Sunday, July 31, 2011
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Our Birth Story
Well we are taking our time getting to the hospital, and we pull up around 1145PM into the Emergency entrance at Hendricks Regional Health. I tell Eric to wait on bringing anything in, because we were probably going to have to go home. I walk in and the woman at the front desk states you have a room already on the Childbirth center, 305.
We head up there, they have me change into a gown and Angie, our nurse, takes a sample of the fluid leaking, sure enough when she does, I start leaking "A LOT" of fluid onto the table. They took the sample to lab and put a monitor on me, I was having contractions, regular about 7 minutes apart, and very strong.
Dr. Mazdai enters the room exhausted (she had 2 other women in my same situation and was the MD on call), she states "Well Jennifer, this is the worst case scenario for your birth plan" (in my birth plan I wanted to avoid Pitocin and do everything natural). In my head I'm thinking... yeah... here we go! She states she will give me to 2am to see if I will go into more intense labor, if not we will start Pitocin (oh no!! the evil drug!!). On top of it I was only 50% effaced and 1 cm dilated (if that). So... I walk around, eat food because once I start Pitocin I was not allowed any food at all. Angie checks me again at 2am and states still not dilated, no changes. We got started on fluids to see if that would assist with contractions, and it really did. However, Dr. Mazdai wanted me to rest with the monitors on until 4am. Well let me tell you that was a LONG 2 hours. I tried to sleep, but I really couldn't get comfortable, I was having light contractions, nothing serious.
4AM: Angie states, "well your contractions have stopped and we need to go ahead and start the Pitocin". I for sure thought I was still having contractions, after Angie returned with the Pitocin, we figured out that the monitor wasn't even in the correct position. (Now after 4am, things started to blend together). I asked to be checked again, I still was not dilated and not effaced any more than at 2am. Once we started the Pitocin I did not want to sleep, I knew I needed to move.
4am-6am: Contractions started to come every 2 minutes, lasting 60 seconds, but really were not intense. I was trying to focus and listen to music, walking, squatting, theraball... anything so that it would speed up my contractions. They were turning up the Pitocin every 30 minutes.
630am: I felt my first intense contraction, and told Eric he needed to wake up now (I was letting him get rest before we started this process, one of us needed rest and it wasn't going to be me). Kathy, my day shift nurse arrives, and states "we need to turn this up!", referring to the Pitocin. She was wonderful and my prior patient who was the Care Coordinator for the Childbirth center came and gave me a motivational speech on how I was going to do this Natural@! (so here we go!)
630am-10am: Wow! This is starting to hurt, quite a bit.... wholly moley! Eric was doing good job distracting me... but around 930AM is really the last time I remember laughing at all. Because these contractions were hitting the 8/10 pain scale!
10am: My mother-in-law arrives and Kathy checked my cervix... well I was 90% effaced, but not dilated at all. I broke down in tears, I felt I was working so hard and it didn't make a difference. Well since I broke down in tears, my nurse recommended an epidural.... NOT what I wanted. I stated nope... I'm going to do this without drugs! I requested the massage therapist to assist with labor. She was supposed to come in at 8am, never saw her. So she got me in different positions, the best position I found was seated on the theraball, one person holding down each leg because I would shiver between contractions.
11am: Well I was really hitting 10/10 pain at this point, on the theraball, breathing, relaxation, massage... checked again at 11am. NOTHING changed except I was 100% effaced, and Kathy thought she felt a "pocket of fluid" pushing through my cervix at 1cm. I really wasn't sure what to do... do I see if we get the "pocket of fluid" burst, it had to be by the MD or a midwife and I didn't want to wait, OR we do the epidural. Eric was so supportive, but he made the decision for me since I was crushed. Luckily, a midwife was on the floor and she came in ruptured the "pocket of fluid" broke the rest of my water essentially so that Fayola's head could push more efficiently on my cervix. I went from 1 cm to 4 cm in 1 second! I looked and Eric and he at me, we both had tears in our eyes, we knew we could do this without an epidural and I was so motivated after that. But shortly after the nurse looked at my husband and said, "Go get some food, it's going to get intense". I was like "What!?!"... how could it get worse.
