Timeline

Monday, November 21, 2005
10am Marisa has a doctors appointment where the decision to induce is made.

6pm She, I and Susan arrive at the hospital and Marisa is admitted and IV’d and set up in a labor/delivery/recovery/postpartum room. Everything is done in the same room.

7:55 p.m. Cervadil (something to “ripen” the cervix) is inserted and we are told it has to be there for 12 hours. Susan leaves and Josh, Marisa and I hunker down for the night.

Marisa sleeps off and on, no real labor pain since actual contractions haven’t begun but she is experiencing discomfort from lying on her sides and her hips are very sore.

Tuesday, November 22, 2005
5am Marisa decides to sit up to help the discomfort in her back and hips. Nurse comes in and makes her lay down. Nurse leaves, Marisa sits back up, nurse comes in Marisa lays down. See the pattern?

5:30 am They compromise and give Marisa her epidural DRIP to ease the discomfort. Marisa had epidural tattooed across her forehead so there would never be any confusion.

8am The cervadil is removed and the doctor examines Marisa to determine that she is 2 cm dialated but only 50% effaced and the baby was still +3. (Effacing is the thinning of the cervix to allow for stretchability. You need to be 100% effaced and you want negative number stages for the positioning of the baby’s head.)

8:30 am Pitocin is added to Marisa’s drippers. She is getting 2 mg an hour and labor begins.

10:30 am Doctor checks her and she is now about 3 cm but everything else is the same. He breaks her water.

2pm Marisa has been having good contractions (numbers in the 80’s) at a regular pace. Nurse checks her and still no improvement. I decide to run home and change and run some errands. (more on that later) As I leave the nurse and I talk at the nurses station and she tells me to prepare for a c-section.

3:30 Marisa is checked yet again and is now at 4cm but no change in the effacing or the positioning of the baby. The doctor tells her to prepare herself that it may be a c-section.

4pm Susan and I arrive back at the hospital.

5:30 pm The doctor comes in and still no change the decision is made…Marisa will have a c-section at 6:30.

7pm Marisa is taken away from us and we (Melody has now arrived) head up to her new room upstairs. Marisa is very calm cool and collected, I on the other hand am a nervous wreck.

7:30 pm (Taj and Adam have now arrived) Josh and Caitlyn come back to the room. Him beaming her screaming. In a blur of motion the nurse does all the bathing, and everything right there in her room. They have no nursery. Marisa is in recovery, she was nauseous at the end of the surgery.

9:30 pm Marisa comes back to the room and finally gets to see her beautiful baby. Kathy arrives and all is well with both mom and baby.

10pm Family all leaves.

Busy, busy day!