I have been a lurker on this thread from the beginning but have not posted much because I lost my son at almost 19 weeks and I was afraid to get too involved in a DDC. BUT I had my healthy baby girl today~! 
Wednesday, November 25 I started having contractions around 5:00 a.m. They weren't too bad but I was concentrating on breathing through them. I was timing them but would guess they were less than 30 seconds and about 15 minutes apart. They lasted about an hour and a half. In my mind, I was planning my day just in case it was really labor. About the time that my children get up for the day and I had to get ready for work, the contractions had fizzled out so I got ready for work. I was feeling "off" but nothing specific. I dragged myself into work, expecting to be done by noon. The morning progressed slowly. I felt intermittent cramping and a general feeling of blah. At one point I felt nauseated but it quickly passed. I also noticed some brown discharge after all the morning contractions.
At noon, I had lunch with my mom and the kids. I told her I felt uncomfortable but nothing specific. The kids played for a couple of hours and then we headed home. I told the kids I had to rest and so I sat on the couch while they watched TV for an hour. DH came home early and took them to the store.
Around six, they returned and I decided to eat a good dinner just in case I went into labor that night. By seven-thirty, I had had a few intermittent contractions. Around eight I started trying to time them but they were still irregular and inconsistent. I decided to take a shower and wash my hair. Then I sat on the couch and drank a cup of hot chocolate. I kept having contractions but they were not that long. About eleven, DH and I went up to bed. I started having more consistent contractions, about 45 seconds and ten minutes apart (didn't time them, just guessing). DH was sleeping lightly. Around one, I told DH to call my parents and tell them I was in labor but not ready to go to the hospital. My parents came shortly before two. By that point, I was struggling to relax during the contractions. I tried to time the contractions on contractionmaster.com
(2:23:52 AM 2:25:35 AM 1:41 4 m, 1 s
2:19:51 AM 2:20:45 AM 0:52 4 m, 32 s
2:15:19 AM 2:16:11 AM 0:51 ---- )
Just before 2:30, my water broke. I went to the bathroom and then we left for the hospital, arriving at about a quarter to three. I had two contractions in the car but they were manageable, slightly better than some before my water broke.
DH parked and we walked towards the doors. I had to lean on DH just outside the door during a long contractions. DH told the desk clerk who I was and the security guard got me a wheelchair. I sat in it but immediately got up to lean against DH again through a contraction. I had to do that again once we got to the maternity floor.
Nurse led us to a room and told me to change into a gown. She checked me and said I was 7-8 cm. About ten minutes later, I was trying not to push and she checked me again but I did not know that I was complete. I breathed hard through the pushing contractions while waiting for the doctor. I was afraid to push because I didn't want my cervix to swell because initially the nurse said I had a lip.
The doctor (my favorite!) arrived and the nurse tried to get me flat on my back in stirrups. I refused and doctor told nurse I could get in whatever position I wanted -- upright sitting with legs bent comfortably. Doctor actually sat on edge of bed to deliver.
My contractions stopped. Doctor, DH, nurses all looked at me since I had been complaining about not pushing for ten minutes or so. It felt like five minutes before I got another contraction but perhaps it was less when I got my next one. I pushed with it and thought I was going to split in half. It was excruciatingly painful. I had wanted a mirror to see what was happening but I was in so much pain I could not look at it. DH said the head was there but I stopped pushing. It wasn't just a ring of fire it felt like I was being burned up the entire region. DH was saying, push, her head is halfway out. I waited a second for another contraction and tried to push again. It seemed like I had a bowling ball stuck in my nether region. DH was saying she was right there so I pushed again and I could feel her shoulder pop out and with another push the rest of her slid out. Immediate relief.
Baby Girl born 3:40 a.m. on her due date -- November 26
7 lbs 15 ounces (my biggest baby!)
20 inches
She is beautiful! I had a tiny tear which required one stitch. We go home tomorrow. I am so thankful for her!
Wednesday, November 25 I started having contractions around 5:00 a.m. They weren't too bad but I was concentrating on breathing through them. I was timing them but would guess they were less than 30 seconds and about 15 minutes apart. They lasted about an hour and a half. In my mind, I was planning my day just in case it was really labor. About the time that my children get up for the day and I had to get ready for work, the contractions had fizzled out so I got ready for work. I was feeling "off" but nothing specific. I dragged myself into work, expecting to be done by noon. The morning progressed slowly. I felt intermittent cramping and a general feeling of blah. At one point I felt nauseated but it quickly passed. I also noticed some brown discharge after all the morning contractions.
At noon, I had lunch with my mom and the kids. I told her I felt uncomfortable but nothing specific. The kids played for a couple of hours and then we headed home. I told the kids I had to rest and so I sat on the couch while they watched TV for an hour. DH came home early and took them to the store.
Around six, they returned and I decided to eat a good dinner just in case I went into labor that night. By seven-thirty, I had had a few intermittent contractions. Around eight I started trying to time them but they were still irregular and inconsistent. I decided to take a shower and wash my hair. Then I sat on the couch and drank a cup of hot chocolate. I kept having contractions but they were not that long. About eleven, DH and I went up to bed. I started having more consistent contractions, about 45 seconds and ten minutes apart (didn't time them, just guessing). DH was sleeping lightly. Around one, I told DH to call my parents and tell them I was in labor but not ready to go to the hospital. My parents came shortly before two. By that point, I was struggling to relax during the contractions. I tried to time the contractions on contractionmaster.com
(2:23:52 AM 2:25:35 AM 1:41 4 m, 1 s
2:19:51 AM 2:20:45 AM 0:52 4 m, 32 s
2:15:19 AM 2:16:11 AM 0:51 ---- )
Just before 2:30, my water broke. I went to the bathroom and then we left for the hospital, arriving at about a quarter to three. I had two contractions in the car but they were manageable, slightly better than some before my water broke.
DH parked and we walked towards the doors. I had to lean on DH just outside the door during a long contractions. DH told the desk clerk who I was and the security guard got me a wheelchair. I sat in it but immediately got up to lean against DH again through a contraction. I had to do that again once we got to the maternity floor.
Nurse led us to a room and told me to change into a gown. She checked me and said I was 7-8 cm. About ten minutes later, I was trying not to push and she checked me again but I did not know that I was complete. I breathed hard through the pushing contractions while waiting for the doctor. I was afraid to push because I didn't want my cervix to swell because initially the nurse said I had a lip.
The doctor (my favorite!) arrived and the nurse tried to get me flat on my back in stirrups. I refused and doctor told nurse I could get in whatever position I wanted -- upright sitting with legs bent comfortably. Doctor actually sat on edge of bed to deliver.
My contractions stopped. Doctor, DH, nurses all looked at me since I had been complaining about not pushing for ten minutes or so. It felt like five minutes before I got another contraction but perhaps it was less when I got my next one. I pushed with it and thought I was going to split in half. It was excruciatingly painful. I had wanted a mirror to see what was happening but I was in so much pain I could not look at it. DH said the head was there but I stopped pushing. It wasn't just a ring of fire it felt like I was being burned up the entire region. DH was saying, push, her head is halfway out. I waited a second for another contraction and tried to push again. It seemed like I had a bowling ball stuck in my nether region. DH was saying she was right there so I pushed again and I could feel her shoulder pop out and with another push the rest of her slid out. Immediate relief.
Baby Girl born 3:40 a.m. on her due date -- November 26
7 lbs 15 ounces (my biggest baby!)
20 inches
She is beautiful! I had a tiny tear which required one stitch. We go home tomorrow. I am so thankful for her!
