Leah Harleigh's birth story

Ann1212 · #1 June 12th, 2009, 09:13 AM

So we got to the hospital and were admitted around 10am. I found out that they were inducing me because they had down that I had gestational hypertension, which I didn't have, but whatever I'm not complaining. I got checked and was already 3cm dilated about 75% effaced. They put that balloon thing in to stretch me out to around 4cm, that fell out the first time I got up to pee (about 10 minutes after they put it in). We then hung around for a while. After that, Leah's heartrate dropped a little, so they had me on oxygen and held off starting the pit until they made sure she was ok. They eventually started it and we hung around some more, Geoff read and I watched That 70s Show, it was quite uneventful.

I was having contractions but not really feeling them. I didn't feel them until they broke my water and upped my pit around 3:30. Soon after I asked for the epidural, cause Man it hurt!

It took forever for it to work even a little bit. It never completely kicked in. I couldn't feel or move my legs, but I could still feel pain in my lower abdomen, but it made it tolerable. It felt like burning, not pressure, so they didn't bother checking me. Around 8:30pm (I'm guessing on the time here) I asked for another small dose cause the epi was wearing off. I was going to suck it up, but I figured it would still be a while and the longer I waited the worse it would get. They checked me first and I was completely effaced and dilated and Leah was RIGHT there, I didn't even know, lol. So they all came in and two pushes later she was out, I didn't feel her come out at all, I had no clue if I was even pushing right! I wanted her cleaned off before I held her, so I didn't get to see her for a while. I have a 2nd degree midline tear, and a labia tear, so I have a bunch of stitches, which hurts, but worth the pain.

Leah was born at 8:41pm on June 9th, 2009 weighed 8lbs 3oz and was 19 inches long.