birth story- long
OK, here's the story. I thought I had a watery discharge on and off all
day 7-11. Around 6pm, I had a bigger gush and realized that actually, I had
been leaking amniotic fluid all day. Midwife had me come in, it was
definately amn. fluid. 2-3cm dilated, 50% effaced, -1 station, cnx. 2-3
mins. apart. So, b/c of my history of fast labors (first 5 1/2 hrs. and
second 3 1/2 hrs.), midwife had me go right to the hospital. We were
praying that I didn't have the baby in the car on the hour drive. When
I got there, I lied about my water being broken all day, so I didn't
have the threat of induction and c-sec. looming over me. OK, hours
pass... nothing. Labor never picks up in intensity, baby never comes
down- she's still posterior at this point, and walking for hours,
squatting, birth ball, position changes, nipple stimulation... nothing.
Threat of induction starts looming over my head. About 3am,I went to
the bathroom and provided some clitoral stimulation, orgasmed a couple
of times, to get more/stronger conx.(Orgasms give me horrible cnx while
pg!) Nothing. Still stuck at 4cm dilated (baby's head was not in a
postion to put pressure on cervix to cause dilaton). Midwife went in
and did a cervical massage and stripped membranes. It was probably the
most horribly painful thing I've ever been through, I writhed in pain
on the table, holding my dh, MIL, and mom's hands. But, I knew I didn't
want to be induced, and so was hoping to get the prostaglandins working
in my favor. It helped efface me some, buying me another hour to walk,
squat... She did it again, it helped a little, bought me yet another
hour. (I kept telling my dh that this is why people have homebirths. At
home, I could've labored for days and had her when my body was ready.
But b/c we were in a hospital and had some VE, I was now under the
clock to deliver, due to risk of infection. We both felt so bad for
Kalia.) Finally, nothing worked or helped anymore. Perinatologists
started breathing down midwife's neck. So, we started pit. on the
lowest dose to see if it would give me the cnx that I needed to bring baby
down, they then start turning the pit up. Baby started having decels.
On goes the oxygen mask, and me laying on my right side is the only position Kalia tolerates (so I can't even squat with the pit to help her come down.) Midwife finds a forebag of waters over baby's head, and breaks it, hoping her head would come down some more and put
pressure on my cervix to dilate me more. Baby's not tolerating pit well
at all (big freakin' surprise!) MW decides to push fluid back into my
uterus to get baby a little bouyant again, so maybe she'd get off her
cord or something. MW informs me that this is the last chance. After
this, we're talking c-sec. It's now about 12pm. July 12th. At this point, I'm
crying. How can this be happening to me and my baby? All of a sudden, I
feel a stronger cnx. spread through my hips. Wait... I've felt this
sensation before. I tell my mom and MIL, and they start cheering... I'm
going to hit transition soon!!! (At this point, dads were called in and
as we had noone to take pics, my dad took the camera and FIL manned the
video camera!- I could give a shit at that point who was there, I just
wanted the birth documented!) I hit transition and welcomed all of the
intense pain that goes with it! I feel muscles somewhere deep inside me
pulse. I don't recognize the feeling (have never felt the urge to push
before- have only pushed b/c nurses told me to with last births!) My
body starts pushing. I tell everyone, "I think my body's pushing."
YEAH!!!! Cheers go out from everyone. MW flips me over onto hands and
knees to hopefully get baby to turn, garbs my dh up to help catch baby,
I was in so much pain with every push... and eased her out into the MW and
her daddy's hands. (She turned anterior at the very end coming out!) I
flipped over onto my back, and brought her to my breast. It was
incredible!!! MW let the cord alone for a long time, everyone there
just left me alone for a couple of hours. The nurses said, "Just take
your time honey." No weighing, measuring, apgars, etc. (They probably
assessed her on me and I never noticed.) We just layed skin-to-wet-skin
with warm blankets on and nursed for hours. It was glorious!!! They
finally took her, did all of the stuff they do, cleaned her a little
(the nurse told dh and the parents that vernix is actually valuable
stuff, and they don't completely clean it off. They just wipe her up a
little). MW gives a lesson on the placenta, showing all of the
intricate details to everyone (they loved that!) I couldn't believe
that I did it... with all of the interventions, it still went as
naturally as possible, no pain meds., natural positioning... and I
thank my MW for that. If I had an OB, I definately would've ended up
with a c-sec.!
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Can't wait to see pictures and hear abour her birth
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