On Friday, Jan. 25, I had a dr. appt at 4 pm. I was planning to talk to her about not inducing me the following week and to just let me go on my own, in spite of being overdue. Well, when the nurse took my blood pressure it was 165/90 (or something close to that). I had been feeling a little anxious about the baby's NST and heart rate being a bit lower than I'd seen at other appointments. Dr. Kerlin reassured me that her heart rate was beautiful and that she was a happy, healthy baby. However, when they retook my BP, it was still too high, so she said she had to send me over to Labor and Delivery to be monitored. If it stayed high she would have to induce me that night. I was in shock--how had my appointment taken such a different turn than I'd expected? My BP had never been high, either with my other pregnancies or with this one! I called Ryan and figured it was just some fluke and that I'd be at Labor and Delivery for an hour and then sent home to attend the Chinese Festival at Jack's school with my parents, kids, and husband. Unfortunately, my pressures did not lower, and when she checked my liver enzymes, they were slightly elevated as well, which can indicate preeclampsia and a higher risk for seizures.
Of course--why would I get an uneventful end when this pregnancy has been so eventful?
They told me I'd be staying and hooked me up to an IV, wheeled me to my room, and let me walk around before they started me on the Magnesium Sulfate to lower my BP and liver enzymes. Ryan and my dad came before too long (my parents needed the van to take the kids to the Chinese Fest), and after my dad left we got the induction started. At one point I had four bags hooked up to the IV pole: magnesium, penicillin, fluids, and pitocin. We tried to induce with just breaking my water, but the magnesium slowed down the labor, so we needed the pitocin. At that point (5 cm), I opted to try the epidural. It hadn't worked with Jack, but I was in so much pain and unable to get out of bed because of the magnesium that I was willing to give it another chance. What pushed me over the edge was Ryan saying, "I remember you saying after Caroline that you weren't sure you'd want to do natural childbirth again."
Can I just say I get the whole I-love-epidurals thing now?
Seriously, it worked and was great. I got it at 10:45 pm and was ready to push at midnight. She was born after 3-4 pushes at 12:17am. She had a lot of dark hair and was so much smaller weight-wise than I'd expected (only 7 lb. 7 oz.) and was 21 inches with LONG fingers and feet! She just looked long! I remember hearing about my birth and the doctor asking my parents who the piano player was in the family because my fingers were so long. That's how I felt about Elizabeth--long, thin fingers.
It was just so sweet to finally have her and hold her and see her.
Recovery was not too bad, but I had to stay hooked up to the magnesium IV for 24 hours after labor, which was really annoying because I HATE IVs! My liver enzymes went down, and my BP was not as scary high so they let me leave. We had to wait a bit longer to got home than we had wanted because Elizabeth didn't urinate for 30 hours or something. They had to catheterize her in the NICU, but once they did that she was a peeing machine! Poor little thing! I guess she wanted her own drama!
A few pics:
the room, me, and my IV pole filled with bags, bags, and more bags
the obligatory post-delivery picture where I look awful, Ryan looks great, and baby looks zoned
Jack made this "blanket" for Elizabeth out of felt. I love how he spelled baby. :)
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