11am-12pm: AHHHHHH!!!! This hurts!! Fayola was in the posterior position, we needed her to turn, so they had me on hands/knees and sidelying, both sucked!!! After 12pm, I was 5-6cm dilated, but I didn't think I could do it... looked at Eric and said, "I need an epidural, I can't do this". Kathy looked at me and said, you could do that OR Nubane. "oh yeah... Nubane" (I had been recommended to take this to ease my anxiety by 2 previous patients, but completely forgot). We started the Nubane and instantly I was feeling "high" and no more anxiety. (The whole time I was beating myself up, I thought I pushed myself too hard before going into labor and made my water break early.... even though no one agreed with me).
12pm-2pm: OUCH!!! whew! The contractions were still 10/10, but I was "out of it" in between due the Nubane, it helped me relax A LOT. I slept between contractions, but it was hurting worse and worse with each contraction. I knew I was getting close. At 2pm: I was 7-8cm dilated.
230pm: "I'm done". I tried to get off the table and leave, like I could escape the pain. However, they start rolling in all the delivery equipment, Dr. Mazdai enters the room stating you go girl!! I was 9cm dilated, she had to go next door to deliver a baby, I could hear the woman screaming bloody murder, it was crazy! I couldn't handle the pressure or pain... Kathy said, let me know when you feel you need to push. Well let me tell you 3pm hit and I was yelling "I'm pushing!!!"
3pm: GRUNT!! Dr. Mazdai states, I bet you can get this baby out with 5 contractions... I look at her, "what!?! I thought it was one push then out...". They offered a mirror, I didn't want to look as I was pushing. I was trying to figure out how to take deep breaths between pushes... it was impossible.I felt like I was pushing a watermelon through... I will spare this details. I was grunting so loudly it was hurting my throat, Eric supporting my right leg and head, and the nurse my other leg.
3:39pm: In 6 contractions and about 20-30 minutes of pushing.... we met our daughter for the very first time outside my womb. Dr. Mazdai laid her on my belly/chest and I looked right into her eyes for the first time... it was as though I was glimpsing at her soul. She had tons of hair, like her mommy did when she was born.
Fayola Agnes McGowan
6 lbs. 10 oz.
19.7 inches long
Fayola- "Good Fortune Walks with Honor"
Laura (Fayola's grandmother)- derived from the word laurel, used for a crown of honor
Agnes- her great-grandmother Agnes Condruk
Welcome my dear... I am so happy to be blessed with your presence.
We head up there, they have me change into a gown and Angie, our nurse, takes a sample of the fluid leaking, sure enough when she does, I start leaking "A LOT" of fluid onto the table. They took the sample to lab and put a monitor on me, I was having contractions, regular about 7 minutes apart, and very strong.
Dr. Mazdai enters the room exhausted (she had 2 other women in my same situation and was the MD on call), she states "Well Jennifer, this is the worst case scenario for your birth plan" (in my birth plan I wanted to avoid Pitocin and do everything natural). In my head I'm thinking... yeah... here we go! She states she will give me to 2am to see if I will go into more intense labor, if not we will start Pitocin (oh no!! the evil drug!!). On top of it I was only 50% effaced and 1 cm dilated (if that). So... I walk around, eat food because once I start Pitocin I was not allowed any food at all. Angie checks me again at 2am and states still not dilated, no changes. We got started on fluids to see if that would assist with contractions, and it really did. However, Dr. Mazdai wanted me to rest with the monitors on until 4am. Well let me tell you that was a LONG 2 hours. I tried to sleep, but I really couldn't get comfortable, I was having light contractions, nothing serious.
4AM: Angie states, "well your contractions have stopped and we need to go ahead and start the Pitocin". I for sure thought I was still having contractions, after Angie returned with the Pitocin, we figured out that the monitor wasn't even in the correct position. (Now after 4am, things started to blend together). I asked to be checked again, I still was not dilated and not effaced any more than at 2am. Once we started the Pitocin I did not want to sleep, I knew I needed to move.
