Eliza's Birth Experience

I enjoy reading these type of posts so I decided to post my experience with delivering Eliza. Here it goes...
As you know, I was scheduled to be induced on Tuesday, November 18th. IMC called the night prior and told me they would call us in the morning. They didn't give me a time frame, only that I was third on the list and that I should call them if I hadn't heard from them by 10 am. I didn't sleep very well that night and started worrying about making sure I was up and ready to go when they called in the morning so I was up about 6 am. Marty and Brooklyn woke up a few hours later and we all started getting ready. They eventually went outside and played baseball while I waited inside for the phone to ring. It never did so at 10 am I called them and the charge nurse was on the phone with another person and they said she would call me right back. Again I waited until 10:30 when the phone finally rang and they asked if I could be there by 11 am because they would have a nurse and room available then. I told them yes, but knew I wouldn't be there at exactly 11. We still had to take Brooklyn to my step mom's house to be watched for the day. Luckily she doesn't live very far away so we made it to the hospital about 11:15 and then went through registration. They assigned me to room 11 and gave me my hospital gown. My nurse, Sarah, came in around noon and checked me. I was dilated to a 3 still, which was sad since I had been having some contractions the few days before. She then started the IV and Pitocin. I was started on 6 units of Pitocin and they gradually increase this every half hour. Dr. Chambers came in around 12:30 and broke my water. The contractions started, but nothing too bad. I was actually thinking maybe I could do this without the drugs. HA!
Gradually the Pitocin was increased and I started to feel more and more pain so I told the nurse to find the anesthesiologist. He was finished up with a C-section so they put me on the list. He came in about 2:30 and gave me the epidural. He wasn't as good as the one I had with Brooklyn. Marty agreed and said he was much more rough than the other one. He told me to wait 5-10 minutes and then I shouldn't feel anything anymore. At 10 minutes, I couldn't feel my legs, but I could feel every contraction and it hurt! I pushed the more medicine button twice, before my nurse came in to see what was wrong. At this point I was crying because it hurt so bad. She called the anesthesiologist back in the room and he either gave me more drugs or adjusted something, I'm not sure. Slowly I didn't feel them as strong and then I didn't feel them at all. I also couldn't feel my legs at all and the numbness was creeping higher and higher up my body. It was actually a very scary feeling.
At about 3 pm, the nurse had been watching the monitor and came in worried about the baby. The Pitocin was up to 16 units and the contractions were coming so close together that the baby couldn't get a rest. She said the heart rate was dropping and it appeared like she was ready to come. She checked me and I was at a 5, but could be stretched to a 7. So it wasn't time yet. She turned the Pitocin down to 5 units and put a lovely oxygen mask on me to help the baby get some oxygen. I've never had to wear one of those before and didn't like it at all. I didn't like that I couldn't talk freely anymore.
At 4 pm, Sarah came in and said Dr. Chambers wanted to know how I was progressing. She checked me and I was at a 9+ and ready to go. Sarah was shocked that I went from 5 to 9 in one hour! Dr. Chambers left and started on her way to the hospital while Sarah prepared the room for delivery.
At 4:30, it was time to start pushing. The baby's head was right there and ready to go. The doctor said it wouldn't take much to get her out. The only downfall, I couldn't feel a thing. It was the most frustrating thing to be told to push and feel like you had no ability to help. What could have been two pushes and she was out turned into 5 or 6 different attempts. I was so out of breath and I couldn't take the oxygen mask off. Everyone said I was pushing, but I honestly couldn't tell. This was so different from Brooklyn's experience where I knew exactly what I was doing. The whole time I was pushing, the doctor kept talking about the anesthesiologist and how she was going to talk to him because he often gives his patients way too much drugs and then they can't help with the delivery.
At 4:46 pm, Eliza was born. She had the cord wrapped around her neck, just like Brooklyn, but she was just fine. They placed her on my belly and I just laid there and cried. It was such a relief to be done and know she was safely here. So all and all, this delivery experience was similar to Brooklyn's delivery as far as the amount of time and the induction, but different because there were more complications. The anesthesiologist and your nurse really make or break your hospital experience. Too bad we don't get any choice on those things. My nurse was ok, she didn't do anything above and beyond, but she did her job. My anesthesiologist was not so great obviously and I'm really sad I have to pay him lots of money for what he did. I was seriously numb until about 4 am, which is about 14 hours after it was put in me. I'm just glad it went away and I didn't have more complications.
So far, recovery has been easier this time around which is so nice. Eliza is a great little baby and eats really well. We are so grateful she is a part of our little family!