Sophie joy's birth: Induction, Epidurals and the wait

[SophieJoysMum]

On the 6th November, 2008, Sophie Joy Rose Merriman came into the world. This is how that fateful day went.
At 7am, Ben (my partner) and I got up, took my labour bag, and went into Fairfield Hospital so I could be induced. I was 10 days late, and I didn't have any signs of labour at all. The night before, I had gone to the hospital to have the gel put in, to make my cervix "favourable" The doc went to put it in, stopped and said, "There's no need, see you tomorrow!" So I went home, to my delight, and slept as best I could in preparation for the big day.

When we arrived, Emily, my midwife for the day, took me into labour room 4 and got me to get into a gown and to lie on the bed. She then put the fetal monitor on my tummy, and she put in the IV, and gave me the tube that released the gas in case of pain. It all seemed to be happening so fast. Poor Ben was feeling sick, poor baby. He had Gastroenteritis, thanks to his boss. June, my mother in law, arrived at 7.30am, my mum arrived at 8am, and then at 8.15am the doctor checked my cervix and broke my waters. Emily kept turning up the liquid so that my contractions, which began as soon as she turned it on, began to get stronger and stronger. Soon, they got so strong I asked for Pethadine. Believe it or not, Pethadine did nothing to me. By the time it was 11.30am, I was screaming and writhing around in pain. My mum was holding my hand, and told me later she wanted to cry every time I yelled, because she felt helpless. Emily had changed the position of the fetal monitor to inside me, straight onto my baby's head. I begged her for an epidural, and soon enough, she went and asked the doctor, Dr Ngo, and he agreed. H emust have been standing in the corridor, poor guy! He did look a little white when I saw him. At 1pm, I had the epidural put in. Before I had started to feel the contractions, Ben went home to try and feel better. He came back during my scream fest and was there to hold me while they put the epidural in. It didn't hurt when they put the needle in, all I felt was pressure. From 8.15am, to 1pm, I had only dilated 4cms, but in th space from 1pm to 7pm, I dilated the rest of the way, another 6cms. While I waited for something to happen, (I couldn't feel anything) Crystal, my sister in law came in, and we talked, and I let her feel what my stomach felt like when I had a contraction. I slept a little, and everyone started to remark that for an inducement, this was taking a while.
During the time spent waiting for my cervix to dilate, The midwives changed shifts and I ended up with Nam, a student midwife, and another midwife who was training her. Nam was wonderful, but I nearly died when at 6.30pm, I was told they were turning off the epidural so I could feel the contractions properly to push.
At around 7.30pm I was told to start pushing when I felt a contraction. Soon enough, I was pushing because I couldn't help myself. There was a stinging sensation for a few of the contractions, and then Nam asked me if I would like to reach down and touch my baby's head, and I did so. It was amazing! I pushed with my head on my chest,and my feet were being held by the midwife and my mum. June And Crystal wisely stayed near my head! I held on to mum and Ben's hands for dear life. And soon enough, Nam was telling me to try and stop pushing so long, and to push in small bursts, because her head was out and they needed to rotate her body so her shoulders could come out. Once she had rotated my bub's body, she told me to push as hard as I could. So with the next contraction, I pushed with all my might. And out came my baby! She was covered in what looked like wet talc powder, and her skin was blue, her head was shaped like a cone. Nam placed her on my chest, and she coughed, and let out a small cry. I said to her, "Hello darling, I've been waiting for you for a very long time." Mum and I were almost crying, and Nam was congratulating us. Ben was smiling his head off. Nam took her off my chest and took her for her apgar tests. I was given my vitamin k shot, and then they worked on getting the placenta out. Everyone crowded around the baby, and the doctor cme to me and asked if he could start stitching me back up. He gave me the gas tube and waited until I was well under the influence of the gas, before he started. Everyone was taking pictures, and saying how she had my nose, and Ben's everything else. I got Ben to take a few pictures with my camera of her while the doc was stitching me up. Then Nam sent everyone out of the room, because as soon as I had been covered up Steve my father in law and Richard crystals husband had come in. Once I had been fixed up, I was handed my little girl. She was 9.3 pounds, which totals about 4.2kgs. She was 54cms long, and passed the apgar tests at 1 and 5 minutes old with flying colours.I did what every mum does and counted those toes and hands! I got to feed her for the first time, with Nam's help, before I was given the chance to shower and go to the bathroom while Ben held his daughter for the first time. Then it was off to maternity ward, where I spent my first night as a mummy with my daughter alone. Ben had to go home, nurses orders. I was kinda relieved, he looked terrible!
And that's how it all happened. 9 months of anticipation, and here she is. Sophie Joy Rose Merriman.
Our daughter.
Our world.
Our own.

[gazelle]

Welcome Sophie Joy Rose Merriman!