4am-6am: Contractions started to come every 2 minutes, lasting 60 seconds, but really were not intense. I was trying to focus and listen to music, walking, squatting, theraball... anything so that it would speed up my contractions. They were turning up the Pitocin every 30 minutes.
630am: I felt my first intense contraction, and told Eric he needed to wake up now (I was letting him get rest before we started this process, one of us needed rest and it wasn't going to be me). Kathy, my day shift nurse arrives, and states "we need to turn this up!", referring to the Pitocin. She was wonderful and my prior patient who was the Care Coordinator for the Childbirth center came and gave me a motivational speech on how I was going to do this Natural@! (so here we go!)
630am-10am: Wow! This is starting to hurt, quite a bit.... wholly moley! Eric was doing good job distracting me... but around 930AM is really the last time I remember laughing at all. Because these contractions were hitting the 8/10 pain scale!
10am: My mother-in-law arrives and Kathy checked my cervix... well I was 90% effaced, but not dilated at all. I broke down in tears, I felt I was working so hard and it didn't make a difference. Well since I broke down in tears, my nurse recommended an epidural.... NOT what I wanted. I stated nope... I'm going to do this without drugs! I requested the massage therapist to assist with labor. She was supposed to come in at 8am, never saw her. So she got me in different positions, the best position I found was seated on the theraball, one person holding down each leg because I would shiver between contractions.
11am: Well I was really hitting 10/10 pain at this point, on the theraball, breathing, relaxation, massage... checked again at 11am. NOTHING changed except I was 100% effaced, and Kathy thought she felt a "pocket of fluid" pushing through my cervix at 1cm. I really wasn't sure what to do... do I see if we get the "pocket of fluid" burst, it had to be by the MD or a midwife and I didn't want to wait, OR we do the epidural. Eric was so supportive, but he made the decision for me since I was crushed. Luckily, a midwife was on the floor and she came in ruptured the "pocket of fluid" broke the rest of my water essentially so that Fayola's head could push more efficiently on my cervix. I went from 1 cm to 4 cm in 1 second! I looked and Eric and he at me, we both had tears in our eyes, we knew we could do this without an epidural and I was so motivated after that. But shortly after the nurse looked at my husband and said, "Go get some food, it's going to get intense". I was like "What!?!"... how could it get worse.
11am-12pm: AHHHHHH!!!! This hurts!! Fayola was in the posterior position, we needed her to turn, so they had me on hands/knees and sidelying, both sucked!!! After 12pm, I was 5-6cm dilated, but I didn't think I could do it... looked at Eric and said, "I need an epidural, I can't do this". Kathy looked at me and said, you could do that OR Nubane. "oh yeah... Nubane" (I had been recommended to take this to ease my anxiety by 2 previous patients, but completely forgot). We started the Nubane and instantly I was feeling "high" and no more anxiety. (The whole time I was beating myself up, I thought I pushed myself too hard before going into labor and made my water break early.... even though no one agreed with me).
12pm-2pm: OUCH!!! whew! The contractions were still 10/10, but I was "out of it" in between due the Nubane, it helped me relax A LOT. I slept between contractions, but it was hurting worse and worse with each contraction. I knew I was getting close. At 2pm: I was 7-8cm dilated.
230pm: "I'm done". I tried to get off the table and leave, like I could escape the pain. However, they start rolling in all the delivery equipment, Dr. Mazdai enters the room stating you go girl!! I was 9cm dilated, she had to go next door to deliver a baby, I could hear the woman screaming bloody murder, it was crazy! I couldn't handle the pressure or pain... Kathy said, let me know when you feel you need to push. Well let me tell you 3pm hit and I was yelling "I'm pushing!!!"
3pm: GRUNT!! Dr. Mazdai states, I bet you can get this baby out with 5 contractions... I look at her, "what!?! I thought it was one push then out...". They offered a mirror, I didn't want to look as I was pushing. I was trying to figure out how to take deep breaths between pushes... it was impossible.I felt like I was pushing a watermelon through... I will spare this details. I was grunting so loudly it was hurting my throat, Eric supporting my right leg and head, and the nurse my other leg.
