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Birth Story
When I went to the OB on Tuesday, I was 37 weeks 5 days. I was 3-4 cm dilated and 50% effaced. I had not gained weight again. My belly measurement was 35.5 the week before, and 35 this week. Dr said he wanted to break my water and get this labor going. He felt like it was happening, and would happen in the next few days on its own, but he wanted to jumpstart it, so we scheduled that for 4 p.m. on 4/1/2009.
I spent the day cleaning and preparing, finishing up work, everyone said my list was too long, but I did it all, save for the stupid taxes. Then I went and got the kids from school and we drove to the hospital. We got there and the kids helped carry everything in while Doug parked the car. I was registering, I had pre-registered so it took only a few minutes, and then she took us up to the labor room.
They had me change in to a gown, drew blood, got the IV started, but not hooked up. And we waited for the doctor. It was nice that my family was there to pass the time, because we waited until about 5:40, when he finally arrived, and checked me again, I was 4-5 cm dilated, and 75% effaced, and the mucus plug was gone (I have no idea when I lost it.) So he broke my water at 5:45 p.m. There wasn't much ceremony to it. He just came in checked me, ticked the stats off, and out came the water, well he struggled a bit, but it did break, and then he said, let's see how you do.
I decided that since my other labors were fast, I wanted to get this one going. I did not want the pitocin, so I decided to walk, since it had given me stronger braxten hicks in the past week or so. After 30 minutes of walking I started having mild contractions. And they made me get hooked up to the monitors to check the heartbeat for 15 minutes, then we walked for another 30 minutes, 15 minutes to check the heartbeat, and another 30 minutes of walking. This time the contractions were getting stronger, where I had to stop walking and hang on Doug to breathe through them. When I got back in to the bed to check the heartbeat again, it was very uncomfortable, so I moved to the birthing chair. When I did this, I noticed that there was a lot of pain in my right leg. The nurse said it was probably the baby on the sciatic nerve in my leg. Doctor said she was facing that direction. I got up to go to the bathroom right after a contraction, then had a contraction on the way out of the bathroom. At that point, the contractions started coming faster and stronger. I tried sitting in the chair again, but they couldn't get the monitors to work. They had me move back to the bed, which was very uncomfortable, but the monitors still wouldn't work. The doctor came in and checked me I was 85% and 5 cm, ahhhh, all these contractions right on top of each other for nothing. Then they put internals monitors on me, which seemed to me that it intensified my contractions. I hated that monitor, but they were getting good readings on the monitor. Up to this point, I felt pretty in control, and was able to breathe through my contractions fairly quietly. The monitors, and the doctor checking me made the contractions intensify, and come right on top of the other. This was probably after 9 p.m. So the majority of the labor was bearable. At that point I was stuck in bed, with the internal monitors and felt like I was crazy, why did I want a natural birth? I lay there for a while trying to breathe through the contractions, and remembering less, feeling like there was no break. I decided I couldn't take it any more and said I had to have an epidural if this was going to take forever like this. They said the doctor had to come in and check me before I could get it. He was delivering another baby, so it took him a while to get back in there, when he did I was 6 cm, and still 85% I think. I was begging by then, telling them to hurry, the contractions were on top of each other, making me crawl up the bed, I began to feel like I had to pee, but I wanted a break from the contractions so I could go, I was afraid of moving as every movement intensified the contractions. I wasn't getting a break, but in came the anthesiologist finally. He was setting up, but I wasn't able to move to where he needed me to be. It was hurting so much. I finally was able to sit up, but that made me unable not to pee, and when that happened I realized I didn't have to pee, I needed to push. So I said I just need to push. They said ok let's get the doctor, I said I really have to push. I tried to not push, but I really couldn't (apparently as they were moving me back down to the end of the bed, the anthesiologist put his hand on the baby's head to hold her in!) The doctor came in and she was born in 2 easy pushes at 10:10 pm. This was 15 minutes after he had checked me and I was 6 cm, 85% effaced, but stretchy, he said.
All in all, I am glad I didn't have time for the epidural, I really wanted the all natural birth that I got. I had planned natural all the way, but the contractions overwhelmed me by coming so fast and not giving me time to get used to one level before they intensified. I am a bit disappointed in myself that I even asked for the epidural, but I didn't get it, so I'm not going to dwell on it.
It was a wonderful experience, and even with the pain so fresh, I would do it again for another beautiful baby like this one. My Doug was so supportive during the whole labor, I couldn't have done it as well without him.
The hospital experience was a good one. They didn't try to force anything on me. And when I asked for the epidural, the nurse, knowing my plan, asked me a few times if I was sure, and told me I could do it on my own. The only thing that I didn't like was the darn monitors, but I know it was probably necessary in the end. They did just seem to be pretty uncomfortable, well unbearable at the time, but looking back that was probably irrational. And seeing that little heartbeat was a great comfort.
