Wow, 9 months went by so slow and so fast. It was full of ups and downs: nausea, medication, ultrasounds, baby moon, its a girl, can't fit in any of my clothes, i finally look pregnant, hot hot hot, baby shower, gestational diabetes, major diet changes, too big to bend over, waiting.
In my 30th week, my doctor diagnosed me with gestational diabetes. Basically this is having type 2 diabetes while you are pregnant which means major diet changes. Lets just say all those sweets and fruit I had been addicted to my whole pregnancy were suddenly completely wiped out of my diet and replaced with nothing really. I also got to prick my finger four times a day to check on my blood sugar to make sure it was in normal limits. Anyways, this resulted in my doctor deciding to induce me one week early to make sure we could avoid a c-section. Gestational diabetes usually results in larger than normal babies and we wanted to avoid that if possible. I thought maybe I would go before my induction date because he stripped my membranes about 6 days before my date, but nothing happened. Even after hiking up and down stairs and bouncing on the yoga ball for hours.
Sunday October 14 I went into the hospital at 8:00 at night, after a yummy dinner of smashburger. As soon as I got there I changed and they hooked me up to pitocin to get me contractions moving. I was already contracting about every 10 minutes (though I couldn't really feel them, just felt tightening). They checked me and I was dilated to a 3 and they stretched me to a 4 and about 70% effaced. The nurse called my doctor and he said I could have my epidural whenever I wanted. I decided to wait a little while just to see what a contraction felt like.
At about 1:00am I decided it was time for the epidural. So, I ran to the bathroom one last time and ended up peeing about 6 times in a row. Weird. I got my epidural which really didn't phase me (a surprise), but during I felt like I peed myself. So awkward. When the anesthesiologist and nurse left the room I told Jason that I wet the bed. We looked at the bed and the liquid wasn't yellow and it didn't smell like pee so we decided we should probably tell the nurse. Well, we found out my water broke while I was getting my epidural! By this point I was only dilated to a 5 so they said to go to sleep for a little while. I plugged in my relaxing music and started to drift off. Well about 30 minutes later I started feeling contractions on my left side. They got stronger and stronger. Did not feel good at all so I woke up Jason and we called the nurse. We tried putting me on my left side and pressing the epidural button, didn't work, they gave me a major dose of medicine, didn't work, tried moving the epidural, didn't work, so they decided to redo the epidural.
I think this was Jason's least favorite part. It didn't really phase me because I had no idea what was going on, just felt little pricks in my back. The nurse and anesthesiologist couldn't believe how well controlled my blood pressure was. They said most people in labor have higher blood pressure because of nerves. Knowing myself I thought I would be a nervous wreck in there, but I was surprisingly calm during my labor. I'm pretty sure Jason was way more stressed out. I just went with the flow.
After getting the second epidural I was dilated to a 10 and it was time to start pushing (about 6:30am). They called my doctor to come down and I started pushing with Jason and my nurse.
Baby girl kept coming out and going back in, so I had to push when I wasn't contracting and then really push when I was. Once they got the handle bars out, I was a much better pusher. My doctor got there, told me there are no returns or exchanges, I pushed through 2 contractions and she was out! I will never forget I was watching a baby story on TLC and the lady on TV was having a baby at the same time as me. It was crazy once she was out, baby nurses, my nurses, nursing students, doctor. When she came out they gave her directly to me. I just sat there with her on my chest not knowing what to do and trying to figure out what name we would give her. I just couldn't believe she was finally here! It was surreal.
They then took her away to measure and do all that other stuff. She had blond hair. We decided before if she came out a blond her name would be London and she felt like a London so London it was! This whole time is kind of blurry, just a lot happening and a lot to take in. Me and Jason kept looking at each other like what the heck, this happened? (we continued this for the next couple of weeks).
Now you think once she's out everything was bliss. It was, but I was one of the lucky recipients of a spinal headache which results in the worst headache of your life. Different from a migraine because it goes up your back and to your head. We thought it was just exhaustion so I pushed through it while in the hospital. We went home Tuesday night and my head got worse so the next morning I went back to the hospital. They had to do a blood patch (basically another epidural) and pump me full of morphine (which meant London got formula for a little while). I went home and by Sunday the headache was finally gone. The first week was full of a million different emotions. I so wish the headache had never happened so I could remember the week a little better than I do. I do remember my mom being a lifesaver, Jason helping in anyway possible, and London being a perfect baby. I was definitely blessed.
We love this little girl more than anything and would never exchange her or return her (except at 2 in the morning when she decides its time to stay awake and play haha). She has brought out a whole new side to Jason and to myself and we couldn't be happier! She is a beautiful blessing!
