Labor & Delivery (please skip if you don't want the TMI details)

Once we were admitted to our delivery room, they started my IV and started fluids and antibiotics. Dr Hinkle thought that my labor would start on its own so we were just hanging out for a few hours. She checked on us before heading into a c-section. I wasn't contracting own my own yet so she wanted me to walk, and then, they would start some pitocin. They got the Pitocin started around 1; I had just started having a few contractions at this point. Dr Hinkle checked me around 1:30, and I hadn't really changed so she headed home to get some sleep. The nurse only turned up the pitocin once, and I determined I would not be able to go "natural". The contractions were awful, and coming with only a 60-90 second brake. I gave in and asked for the epidural. It took a little while to get me comfortable because I had a "hot spot" that wouldn't go numb. The nurse checked me around 4 so I could get a little rest. I had already dilated to 8cm with the little bit of Pitocin they were giving me. The Pitocin had to be turned off around 5 because it was overstimulating my uterus. By 6, I was complete, but he was still a little high so they re-dosed my epidural and let my contractions move him down. The on-call Dr came in around 7:20 and decided we could start pushing. The doctor stayed in the room almost the whole time I was pushing. My contractions had slowed down so we had a few minutes in between pushes to talk and watch Sportscenter. Baby K finally made his entrance into the world at 8:42. (80 minutes of pushing).