On February 24, 36 weeks, Dr. Brody said we were close to having a baby. I sort of begged for one more week to tie up loose ends. He said we could check in again on Monday and plan on inducing that night. My blood pressure was high a lot of the time, so I tried to take it easy. The headaches had begun around that time too and it made me very uncomfortable and anxious. We had planned to go to open gym that Friday, but my bp was high when I woke up (139/92, 141/91) so we just stayed home all day (Kara and Benjamin came by!). All weekend long David managed stuff around the house and let me take it easy. We did get a lot done and prepared for this baby to arrive.
Sunday night David said we should get one last good nights' sleep, so we went to bed early. But... Crawford woke up at 1am with his eye crusted shut. David took him to the doctor first thing Monday morning and sure enough, pink eye. The boys and I went to CVS to get his eye drops filled (none of which was fun nor did it help keep my bp down) and then we played outside a little bit until it was time to go to the doctor for me... Ashley went to the doctor with me and the boys (thank goodness) and my BP was super high (152/101) so it was go time. We thought we would induce at midnight, but Dr. Brody said 5pm so I went into high gear to get ready. Ashley came home with us and helped me so much to get the boys fed and in the bath (one at a time because... pink eye). As soon as I put them down for naps I started running around to tie up loose ends and shower to get myself ready.
Mom and Dad arrived around 3:30, David got home at 4:30 (with Amigos), we loaded up the boys with mom and dad and headed to the hospital. As it turns out, as soon as mom and dad arrived at Ashley's mom got sick and stayed sick all week. They never even got to meet Eve that week, which was terribly sad.
David and I got to the hospital a little after 5pm and waited until after 7pm for a room. I ate all of the snacks I brought during that wait!
They started my pitocin and penicilin (because I was GBS+). The anesthesiologist came by to chat about an epidural. I decided to go ahead and get it before my water was broken (the plan was to do that pretty early on), but to only get a smidge of drugs in it. Leigh came by around 8:30 to hang out and ended up being there for the epidural. I nearly passed out because it was pretty hot in the room and the dr was taking forever (and explaining it all step by step to a student). Turns out, Leigh felt like she was going to pass out too. Haha.
At 9pm I was still only 1cm and 50% effaced. Ash was thankfully still at her house helping take care of the boys. After she got them in bed C kept coming out with excuses and one was "I can't sleep because I have bugs in my eyes." Poor baby. Stupid pink eye. Dr. Brody ended up being there for a delivery so he came by about 10pm and broke my water. I was only 2cm, -2 station and 70% effaced. It was still just a waiting game from then on. At 2am I was still at 2cm, at 5am I was 4cm. Ashley arrived around 6am (which is when my text play-by-play stops).
My epidural began to wear off, but my pain was tolerable so I didn't have them do anything about it. She did tell me not too wait too long to ask to do something because it could get too late. So finally I had the nurse give me a touch in my epi, but after 15 minutes it hadn't touched the pain. It was such a frustrating feeling because the only place that wasn't numb was my uterus, which is where all my pain was. I so badly wanted to get on all fours to help manage the pain, but my legs were all numb. It vividly reminded me of passing my kidney stones, and the pain was SO similar. I finally had them call anesthesia and they came to give me some pain meds. Whatever they gave me (demerol + 2 other things) took care of the pain. My nurse was also rotating me from one side with a leg in the stirrup to the other. She could tell that things were picking up pace, and I knew it was too.
She finally checked me and I was 10cm and +2 station and ready to go! It was very bizarre because as soon as that happened, the room cleared out. They went to call Dr. Brody, but for about 15 minutes it was just me, David and Ashley in the room. I'm so glad I was on my right side and my left leg was up in the stirrup or I'm afraid I would have had that baby without anyone in the room.
They all came in about 10:20 and started getting everything ready. They got me on my back and both legs up in the stirrups just about the time that I was feeling very nauseous (likely because of the demerol). She had already crowned. I kept saying I felt like I was going to puke so David was prepared with a barf bag. Right at "go time" to push I started panicking to puke, and D helped me quickly sit up and start throwing up. I heard Dr. Brody say "well that was a free push!", and the throw up kept coming. As it turned out, every time I threw up, she came out just a little bit more. I had asked for a mirror, but I didn't get to watch anything because my eyes were closed and in a barf bag. After 1-2 minutes of throwing up, she slid right on out at 10:40am. It was WILD. Everyone (and there was a room full - 5 nursing students) was laughing and celebrating. I finished up and felt way better just in time to enjoy my beautiful Eve Louise being handed to me. A resident actually delivered her and she asked me for "half a push" to deliver the placenta.
I got to hold her and snuggle her with David and Ashley there, and I thought my heart would explode (for the third time!). I couldn't believe our little girl was here. I was still sick off and on for the next several hours, but overall I felt so good and elated to be with our little princess!
I got to hold her and snuggle her with David and Ashley there, and I thought my heart would explode (for the third time!). I couldn't believe our little girl was here. I was still sick off and on for the next several hours, but overall I felt so good and elated to be with our little princess!
Eve Louise Geyer
March 1, 2016
10:40am
5 pounds, 13 ounces, 18.75 inches long
