Dahlia2007
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Giving birth was the most amazing experience this time! I felt the limits my body could reach. And although it was the most pain I’ve ever felt, I am ever so grateful I got to experience it.
*Special thanks to the B&B ladies who contribute to this forum. I've learned a lot from their experiences over the past year of being a member. Some of which helped me consider this natural birth
Savannah Grace ~7 lb 13 oz, 20 in~
DAY OF WATERBREAK:
It all started Thursday Nov 1st @ 10am (38+3), after I got out of the shower- I saw some cloudy fluid leaking down my thigh. I really only thought it was discharge because of the color. Well, about an hour later I had resorted to panty liners, and they just kept filling up. I wasn’t having any contractions, and felt perfectly fine. I decided to call the midwife (MW) anyways. She told me to come into the office and one of the doctors would check to see what it was (either discharge or amniotic fluid). I still thought it was just discharge (or maybe it was wishful thinking- I WASN’T mentally prepared to hear anything else at that point!). But amniotic fluid it was! The doctor instructed me to go to the hospital and that they will put me on Pitocin. So right there, it seemed my hopes and dreams of a somewhat natural birth went down the drain. But I called the MW after and she gave me some hope- I could wait to go to the hospital until later that night, at 10 or 11 pm.
I prayed the whole way home that my contractions would start naturally. I had no plans of sitting still. I did a load of laundry, changed the sheets, vacuumed, did dishes, bounced around the house, and sat on the corner of my mattress and bounced (when you don’t have a yoga ball, it seemed like the smartest alternative lol). During this time I did have some slight small pains, but I thought it was from me being overly active .
10 pm comes around and I call the MW to tell her I am still not having contractions
She tells me to go to the hospital and says that the nurses will put me on a low-dose of Pitocin and hopefully that will get things started. Then she will come to hospital when contractions are nice and regular to labor with me. (Being a MW that has delivery privileges at a hospital, she cannot wait over a certain amount of time after the water breaks). So we went arrived at hospital at 11:00, went to triage and I was quite happy to hear that I was 3 cm, 80% effaced, and 1 station. Baby was low. Was admitted and sent to a delivery room.
LABOR STARTS: 6 hours
I was blessed to have a nurse who was more holistically oriented. She asked me if I wanted the Pit, and I said I wanted to wait about 2 hours to see if anything was happening on it’s own, as I was starting to feel a bit menstrual. Magically, at 12:30 am, I started getting some slight contractions! Then at 1:30 am my contractions were regular at 3 minutes apart and lasting from 30 sec to 1 min long. They checked me and I was almost to a 5. I got a yoga ball and was handling the contractions on there for a bit. DH was sleeping on and off and I didn’t mind. I just didn’t feel the need for him to help me (even though I’m not sure he could have done anything to ease me). Shifts changed and got a new nurse, and again I was blessed, with a nurse (Holly) who was training to be a midwife (Halleluiah!) The contractions were still manageable (painful, but manageable), I just had to concentrate and breathe during them. I even mentioned to nurse that if this is what labor was then I could probably handle it without an epidural. But she told me that often during 7-10 cm that it would get worse. My contractions started to slow down to about 5 min apart; it was during this time that we were waiting for Wendy the MW to come. When she arrived she told me to keep moving, so I started walking around the room. I would stop and lean against the bed, and would rock my hips while having a contraction (they started getting a bit more intense, but still spacing out). Wendy decided I should do some nipple stimulation in the shower. DH stayed by the bed (he really didn't need to be in there lol). She took the showerhead to one nipple at a time. I would tell her when a contraction would start and she would move the showerhead to my lower back during that time. Then, onto the opposite nipple after each contraction. Things started to dramatically pick up and intensify. This is where the moaning came into play. Btw- the relief between contractions felt heaven-sent each time. It’s the body’s way to recuperate after a contraction. Well, next, I felt a big gush and heaviness (felt like baby was moving down the canal) and I was in extreme pain. I even said, “I can’t do this.”
