October 12, 2009 (6 days past due date)
at about 7:30pm a trip to the bathroom revealed that labor was not far off. I noticed some bloody show and knew the contractions would be sure to follow.
I felt my first contraction at about 8pm and waited to see if i experienced more. The contractions remained irregular at about 12 to 15 minutes apart for a few hours. I gave my midwife a call to let her know tonight was the night. My Husband was out playing music and I knew he would be home shortly so I decided not to call him. He came home around 11:30 at which point my contractions were pretty regularly 4 minutes apart. I spent some time relaxing, getting things together, bouncing on my birth ball.
I quickly realized around midnight that this was going to be a fairly quick first labor. I called my midwife back and she let me know to give her a call as soon as we were feeling we needed to go to the birth center. We decided to labor at home for a little longer. We put on some music and slow danced through the contractions.
When i started feeling pressure i knew that it was time to head out, around 2am. The car ride was difficult as i could not move as i pleased.
We arrived at the birth center at about 2:30 and the apprentice midwife was waiting for us. She had the bathtub full of water, lights dimmed and candles lit all around. I couldn't wait to jump in that tub and get some relief! She could tell that i was clearly well into active labor by this point. Within minutes I had gotten changed and into the tub with my husband. It felt as though the contractions had been cut in half! The warm water was amazing and i felt my whole body relax. I went into my own world. I labored against the side of the tub for about 2 hours with my husband applying counter pressure during contractions. At about 4:30 i felt my bag of waters break and i knew it wouldn't be long. The pressure became very intense and i could not help but push during contractions, the midwifes assured me to go with my instincts. I turned around and leaned with my arms on my husbands legs as he sat on the side of the tub supporting me. The pain was like nothing i had ever felt before, i could pinpoint the two moments when i tore as his head emerged.
Baby Tristan was born by 5am, my husband reached down to catch him and lift him into my arms. All the thoughts of pain disappeared. I have never been so full of emotion in all of my life, i could not hold it in. I instantly fell in love with this amazing being, all 9 lbs 1oz of him! We cuddled him and held him in the tub just staring in awe. After about 10 minutes the placenta came out.....
This is where the fun starts.....within minutes of cutting the cord the bath turned bright red. I began to feel very light headed and i handed Tristan to my husband. Everything got very blurry and i felt that i needed to close my eyes. I could hear the chaos around me as the midwives and my husband tried to figure out what was going on. I was hemorrhaging.. the midwives where trying desperately to get an IV into me but my blood pressure was just too low and they could not place it in the vein. I received a shot of pitocin in my thigh but was not enough for immediate help. I can remember my husband trying to keep my awake, and the beyond terrified pale look on his face. I remember being asked to sing happy birthday to Tristan, to answer questions about my name and where i was, to drink a very sugary chlorophyll beverage...it is mostly blurry.
The EMT's showed up and i was lifted out of the tub, mostly naked and covered in blood, onto a gurney. My amazing midwife held my hand and covered me with a comfy blanket, I had no idea what was going on, I desperately wanted to go to sleep. During the ambulance ride they were able to get an IV of Pitocin in me and I was put on oxygen. Before we got to the hospital things started to become a little clearer. I was wheeled though the hospital into the ER. Everything was still mostly a blur. Within minutes my husband was by my side. I begin to become more level headed.
An OB comes in to examine me, he is very rough as he digs around looking for retained placenta and examining my tears. After examining me roughly for 20 minutes he announces that he is off duty and a female OB comes in to replace him. She is much gentler and lets me know that i need to remain on pitocin and that i will need stitches. I am semi lucid at this point and realizing that my baby is no where in site. My husband assures me he is safe and healthy and with the apprentice midwives across the street and that he will be brought over as soon as the hospital will allow.
At this point the doctors have read my file and see that i am GBS+ and go on to tell me that they will need to admit the baby, I am so confused how did all of my planning and all of my research result in this? I do not allow them to admit Tristan, I am threatened that If i do not allow them to admit him that he could die and that i could die if i do not get antibiotics, they are very hostile. Luckily I have done my research and I do not consent. I beg them to tell me when i can see my baby. They say after I have been stitched.
After I am stable they transfer me to a recovery room where I wait for the OB to come stitch me up. Hours pass....finally she comes in and does my stitches. I plead with her to let me see my baby. She tells me that they want to admit him and place him in the NICU because of the GBS, I stand my ground, she then tells me if I don't admit him that she won't give me any diapers! Well i didn't think of it that way......she tells me he may visit after my stitches are done.
My midwife brings Tristan to me at about 10:00am.... i missed the first 5 hours of my sons life.
I learn that he fell asleep with the midwives and was happy and content.
I was able to breastfeed him, it was amazing. I remained weak and unable to walk for several hours. With constant and confident persistence we were able to convince the doctor to allow us to leave and recover at the birth center.
