A Delivery Recap...

So I am going to step back and relive the induction/delivery experience for you all. Seems like it was weeks ago and it was barely 48 hours ago.

So here it goes...

Thursday July 10th, 2008 0830 - Arrive at Wheaton Franciscan St. Joseph's for planned induction, we are in LDR 5, put on gown and get situated

1000 - IV is finally started and fluids start flowing with Pitocin. Started low and had the Pitocin increased every 15-30 minutes until we were eventually almost as high as they would allow it to go.

1100-1200 Contractions are starting (not really sure what time, but around there) There was no 10 minutes apart and then getting closer together, when they started they were about 4 minutes apart and just kept on getting closer.

1300 - Contractions are about 1 1/2 minutes apart and I am starting to get uncomfortable, but nothing I can't tolerate. Nothing for pain at this point.

1500 - Day shift nurses are getting ready to leave so they want to check my cervix to see how we are dilating before they report off to next shift. So the resident checks me and says 2-3 cm, 70 % effaced. And head is pretty much right there. Nurse calls Dr. Fox to give her an update, she wants the resident to break my bag of water.

1530 - New nurse comes in for the PM shift and, inquires about my plan for pain management as my contractions are very frequent and I am uncomfortable. My goal was to go as long as possible before getting the epidural, so I said I would wait until after they broke my bag and then see how it went and get the epidural afterwards. So in the mean time, fellow friend and co-worker calls and I give her an update, she recommends I get the epidural before they break my bag of water because things get really intense then. So I tell the nurse I changed my mind and want the epidural first. So shortly afterwards the anesthesiologist is in the room putting in my epidural, in between contractions of course.

1630 - New resident intern comes in to check me and break my bag of water, she says I am 4-5 cm, attempts to break the bag of water, but is having difficulty, gets some 'membranes' and blood but no gush of water. So we consider it broken apparently.

1700 - Nurse decides to check me herself because she will be doing the checks the rest of the night and wants to know what she is comparing to. Before she checked me, I was starting to feel a lot of pressure, not really pain thus the epidural was working, but I was thinking well she just told me I was only 4-5 cm so it must be nothing so didn't say anything. So, the nurse checks me and says, oh my!! You are 9cm!! Okay, that would explain the pressure I am feeling.

1730 - Nurse has called and updated Dr. Fox, she is on her way to the hospital.

1800 - Nurse checks me again, we are fully dilated now.

1830 - We start pushing even though Dr. Fox isn't there yet. "Practicing" 1845 - Dr. Fox arrives, we continue pushing

1923 - It's A Girl, Rowan Audrey Smith arrives!! I am completely surprised that it is a girl. I didn't think I had any feelings all along about the sex of the baby, but I guess I was expecting a boy, and was so pleasantly surprised when it was a girl! Then of course we had to decide on the name, we had 3 options, but it only took us about 5 minutes to decide, Rowan was the top of the list for several weeks, we just thought we would need to see her before we decided!

So, turns out the induction was the best decision we could have made. It wasn't a long and drawn out super painful experience. By the time my contractions started, I would consider the entire labor to have been about 9 1/2 hours. Not bad for your first baby and starting from absolutely no contractions or labor to full blown labor and delivery of perfect little girl. Okay, on to the baby updates and newer photos!!