2 PM Epidural Time

Okay, since it takes a half hour between the time that she orders the epidural and the pain goes away, Leigh has pulled the trigger and is now in preparation. She will get an entire bag of fluid through the IV first to try and combat the low blood pressure that getting the epidural can create. Then, the anesthetist will numb her back where the needle will be put in which is supposed to feel like a bee sting and then there will be some pressure while the needle that carries the catheter to the epidural space by the spine. If you want some more information about how that works, I'll let you check Google. :) I say that because it's 2:30 now and the line has been placed so there's more to talk about! The one funny bit was Leigh, mid-contraction, asking the anesthesiologist not to look at the 'busted biscuit' (look it up if you're not familiar with the term) she's grown since pregnancy. Everyone got a pretty good laugh from that one...I wanted to take video of the process but (no surprise...malpractice potential, etc...they wouldn't let me...oh well. May try and sneak a picture of the result here in a bit...nothing major or gory, just a small line disappearing into her skin. Cheryl, you may not want to look!)

So the pain has gone away by now and just in time because the pain was getting really intense. Now she isn't really feeling the contractions at all. Dr. Lucas came in just after the line was placed and checked the dilation. No change unfortunately...between 4 and 5 cm and the baby's head was still at -3 meaning it still hasn't dropped into the pelvis to really get that dilation going. The Oxytosin is now up to 24 and Dr. Lucas has approved it to go to a max of 25, well over the normal max of 20.

The hope now is that the epidural will make Leigh stay relaxed through these contractions whereas she was tensing up before and not letting the baby move at all. We've set a tentative deadline of 4:30 or so to have some progress or we're back to our other option.

Leigh is going to try and take a nap and I'm going to look for food...more later!