I woke up on Sunday, the 25th about 8 AM and didn't feel really well. My back had stopped hurting, but I was noticing a lot more pain in my stomach area. It really didn't feel like contractions so I just choked it up to more pregnancy pains. We had several errands to run that day, but while we were out, I kept having these sharp pains that would make me stop in mid step. By 7:30 pm, I noticed these pains were starting to get some consistency. Todd thought we should start timing them, so when we did, we were surprised that they were 15 minutes apart. I kept thinking this can't really be the start of labor. It was so uneventful, but I started to get excited anyway. We tried to go to bed at 10:00, but the contractions were pretty painful and consistent, so sleep was impossible. I got aggravated with Todd because he actually did manage to fall asleep and I needed him to keep timing. He told me he was timing and we noticed they were getting closer and closer. By 4:30 AM, the contractions were 4-7 minutes apart and really painful. I called the doctor's office and the nurse on call told me they needed to be consistently 5 minutes apart before I could go to the hospital. I started crying because I really wanted to get the show on the road. Finally, by 6:30, contractions were 5 minutes and under and I was in so much pain. I called the doctor's office and finally got the ok to come on in to the hospital.
I got to the hospital at 7:30, they checked me and I was 2-3 cm dilated and I was ecstatic. The Dr. Vuong noticed that I was in a lot of pain and said I could get my epidural. It was heavenly after that. I just chilled in my room while the contractions came and went. They started pitocin to speed up the contractions a little bit, but I never really noticed. They kept switching me from side to side and they ended up leaving me on my right side too long, which led to my epidural draining to the right side, so I started feeling contractions on my left. They tried to roll me back to my left side, but they had trouble keeping her on the heart rate monitor and there was discussion of hooking up the fetal scalp electrode and I really didn't want that. So, they cut my pitocin off and brought the anesthesiologist back in for my 2nd bolus. After they gave that bolus, my blood pressure dropped and they started me on epinephrine. Things kept moving along and they turned the pitocin back on. About 4:30, they took my temperature and noticed it had gone up to 101.1. I was kind of out of it at this point, but mom was getting worried. They went to tell Dr. Vuong and she wanted to start me on antibiotics. So, about 8:00, they did another exam and told me I was complete and ready to push. I was so glad because the pressure to push to was so intense. I was amazed by how awesome it felt once I started pushing. I was so much more focused, but it was such hard work. I was so tired at this point that I didn't think I would make it since I had been awake for over 36 hours. Somehow, I kept on pushing and by 1o:00, the nurse said that I wasn't making enough progress and said we might have to start talking alternative methods. They weren't sure if Aubrey might be too big or stuck. I was crying because I really didn't want forceps or a vacuum, and she said it might mean a C-section. I said I'll be damned. I had been pushing my butt off for 2 hours and I didn't want to have deal with the recovery of a C-section and pushing. After doing another exam, they realized Aubrey’s head was cocked to the side a little bit, which is what was slowing down progress. I really bore down and pushed and by 10:40, they called in Dr. Vuong and the rest of the delivery team. After what seemed like forever, I heard them say her head was out and then they were putting her on my chest. I was crying like a baby and amazed that this little girl was mine. After Todd cut the cord, they took her to the warmer. I noticed they were spending a lot of time dealing with her and frustrated they weren't bringing her back to me. I noticed a lot more people come in the room to work on her. I was so out of it and uncomfortable because Dr. Vuong was repairing my tear (2nd degree, not so bad.), but when they told me they were taking Aubrey to the NICU, I lost it. She was having problems breathing and they wanted to monitor her more closely. I was so distraught that I couldn't hold her or nurse her. It was so hard to watch them carry her out of the room but I couldn't go. Dr. Vuong finished my repair and the rest of the family came in. I don't remember much after this, but I know they started letting people in the NICU to see her and I was so upset I still hadn't held her yet. Everybody kept coming back in to tell me how beautiful she was and that made me so mad because I wanted her. I think it made Mom mad, too because she finally got me a wheelchair and they rolled me down to the NICU. I finally got to hold her again and was in amazement. I just sat there and stared at her. Leaving her in that room that night was the hardest part of that night. Even harder than pushing or dealing with contractions. But, I did leave her and had them take me back first thing in the morning.
The hardest part of her being in the NICU was not knowing what was really happening or when she could come out. I learned later that they wanted to rule out several diagnoses but they wouldn't have results for a while. I later learned I had chorioamnionitis while I was in labor. That infection and the antibiotics, combined with 3 hours of pushing led to Aubrey being stressed during delivery and which caused the breathing problems. Mom said that I probably got the infection because I had so many internal exams that could have introduced the infection. They kept her on antibiotics and fluids while in the NICU, but mainly she was there for observation.
They finally decided that Aubrey would be ok and they called at 10:30 Wednesday morning and told me they were discharging her from the NICU. I was so happy to finally have my little girl in my room. The first night with her in my room was really rough with her, but having her was what mattered.
Minutes after birth
Aubrey in the NICU.
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