Rutherland: Delivering

It has been brought up to me that I have been remiss in updating my blog. I have excuses... It's all been a little overwhelming. My kids have been pretty good and I've had many day of help from my 800mg Ibuprofen. I didn't realize how much it was helping me until I went a day without it. OUCH.

So I will share the story.

As usual, after weeks and weeks of Braxton Hicks that led no where, my doctor scheduled an induction. The only hitch is that he, my doctor, was going Salmon fishing in Alaska the week I wanted to give birth. He told me I could wait for him and give birth on my actual due date. I looked him like he was insane. I couldn't pick up my left leg or sleep. Another week? No thanks.

So I scheduled an induction with another doctor. Dr. Young. I met Dr.Young a day before the induction and much to my horror, he seemed to be somewhere around my age. I don't know why this bothered me, but it really did. Of course, not enough to reschedule the induction. lol.

I got the phone call to come into the hospital at 10:15 for my induction. My mom came over to watch the kids and would bring them over later in our minivan. And we left. Unfortunately we left with our car keys so we have to find a way to get the keys to her once I was in the hospital. My neighbor, Marie, ended coming to get them for me mom. Which seeing how we were in AF, that was really nice.

They hooked me up the the IV and started me on fluids. I learned from PAINFUL mistake to ask for the epidural right away and not try to be brave. After 30 minutes of fluids, they realized that the IV was inserted next to a valve and it wasn't going into me as fast as it should. So they only gave me a half dose of the epidural with the promise of more later. (If I got much too fast without enough fluids in me, my blood pressure could drop too low.)

At this point I was also on pitocin. And it was working fine, but I knew it wouldn't go really fast until they broke my water. So I waited.... And waited...and WAITED for Dr. Young to come break my water. I waited for him for 2 1/2 hours and I was S L O W L Y dilating.

Dr. Young finally came at about 1:45 pm and broke my water. Yay!

Of course about 3:00 pm two thing happened about the same time. First I realized my epidural was wearing off and I needed the full dose. And second, the baby's heartbeat dropped and stayed dropped to about 90 bpm.

Having had epidurals wear off before I new I could handle it if the birth was close, but since I was having a hard time gauging how much longer it was going to take I asked for the anesthesiologist to come back.

The lowering of the heartbeat prompted the nurse lay me on my side, put an oxygen mask on me and check my cervix again. I was dilated to a 81/2 to a 9. Bummer. Not quite ready yet.

The position was killing my back so I asked if I lay on my other side. The nurse helped me flip over and said if I felt any pressure to call her back.

Not two minutes later I felt pressure.

So I summoned her back.

And I was a 10.

Then the pushing started.

For background you should know that Lauren was 7 lb 2 oz, a three hour labor and came out in three pushes.

Not so this time.

I started pushing and my first thought was, "This baby is bigger."

I pushed around 12 times (which still isn't bad) and I got her out. It was hard work though. She was about as hard as my first. Well, not quite.

I did get her out and Dr. Young said,

"She's beautiful! And she's born on my birthday. Thirty-six years ago my mom was doing the same thing." Thus proving he is about my age. Ack! Dr. Young...is young. :/

She is beautiful and a wonderful baby.

So here are her stats:
Eden Isabel
8 lb 1 oz.
19 inches