Pull up a chair and get comfy. Those of you who know me know I don't tell short stories. Here is the story of Suvi's birth:
I went for my 39 wk. check-up on Tuesday, Sept. 1st. The Dr. said my water was close to breaking and she'd prefer it to be broken in a controlled environment b/c of the excessive amount of fluid I was carrying. (I believe the medical term for this is hydramnios).
We headed to the hospital and checked in at 10:30am. They started pitocin around 3pm, and I started having contractions shortly afterwards. After a night filled w/ awful late night tv programs, increasing contractions, and only 1.5 hours of sleep, I was fully effaced. I took the first dose of pain medicine in my IV at 6am Wednesday, Sept. 2nd.
The plan was for me to get my epidural that afternoon and they'd break my water, which would make me dilate quickly. At 3pm Wednesday afternoon as they start placing the epidural, my water breaks. I can't move as they're putting a needle directly into my spine. Immediately, I feel an extremely painful contraction hit, and I was instantly brought to tears. I still couldn't move b/c they weren't done with the epidural. I endured a few more contractions before the medicine kicked in. The nurse had to talk me through me them as my legs were shaking so bad from the pain. I totally commend women who have natural childbirth...no way I could do it.
I was fully dilated a few hours later, but they couldn't tell if Suvi was face up, which would be bad. Her head also wasn't descending into my cervix as it should be. They continued to wait around and see if her head would drop down. The epidural only took on one side so I continued to feel small contractions on one half of my body. They gave me another dose of medicine around 8pm or 9pm, and I become completely numb. I couldn't feel my legs at all. They rolled me on my side to see if gravity would allow Suvi to turn face down, but it didn't work. I then pushed off and on for an hour or so to see if her head would come down, but it didn't.
Around 10pm Wednesday night they decided to do a c-section b/c I was exhausted, her head wasn't descending, they didn't know if she was face up, and continuing to push could result in more harm than good for Suvi.
She was born at 10:39pm. I was so drugged up, exhausted and experiencing severe shakes from the medicine they gave me that I didn't get to feel the extreme joy and happiness I was looking forward to upon her birth. I just wanted to sleep due to the morphine they gave me at the end of the procedure.
As soon as I got a few hours sleep and some of the drugs left my system I was overjoyed and completely in love with our little girl.
Jarmo was great during it all..he took lots of pictures and was such a proud dad.
Even though her birth didn't happen as I would've liked, I would it all again b/c the end result is amazing.
