Mollie's Birth Story

I was admitted to the hospital at 7 am Wednesday May 7th for an elective/medical induction due to cholestasis. The itching this time was not as severe but present. This put me at 39 weeks exactly. We had dropped off the girls at Liz's house the night before as well as going on a date to JenniJen's pizza. I had heartburn and anxiety all night. I think we woke up somewhere around 4 and I called shortly after to see if I would be admitted. They promised to call back around 6:30, so I fell back asleep and Clark stayed up because he couldn't sleep. At 6:30 I was called and told to come in and tried to eat something. I had such anxiety that I ended up choking down half a piece of toast. I still felt full from all the salad and breadsticks from the night before.

  When we got into the hospital they were very quick. I was admitted in no time, had my iv and Dr. Meredith broke my water all in half an hour. He said my cervix was still very high and I was at 2 cm. Then I was hooked up to pitocin and the fun began... or not. I should have napped the first half of the day because it was very uneventful. I would get contractions that seemed to start out strong every time the pitocin was bumped up and then they would be there but not strong until it was bumped up again. The downside would be my water leaking through the contractions the first half of the day. I was up and down a lot changing and changing and changing and changing out the towel. I had one nurse until 12 pm and a different for the second half.
   My mom spent the day working in her office and kept coming to check on me. I finally asked the second nurse to check me. I was still at a 2 in the afternoon and had reached my max on the pitocin without Dr. permission to increase it. She called Dr. Meredith and he gave her the go-ahead to increase it in 2 part increments up to the max of 26 without an internal monitor. Finally, somewhere right before shift change (6 pm) the contractions were coming more consistently and harder so she left it at 24. Rainey, my night nurse, told me she would check me at 8 pm and call the doctor with my progress. Somewhere around 7 pm I started to get back labor, and bad. It was about this time I had finally decided to take a nap, and couldn't. The mobile monitors were broken so I was confined to my bed and 2 feet from it. I tried leaning over the bed, the ball, hands and knees, and having Clark put counter-pressure on my back. I texted my mom at 7:30, "I want an epidural now."
  She hadn't read my text because she was on the phone with my dad but miraculously showed up in the room a few minutes later. She convinced Rainey to check me, only to find out I was still a 2. But instead of waiting for me to get to a 4, my mom convinced Rainey to go ahead and order an epidural. That was THE shining pivotal moment when I was so so glad my mom was there. I had tried to send her home most of the afternoon because nothing was changing, but she kept sticking around for me and I was SO GLAD. I started shaking during the placement of the epidural and I remember counting how many contractions I had until it was placed and bargaining in my head, "ok, I can do 4 more of these, then I better not have to feel another one." I definitely had more than 4 as they were coming fast but I just kept bumping up the number in my head. Somewhere around 8:20 the epidural was placed and I was at 4 cm.
  I don't know specifics but I was at an 8 about an hour later. I was still shaking and kept getting asked if I was cold. I remember thinking, I don't know, am I? I tried to nap again but then I started getting nauseated at the end, not sure why, but I did not feel well. I kept having pressure the last hour and Dr. Meredith showed up somewhere around 10 or 10:30. My mom and Clark were hanging out at the bedside when the nurses and Dr. Meredith all came in at once and said the baby's heartrate said it was time to push. I pushed through one contraction and the chatty nicu nurse made us miss the second contraction. I was really annoyed with her because I knew I needed to push and she was too busy telling some stupid story for the doctor to notice, even though my nurse noticed and seemed annoyed too. Hello!? Pushing a baby out here! I pushed through the second contraction and out came her head and I just remember wanting the get the shoulders out because the pressure was so intense, so out she came!
  Mollie was born at 10:47 pm weighing 8 pounds 10 ounces and 21 inches long. She had an apgar of 8 and 9 and cried and cried during her assessment. They gave her to me to hold shortly after and I felt so tired and nauseated that I didn't feel like I could hold her very long. I was also still shaking uncontrollably. I gave her to Clark, I think. I don't remember a lot after, except it seemed like everything happened fast. I remember them bringing me a sandwich and asking if I was hungry and thinking I definitely wasn't and asking for Mollie to have a bath. I just wanted to get over to mother/baby so I could sleep. My mom left and I asked Clark for some root beer, bad choice. I had a few sips and decided on water and guzzled it and everything wanted to come back at once. Clark found me a bin right on time. The worst part was when the nurse came back in and almost used the same bin to give Mollie her bath. Clark saved her from that fate, which is gross and funny now. I was able to hold and nurse Mollie after her bath and feel better and shake less. But I was so, so tired and they wouldn't send me to mom/baby until I got up and used the bathroom.
  I thought I could get up and try. Clark basically held up my numb left side and dragged me to the bathroom with the nurse. I remember telling them I was either going to pass out or throw up and Clark grabbed my shoulders really tight to steady me. I snapped at him that it hurt and he was going to make me throw up. I don't remember the rest, suffice to say I DID throw up and pass out simultaneously and was rudely awakened to some nasty smell in front of my nose. I was put in a wheel chair and hauled to the other side where I slept glorious sleep and returned to a more steady state of mind in the morning, able to hold and enjoy my baby much easier.

I was not happy about the token bed picture, puke bag in hand.

Out and screaming

Clark and Mollie in the morning

Such a sweet face.

Dressed and ready to go home.