THE PUSHING: 25 minutes
The standing was too hard, so I went to my bed and got on all fours (felt the most comfortable at that time). I would bend over some more and get through the contractions. I was probably 9 almost 10 cm at this stage. Wendy had me also lay on my side with my top leg bent back (better positioning for baby to move down). This was the most intense time before the pushing began. It was contractions of raw pain, and me looking forward to the break in between. My husband was just sitting there bewildered. The nurse and Wendy really took over and I would not have had it any other way. They knew what positions to have me in. Next, it was time to push. At first I wasn’t giving it my all. Thought I was going to poop lol! And I told them that! DH said “Don’t worry, who cares!” lol so I started giving it my all. It was tough to find the power to push, cause damn you have to really PUSH! When the baby needed to come under my pubic bone, I had to push my hardest. Then came the ring of fire when she was crowning, and it felt like stinging to me, and yes, at this point I was saying “it hurts, it hurts.” But they had me stop pushing so that my ski could stretch, and that was like torture for the minute or two where I had to wait. Then….. some small pushes, and baby popped out and onto my chest! It was relief and happiness at last! We did delayed cord cutting, and DH cut it when it was time. Had a slight tear along past episiotomy scar. Non stitches needed. I couldn’t believe it! Little baby Savannah was lying right on my chest 10 days early!
RETROSPECT-
-My mind was in doubt before getting to the hospital (I was thinking, “Great, here comes failed Pitocin induced labor, followed by a c-section.”
, but I also prayed and tried to keep positive. I feel like my activity in those hours leading up to the hospital helped a lot in the long run to get labor going.
I was more independent during labor then I thought I would have been. Previously I had this nice plan of DH comforting me and us bonding, but in reality I just wanted quiet, and me, myself, and I!
-During contractions, movement helped me! I would sway my hips, rock, breathe, and moan if needed. When contractions got bad (from 7-10). I was moaning like a primitive animal! But it was my way through it all : ) With my first birth, no one told me how to handle the contractions, no nurses offered any help of tips. I would literally stay still in my bed while having a contraction, which is the WRONG way to go about getting through them! I think that’s why I gave in to an epidural
-I also don’t think DH knew what to do when contractions got rough. Him being a man, he couldn’t have thought of ways to comfort pain I was in. And that’s why I’m thankful for Wendy and nurse! Afterward he told me he’s never seen me like that before and while he was watching he wished he could take it away for me. He said he was proud I got through it.
-No one asked if I wanted an epidural, and I didn’t ask for one. Having not done complete research for a natural birth, Wendy the midwife, and Holly my nurse were exactly what I needed to get through a natural labor! Just having someone who knew what the hell they were doing , and who knew that my body would get through it! The MW’s tips and tricks and constant support is what did it, and me of course ; )
*Special thanks to the B&B ladies who contribute to this forum. I've learned a lot from their experiences over the past year of being a member. Some of which helped me consider this natural birth
Savannah Grace ~7 lb 13 oz, 20 in~
DAY OF WATERBREAK:
It all started Thursday Nov 1st @ 10am (38+3), after I got out of the shower- I saw some cloudy fluid leaking down my thigh. I really only thought it was discharge because of the color. Well, about an hour later I had resorted to panty liners, and they just kept filling up. I wasn’t having any contractions, and felt perfectly fine. I decided to call the midwife (MW) anyways. She told me to come into the office and one of the doctors would check to see what it was (either discharge or amniotic fluid). I still thought it was just discharge (or maybe it was wishful thinking- I WASN’T mentally prepared to hear anything else at that point!). But amniotic fluid it was! The doctor instructed me to go to the hospital and that they will put me on Pitocin. So right there, it seemed my hopes and dreams of a somewhat natural birth went down the drain. But I called the MW after and she gave me some hope- I could wait to go to the hospital until later that night, at 10 or 11 pm.
I prayed the whole way home that my contractions would start naturally. I had no plans of sitting still. I did a load of laundry, changed the sheets, vacuumed, did dishes, bounced around the house, and sat on the corner of my mattress and bounced (when you don’t have a yoga ball, it seemed like the smartest alternative lol). During this time I did have some slight small pains, but I thought it was from me being overly active .
