been in bed for a while and i had no pain in my bottom since i was numb from the stitches. they cleaned up the bed and room at this time too.
we then decided on his name: trevor francis oleson.
then my brother and al's dad came in to see him. and al had to run down to the urgent care before they closed at 10 so he could get his tamiflu prescription. i was anxious to know his stats, so i asked the nurse to weigh and measure him. he was 7 lbs, 4 oz, 19 1/4 inches long; just a little guy :) we tried breastfeeding again but he was so tired (and was for the first 24 hours as they all are). he then got a bath and got wrapped up for bed about 9 or 930p.
i will continue the story in the next post: first week.
daddy holding trevor for the first time.
grama and trevor
grandpa peter
uncle tyler
