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Friday, November 9, 2012

Five Question Friday - Labor & Delivery Edition

Hi y'all! Happy Friday! Are you ready for the weekend? I am, even though my weekend is going to be busier than my week was! I'm running The Color Run on Sunday!!! I've been waiting for this for months but it should come as no surprise to you when I tell you that I haven't prepared myself even one little bit! I'm not worried - it's going to be so much fun!

I love linking up for Five Question Friday so of course I'm doing it again this week! I never peek at the questions beforehand so I was surprised when I saw that today's questions are all about labor and delivery! I've never really talked about my pregnancies/labors/deliveries here so this should be fun! Ready?


1) If you had a c-section, do you wish you would have had a vaginal delivery, or vice versa?

I had a c-section with Addison and consequently had to have a c-section with James too. I could have had a VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean) with him but the only hospital that would do it is over an hour away from where I live and I just didn't feel like it was a good option. Back to the question - I was heart broken when my doctor told me I was going to have a c-section. Never once during my pregnancy did I even consider that I might have to go that route and it devastated me. I also think that he was just tired of waiting on me to progress and wanted to get it done and over with. In hind sight - my chubby cherub was way too big and there is no way she would have ever fit through the birth canal so the c-section was the right decision. There are still a few reasons why I wish it would have gone the other way though.

2) If vaginal did you do drug free?

Obviously this question doesn't apply to me because I had two c-sections but we're gonna talk about it anyway! I went to the hospital within a few hours of my water breaking when I was pregnant with Addison. Oh, how I wish I would have waited it out longer at home! I wasn't in any pain yet, but my husband was kind of freaking out - poor thing.  After my water broke I got up and took a shower, put my make up on, and fixed my hair before we left the house! I know that doesn't sound like a lot but I take f.o.r.e.v.e.r. so it was a couple of hours. Anyway, I wish I would have stayed home longer because when I got to the hospital they gave me pitocin to jump start my labor. JERKS. The pitocin brings those contractions on harder and stronger and y'all - it hurts. I dealt with it for a few hours until I was crying silent tears during each contraction and then I needed some pain relief. My point is - girl that did it without meds - KUDOS to you, cause I couldn't.

3) Did you have any complications?

With Addison my blood pressure went up after they gave me my epidural - and Addison's heart rate went down. I was turned onto my side and given oxygen. It was really scary. I remember lying there on my side with tears streaming down my face and not really understanding what was happening.

4) Who was in the delivery room with you?

Before it was determined that I was going to have a c-section with Addison, everyone was in there with me!! Of course at that point I was just laboring and not delivering! ha! For both deliveries my husband was the one in there with me.

5) Did you document your labor and delivery?

Absolutely no video - but some pictures! Here are a few from James' delivery. Pictures from Addison's aren't on this computer!

Waiting to for surgery.
Newborn James

Meeting his sister for the 1st time. Also his grandma & uncle.
1st Family photo - just missing sister. I'm totally drugged up here, so be nice. LOL

6) Pick the birth story of one of your children and tell us allll about it!!!

Well - since James' delivery was a scheduled c-section it was pretty routine. Go in, get medicated, get cut open, Hey Baby, tubes get tied up, stomach stapled back together! His delivery was easy and pretty painless! I remember how funny my anesthesiologist was though. I also remember thinking how unprofessional he was - making jokes like that while I was half naked on a cold steel table with my gut cut open!! I also remember being really sad because I couldn't see Addison until I got out of the hospital. The hospital didn't allow young children to come back into that area and my heart just broke not being able to be with her - she was so worried about mommy being in the hospital.

I was scheduled to be induced with Addison on Thursday October 4, 2007. My strong willed child had her own ideas though and in the early hours of Tuesday morning, October 2, I got up to go to the restroom to find that my water had actually broken. I was so relieved that it happened at home - I had heard some embarrassing stories about ladies' water breaking in public! Like I mentioned above, I wasn't ready to go to the hospital so I told my husband to go back to sleep and I took a shower and got myself ready for the big day! A few hours later my husband was growing impatient with me and he was ready to get me to the hospital, but I wasn't ready. I wish I would have listened to my instincts and said no, let's stay home awhile longer, but off to the hospital we went.

I don't remember all the nitty gritty details - how far I was dilated when I first checked into the hospital, etc. I do know that almost immediately I was hooked up to the pitocin to jump start my labor. My entire family showed up within a few hours and I remember being so grateful that they were all there. The pain was getting intense and I needed their support.

Once the pain got to be too much to bare I had my epidural. I was really really frightened about this whole process but it wasn't so bad! I barely felt even a pinch and it was all over with. Soon, relief! Unfortunately the epidural caused my blood pressure to go up and babies' heart rate to go down. See above. Everything got balanced out and was going fine but my doctor determined that I wasn't progressing fast enough and that I would need to have a c-section. I was so devastated and angry with him, but like I mentioned above, it turned out to be for the best.

The whole c-section thing is quite the experience. I'd never had surgery before and I didn't know what to expect. I won't lie, I was totally scared, but by 2 in the afternoon I had a beautiful baby in my arms and I had forgotten all about the other stuff. She was totally worth it.

What about you? C-section? Vaginal? Natural? Medicated? I'd love to hear your story!

Make it a great weekend!
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4 comments:

  1. I've never given birth, but I dreamed last night that I was pregnant and at the hospital. The doctor decided to induce me against my will and then gave me drugs that I didn't want and then told me that I had to have a c-section. Ha! I was against it all, but I was too afraid to speak up.

    Aaanyway, fun hearing more about your babies' births! :) Sorry you had to have a c-section that you didn't want, but like you said - it would probably have been necessary anyway because of her size. So that's good at least! Just glad that you guys all made it without terrible complications. :)

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  2. ahhh birthing. it makes me so nervous. i love reading other people's perspective on things like this.

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  3. I found you via Texas Bloggers. I'm a Houston, TX blogger too.

    My vaginal delivery went very smoothly , and honestly way better than I expected. I had an epidural which helped but pushing was a breeze to my surprise. Its amazing how the whole process becomes so simple once you hear your little bundle of joy!

    Teressa @ newbornmama.blogspot.com

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  4. 1st Vaginal...No drugs, BUT NOT BY CHOSE. I went to fast.
    and it hurt like...YES, you will remember!
    2nd (Emergency) and 3rd C-sections.

    I have now been to witness the miracle of my 2 grand daughters births... Both mommy's had vaginal with epi. WOW... they were like Push?? Oh, OK... and TADA there those sweet babies were.

    I guess in my case, I liked the painless C-sections, but then my daughters were vaginal and pretty painless too.

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