3:39pm: In 6 contractions and about 20-30 minutes of pushing.... we met our daughter for the very first time outside my womb. Dr. Mazdai laid her on my belly/chest and I looked right into her eyes for the first time... it was as though I was glimpsing at her soul. She had tons of hair, like her mommy did when she was born.
Fayola Agnes McGowan
6 lbs. 10 oz.
19.7 inches long
Fayola- "Good Fortune Walks with Honor"
Laura (Fayola's grandmother)- derived from the word laurel, used for a crown of honor
Agnes- her great-grandmother Agnes Condruk
Welcome my dear... I am so happy to be blessed with your presence.
Monday, July 11, 2011
Last days of pregnancy
July 1st:
yes! I finished Fayola's room with the finishing touches of curtains on her closet. I ran errands and met with my friend Latisha for lunch... yummy food! I finished my paperwork for work so I could have the weekend to myself. Having a great day, felt fatigued though... really fatigued and just felt some lower abdomen cramping. All in all a good day. Went to our friends (Asher & Christina) house for hanging out and playing games... I wanted to rest on the couch, that's all I felt like doing, they were playing Trivial Pursuit.
July 2nd:
I woke up and went to the salon for a waxing, then walked around the Carmel Farmer's market, boy did that make me feel exhausted. At 10AM, we went down to Greenwood to see our little niece, Isabelle, and Jenny & Nick (brother/sister). We hung out at the house, I felt again, lethargic and had some last minute errands to run. I had to run by BabieRUs because I just had to have the changing pad cover, then I really felt Fayola's room would be complete. After that we went to Cheesecake Factory (I ate edemame beans, spinach dip, white pizza, and shared mango cheesecake with my father-in-law).... boy was I full!! We had a great time visiting and relaxing. We then went to our friend's house, Paul, relaxed and talked, at that point I felt like we needed to go home because I was TIRED and so swollen. I had increased pressure, and I was pretty sure that I was leaking some amniotic fluid starting July 1st, but that day finally came to grips with that I really may have been. We went home, went to bed!
July 3rd:
Woke up... decided that we needed to go for a walk, it's what I really wanted to have done both July 1st and 2nd, so we went by the Baha'i center so I could drop off a few things, we talked with some friends. Then off to disc golf because I really wanted to just walk around. We tried to last as long as possible, only make it for 45 minutes, then back home. I went to Trader Joe's, got some Falafal and pita bread, my brother was coming into town!! Yes, I hadn't seem him in a long time. We hung out, relaxed and then we took my brother out for his Birthday dinner, authentic Chinese... wanted to get some DimSum, but they only have that for lunch. I ate some mango beef dish and dumplings, hot/sour soup, it was good! Good restuarant, Shanghai Lil. I used the restroom there and thought, huh... is that urine or amniotic fluid, not sure? Then we went for Frozen Yogurt at Huddles, I got confused on the fireworks show in Indy, so we headed downtown to find out there was fireworks on July 4th, duh!? Not that night, so we headed home to watch Zoolander. :) "Very very good looking". That night, I really saw more fluid, told Eric that "I think I'm leaking amniotic fluid, not sure", He said with his face turning pale white and eyes watering, "I don't think I can do this, I'm not ready yet". He was very nervous to watch me go through labor pains and the risk of his daughter and my life. (Another side note: all day long I felt contractions (didn't know at the time), but they were frequent, just not strong... opps!) That night had discomfort and slight contractions.
