Pit's up to 18 now and so far, seems as if there's no change in contractions. Honestly? I think I'm immune to it or something.
It's 12:30. Nurse said if Dr. R. wasn't here within 30 mins she was going to check me herself. At this point, I would really REALLY like to see some progress on the cervix. If I have it, they can possibly break my water and that would definitely get the show on the road. Seems as if the bean is floating along in her little home, oblivious to everything we're trying.
More later...still waiting on the doc.
Showing posts with label the big wait. Show all posts
Showing posts with label the big wait. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Hospital #5: All We Need Is Just A Little Patience...
So...we've been at this for about 15 hours, on the Pit for around 12. I'm now at level 8 and for whatever reason the contractions slowed down for awhile, then just decided to pick back up a bit -- they are coming on stronger, at about 4-5 minutes apart. I'm hoping things remain steady.
I forgot to say last night, but my cervix was around a 1 last night, still high and moderately thin. The nurse checked me around an hour ago and roughly no change. She's got a call in to my doc to see what's what in terms of our options.
This is a big crossroads for me. I don't want to think about the words failed induction just yet...I feel like I've made progress in terms of my contractions, but the point is that if my cervix isn't ready, ain't nothin' happenin' no matter what, and it's off to the OR I go if we're serious about having this baby (and we are). I think I'm just bracing myself for whatever news comes down the pike.
OK -- nurse just came in and said Dr. R. is coming down to check on me -- she's at the other hospital and needs to do some administrative stuff. I'm hoping she's here in a couple hours, and those couple hours will show some progress.
*sigh*
The good news is that the contractions are tolerable and mostly evenly spaced, and I feel pretty good physically. I'm wrapping my head around the thought of a repeat C-section, and I think I'm mostly okay with it. I just don't want to resign myself to it...just yet.
Thanks for all the good vibes, y'all...appreciated more than you could ever know.
Oh, by the way? If you ever get a chance to catch a show on USA Network called Burn Notice, check it out. We're on our second episode right now and so far it's pretty good. Plus? Bruce Campbell. Bonus points right there!
I forgot to say last night, but my cervix was around a 1 last night, still high and moderately thin. The nurse checked me around an hour ago and roughly no change. She's got a call in to my doc to see what's what in terms of our options.
This is a big crossroads for me. I don't want to think about the words failed induction just yet...I feel like I've made progress in terms of my contractions, but the point is that if my cervix isn't ready, ain't nothin' happenin' no matter what, and it's off to the OR I go if we're serious about having this baby (and we are). I think I'm just bracing myself for whatever news comes down the pike.
OK -- nurse just came in and said Dr. R. is coming down to check on me -- she's at the other hospital and needs to do some administrative stuff. I'm hoping she's here in a couple hours, and those couple hours will show some progress.
*sigh*
The good news is that the contractions are tolerable and mostly evenly spaced, and I feel pretty good physically. I'm wrapping my head around the thought of a repeat C-section, and I think I'm mostly okay with it. I just don't want to resign myself to it...just yet.
Thanks for all the good vibes, y'all...appreciated more than you could ever know.
Oh, by the way? If you ever get a chance to catch a show on USA Network called Burn Notice, check it out. We're on our second episode right now and so far it's pretty good. Plus? Bruce Campbell. Bonus points right there!
Hospital #4: Off to the Races
Not as much rest as I originally intended, but what I got will suffice. Hospital beds are uncomfortable, y'all! Give me my king-size pillowtop anyday.
Time moved slower than molasses in winter, so I broke out some music to make time go faster, and it did. Also turns out I had a change of staff overnight, and my new nurse decided to see what would happen if she turned the Pit up a notch.
It kept me up, is what happened. Apparently my contractions started to pile up, so they turned it back to 4 and there it remains. However, I can definitely feel the intensity picking up, despite the meds remaining at the same level from last night.
My husband is asleep right now...poor guy probably barely got any rest. I take it in stride...I don't think I worry as much about my energy level as his. I know I'll be exhausted after all is said and done...I want him to go home and get some real rest tonight, I think. Our daughter needs to see him, and I won't mind being alone with the baby for a little while. Once the baby is home I'll rest.
Another fun tidbit -- we had 2 nurses in here over the last 15-20 minutes trying to find the bean on the monitor. Apparently she loves to play hide and seek with the monitors, and anytime I so much as twitch, they lose her on the monitor and come rushing in here trying to make sure she's not in distress. All they really have to do is look... she's kicking like a mofo and is still very active, so I am guessing things are a-ok down there.
More contractions soon, I'd suspect. I'm also guessing I'm due for another internal check here in a bit. Oh joy...pray for dilation, y'all...
Time moved slower than molasses in winter, so I broke out some music to make time go faster, and it did. Also turns out I had a change of staff overnight, and my new nurse decided to see what would happen if she turned the Pit up a notch.
It kept me up, is what happened. Apparently my contractions started to pile up, so they turned it back to 4 and there it remains. However, I can definitely feel the intensity picking up, despite the meds remaining at the same level from last night.
My husband is asleep right now...poor guy probably barely got any rest. I take it in stride...I don't think I worry as much about my energy level as his. I know I'll be exhausted after all is said and done...I want him to go home and get some real rest tonight, I think. Our daughter needs to see him, and I won't mind being alone with the baby for a little while. Once the baby is home I'll rest.
Another fun tidbit -- we had 2 nurses in here over the last 15-20 minutes trying to find the bean on the monitor. Apparently she loves to play hide and seek with the monitors, and anytime I so much as twitch, they lose her on the monitor and come rushing in here trying to make sure she's not in distress. All they really have to do is look... she's kicking like a mofo and is still very active, so I am guessing things are a-ok down there.
More contractions soon, I'd suspect. I'm also guessing I'm due for another internal check here in a bit. Oh joy...pray for dilation, y'all...
Hospital #3: Rest and Respite
Last post for the evening. It's 12:40 and a little past my normal bedtime.
I'm up to 4 on the Pitocin (I started at 1) and I'm feeling good -- tolerating things well, and my pattern is good per the monitor. I'm told I'm in a holding pattern now -- unless things change of their own accord in the next 4-6 hours, they won't up the dosage. I can handle that.
So far, besides the indignity of a hospital gown and the stupidity of the hospital wifi blocking Facebook (and Pandora! Geez!) all is well. The nurses seem very nice, nobody has been in my face about much of anything (with the notable exception of Charge Nurse at the start) and I'm hoping for a quiet night. Time to break out the ambient mix and get comfy.
Plan for now? Rest, try and relax a bit, and look forward to the main event tomorrow. We got a fan in the room, so it's far less stuffy, and the white noise should help mask the machines that go *ping!*
Please continue sending your good vibes and good thoughts/prayers our way. I must be honest, this liveblog is not just a good diversion for me, it's really been a way to think through the entire process, and it has given me a good way to let out some steam. Writing is therapy for me, and reading everyone's good wishes and comments brings a smile to my face -- keeps me reminded of how blessed I am to have friends and family who care enough to keep up even in the wee hours.
More in the morning...
Monday, December 29, 2008
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.
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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
