Joyanna Barbara is here....Our Birth Story!

Well, after almost 38 weeks of anticipation, Barbara has made her entrance into this world. This pregnancy has been dramatic, so why would her birth be any different? My dr decided to induce early because of all of the problems we have been having in the past few months. I was so excited and so ready for this day!
I went in Tuesday morning for an amniocentesis to make sure that baby's lungs were ready. It was the longest 2 hours of my life waiting for the results! At noon on the dot my phone rang with the good news!
My dr said instead of waiting to be induced until the morning she would try to get me in that night so they could begin the process earlier. I was told to call at 6pm and then we would know for sure if I could get in. Well, I called at like 6:04 so I wouldn't look too anxious! They told me every single room was busy and it wasn't looking like I would be able to get in that night. Matt and I went to run some errands and he took me to Friendly's for dinner. While we were there his phone rang and it was L& D...I was so excited to answer, but they just wanted to know my birthday...boo!! We went home and I tried to get some sleep. After a few hours I took a bath and I was half awake all night long.
I woke up around 5am and gave them a call and they said to call back around 7:30...I was thinking they would NEVER get me in! I fell asleep again and at 6am they called and said to come in! YAY!
We got to the birthing center at 7am and they said there was a jacuzzi suite available....I was wicked excited....little did I know I wouldn't get to use it!!
They checked me in and got me all set and I was feeling very realxed and confident that this would be a quick process...ha! They hooked me up to the monitors and surprise, surprise, baby's heartrate was flat and they wanted to watch her for a while before they started anything. I got checked and was almost 1cm. I got some bloodwork the nurse came in to give me my IV. My nurse was new and you could tell she was not very confident in giving the IV. It probably didn't help that I was a little dehydrated, but the first try she missed and my hand started puffing up with the fluid from the IV....and ouch! She finally got the other one and we were in business!
They were going to start with cytotec and then a few hours later start the pitocin, but because of the heartrate, they were uncomfortable doing that. They called the Dr and they decided to do a pitocin tolerance test first. We passed that test so they decided that the best route would be to go straight to the pitocin. They started the dose at 2ml/hr and every 20 minutes upped it by 2ml. My Dr came in to check on me a couple hours later and I was only 2cm. She said I was way too happy and smiley for being at 16ml of pitocin (seeing that the highest dose is 20ml) and I thought I was a champ, haha. I felt like that would mean that I would be in hardly any pain when they had it at 20ml...and would have it easy. She checked me and I was only 2cm...talk about discouraging! She was going to break my water, but decided to wait for 2 hours.
When she came back 2 hours later, after I had been having consistent, uncomfortable contractions, I thought for sure I would be pretty far along...I was STILL 2 cm, almost 3. She broke my water to move things along, and can you say WEIRDEST feeling ever!?!
An hour later I was very, very uncomfortable so they checked again...4 cm. and for the next four hours, I remained at 4cm. I was in so much pain. It was so awful. I got a dose of some IV pain meds and they worked great...for about 10 minutes! Then another hour went by and I was still a 4. I was crying and in so much more pain than I have ever been in labor at this stage! I was literally begging for a c-section! haha. My dr said I could get an epidural, and I was so happy!! Unfortunately, the epidural guy never showed up, haha. My dr checked me and I was finally 6cm. The contractions were more intense than any other labor I have been in...maybe because of the pitocin? I was very nervous, because during the contractions baby's heartrate was dropping into the 80's, instead of the 120's where it had been. Anyways, she checked me about 20 minutes later and I was at 8cm!! I was so happy things were moving along. The problem was that baby was not descending and was still up high. My dr wouldn't leave the room. She was so amazing and supportive. Most times the Dr just comes in for the delivery, but she was there with me for a good hour. Praise the Lord for such a great doctor!
I got off the bed and onto the birthing ball hoping that would help baby. It was actually such relief to be out of that bed!! I hadn't been able to get out of bed because they had internal monitors on baby's head measuring her heartrate and contractions. I was on the ball for about 5 minutes then back in the bed. I sat up and had about 3 HORRIBLE contractions...I thought I was gonna die. I was so exhausted. I had been up for like 48 hours and hadn't eaten in over 24 and was just feeling so weak. My arms and were feeling numb, my legs were shaking, and I wanted to give up.
All of the sudden I knew it was time!! I yelled, "I have to push!!" And my Dr checked me and yelled down the hall and a bunch of nurses came running in and ripped the bottom of the bed and turned it into the delivery bed, and I had a contraction and I REFUSED to have another after this...I pushed with everything I had left in me and it was such a wonderful feeling! For you ladies that have children, you know exactly that feeling I am talking about. And then I felt that feeling, the final most intense feeling of pressure, and out she flew! It was amazing...Matt and I were both crying with relief and joy and excitement. SHE WAS HERE!!
They tried to give her to me, but her cord was extremely, extremely short, so it didn't reach. It was so short they did not let Matt cut it.
When they handed her to me, I was instantly in love again. I already loved her, but this amazing feeling washed over me...I did it! We made it...and she is beautiful, healthy, and alive. My doctor told me after that ALL of these problems were most likely because of her short cord. Who would have thought!
I was able to snuggle and feed her for about an hour and they took her to the nursery for her bath and weighing and all that goes along with that. They ended up keeping her for a couple hours so that she could be under the warmers for a little while. She came back around 12:30 and I fed her and asked if I could send her to the nursery for the night. I was so very tired and wanted to be able to get some rest so I could enjoy my first day with her. I had such a wonderful sleep. They brought her in around 5:30am to eat and we spent the morning together. She was absolutely perfect and even more precious and beautiful than the night before. The pediatrician came and got her and said she was perfect (I could have told him that!)
We had a great first day together, I feel wonderful today. I took a shower, which felt fantastic, and have no pain, other than some cramping while feeding her.
I am so happy, and even more blessed than you can imagine. Such a long road, but we have arrived at our destination...and this new journey has just begun.