When I went to the OB on Tuesday, I was 37 weeks 5 days. I was 3-4 cm dilated and 50% effaced. I had not gained weight again. My belly measurement was 35.5 the week before, and 35 this week. Dr said he wanted to break my water and get this labor going. He felt like it was happening, and would happen in the next few days on its own, but he wanted to jumpstart it, so we scheduled that for 4 p.m. on 4/1/2009.
I spent the day cleaning and preparing, finishing up work, everyone said my list was too long, but I did it all, save for the stupid taxes. Then I went and got the kids from school and we drove to the hospital. We got there and the kids helped carry everything in while Doug parked the car. I was registering, I had pre-registered so it took only a few minutes, and then she took us up to the labor room.
They had me change in to a gown, drew blood, got the IV started, but not hooked up. And we waited for the doctor. It was nice that my family was there to pass the time, because we waited until about 5:40, when he finally arrived, and checked me again, I was 4-5 cm dilated, and 75% effaced, and the mucus plug was gone (I have no idea when I lost it.) So he broke my water at 5:45 p.m. There wasn't much ceremony to it. He just came in checked me, ticked the stats off, and out came the water, well he struggled a bit, but it did break, and then he said, let's see how you do.
I decided that since my other labors were fast, I wanted to get this one going. I did not want the pitocin, so I decided to walk, since it had given me stronger braxten hicks in the past week or so. After 30 minutes of walking I started having mild contractions. And they made me get hooked up to the monitors to check the heartbeat for 15 minutes, then we walked for another 30 minutes, 15 minutes to check the heartbeat, and another 30 minutes of walking. This time the contractions were getting stronger, where I had to stop walking and hang on Doug to breathe through them. When I got back in to the bed to check the heartbeat again, it was very uncomfortable, so I moved to the birthing chair. When I did this, I noticed that there was a lot of pain in my right leg. The nurse said it was probably the baby on the sciatic nerve in my leg. Doctor said she was facing that direction. I got up to go to the bathroom right after a contraction, then had a contraction on the way out of the bathroom. At that point, the contractions started coming faster and stronger. I tried sitting in the chair again, but they couldn't get the monitors to work. They had me move back to the bed, which was very uncomfortable, but the monitors still wouldn't work. The doctor came in and checked me I was 85% and 5 cm, ahhhh, all these contractions right on top of each other for nothing. Then they put internals monitors on me, which seemed to me that it intensified my contractions. I hated that monitor, but they were getting good readings on the monitor. Up to this point, I felt pretty in control, and was able to breathe through my contractions fairly quietly. The monitors, and the doctor checking me made the contractions intensify, and come right on top of the other. This was probably after 9 p.m. So the majority of the labor was bearable. At that point I was stuck in bed, with the internal monitors and felt like I was crazy, why did I want a natural birth? I lay there for a while trying to breathe through the contractions, and remembering less, feeling like there was no break. I decided I couldn't take it any more and said I had to have an epidural if this was going to take forever like this. They said the doctor had to come in and check me before I could get it. He was delivering another baby, so it took him a while to get back in there, when he did I was 6 cm, and still 85% I think. I was begging by then, telling them to hurry, the contractions were on top of each other, making me crawl up the bed, I began to feel like I had to pee, but I wanted a break from the contractions so I could go, I was afraid of moving as every movement intensified the contractions. I wasn't getting a break, but in came the anthesiologist finally. He was setting up, but I wasn't able to move to where he needed me to be. It was hurting so much. I finally was able to sit up, but that made me unable not to pee, and when that happened I realized I didn't have to pee, I needed to push. So I said I just need to push. They said ok let's get the doctor, I said I really have to push. I tried to not push, but I really couldn't (apparently as they were moving me back down to the end of the bed, the anthesiologist put his hand on the baby's head to hold her in!) The doctor came in and she was born in 2 easy pushes at 10:10 pm. This was 15 minutes after he had checked me and I was 6 cm, 85% effaced, but stretchy, he said.
All in all, I am glad I didn't have time for the epidural, I really wanted the all natural birth that I got. I had planned natural all the way, but the contractions overwhelmed me by coming so fast and not giving me time to get used to one level before they intensified. I am a bit disappointed in myself that I even asked for the epidural, but I didn't get it, so I'm not going to dwell on it.
It was a wonderful experience, and even with the pain so fresh, I would do it again for another beautiful baby like this one. My Doug was so supportive during the whole labor, I couldn't have done it as well without him.
The hospital experience was a good one. They didn't try to force anything on me. And when I asked for the epidural, the nurse, knowing my plan, asked me a few times if I was sure, and told me I could do it on my own. The only thing that I didn't like was the darn monitors, but I know it was probably necessary in the end. They did just seem to be pretty uncomfortable, well unbearable at the time, but looking back that was probably irrational. And seeing that little heartbeat was a great comfort.
