Marlee's arrival

On Wednesday December 16th, I was sent home on strict bedrest and blood pressure medication due to pre-e. I was super swollen and my blood pressure was incredibly high. I went to my follow up appointment on Friday December 18th, thinking that my doctor would be scheduling my 37 week induction. Instead she told me that I would be having my baby that day at 36 weeks. She did an internal (my first) to see if I had started progressing any, and was dilated to a 3 and 75% effaced.




I was wheeled across to the hospital and they hooked me up to an IV with Pitocin and Magnesium Sulfate, and put in a catheter, as I couldn't walk around with the mag bag. The pitocin was started low. I could feel slight contractions that mostly felt like menstrual cramps, so they would turn it up.



My doctor came in and broke my water and found that I was 4 cm dilated and 80% effaced. They turned up the Pitocin and with in 15 mins the contractions were strong. Not only strong but with in 3 mins of each other. I held out and breathed through each contraction focusing on my focal point (a dot in the ceiling) and would have my FI rub my lower back.



I couldn't take it after a while (I don't know exactly how long b/c my sense of time completely flew out the door) so I asked for an epidural. They were in another room and came over shortly after odering it. It wasn't as bad as I expected it to be, definitely a different experience.



After getting the epi I was actually able to function, it was so nice. I was able to talk to people and relax. My nurse came in to check my progress and I was dilated to a 6. They turned off the pitocin b/c the babies heartbeat started dipping during contractions. And after a while I started feeling the contractions in my butt/vaginal area. I tried to just get past it but it started to get really intense. I told my nurse that I felt like I had to poop so she checked me and I was dilated to an 8. It had only been 30 mins!



I figured out that I had control of my epi and started pushing it over and over to get rid of the pressure, but it never seemed to work. I actually had to start breathing through some of the contractions again. Then it felt like I had to push, it was absolutely uncontrollable. I started yelling for the nurse and screaming that I had to push (I've watched so many baby stories where the women start pushing before they were supposed to and I was terrified I would!). Out of no where there were a ton of people in the room, it was litterally a whirlwind.



With in less than 30 mins I had completely dilated and her head was RIGHT THERE. The next thing I knew my legs were being pushed into stirrups and they were telling me what was going to happen and how to push. Even with the epi pushing was so painful and exhausting. I could feel my doctor stretching me out. I cannot imagine not having the epi and feeling all of that full force. I pushed with every contraction and finally out came our sweet princess, Marlee Addisyn.



I thought I would cry at the moment they put her on me, but I was in such awe I had no time to cry. I just felt all over her feet and head, goo, blood and all. She was SOOOO small!!!



The rest is an absolutely blur besides my doctor delivering my placenta and stitching me up. I ended up with a 2nd degree tear (it doesn't matter it was totally worth it). They had to take Marlee to the NICU due to the fact that she was 4 weeks premature and wasn't breathing that well. But they swung her by my bed. She had her eyes open and was looking around, she was absolutely beautiful. It was then that I started crying, that was my baby!!!!



Ultimately I went through 6 hours of labor and pushed for 6 mins. Marlee is still in the NICU on a Cpap, but hopefully not for long. As I type this we're actually waiting for the results of her xray.