By about 8 pm we were all snuggled in a comfy queen bed being pampered and treated the way a new family deserves.
at about 7:30pm a trip to the bathroom revealed that labor was not far off. I noticed some bloody show and knew the contractions would be sure to follow.
I felt my first contraction at about 8pm and waited to see if i experienced more. The contractions remained irregular at about 12 to 15 minutes apart for a few hours. I gave my midwife a call to let her know tonight was the night. My Husband was out playing music and I knew he would be home shortly so I decided not to call him. He came home around 11:30 at which point my contractions were pretty regularly 4 minutes apart. I spent some time relaxing, getting things together, bouncing on my birth ball.
I quickly realized around midnight that this was going to be a fairly quick first labor. I called my midwife back and she let me know to give her a call as soon as we were feeling we needed to go to the birth center. We decided to labor at home for a little longer. We put on some music and slow danced through the contractions.
When i started feeling pressure i knew that it was time to head out, around 2am. The car ride was difficult as i could not move as i pleased.
We arrived at the birth center at about 2:30 and the apprentice midwife was waiting for us. She had the bathtub full of water, lights dimmed and candles lit all around. I couldn't wait to jump in that tub and get some relief! She could tell that i was clearly well into active labor by this point. Within minutes I had gotten changed and into the tub with my husband. It felt as though the contractions had been cut in half! The warm water was amazing and i felt my whole body relax. I went into my own world. I labored against the side of the tub for about 2 hours with my husband applying counter pressure during contractions. At about 4:30 i felt my bag of waters break and i knew it wouldn't be long. The pressure became very intense and i could not help but push during contractions, the midwifes assured me to go with my instincts. I turned around and leaned with my arms on my husbands legs as he sat on the side of the tub supporting me. The pain was like nothing i had ever felt before, i could pinpoint the two moments when i tore as his head emerged.
Baby Tristan was born by 5am, my husband reached down to catch him and lift him into my arms. All the thoughts of pain disappeared. I have never been so full of emotion in all of my life, i could not hold it in. I instantly fell in love with this amazing being, all 9 lbs 1oz of him! We cuddled him and held him in the tub just staring in awe. After about 10 minutes the placenta came out.....
This is where the fun starts.....within minutes of cutting the cord the bath turned bright red. I began to feel very light headed and i handed Tristan to my husband. Everything got very blurry and i felt that i needed to close my eyes. I could hear the chaos around me as the midwives and my husband tried to figure out what was going on. I was hemorrhaging.. the midwives where trying desperately to get an IV into me but my blood pressure was just too low and they could not place it in the vein. I received a shot of pitocin in my thigh but was not enough for immediate help. I can remember my husband trying to keep my awake, and the beyond terrified pale look on his face. I remember being asked to sing happy birthday to Tristan, to answer questions about my name and where i was, to drink a very sugary chlorophyll beverage...it is mostly blurry.
The EMT's showed up and i was lifted out of the tub, mostly naked and covered in blood, onto a gurney. My amazing midwife held my hand and covered me with a comfy blanket, I had no idea what was going on, I desperately wanted to go to sleep. During the ambulance ride they were able to get an IV of Pitocin in me and I was put on oxygen. Before we got to the hospital things started to become a little clearer. I was wheeled though the hospital into the ER. Everything was still mostly a blur. Within minutes my husband was by my side. I begin to become more level headed.
An OB comes in to examine me, he is very rough as he digs around looking for retained placenta and examining my tears. After examining me roughly for 20 minutes he announces that he is off duty and a female OB comes in to replace him. She is much gentler and lets me know that i need to remain on pitocin and that i will need stitches. I am semi lucid at this point and realizing that my baby is no where in site. My husband assures me he is safe and healthy and with the apprentice midwives across the street and that he will be brought over as soon as the hospital will allow.
At this point the doctors have read my file and see that i am GBS+ and go on to tell me that they will need to admit the baby, I am so confused how did all of my planning and all of my research result in this? I do not allow them to admit Tristan, I am threatened that If i do not allow them to admit him that he could die and that i could die if i do not get antibiotics, they are very hostile. Luckily I have done my research and I do not consent. I beg them to tell me when i can see my baby. They say after I have been stitched.
After I am stable they transfer me to a recovery room where I wait for the OB to come stitch me up. Hours pass....finally she comes in and does my stitches. I plead with her to let me see my baby. She tells me that they want to admit him and place him in the NICU because of the GBS, I stand my ground, she then tells me if I don't admit him that she won't give me any diapers! Well i didn't think of it that way......she tells me he may visit after my stitches are done.
My midwife brings Tristan to me at about 10:00am.... i missed the first 5 hours of my sons life.
I learn that he fell asleep with the midwives and was happy and content.
I was able to breastfeed him, it was amazing. I remained weak and unable to walk for several hours. With constant and confident persistence we were able to convince the doctor to allow us to leave and recover at the birth center.
By about 8 pm we were all snuggled in a comfy queen bed being pampered and treated the way a new family deserves.
