Beth
06-07-2003, 12:08 PM
Well, I have been putting off sharing Annie's birth story b/c it isn't super exciting and I would rather sit here and read all your stories.:thumb
But here it is anyway.
It was Monday August 9th and Annie was overdue by 3 days. I was anxious. I had my midwife appt. that day at 3pm. Dh was in school so he wasn't able to come to this appt. Cathy, my midwife, checked me. I was dialated about 1 1/2 cm and 85% effaced. She stripped my membranes and put EPO (Evening Primrose Oil) on my cervix. She told me that if the EPO worked at all it would be within 4 - 24 hours. On my way home I didn't feel very good. Like I was getting the flu. I came home and quickly made some dinner for dh to eat when he got home from school and then I left to go eat at my SIL's house. I was pretty sure that I was in labor by this time but I didn't want to say anything to SIL and BIL b/c SIL and I had plans to go shopping for a carseat after dinner. Well I was getting excited so I told them that I thought I might be in labor. They were excited too. We decided to still go shopping although the shopping center was about 45 minutes away. If I was in labor I wouldn't have any other time to get that carseat. :p
SIL and I left and drove down to the city pool where other SIL was working to say hi and get a drink. We told her too. When we were leaving MIL and FIL drove up. We said hi but didn't tell them that I might be in labor b/c they would worry about us going shopping.
By the time we were checking out at the store I was having steady and strong back labor. I could still stand and laugh with them though. I was driving and on the way home for 45 minutes we were laughing inbetween contractions b/c I was in so much pain. I got home about 8:30pm and dh was home by now. I told him that I was in labor. He called Cathy and she said to call her when the contractions got closer together. They were about 15 minutes apart but I was feeling constant pressure in my back. Cathy said to get some sleep. Being first time parents we were too excited and inexperienced to sleep. Dh went to SIL's house to borrow a tv and movies we could watch in bed. We watched "Walk in the Clouds" with Keanu Reeves.:thumb
Before the movie ended I got up for some reason and had a strong real contraction. It was in my stomach not my back this time. I told dh. Then about 2 minutes later I had another one that brought me to my knees. It was about 11pm. For the next 20 minutes I had these strong contractions about 2 minutes apart. Dh called Cathy and told her she need to come over. He also called his mom to come over too. When Cathy got there she checked me. I cannot remember where I was as far as dialation is concerned. She started setting up the labor pool. Dh and I were relaxing in my bed. Dh was my savior through this point.
Just a side note, my mother was supposed to come out from CO for Annie's birth, but she had a client of her own due at the same time. Her client was a 16 yo first time mom. I told my mother that this girl probably needed her more than I did. My sister was driving out with her 2 children the next day to be here to help with labor. She is a certified Bradley Method instructor. Needless to say she didn't make it, for the birth anyway.:crying
Anyway, after awhile Cathy told me to stand up and walk around a bit. It was very hard. I was hunched over and dh held me on one side and I held on to the wall. We didn't walk for long. After only a few minutes of that I wanted to get back in bed. I remember thinking that maybe I needed to go to the hospital and get drugs. Then I thought that I really wanted to do this at home naturally and I could do it. I got back in bed and Cathy's assistant started rubbing my feet with peppermint oil. I can still remember the wonderful feeling and smell. It was soooo relaxing. I fell asleep for a about 20 minutes, I think around 3am. I woke up and needed to puke :Puke I puked alot all night. I spent alot of time on the toliet with dh holding a bucket to my face. It was coming out both ends. Anyway, when I puked my water broke all over the plastic sheet that was covering my bed. I dialated to 5 cm when that happened and the pool was ready so I got in. It was AWESOME. For a few minutes I was totally relaxed. The hot water felt great. I began to feel pushy. I asked Cathy how far I was. She said I was getting close but I had an anterior lip on my cervix that had to go back before I could push. I thought I'd go crazy. I was so tired and it was hard not to push with the contractions. Cathy and I made eye contact and she helped me breath through the contractions. Finally she said I had to get out of the pool so I could get in the knees-chest position. That quickly helped the lip go away and I was complete. Cathy told me to push with each contraction. I was still in knees/chest and I don't think the pushes were effective. So we changed positions again. I got on the birthing stool with dh in a chair behind me supporting me underneath my arms. MIL was right behind him. I had been pushing for about 30 minutes. Cathy's other assistant Holly, arrived about this point. She checked the baby's heartrate with the doppler and couldn't get anything. Cathy tried too. Then Holly tried again and got really low and slow tones. I think I remember hearing 60s or something like that. Cathy looked straight into my eyes and said you have to have this baby right now. Cathy is very laid back and unexcitable. I really like that about her. So when she was so serious about that, I knew it was very important. I took a deep breath and pushed with all my might. I think it might have taken 2 of those pushed and Annie was born. She was doing great. She was a little purple just enough to give her a 7 apgar score but she latched on right away and nursed for a few minutes. The midwives put oxygen to her nose.
While I was pushing I could feel the stinging of flesh tearing. It burned real bad. It turns out I had a pretty bad tear, but it wasn't the typical tear through the perineum. I tore up into my clitoris. OUUUWWWWWWYYYYY!!!!!! :eek
While Cathy was stitching me up (oh how that hurt) Holly was weighing and measuring Annie Beth. Annie was crying. Strong lungs. Dh called my parents. Then when I was done dh and I took our little bundle and went to bed. MIL made a fruit bowl and bbq beef sandwiches for the midwives and they cleaned up everything. When I woke up hours later they were gone and the house was spotless. I had my little baby and no worries in the world. It was great.
One thing that I remember asking right after Annie was placed on my chest was, "Why do women have more than one?" Holly chuckled and responded, "It's called Maternal Amnesia." I got that and had my second 20 months later.:p I write that story later.
