Thursday morning i had my doctors appointment. Doc said i was 1.5 cm dilated, she had dropped a bit, but he didn't think i was going to go into Labor for the next 5-6 days. He told me I could slowly come off best rest. I was excited.

Thursday night, at around 9pm, i thought that my water had possibly broken. No gush or anything, but some wetness. So we gather up everything and head off to Labor and Delivery.

Once there i was given an ultrasound and my cervix was checked to see how far dilated i was and IF my water had even broke. No, my water hadnt broken, and i was still 1.5 cm dilate. BUT they but me on a fetal monitor for 30 mins just to see if i was having contractions. I was! They were coming every 6 mins. They were also getting painful, so they put and IV in and gave me some pain meds.

After about 30 mins, they decided to check me again. I was a bit more dilated but not much. So back to the monitoring. This went on til about....midnight and then they decided to give me oxytocin. This is also when i got my epidural.

The oxytocin AND epidural werent working. At around 10am Friday, they decided to send me up to maternity, sleep for a while and come back to see what was happening. So we went up and slept for 3 hours and went back down to L & D. I was now 2 cm......GRRRR....so back up to maternity and more sleep.

3pm friday, the Midwife check me again, i was 3 cms....AND THEN... My water broke....or should i say, she "accidently" broke it. Finally, things are going to get started.

The put me back on the monitor and i was having more frequent and stronger contractions but they werent making me dilate enough so they once again decided to put me on oxytocin to get labor started.

HOWEVER, during the day, my epidural line had shifted, making it sooo painful to even breath. So they had to call the anesthesia guy to fix it. Then they started my epi again.

Now here in germany, they do what they call a walking epidural.....so really, it does NOTHING!!!!! Contractions got very very painful. (during all of labor and delivery i think i went thru 2 bags full of epi meds....)

So at about 9/10 friday night, they checked me and i was finally dilating. I had finally gotten far! They told me that in about an hour i would be 10 and ready to push.

At about 11/1130pm, it was time. Problem was, pain meds werent working and they wouldnt give me anymore.....I did not sign up for this! But they had me start pushing.

OMG!!!!!

It hurt so bad. I couldnt breath, and i didnt want to push, it hurt to much and when i was done pushing i would have an even stronger contraction. I think i spent the whole time, trying to argue my way out of labor....c-section, knock me out, anything! The midwife told me i would not get thru this labor by discussing it. And that was that..... It got to the point where my mom had one leg, the other was in a stirup, leo had my hand, another midwife was pusing on my belly (later the chief doc took over this duty) and the main midwife was trying to stretch me and telling me to push. After about 2 hours of this, i HAD to push, even when they said to take a breath, i couldnt. After that all i remember was screaming " IT BURNS" and then her head was out.

She came out fast after that and was put straight to my belly. She was beautiful. All 7 lbs 3 oz and 19 inches of her!

However i still had to deliever the placenta....that didnt go so well. Part of it was left behind and they had to do a D/C. Pretty much, that is an abortion, they had to scrape my uterus....NO PAIN MEDS for that. It hurt. I also found out that i had ripped straight thru so i had to get stiches and antibiotics.

The birth was totally natural. I will never do it that way again..LOL

So they wheeled me up to my room. I had to pee, i think, (couldnt really feel but i wanted to try). So i get on the toilet, and im sooo dizzy. I tell that to the midwife, who then tells me to hold the sink. All of a sudden i hear a boom. Aparently i had lost so much blood in the toilet that i passed out. That was scary. Next thing i know i am lying in bed, and they are feeding me. (i hadnt eating since thursday night, and that food came up when they gave me pain meds.)

We are all fine now. After 4 days in the hospital (normal in germany). My iron and blood levels are great. Ada of course is wonderful. I am still sore....but oh well.....

One great memory that i will have is that one minute before i delievered, one of the midwifes took pic of my labor. They have it hanging up in the breakroom. The caption says...

"28 April, 239am..." i have the best view from up here."




Here are some pics