Okay, so it was no fairy tale and some of the details are a little hazy but we did end up with our very own little princess. After stripping my membranes four different times with little progress (3 cm by 40 weeks) my doctor decided to let me be induced Tuesday, June 16th. A little background, I had a c-section with the boys and I really wanted to try for a VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean) this time. Not because I cared to have the birth experience but because I didn't want to go through the pain of healing from surgery. There are pretty serious risks to having a VBAC, and those risks are increased when being induced, but I felt very good with my decision to try. We arrived at the hospital at 5:30 am and I got settled in the room while Nick went to get me admitted. The IV was started and monitors were put in place pretty quickly but my doctor wasn't at the hospital yet so I was told they would need to wait to start the induction. When a VBAC patient comes into the hospital they require the doctor to stay at the hospital the entire labor process, there needs to be a full surgical staff and anesthesiologist there, as well. So we wait. Not long into the wait my contractions started and were immediately painful. During the pregnancy I would get a lot of contractions when I was particularly stressed about something so I didn't think much of these contractions, I didn't even time them. This went on for probably 30 minutes and then my nurse came in to check on me. I told her I was in quite a bit of pain and she decided to check my even though the contractions were barely registering on the monitor. She was shocked to find I was 5 cm and completely thinned, especially since the induction meds hadn't been started yet. She then said she'd call the anesthesiologist and my doctor and get them there as quick as she could. Another half hour or so goes painfully by and the nurse asks if I want something to help with the pain while I waited, I said yes! Immediately after she gave me the meds through my IV the room started spinning and I felt really out of it. That's when the crazy starts. Leyla's heart rate went way down into the 60's, they started putting me into all sorts of positions to get it back up and put the oxygen mask on me. That's about the time the anesthesiologist shows up. I somewhat remember him going over the procedure and says he'll get started right away. By this time Leyla was doing better, the on call doctor checks me and I am now at an 8. He starts pushing around on my belly asking if it hurt anywhere when he pushed and if it hurt in between contractions. I said yes, that I had a constant pain in my lower abdomen. This being a VBAC the doctor is suspicious that the pain may be from my previous c-section incision (which could indicate the possibility of a uterine rupture) and with Leyla having had the heart rate problem he decides an emergency c-section needs to be done. He then tells the anesthesiologist not to start the epidural because there wasn't enough time, that I would just have to be put out. At this point I honestly didn't care what they did to me, the thought of being put out and not feeling a thing was the most welcome thought! So, they prep me for the surgery and just before they start to wheel me down to the OR my doctor walks in. He quickly checks me and not only am I at a 10 now but he says the baby's head is "right there". He tells me to try a "practice push", so I do, and says we're gonna have this baby right now! Now I know that should have been an exciting thing to hear but I was actually pretty devastated. The thought of having to push this baby out with no pain meds and that there was no choice but to just do it was awful. There's no way to describe the experience. It was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do, and thankfully it was over in about 20 minutes (I know it could have been a whole lot longer!) Leyla Jane Johnson was born at 8:38 am weighing 8 lbs 9 ounces. When the doctor placed Leyla on me I couldn't believe she was actually my baby, it was so surreal. I felt as though I were watching it from a distance, that it was someone else that it was happening to. She screamed...a lot, and did so for quite some time, I felt so stressed hearing her cry and not being able to do anything. We went in thinking we wouldn't have the baby until late that afternoon/evening but there we were, not even 9 am and we had her! The rest of the day went great, I felt great, too, and we were home by 1pm the next day. There are still times I look at her and it just doesn't seem real that she's here finally. When you wait that long for something you're so excited about it kind of catches you by surprise when it gets here. I'm so in love with her. She's absolutely a doll. I can't wait for everyone to meet her!
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