July 4th:
Man... I could not wake up out of bed, I was tired! Little did I know this would be the last time I would sleep good for a loooong time! At least 48 hours. I felt like I got hit by a car, however there was no amniotic fluid leaking. We woke up and barely made it to Carmelfest July 4th parade. We saw the Mathews' and watched the parade. I didn't feel bad there, but told my friends... I may be leaking fluid, who knows? We had some lunch at Noodles & Company, I got Japanese Pan Noodles, drank some lemonade... I loved lemonade at the end of my pregnancy, couldn't get enough. We then went back home, watched Happy Gilmore, then my brother was off to Buffalo, if only I would have called the MD earlier, he would have stayed for Fayola's birth. We then went to a cookout at the Laghaie's home, had some yummy burgers. I was feeling good, didn't really feel any contractions. But then... I went to the bathroom, and pretty sure I lost my mucus plug, my heart started pounding a little. We left around 7pm, and I decided we needed to walk some more, so Eric played disc golf and I walked, talking to my friend Anna about how nervous I was about becoming a mommy. We then went home, I cleaned the kitchen, finished any last minute paperwork, sent some emails (knew in the back of my mind I may be going to delivery Fayola soon). We went to get movies at Blockbuster instead of watching the fireworks. I didn't want to see fireworks because I knew I needed rest for work the next day and my feet were super swollen. We got some good movies though at Blockbuster we never got to watch! Got home, I used the bathroom, ahhhh... my bladder felt good and empty. I stood up and heavy trickle of fluid ran down my legs.... "uh oh"... I knew at that point, 930pm, my water definitely broke. I told Eric I was calling the MD, as I was waiting for her to call back, I had more gushing and the "bloody show". She called, I asked if I could wait until Tuesday morning, she was adament that I get the hospital. So I guess I had to go...
Hospital run:
Well... I needed a shower, and needed to finish packing my bag, I had to figure out what to do with our dog, Chloe. So, I took a shower, we then got the carseat in the car (just in case, I still thought for some reason I wasn't quite to the point to give birth). We went by Erin's house to drop off Chloe, I went in and talked for a while, and Eric was getting anxious that I was just talking, we needed to go! We then headed out the door for a 45 minute commute (Eric was definitely speeding though) to Danville, IN, Hendricks Regional Health, where I work, to give birth. While there usually wouldn't be any traffic at 11pm, tonight there was sure enough since it was July 4th. In my mind, I thought, no rush... I'm probably not even going to stay. I wasn't really having a lot of contractions, well none I could feel. I was just in La La land... I sort of forgot the commute to the hospital.
I will continue the birth story in the next posting. Here is the last day I was pregnant, 5 hours before my water broke! :)
yes! I finished Fayola's room with the finishing touches of curtains on her closet. I ran errands and met with my friend Latisha for lunch... yummy food! I finished my paperwork for work so I could have the weekend to myself. Having a great day, felt fatigued though... really fatigued and just felt some lower abdomen cramping. All in all a good day. Went to our friends (Asher & Christina) house for hanging out and playing games... I wanted to rest on the couch, that's all I felt like doing, they were playing Trivial Pursuit.
July 2nd:
I woke up and went to the salon for a waxing, then walked around the Carmel Farmer's market, boy did that make me feel exhausted. At 10AM, we went down to Greenwood to see our little niece, Isabelle, and Jenny & Nick (brother/sister). We hung out at the house, I felt again, lethargic and had some last minute errands to run. I had to run by BabieRUs because I just had to have the changing pad cover, then I really felt Fayola's room would be complete. After that we went to Cheesecake Factory (I ate edemame beans, spinach dip, white pizza, and shared mango cheesecake with my father-in-law).... boy was I full!! We had a great time visiting and relaxing. We then went to our friend's house, Paul, relaxed and talked, at that point I felt like we needed to go home because I was TIRED and so swollen. I had increased pressure, and I was pretty sure that I was leaking some amniotic fluid starting July 1st, but that day finally came to grips with that I really may have been. We went home, went to bed!
July 3rd:
Woke up... decided that we needed to go for a walk, it's what I really wanted to have done both July 1st and 2nd, so we went by the Baha'i center so I could drop off a few things, we talked with some friends. Then off to disc golf because I really wanted to just walk around. We tried to last as long as possible, only make it for 45 minutes, then back home. I went to Trader Joe's, got some Falafal and pita bread, my brother was coming into town!! Yes, I hadn't seem him in a long time. We hung out, relaxed and then we took my brother out for his Birthday dinner, authentic Chinese... wanted to get some DimSum, but they only have that for lunch. I ate some mango beef dish and dumplings, hot/sour soup, it was good! Good restuarant, Shanghai Lil. I used the restroom there and thought, huh... is that urine or amniotic fluid, not sure? Then we went for Frozen Yogurt at Huddles, I got confused on the fireworks show in Indy, so we headed downtown to find out there was fireworks on July 4th, duh!? Not that night, so we headed home to watch Zoolander. :) "Very very good looking". That night, I really saw more fluid, told Eric that "I think I'm leaking amniotic fluid, not sure", He said with his face turning pale white and eyes watering, "I don't think I can do this, I'm not ready yet". He was very nervous to watch me go through labor pains and the risk of his daughter and my life. (Another side note: all day long I felt contractions (didn't know at the time), but they were frequent, just not strong... opps!) That night had discomfort and slight contractions.