10 pm comes around and I call the MW to tell her I am still not having contractions
She tells me to go to the hospital and says that the nurses will put me on a low-dose of Pitocin and hopefully that will get things started. Then she will come to hospital when contractions are nice and regular to labor with me. (Being a MW that has delivery privileges at a hospital, she cannot wait over a certain amount of time after the water breaks). So we went arrived at hospital at 11:00, went to triage and I was quite happy to hear that I was 3 cm, 80% effaced, and 1 station. Baby was low. Was admitted and sent to a delivery room. LABOR STARTS: 6 hours
I was blessed to have a nurse who was more holistically oriented. She asked me if I wanted the Pit, and I said I wanted to wait about 2 hours to see if anything was happening on it’s own, as I was starting to feel a bit menstrual. Magically, at 12:30 am, I started getting some slight contractions! Then at 1:30 am my contractions were regular at 3 minutes apart and lasting from 30 sec to 1 min long. They checked me and I was almost to a 5. I got a yoga ball and was handling the contractions on there for a bit. DH was sleeping on and off and I didn’t mind. I just didn’t feel the need for him to help me (even though I’m not sure he could have done anything to ease me). Shifts changed and got a new nurse, and again I was blessed, with a nurse (Holly) who was training to be a midwife (Halleluiah!) The contractions were still manageable (painful, but manageable), I just had to concentrate and breathe during them. I even mentioned to nurse that if this is what labor was then I could probably handle it without an epidural. But she told me that often during 7-10 cm that it would get worse. My contractions started to slow down to about 5 min apart; it was during this time that we were waiting for Wendy the MW to come. When she arrived she told me to keep moving, so I started walking around the room. I would stop and lean against the bed, and would rock my hips while having a contraction (they started getting a bit more intense, but still spacing out). Wendy decided I should do some nipple stimulation in the shower. DH stayed by the bed (he really didn't need to be in there lol). She took the showerhead to one nipple at a time. I would tell her when a contraction would start and she would move the showerhead to my lower back during that time. Then, onto the opposite nipple after each contraction. Things started to dramatically pick up and intensify. This is where the moaning came into play. Btw- the relief between contractions felt heaven-sent each time. It’s the body’s way to recuperate after a contraction. Well, next, I felt a big gush and heaviness (felt like baby was moving down the canal) and I was in extreme pain. I even said, “I can’t do this.”
THE PUSHING: 25 minutes
The standing was too hard, so I went to my bed and got on all fours (felt the most comfortable at that time). I would bend over some more and get through the contractions. I was probably 9 almost 10 cm at this stage. Wendy had me also lay on my side with my top leg bent back (better positioning for baby to move down). This was the most intense time before the pushing began. It was contractions of raw pain, and me looking forward to the break in between. My husband was just sitting there bewildered. The nurse and Wendy really took over and I would not have had it any other way. They knew what positions to have me in. Next, it was time to push. At first I wasn’t giving it my all. Thought I was going to poop lol! And I told them that! DH said “Don’t worry, who cares!” lol so I started giving it my all. It was tough to find the power to push, cause damn you have to really PUSH! When the baby needed to come under my pubic bone, I had to push my hardest. Then came the ring of fire when she was crowning, and it felt like stinging to me, and yes, at this point I was saying “it hurts, it hurts.” But they had me stop pushing so that my ski could stretch, and that was like torture for the minute or two where I had to wait. Then….. some small pushes, and baby popped out and onto my chest! It was relief and happiness at last! We did delayed cord cutting, and DH cut it when it was time. Had a slight tear along past episiotomy scar. Non stitches needed. I couldn’t believe it! Little baby Savannah was lying right on my chest 10 days early!
RETROSPECT-
-My mind was in doubt before getting to the hospital (I was thinking, “Great, here comes failed Pitocin induced labor, followed by a c-section.”
, but I also prayed and tried to keep positive. I feel like my activity in those hours leading up to the hospital helped a lot in the long run to get labor going.I was more independent during labor then I thought I would have been. Previously I had this nice plan of DH comforting me and us bonding, but in reality I just wanted quiet, and me, myself, and I!
-During contractions, movement helped me! I would sway my hips, rock, breathe, and moan if needed. When contractions got bad (from 7-10). I was moaning like a primitive animal! But it was my way through it all : ) With my first birth, no one told me how to handle the contractions, no nurses offered any help of tips. I would literally stay still in my bed while having a contraction, which is the WRONG way to go about getting through them! I think that’s why I gave in to an epidural
-I also don’t think DH knew what to do when contractions got rough. Him being a man, he couldn’t have thought of ways to comfort pain I was in. And that’s why I’m thankful for Wendy and nurse! Afterward he told me he’s never seen me like that before and while he was watching he wished he could take it away for me. He said he was proud I got through it.
-No one asked if I wanted an epidural, and I didn’t ask for one. Having not done complete research for a natural birth, Wendy the midwife, and Holly my nurse were exactly what I needed to get through a natural labor! Just having someone who knew what the hell they were doing , and who knew that my body would get through it! The MW’s tips and tricks and constant support is what did it, and me of course ; )
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