Oh no More to the Birth of Dougie!

So the next thing on my list is this. After having an epidural that I didn't get medicine with, therefor no pain relief, I got the dreaded spinal headache. Firstly, they tell you all the possible side effects and you just think "I don't care, shut up and give me the drugs so I can feel better". Secondly you think you will not be one of those people that has one of those things happen to you. Well truth is, if its a side effect you can in fact be the victim of one or more then one. The day I had Dougie I felt good but that night I started to get the worst headache, when I was laying down I felt ok but once I started to raise my head my head hurt & my neck hurt so bad. I told the nurse & she though it might be a spinal headache. I just figured I pulled a neck muscle. She told me she was going to let anaesthesiology know and she also got me a heating pad. I started to feel a little better and was in denial so I figured everything would just heal up on its own. The anaesthesiologist told the nurse to give me some Norco (which I declined as I had never had a heavy pain killer and I wasn't about to start taking them, also I was nursing and I worried about the effects on Dougie). The next morning I felt pretty good so I talked to the anaesthesiologist and told him so. He figured whatever it was had gone away but told me to call if I had any more problems. I just wanted to go home. Once I was discharged I went home & it was kind of late so I went to bed. The next morning my head & neck hurt so bad. It only hurt when I raised my head even just a little bit. The pain was excruciating. It traveled up my neck, up the back of my head all the way around into my forehead and eye sockets. I couldn't even walt to the bathroom, it hurt so bad. A few days after dealing with the pain I called the hospital back. They told me it was a spinal headache and to drink lots of caffeine. I drank tons of Mountain Dew & coffee. Plus I took Tylenol & IB (which didn't do a thing for it). When Dougie was 4 days old I had to take him to the DRs. I hurt so bad I literally laid down in the waiting room. Once in the private room to have Dougie checked, I talked to our Dr. He told me to go and have it fixed. I was really nervous to have a blood patch. I had already messed up by having the epi and I didn't want to make another mistake. I trusted our Dr though as he is a friend and our Dr so I called out to Cooperstown and talked to anaesthesiology. They told me to come in and it was only a 5 minute procedure. So off to Cooperstown we went. I went into the ER as I was told to. They got me into one of the rooms, hooked me up to IV and I had to wait. I was in the ER over 3 hours. Meanwhile Arthur had all the kids in the truck and Ariel had to stay with me in the room in case Dougie needed to nurse. Once they were ready for me I was wheeled downstairs into the OR area. I waited there even longer. I was crying because I was scared and I missed my family. Once again I felt like I had failed. The nurses were very nice and reassured me that everything would be fine. Once the Dr was ready for me I was sat up on a table and curled over, just like having an epidural. They drew a huge tube of blood from my arm and handed it to the dr who injected it into my spinal area. It was very quick. The pain relief was instant! Then they laid me on my back & I had to stay that way for 2 hours before I could go home. They took me back to the ER room and there I waited. After having 2 bags of IV fluid I had to pee so bad!!! Dougie had to nurse and I couldn't move so I nursed him flat on my back! It worked great. Once the 2 hours were up I carefully got up and went to the bathroom, oh how good it felt to be pain free. I was careful as we went home, I reclined the whole way. Once home I went to bed, it was late and so I slept. Let me tell you. The blood patch was a breeze and I would suggest it to anyone that has a spinal headache. Don't wait, just get it. I thanked God for such great Drs, nurses & awesome pain relief.

More to the birth story...

As I said earlier I was sick on Saturday 12-11 and that is why I had gone to the hospital. On our way there Dan had called ans said he thought LeAnn's water had broke but they weren't sure. We both advised them to come in and get checked. They called the hospital, and talked to a nurse who told them unless they were sure to just stay home. If her water had broke she would go into labor. They didn't really want to take a long trip to the hospital only to be told to return home. So on Sunday after I had Dougie, they came to the hospital because LeAnn was leaking more fluid, they were pretty sure her water had indeed broken. She was 5 weeks early though by her due date so everyone was a bit concerned. Turns out her water had broken and she was admitted to the hospital. On Monday early in the morning, the Dr's had said her water was broken for 48 hours and they were going to induce her. Less then 24 hours after Dougie was born, his cousin Olivia was born. It was quite the hospital experience for me. Sure a happy time. I was elated to have just had my son & an new niece within 24 hours!!! Such a happy time.

ok back...

Haha I paused for a few days hun??? Back to the birth story.
Finally my Nurse midwife checked me again & I was 4cm. I let her break my water as I got all my antibiotics. I was 5cm when she got done breaking my water. I had to go to the bathroom so I decided to pee before I couldn't get up. I went to the bathroom & had a few contractions on the toilet. The Nurse came by & said "Don't deliver on the toilet." I figured it was time to get off seeing as she had said that & I had heard about women delivering on the potty. As soon as I stood up I got a contraction. Oh man it was bad. So bad in fact I lost all my control. I could hardly make it back to the bed & when I did I stood near it just trying to bear with the pain. I called for an epidural. I was in so much pain I was frantic. I really lost control! I got on the bed on all 4s & asked for Nancy or Arthur to counter pressure on my back., That just felt worse and it Burned so bad! I was sweating terribly & just begging Arthur to please help me. Nancy had to continually tell me to breathe. It hurt so bad I just wanted to pass out & couldn't even breathe. Finally the anesthesiologist came in and started talking to me, I told him I know all of it and just give me the epi. He hurried to get his stuff. I was in so much pain that as he prepped my back he said because I was so loosing it that he would give some instant relief. Which then he told me I should feel some relief. I relaxed a little thinking I would be ok, I knew that should help. It didn't!!! The next contraction it with a vengeance. I still felt all the pain I had before. He got the epi in and said he was going to lay me back before he put in the meds so I would be comfortable. Once laid back they needed to find the baby's heartbeat, which they found but it was low. I think in the 70's. So everyone was pushed aside. They told me to get on my left side, I said I couldn't I was so exhausted. They told me my baby needed me to. I rolled on my left side, they turned on the oxygen, put the mask on my face and my NM asked if I felt pressure or if I had to push. I didn't know, I was just too out of it to even answer. She checked me and the baby's head was right there, ready to be born. She told me to push. I pushed and thought, Oh I have to poop, no, no, I know that feeling I have to push through it. Once more push, the NM told me to push easier and out came the head. Next were the shoulders, I hate how they always feel stuck on my bones. Then the baby slid out and they held it up with legs slightly open & I saw it was a boy. They put him Right on my chest & I cried. The epi guy had run out of the room as soon as they put me on my side, he was grossed out, poor guy. So I never got the pain meds, just the tube in my back. Arthur was crying. They asked his name & I told them Douglas Ivar :)
We bonded for a long time, Arthur cut the cord and I nursed Dougie. We just loved each other up!
Later they came to take him to weigh him & clean him. The Epi guy came back, pulled out the epi tube.
Hind site is this. If I had paid closer attention to my body I would have realised I went into transition once I stood up off the toilet. I would have known that I had dilated when I was on the potty. I would have known that the intense pain I had was him moving down the birth canal. I feel I really screwed up. I'm sad that I called for the Epi & very sad I lost my cool. I'm also very upset that Dougie had to wait to be born. I'm sure that he was waiting the entire time it took me to get the epi as I was in a sitting position. He was just waiting to come out & I stressed his heart out by making him wait. I also think I would have felt the pushing pressure if I was standing or laying on my back. I wish the end had gone differently but I can't change it :(
In the end I'm very happy my baby is healthy & I love him!