July 4th:
Man... I could not wake up out of bed, I was tired! Little did I know this would be the last time I would sleep good for a loooong time! At least 48 hours. I felt like I got hit by a car, however there was no amniotic fluid leaking. We woke up and barely made it to Carmelfest July 4th parade. We saw the Mathews' and watched the parade. I didn't feel bad there, but told my friends... I may be leaking fluid, who knows? We had some lunch at Noodles & Company, I got Japanese Pan Noodles, drank some lemonade... I loved lemonade at the end of my pregnancy, couldn't get enough. We then went back home, watched Happy Gilmore, then my brother was off to Buffalo, if only I would have called the MD earlier, he would have stayed for Fayola's birth. We then went to a cookout at the Laghaie's home, had some yummy burgers. I was feeling good, didn't really feel any contractions. But then... I went to the bathroom, and pretty sure I lost my mucus plug, my heart started pounding a little. We left around 7pm, and I decided we needed to walk some more, so Eric played disc golf and I walked, talking to my friend Anna about how nervous I was about becoming a mommy. We then went home, I cleaned the kitchen, finished any last minute paperwork, sent some emails (knew in the back of my mind I may be going to delivery Fayola soon). We went to get movies at Blockbuster instead of watching the fireworks. I didn't want to see fireworks because I knew I needed rest for work the next day and my feet were super swollen. We got some good movies though at Blockbuster we never got to watch! Got home, I used the bathroom, ahhhh... my bladder felt good and empty. I stood up and heavy trickle of fluid ran down my legs.... "uh oh"... I knew at that point, 930pm, my water definitely broke. I told Eric I was calling the MD, as I was waiting for her to call back, I had more gushing and the "bloody show". She called, I asked if I could wait until Tuesday morning, she was adament that I get the hospital. So I guess I had to go...
Hospital run:
Well... I needed a shower, and needed to finish packing my bag, I had to figure out what to do with our dog, Chloe. So, I took a shower, we then got the carseat in the car (just in case, I still thought for some reason I wasn't quite to the point to give birth). We went by Erin's house to drop off Chloe, I went in and talked for a while, and Eric was getting anxious that I was just talking, we needed to go! We then headed out the door for a 45 minute commute (Eric was definitely speeding though) to Danville, IN, Hendricks Regional Health, where I work, to give birth. While there usually wouldn't be any traffic at 11pm, tonight there was sure enough since it was July 4th. In my mind, I thought, no rush... I'm probably not even going to stay. I wasn't really having a lot of contractions, well none I could feel. I was just in La La land... I sort of forgot the commute to the hospital.
I will continue the birth story in the next posting. Here is the last day I was pregnant, 5 hours before my water broke! :)
Week 37
My brother and I
Family photo!
Friday, July 1, 2011
19 days and counting
We have only 19 days to go until the expected due date and I am am very excited to hold my little girl. I continue to work full time and plan on doing so until my due date, 7/21. Eric and I have been busy getting all the last minute cleaning and assembling. After my MD appointment last week I am 50% effaced, not dilated, we are right on schedule and our little girl is very healthy and is positioned with her head down. I have some slight swelling these past 2 weeks, but mostly just having a difficult time finding a comfortable position while sleeping, and getting up to use the bathroom at least once per night.
We are spending the 4th of July here in Indy this year. Hope everyone has a great weekend and enjoys time with family and friends! We are looking forward to sharing the big news of our daughter's arrival within the next 3 weeks!!
We are spending the 4th of July here in Indy this year. Hope everyone has a great weekend and enjoys time with family and friends! We are looking forward to sharing the big news of our daughter's arrival within the next 3 weeks!!
Week 36
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