Background:
The birth of DD - Water broke, nothing was happening, went to the hospital too early because of infection concerns. They kept pushing pitocin and we were able to get labor started using nipple stimulation...little did I know that the effect would be similar to pitocin. It was very painful and intense. Ended up with an epidural and an episiotomy.
Lesson learned:
I knew from my experience and reading here that it was important not to get to the hospital too early. Contractions started around 6 am on Sunday March 14. I've read and heard many stories about prodromal labor so I was cautious about assuming anything. DH works Sundays and I told him to go to work. I was home alone with DD who is almost 3.
By 10 am I realized contractions were about 10 minutes apart and regular. They slowly got closer together as the day went on but I was managing very well. I just told DD when I had a contraction that I could not talk to her but I would tell her when it was finished. She understood and played near me.
For anyone who is interested, I found Penny Simkin's "Comfort Measures for Labor" DVD very helpful. It was expensive but worth it for me.
By 1 pm the intensity was picking up and I was concerned that my behavior might start to scare DD so I called my MIL to come get her. Contractions were about 5 minutes apart. I told DH to stay at work (looking back this was crazy!) Thank goodness my MIL told him to come home anyway.
DH took DD to MIL's so I could have privacy. He came home and was so nervous! It was about 2 or 2:30. I called the OB and told him that contractions were 3-5 minutes apart. I also told him that they hurt like hell, but I was waiting for a different level of hell that I remembered from my last labor
He said only I could decide when to come in but if they were at 3 minutes for an hour then we probably should go.
We set up music, birthing ball, etc. in our bedroom and made the room dark. DH got out the video camera and started acting like he was making a documentary. I was so annoyed! I told him if he wanted to set it down somewhere that was fine but I did not want to be spoken to or bothered by it. So he sets up the camera and I tell him I'm going to vomit. He brings me the trash can, I do, and then I say "I think we should go to the hospital." He turns off the camera and we start to leave. I'm actually glad he got the camera out - the video clip is funny
On the way downstairs my contractions reached the level of pain that I had remembered from before. DH used counterpressure and it cut the pain in half. Amazing. At this point I got a little scared because I knew vomiting can be a sign of transition, but I also knew that I vomited at 5 cm during my first labor so it could be misleading. I was still afraid of getting to the hospital too early. I had 3 massive contractions in the car and one on my hands and knees in the hospital parking lot!
I got in the wheelchair and had another huge one in the elevator. Sitting was unbearable so I stood up. The lady kept telling me to sit down and I kept saying no. It's funny how labor can change your personality At this point visions of an epidural were dancing in my head! I knew I could handle it for at least a little while longer, though. The nurses all had concerned looks on their faces when they saw me and quickly got me into a room.
There was a couch in the room with its back facing a window. The bed looked very unappealing so I got on the couch on my knees, facing out the window with my chest pressed up against the back of the couch. It allowed DH to continue with counterpressure on my back which was still helping tremendously. I knew the nurse wanted to check me and I told her I would let her when I got a break. Contractions were coming so close together that I couldn't tell when one ended and the next one started. Finally I told her she could check but I wasn't moving. She checked and said it like she had already known - "You're complete."
I just got a little teary typing that. I was SOOOO happy!!
I was afraid she was going to say 5 or something. I knew I could make it through whatever happened next. No time to think about an epidural anymore.
She set up the bed so I could be positioned just like on the couch and I moved when I had another break. No one objected to my "unconventional" (for a hospital) position. I never imagined giving birth "backwards" on my knees but that's what felt right at the time. I was so excited. No monitors, not even a hep-lock. They didn't dare try any of that They did use a doppler once which felt very non-intrusive.
I forgot to mention that I had pushed once on the couch without mentioning it to anyone. Once I got on the bed the urge really set in, just as the doctor got there. He checked and the head was right there. Everyone said "don't push!" as he went to put on another glove. Hah!! I wouldn't have understood this before, but you CAN'T not push! My body totally took over. It was awesome. While he was getting the glove my water broke and Eli Alexander was born moments later. I did feel the "ring of fire" that people describe but it felt so good! The pain was minimal compared to the contractions. After I felt the baby slide out all I had to do was figure out how to turn around.
We got to the hospital shortly after 3 pm and he was born at 3:35. I was in total shock, and still am! We didn't even have a camera! The birth plan was in the car too. Everything was.
We couldn't have planned it better if we tried.
