January 26, 2005 - 10:13 a.m.

I have a few minutes finally. :) Here is how Carrot entered the world from what I can remember:
Jan. 12 I started having contractions early afternoon but really thought nothing of them since I had been having them on and off for about a week. By early evening they were pretty regular and I really had to stop to breath through a few of them. So around 7:30 pm we took Greenbean over to Grandma's house and we were off to the hospital. We got there and I was still only 3 cm, same as I had been for 2 weeks. We stayed for a few more hours and was all prepared to go back home when lo and behold, I went to 5 cm and we were staying. Stayed at 5 for 4 hours while Schuyler and I walked and walked and rolled on the yoga ball I purchased just for this occasion. Finally progressing to 6 at around 5 in the morning. I was getting frustrated because I could have done most of the laboring at home instead of there but at least I was there. The doctor came in around 8 AM and broke my water. Things progressed a little faster then and I did get an epidural. (those things are a piece of hevean I tell you) Carrot was still very high in my belly and was not coming down. She was very adamant about this even when I was pushing. The epidural eventually wore off right after transition and I was in pain wishing for someone to tell me that my body was made for this just so I could punch them out. Two out of three labor nurses kept telling me I will end up with another c-section and of course, I start crying getting all upset. Good thing Schuyler was there to give me support. Him and the other labor nurse were great, encouraging me. Telling me that I can have a vaginal birth, and to not to listen to the others. I was a mess. Contractions coming almost right on top of each other and me losing my mind because the other nurses were so discouraging. Even thinking back on it now makes me cry. I remember asking for more pain medication so that I could at least be awake for the birth of Carrot if the need of another section should arise but was told I couldn't because it would lessen the ability to push. In came the doctor again around 10 and I started pushing. Carrot still not wanting to come down and me in excruciating pain wishing for whole lower part of my body to be chopped off and fed to piranhas. The epidural wore off enough that the doctor suggested I try another position to push in. So up on my legs I went to squat, clutching Schuyler around the neck as he held me around my waist. The doctor telling me to push as Schuyler is whispering in my ear "come on honey, you can push. Push her out! You can do it!!!" I pushed like that for almost 45 min and still no progress. With the total pushing time being a little over 2 hours, the doctor calmly told me that she thought it would be best to go ahead with another c-section. After 15 hours of labor, no sleep since the night before and with Carrot not coming down at all. Heck, she never even reached my pelvis. The doctor said she would not like to see the baby go into any more distress and that I was so exchausted things could only turn for the worse. I agreed to go ahead with the surgery but requested a bikini incision instead of the one I had w/ Greenbean. The only part of the whole thing that really upsets me is that I had to be put to sleep again and miss the birth of my second child. But I do NOT regret attempting a vaginal birth only to have surgery again. Really, truly, I am not upset because in the end we have a beautiful child.
The rest of my hospital stay was horrible to say the least. They wouldn't bring Carrot to me till 4 hours AFTER I woke up from surgery. I called every 10 minutes asking for her so we could get started on nursing. The nurses got fed up with me and sent the pediatrician to talk to me. He told me nothing was wrong with her and that she was just in observation for another 45 min. I told him to bring her down to me if she was fine. Of course they didn't and against my wishes was fed a bottle of sugar water. My husband finally showed up and they brought her to me for the first time. Schuyler was telling me how she was the first time he saw her and the nurse started arguing with him before she even gave me my child. I had to yell at her to give me Carrot. (Literally, I yelled at her and from that day on she never came back to my room which was fine by me) If I hadn't had surgery I would have gone to get her myself but I couldn't.
I'm going to go now though. I'll update more later on. I really need a nap while Greenbean and Schuyler are out. :)

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