Sorry this is so long. Hope it wasn't too boring.:love
But here it is anyway.
It was Monday August 9th and Annie was overdue by 3 days. I was anxious. I had my midwife appt. that day at 3pm. Dh was in school so he wasn't able to come to this appt. Cathy, my midwife, checked me. I was dialated about 1 1/2 cm and 85% effaced. She stripped my membranes and put EPO (Evening Primrose Oil) on my cervix. She told me that if the EPO worked at all it would be within 4 - 24 hours. On my way home I didn't feel very good. Like I was getting the flu. I came home and quickly made some dinner for dh to eat when he got home from school and then I left to go eat at my SIL's house. I was pretty sure that I was in labor by this time but I didn't want to say anything to SIL and BIL b/c SIL and I had plans to go shopping for a carseat after dinner. Well I was getting excited so I told them that I thought I might be in labor. They were excited too. We decided to still go shopping although the shopping center was about 45 minutes away. If I was in labor I wouldn't have any other time to get that carseat. :p
SIL and I left and drove down to the city pool where other SIL was working to say hi and get a drink. We told her too. When we were leaving MIL and FIL drove up. We said hi but didn't tell them that I might be in labor b/c they would worry about us going shopping.
By the time we were checking out at the store I was having steady and strong back labor. I could still stand and laugh with them though. I was driving and on the way home for 45 minutes we were laughing inbetween contractions b/c I was in so much pain. I got home about 8:30pm and dh was home by now. I told him that I was in labor. He called Cathy and she said to call her when the contractions got closer together. They were about 15 minutes apart but I was feeling constant pressure in my back. Cathy said to get some sleep. Being first time parents we were too excited and inexperienced to sleep. Dh went to SIL's house to borrow a tv and movies we could watch in bed. We watched "Walk in the Clouds" with Keanu Reeves.:thumb
Before the movie ended I got up for some reason and had a strong real contraction. It was in my stomach not my back this time. I told dh. Then about 2 minutes later I had another one that brought me to my knees. It was about 11pm. For the next 20 minutes I had these strong contractions about 2 minutes apart. Dh called Cathy and told her she need to come over. He also called his mom to come over too. When Cathy got there she checked me. I cannot remember where I was as far as dialation is concerned. She started setting up the labor pool. Dh and I were relaxing in my bed. Dh was my savior through this point.
Just a side note, my mother was supposed to come out from CO for Annie's birth, but she had a client of her own due at the same time. Her client was a 16 yo first time mom. I told my mother that this girl probably needed her more than I did. My sister was driving out with her 2 children the next day to be here to help with labor. She is a certified Bradley Method instructor. Needless to say she didn't make it, for the birth anyway.:crying
Anyway, after awhile Cathy told me to stand up and walk around a bit. It was very hard. I was hunched over and dh held me on one side and I held on to the wall. We didn't walk for long. After only a few minutes of that I wanted to get back in bed. I remember thinking that maybe I needed to go to the hospital and get drugs. Then I thought that I really wanted to do this at home naturally and I could do it. I got back in bed and Cathy's assistant started rubbing my feet with peppermint oil. I can still remember the wonderful feeling and smell. It was soooo relaxing. I fell asleep for a about 20 minutes, I think around 3am. I woke up and needed to puke :Puke I puked alot all night. I spent alot of time on the toliet with dh holding a bucket to my face. It was coming out both ends. Anyway, when I puked my water broke all over the plastic sheet that was covering my bed. I dialated to 5 cm when that happened and the pool was ready so I got in. It was AWESOME. For a few minutes I was totally relaxed. The hot water felt great. I began to feel pushy. I asked Cathy how far I was. She said I was getting close but I had an anterior lip on my cervix that had to go back before I could push. I thought I'd go crazy. I was so tired and it was hard not to push with the contractions. Cathy and I made eye contact and she helped me breath through the contractions. Finally she said I had to get out of the pool so I could get in the knees-chest position. That quickly helped the lip go away and I was complete. Cathy told me to push with each contraction. I was still in knees/chest and I don't think the pushes were effective. So we changed positions again. I got on the birthing stool with dh in a chair behind me supporting me underneath my arms. MIL was right behind him. I had been pushing for about 30 minutes. Cathy's other assistant Holly, arrived about this point. She checked the baby's heartrate with the doppler and couldn't get anything. Cathy tried too. Then Holly tried again and got really low and slow tones. I think I remember hearing 60s or something like that. Cathy looked straight into my eyes and said you have to have this baby right now. Cathy is very laid back and unexcitable. I really like that about her. So when she was so serious about that, I knew it was very important. I took a deep breath and pushed with all my might. I think it might have taken 2 of those pushed and Annie was born. She was doing great. She was a little purple just enough to give her a 7 apgar score but she latched on right away and nursed for a few minutes. The midwives put oxygen to her nose.
While I was pushing I could feel the stinging of flesh tearing. It burned real bad. It turns out I had a pretty bad tear, but it wasn't the typical tear through the perineum. I tore up into my clitoris. OUUUWWWWWWYYYYY!!!!!! :eek
While Cathy was stitching me up (oh how that hurt) Holly was weighing and measuring Annie Beth. Annie was crying. Strong lungs. Dh called my parents. Then when I was done dh and I took our little bundle and went to bed. MIL made a fruit bowl and bbq beef sandwiches for the midwives and they cleaned up everything. When I woke up hours later they were gone and the house was spotless. I had my little baby and no worries in the world. It was great.
One thing that I remember asking right after Annie was placed on my chest was, "Why do women have more than one?" Holly chuckled and responded, "It's called Maternal Amnesia." I got that and had my second 20 months later.:p I write that story later.
Sorry this is so long. Hope it wasn't too boring.:love