We got to the hospital around 9, checked in, and the nurse confirmed that my water had broken. The nurse called my doctor who instructed them to start pitocin, which speeds up labor, because they don't want labor to take longer than 24 hours after your water breaks due to the risk of infection. I was already having contractions that were about 3 minutes apart at this point, but still hadn't really progressed (I was only about 1 to 2 cm dilated, and you need to get to 10). The pitocin started causing the contractions to get really strong and closer together (around 1 minute), and around midnight I had had enough and asked for the epidural. Going into labor I wasn't completely sure whether I wanted an epidural or not, but it was the best decision! It actually allowed us to get a little bit of rest that I know we wouldn't have had without it.
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| Clint's comfy "bed" |
During the next few hours they had to adjust my pitocin levels and put me on oxygen because Clara's heart rate was dropping. Apparently this is fairly common, but of course concerning to new parents. But it helped that we had great doctors and nurses around us that I knew were monitoring every beat. At around 4 they completely turned off the pitocin because of her heart rate, which I didn't even know about until later. At 5, the nurse and resident came in to check my progress so that they could touch base with my doctor. Clint and I were very asleep at this point, and so hearing the words "You're complete!" was a little shocking and confusing to both of us. I just looked at the nurse and then we all sort of laughed. Even she was surprised that it had gone that fast since I was only at 2 cm the last time they had checked. I slept soundly through the hardest part!
My doctor arrived at around 6, and we started what I think of as "practice pushing". She was being very calm and talking me through the process and what to expect, and I think just letting me get used to the idea. We took a little half hour break just before 7 so that my doctor could check on another patient. I also think she was letting me take a break mentally and physically. She came back around 7:15, and this time we could tell it was for real - more doctors and nurses came in and everything got a little more serious. At around 7:45 I decided that I was determined to have this baby before 8, and at 7:53 she arrived!
Clara Jacqueline Pasche
Born September 22, 2011
8 pounds, 20.5 inches
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