ruby's arrival pt. 1

first and foremost, our sweet baby girl:

Ruby Jane Mosman

born 6/29/11 @ 1:16 am

7 pounds 13 ounces 21.5"

second:

...the tale of the 20-hour trip to hell and back.

(be forewarned; it is long, graphic, and often sweary (yes, sweary))

I have put off posting this blog since our sweet Ruby was born because I'm not quite sure how to approach it. So I am going to do a brief summary of things from 38 weeks until the morning I went to the hospital:

38 W--membranes stripped-got an ultrasound where the tech concluded baby was good, measuring in at 7 lbs 13 oz. amniotic levels were good, placenta was "really mature." Still dilated to a 1, 60%.
38 W 2 D--mucous plus comes out (yep, this post is going to be pretty graphic) membranes stripped again.
39 W--membranes stripped again--moved to 1.5 centimeters and 70%.
39 W 2 D--membranes stripped AGAIN (yeah, whatever). Still at 1.5 centimeters and 70%.
39 W 6 D--membranes STRIPPED AGAIN. No change in progress so the doctor orders another ultrasound. She's measuring the exact same as she was @ 38 weeks. Doctor notes calcification on my placenta but says it's fine. However, she wasn't moving much so we did a non-stress test. Everything looked great there.

...now for the details:

After the ultrasound we talked to my doc and formulated a plan as to what the course of action would be. I had a strong feeling I shouldn't go past my due date (June 28th). My doctor was willing to go until that Friday (the 1st of July--today) if I came in daily until then for a non-stress test. Because I wanted a VBAC I was not eligible for an induction (cervadil/pitocin) and either had to go into labor on my own or be admitted and have my membranes artifically ruptured. We all decided Wednesday the 29th was a good compromise. I left that Monday feeling incredibly discouraged about having to be admitted AGAIN and mad at my body for not progressing like it should. Oh, I should explain why having a successful VBAC was so important to me: if I tried for a VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean) and failed, it would be in my medical history as a 'failed VBAC attempt' and it would be virtually impossible for me to try again, especially after having 2 sections and because of liability issues, it would be virtually impossible (again) to find a doctor and hospital combo willing to attempt a 3rd or 4th section. Also, it should be noted that a VBAC attempt is much different than labor and delivery as a standard vaginal. It's more high-risk, therefore I am watched MUCH more closely and blahblahblah.

Enter 5:15 AM June 28th.

My water actually broke on its own!

We do the whole "race to the hospital because my water broke and that means I'm going to have the baby in 2 hours!". We checked in at the ER while I sat in a wheelchair. I got up from the wheelchair and looked down at the seat and shouted to the lady as I walked out, "Uh, I leaked my fluids all over that chair. Just so you know." Sean was mortified. Nothing could have brought me down at that moment because my water broke on its own and I was having a baby! I didn't care that my pants were completely soaked and I leaked a trail all the way from the ER to my room.

(before it got all awful and stuff)

I went to the room and started having contractions 2-3 minutes apart and they were REALLY intense. I kept thinking, "ahhh, this is freaking painful but what if I just dealt with it? Maybe it would be a short labor and I could always ask for an epi later on...". Then the nurse said the anesthesiologist was in the next room and asked if I wanted mine now.

Sure, why not?

Little did I know that would end up being the WORST. DECISION. EVER. 

The anesthesiologist was a total a-hole. Didn't explain anything and had horrible bedside manner. I assumed a sideways position and listened to him babble about this and that and then he said, "ok, you may feel a small shock." SHOCK. Mother freaker. He says a second time, "you may feel another shock." SHOCK. Can you believe he said it a third time? And what do you know, another freaking shock. FINALLY, he said it one last time, and that shock turned into an entire body convulsion leaving me momentarily seizing and sobbing hysterically. I couldn't talk. I couldn't think. I couldn't even breathe.  He doesn't say a word and packs up his crap and leaves (don't worry, I've already complained--and by complained I mean threatened to sue the guy, haha). Oh, here's the best part about the epidural: according to the doctor, because of how 'tall' I am, aka huge, I had to keep my bed almost completely reclined or I would throw up. Every freaking time. And then my blood pressure would drop. Oh, I forgot to tell you that after I seized a bit when they rolled me back over my blood pressure dropped to 78/42 and I couldn't breathe and started vomiting. Awesome. I honestly thought I was dying.

Anyway.

The epidural then (sort of) kicks in, though there was never a point during the entire 20-hour labor that I felt zero pain and what do you know? Contractions stop dead. Nothing. No, I'm not saying I didn't feel pain, I'm saying the contracts flat-lined. Seriously? I am 2 for 2 on here-are-the-things-that-could-happen-as-a-result-of-your-epidural scoreboard. How long did they stop for? 6 hours. What time is it by now? A little after 3 in the afternoon. My water broke 10 hours ago and the nurses and my doc are getting concerned because after all, the catch-22 of your water breaking is it means your baby is coming, but it means it has to come within a certain amount of time because the risk of infection for mom and baby skyrockets exponentially. Plus, I'm a VBAC so they're freaking out even more. All the while my blood pressure would randomly drop and so would Ruby's heart rate. So now I am on oxygen. They tell me to not take it off at all. At least I sounded like Darth Vader.

Ok, I have to take a break and go relieve the beach balls that have somehow surfaced underneath my skin. Oh yeah, people have been asking to see a side-by-side of Oliver and Ruby for comparison's sake.

what say you?