Hospital #2: The Big Wait Begins

This:



only took two nurses, two arms, three tries, at packs on both arms, and 15 minutes of pressing and prodding to accomplish. Definitely worthy of a photo.


So the IV is in, and the big wait begins. It is 10:30 and I'm thinking I might try and get some rest, but it's pretty well impossible considering there is noise outside, I'm not really tired, and I have a feeling as soon as I fall asleep, I'll be woken up by my current nurse, who will have to take my blood pressure, as they constantly monitor you and the kiddo when you are on Pitocin.

I suppose now is as good a time as any to explain the course of treatment. Fair Warning: Medical Stuff Ahead...

Normally, when labor is induced, the docs will start with Cervadil or Cytotec, which are drugs that are placed inside the vagina in order to "ripen" the cervix, or get it ready to dilate and birth. Unfortunately for Yours Truly, these ripening agents are contra-indicated in VBAC.

(Oh -- more med term: VBAC = Vaginal Birth After Caesarian. Which is what I'm attempting to do in lieu of a repeat c-section.)

Anyway. I digress.

Right now, I am on an IV drug called Pitocin. (My mother, the one-time L&D nurse, says they used to call it 'Kickapoo Joy Juice.' I assume this is no longer the technical term.) Basically, my doc wants to stimulate contractions in order to try and get the baby's head down and against the cervix, so that I will dilate, so that I will labor and contract, and produce a baby. Overnight, this is low dosage, to establish a regular contraction pattern and see how I respond.

I've been on the IV for about 90 minutes, and so far the contractions aren't any harder than I was experiencing on my own. I take that as a good sign and a bad sign: good in that I'm tolerating things just fine...bad in that I don't know if the meds are really doing much.

The room is also warm right now. Ugh. They turned the thermostat down but it's still feeling a bit stuffy.

If I can't sleep, I'll probably surf or write or look up some stuff on the Interwebz, or maybe blog some more. I'm supremely bummed about the Facebook thing, but I suppose there's not much I can do outside of borrow my husband's blackberry to update my status. Hey wait... there's an idea...

And in other news, I keep looking over at my husband thinking he's farting, then realizing it's the IV machine hookup doing its thing. He caught me looking over at him just now, and I told him I keep thinking he's farting when it's just the machine. His response?

"I really am farting."

This is going to be a loooooooong night.