The birth of DD - Water broke, nothing was happening, went to the hospital too early because of infection concerns. They kept pushing pitocin and we were able to get labor started using nipple stimulation...little did I know that the effect would be similar to pitocin. It was very painful and intense. Ended up with an epidural and an episiotomy.
Lesson learned:
I knew from my experience and reading here that it was important not to get to the hospital too early. Contractions started around 6 am on Sunday March 14. I've read and heard many stories about prodromal labor so I was cautious about assuming anything. DH works Sundays and I told him to go to work. I was home alone with DD who is almost 3.
By 10 am I realized contractions were about 10 minutes apart and regular. They slowly got closer together as the day went on but I was managing very well. I just told DD when I had a contraction that I could not talk to her but I would tell her when it was finished. She understood and played near me.
For anyone who is interested, I found Penny Simkin's "Comfort Measures for Labor" DVD very helpful. It was expensive but worth it for me.
By 1 pm the intensity was picking up and I was concerned that my behavior might start to scare DD so I called my MIL to come get her. Contractions were about 5 minutes apart. I told DH to stay at work (looking back this was crazy!) Thank goodness my MIL told him to come home anyway.
DH took DD to MIL's so I could have privacy. He came home and was so nervous! It was about 2 or 2:30. I called the OB and told him that contractions were 3-5 minutes apart. I also told him that they hurt like hell, but I was waiting for a different level of hell that I remembered from my last labor
He said only I could decide when to come in but if they were at 3 minutes for an hour then we probably should go.We set up music, birthing ball, etc. in our bedroom and made the room dark. DH got out the video camera and started acting like he was making a documentary. I was so annoyed! I told him if he wanted to set it down somewhere that was fine but I did not want to be spoken to or bothered by it. So he sets up the camera and I tell him I'm going to vomit. He brings me the trash can, I do, and then I say "I think we should go to the hospital." He turns off the camera and we start to leave. I'm actually glad he got the camera out - the video clip is funny
On the way downstairs my contractions reached the level of pain that I had remembered from before. DH used counterpressure and it cut the pain in half. Amazing. At this point I got a little scared because I knew vomiting can be a sign of transition, but I also knew that I vomited at 5 cm during my first labor so it could be misleading. I was still afraid of getting to the hospital too early. I had 3 massive contractions in the car and one on my hands and knees in the hospital parking lot!
I got in the wheelchair and had another huge one in the elevator. Sitting was unbearable so I stood up. The lady kept telling me to sit down and I kept saying no. It's funny how labor can change your personality
At this point visions of an epidural were dancing in my head! I knew I could handle it for at least a little while longer, though. The nurses all had concerned looks on their faces when they saw me and quickly got me into a room.There was a couch in the room with its back facing a window. The bed looked very unappealing so I got on the couch on my knees, facing out the window with my chest pressed up against the back of the couch. It allowed DH to continue with counterpressure on my back which was still helping tremendously. I knew the nurse wanted to check me and I told her I would let her when I got a break. Contractions were coming so close together that I couldn't tell when one ended and the next one started. Finally I told her she could check but I wasn't moving. She checked and said it like she had already known - "You're complete."
I just got a little teary typing that. I was SOOOO happy!!
I was afraid she was going to say 5 or something. I knew I could make it through whatever happened next. No time to think about an epidural anymore.She set up the bed so I could be positioned just like on the couch and I moved when I had another break. No one objected to my "unconventional" (for a hospital) position. I never imagined giving birth "backwards" on my knees but that's what felt right at the time. I was so excited. No monitors, not even a hep-lock. They didn't dare try any of that
They did use a doppler once which felt very non-intrusive.I forgot to mention that I had pushed once on the couch without mentioning it to anyone. Once I got on the bed the urge really set in, just as the doctor got there. He checked and the head was right there. Everyone said "don't push!" as he went to put on another glove. Hah!! I wouldn't have understood this before, but you CAN'T not push! My body totally took over. It was awesome. While he was getting the glove my water broke and Eli Alexander was born moments later. I did feel the "ring of fire" that people describe but it felt so good! The pain was minimal compared to the contractions. After I felt the baby slide out all I had to do was figure out how to turn around.
We got to the hospital shortly after 3 pm and he was born at 3:35. I was in total shock, and still am! We didn't even have a camera! The birth plan was in the car too. Everything was.
We couldn't have planned it better if we tried.
