So end of march, i think around the 20th i dunno it was a friday though?? I started bleeding-- Ava wasnt due according to ultrasound until april 14th, so although i was contracting every 2-3 minutes they wouldnt "augment" my labor unless I got to 3cm dilated on my own.... well low and behold i got there, just not before the doctor that promised me some action switched off shifts to a midwife that didnt believe in doing anything to alter the natural process. I went home. the contractions continued, but werent painful. exactly a week later i started contracting very painfully went into labor and delivery and was 3 cm still, stayed for 2 hours contracting every 2-3 minutes, and was given the option to stay or go home, i went home again. I should add that in the meantime, earlier that day my doctor called and told me they were planning to induce me that coming monday at 6 a.m. I ended up getting sick over the weekend, pink eye and all, and monday morning bright and early went to L&D to get hooked up. The catch with this delivery is that because i have brain stents and have been on blood thinners for the entire pregnancy, I was told I had to have a c-section by my neurologist. My OB referred me to a high risk ob when i cried about having to have a csection for my last baby after 4 sucessful vaginal deliveries including a breech baby! The high risk dr gave me the go ahead for a vaginal delivery as long as i got an epidural right off the bat and let them control my labor to avoid having me push, they also told me theyd probably use a vacuume to assist.
my hubby had to work, no possible way of getting off, so I was in no rush for things to get hoppin that day, he took me to the hospital and stayed with me until the epi was placed, he left at 7:15 to go to work, and as soon as he walked out the door i started feeling sick... it was shift change and my nurse just happened to be coming in to introduce herself (again... she was the nurse that assisted with my amnio!) which was really a good thing cause i couldnt see (everything went white) and i couldnt hear (my ears were ringing LOUD) i was going to puke, and apparently was completely flushed. She layed me flat and started messing with the monitors while she was yelling for the anesthesiologist to come back in the room. long story short, i had a bad reaction to the epi, it bottomed out my blood pressure to 52/29. They gave me the fastest 4 liters of fluid ever and started pushing 2.5mls of epinephrine every few minutes. they couldnt get my bp up without making my babys heart rate tachy, so it was slow going and lasted all day... my bp was low until after i had her, and there was a nurse constantly in my room. (btw, this nurse was awesome, and she will always have a special place in my heart, she literally saved my life and kept my baby healthy) anywho, lance got off work at 430, made it to me at 510, and shortly after my contractions got BAD, i had been stalled t 3cm all day, and within a few minutes of him being there, I could FEEL my baby moving down, the nurse checked me and i was 3, then 2 contractions later i was 6 and with each contraction after that i was another cm until i was complete... Avarie Berlin was born at 6:47 pm on april 4th, 2011 weighin in at 7lbs 3.2 oz and being a whole 20 inches long. i was so happy to see her gorgeous face and even happier that she waited until her daddy could be there. life was perfect UNTIL i was hemorrhaging cause by dilating so fast i ripped my cervix, and her being in a funky position didnt help cause it ripped me further... my doctor kept her cool for a second, but shortly after she realized how bad it really was she kicked everyone except my mom (for me) and my hubby (for my baby) out of the room. it took a lot of sewing and franticness, but the AMAZING staff got my bleeding under control. the room looked like a murder scene, but it was all good, i had my baby and i was aliveeee!!! we went home 2 days later, and lifes been good ever since! im still havin a rough recovery, and i miss my belly (of course right? i couldnt WAIT to get rid of it before...) but shes perfect, and im loving her more than life itself.
Heres a few pictures of our little love.
