Finally a girl!! Breanna's birth~

I was so excited that I was finally having a girl!
Now I'm pregnant with my third girl...God is Good!
We were anxious to have her, I was 2 days away from my due date. The 3 boys were all early, so I was expecting early! Had some early labor signs, but the hospital sent us home...
So the next day Mike and I took the boys, now 4 and 2, to the mall.
We saw Santa, took pictures, walked around and finally around noon, settled in at Barnes and Noble. I don't know what, but something magical happened there!
I suddenly had one strong contraction, and they never stopped after that...
We had promised the boys Friendly's for lunch, they were really looking forward to it, and it was just next door, so off we went!
By the time our food came I could hardly sit in the seat, actually I don't think I did sit in the seat...I held myself up off the seat! That was the quickest meal we ever ate.
Well, they ate, not me. I remember pulling in the garage to drop off the boys and the contractions were so strong I was breathing thru them.
I thought I was going to have her in the truck!
They took one look at me in triage and knew I was staying this time.
I had already dilated to 5 cm and was breathing thru contractions.
I choose an epidural this time, for a couple reasons...
one- Mike and I thought this was our last baby so why not take it easy this with this last one.
two- I didn't know how long and intense this labor was going to be...Griffin was before her and he was my hardest up to that point! I didn't want another replay...
three- Something I just wanted to try. plain and simple.
However I didn't look into the risks and pitfalls associated with an epidural. I assumed everybody got them, they must be safe:)
I get in a birthing room, they break my water and put in my epidural.
For those of you who haven't had an epidural, let me share with you briefly, how it felt...
I have always had a needle phobia first of all.
The anesthesiologist makes your husband leave the room.
Then the nurse helps hold you over the side of the bed leaning on a tray.
Meanwhile you are still having contractions...
You have to hunch your back over like a cat while your belly is being squeezed and is as hard as a medicine ball!
The injection site is numbed up with lidocaine and then then the epidural needle is inserted.
Which doesn't hurt and is placed and taped quickly.
With my epidural I was given a button to push whenever I wanted pain relief.
A patient controlled analgesia.
As soon as the medication was delivered however my body started shaking...
I couldn't control it! Like I was shivering in the cold weather...
So I didn't really rest while I was waiting to dilate, I was shaking so much!
A short hour later I was 10 cm and told to start pushing.
During the pushing somehow half of my belly and lower parts regained feeling, so half of me was numb and half wasn't! It was weird.
An hour later she was born at 6 o'clock! From from start to finish- 6 hours.
I look back and feel that epidural was a waste! I could have done as Ive previously done without the hassle, shaking, and back pain ( that lasted 9 plus months) !!
Pam was there for her birth, and that was the only other person besides my mom and spouse, that have attended. It was great to have another set of hands and support for Mike and I.
They ran out and got me dinner from Wendy's while the staff checked Breanna.
She weighed 8.3 lbs. My second smallest- Erik was the littlest.
I enjoyed my time in the hospital with her and kept her with me all the time.
She nursed well, so I thought...that I will save for another blog post!
As the next 6 mo were very challenging!
I wont go into details...but there was one complication with her birth, that resulted in a fractured
clavicle. None of the medical staff who examined her caught it at birth or at checkups. I found it a whole month later! Again...for another post. I need to finish this birth series first!
Saty tuned, as the next two posts are about my homebirth experiences:)