Immediately after dtd Thursday night my contractions began. I got up at 1:30 am and began timing them. Three minutes apart, lasting one to one and a half minutes. I piddled around folding clothes and had a snack to see if they would get stronger. They did so we woke up the older boys and lined them out on taking care of the little boys and left the house at 3:30 am. We arrived at the hospital and, of course, my contractions had spaced out a little and were no stronger maybe even a little weaker. They hooked me up and checked me. Not much dilation progress and weak contractions. Doc said to walk for an hour and recheck. I did and they did. No progression.
During that monitoring time a woman came into the room next to me in a lot of pain. Her water broke about 30 seconds after she walked in and she started yelling, “She’s coming!” Well, I didn’t want that to be me in a few hours (they had sent her home earlier for lack of progression). The doctor agreed that it was riskier to send me home than keep me and break my water later in the day (I was very favorable, just not changing).
I waited all day in L&D for him to come break my water. I was tired, sore from sitting in the bed and impatient. He finally came in and explained his dawdling. He had been in surgery off and on throughout the day and wanted to be available to me as soon as he broke my water. He broke my water at 5pm and it took about an hour for my to begin contracting. After another hour things began getting more serious and I assumed my ‘transition’ position. It was at this point that I asked about pain relief. I had had six kids naturally; my dh knew things were bad when I asked about an epidural. My nurse was very young and didn't have kids but I was impressed with her. She told me I was close to turning the corner and she didn't think I'd have time nor need of an epidural. They really stuck to my birth plan!
L&D nurses are not trained to listen and watch a woman like midwives are. My dh knew by my demeanor and my noises that I was in transition, though. I told myself to suck it up, that I could do it. Up till then my nurse and my dh had really kept quiet (that was in my birth plan), but I guess they realized I needed some encouragement. My dh was behind me and I couldn’t see him. I missed his participation during transition, but I just realized it last night when we were talking about the birth. The lack of encouragement and participation by dh were things that I didn’t even notice at the time, but since have lurked at the back of my mind.
I went from 7 to 10 in about two contractions. I began to push in the middle of the next contraction. The nurse ran into the hall and yelled for the doctor. I pushed involuntarily in the beginning of the next few contractions, but was able to control the pushing for the last half. As soon as the doctor came into the room I rolled over and he said, “Well, he still in … nope, he’s not.” I had rolled over on my back and pushed once and his head was out. One more push and he was on my chest. I held him for a moment, but there was meconium in the fluid when they broke my water so the NICU nurses took him to the warmer to suction him thoroughly. DH was with him throughout their tending. The doctor put me in the stirrups and waited for the placenta. This was a big thing for me because the midwife’s assistant had pulled the placenta out last time and inverted my uterus. The doctor was patient, but it didn’t take long for it to come out. My uterus stayed in!
I got baby back and he nursed and nursed and nursed. My dd brought up the little boys and my ds came over from the campus and all my kids were able to join us while we were still in the L&D room.
The doctor seemed to think that because of my multiparity that my uterus was just tired and my labors would continue to be ‘lousy.’ He said that it would be harder and harder to have a good contraction pattern and that is just the way it will be if I continue to have babies.
All the hospital staff was pleasant and respectful of our home births, anti-vaxing and everything else. Not even the staff pediatricians questioned our decision to skip the Hep B vax. Maybe it was because we were more experienced parents, but we had absolutely no problems. Well, except for one nursery assistant who came to pick up the baby on the second day. DH put him in the little plastic bassinet the wrong direction and she said condescendingly, “His head goes up at the taller end.” DH said, “I wouldn’t know, I don’t put my babies in plastic bins!” Hahaha.
My recovery has been completely different than my last few. I feel like I did with my first few babies were born. I have had very little bleeding and am pretty much done by now (last time I bled for six full weeks). The first three days my bum was very sore from the long labor in bed and the quick descent, but that was all better by the fourth day. I am feeling great! The little boys love their baby brother sooooo much! They are so very proud of him and sweet with him. The big kids are so tender with him. My 20yos and my 15yos are going to be great fathers!
It took us a few days but we finally figured out a name. We named him Joash. It is Hebrew and means ‘given by the Lord.’ It is pronounced Jo-ash. Overall, we had a great hospital experience, a great birth, third stage and recovery! We are very, very blessed!
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