My LONG birth story

I was due 12/24. On 12/25 around 10pm I started to have contractions. Throughout the night they become really intense but were about 10 minutes apart. They continued to last all day Saturday, all night Saturday and they began to get closer together. My water had not broken and I had not lost my mucus plug.
Sunday morning the pain was pretty intense. I called my doctor and he said you could come to the hospital but they are going to send you home and tell you to walk. DH and I walked all over our neighborhood Sunday and got the contractions down to 3 and 4 minutes apart, so we headed to the hospital.

Of course we get to LIJ and after 36+ hours of contractions, they stopped! Luckily my water broke just as they were going to send me home. This was about 4pm, I was 2cm dilated and 80% effaced. They sent me to walk the halls.

At about 10 pm I finally got my epidural (which people had scared me sooo much about and the IV hurt worse!) and I felt soooooooo much better
They checked me again and I was still only 2 cm so they decided to start me on Pitocin.

One of the doctors comes in and explains to me the baby's heart rate dropped a little (from 140s to about 110s) and so they were going to take me off the pitocin, let the baby stabilize and then start it again, if it happened the second time, they would have to do a C-Section which was ok with me as long as was ok!
After I was stabilized they started the pitocin again and after about 15 minutes I could see the baby's heart rate dropping, before I could even get DH, 5 doctors and nurses were in my room and I heard them say prep the OR.

I went into the OR at 2:30 am and by 2:50 am on Dec. 28 my little girl was born. Her heart rate dropped teh second time from 150s to about 70s and it was because the cord was around her neck twice....scariest moment of my life. The doctors and nurses in LIJ L& D were AMAZING. They walked me through everything that was going on and explained everything so clearly to me without freaking me out. Overall, I had a great experience. Even the recovery from the C-Section wasnt as bad as I thought it would be. The worst part was the reaction I had to perkasets (sp?) afterwards

We were team green and everyone swore this was a . The greatest part of the whole expereince was hearing everyone in the or say, "Happy Birthday! It's a GIRL!!"
So here is my baby girl, Angelina Nicole
6lbs, 15oz 19 inches

ETA: pics wont post and only a few posted to my album

Message edited 1/2/2010 5:10:40 PM.

Re: My LONG birth story

Congratulations!!! Your is beautiful, I love her name.

Re: My LONG birth story

congratulations!!!!

Re: My LONG birth story

Congratulations!!!!!!!

Re: My LONG birth story

Many congrats Jenn! Angelina is gorgeous!!!

Re: My LONG birth story

Congratulations again Jenn!! I am so glad that you are having an easy recovery and Angelina is just perfection!!!

Re: My LONG birth story

What a story! Congrats to you and DH! I love the name too!

Re: My LONG birth story

Congratulations! I teared up reading the end of your story. I am such a sap when it comes to hearing birth stories. I had to stop watching A Baby Story because I would end up sobbing!

I don't see the picture of her, but I am sure she is amazing and I love the name Angelina! Beautiful!