K
Kai
Guest
I was one of the lucky ladies who had (for me) a perfect birth.
10/21/09
I had had about a week of false labor and I was exhausted. I wasn't sleeping well (over-extending) and my boyfriend and I were staying with his mom, who was acting as my doula. It was still super hot outside (90+), and my MIL (sorta) didn't want to raise the bill for air conditioning, so it was hot and sticky.
I had an induction date set for 4 days after his due date, and I was on day 3 of the wait. The pains started up again around 12am and I swore they were fake contractions, but they were much stronger and watching the clock told me they were 7 minutes apart. Soon that dropped to 5. I had so much pressure and felt like I had to use the bathroom and soon, my treks back and forth caught the attention of MIL.
"Are you okay?" she asked. I told her yes, but I thought I might be in labor. She told me to go back to bed and relax. When I laid down, the pains were unbearable. I got up and wandered the house for a little while with many toilet stops. I was getting nauseous and the contractions felt close together. MIL got up and we timed them- 3 minutes apart. It was now 3:34am.
She got into the shower while I lay on the couch and then I got into the shower with the water almost as hot as I could make it. I had a bowl and I threw up into it, and that was when MIL went and told my boyfriend to get my stuff in the car. He had to sleep more as he is a school bus driver and couldn't afford the time off. He kissed me and told me he would be there soon, then we drove away.
While we drove to the hospital @ 4:45am, I called my mom. She said to let her shower and she would be there. Once we were there, I checked in briefly and went to my room where they laid me down and questioned me while they checked me and timed the contractions. I was frustrated and kept asking for the tub, but they had to do the initial monitoring, but once I was in the tub, it was so much better. My sisters and mom showed up as they were putting in the antibiotics and after awhile, the antibiotics caused my arm to bruise horribly and swell, so they took them out. I remember telling my amazing labor nurse that it hurt worse than the contractions. I kept throwing up, but my stomach was empty- the whole time I was in labor I puked, but managed to avoid the anti-nausea meds (I have an allergy to several and I really didn't want to risk it).
I don't remember a lot for a while after that, other than being in the bathtub, on my knees, leaning on a stool. I wanted the room dark and I had the curtain closed. I remember my boyfriend showing up and asking me how I was and stroking my hair, then leaving to sit in the main room since I wanted to be alone. After awhile, my doctor showed up and checked me. I was at 6. I sat on the toilet and labored.
When my doctor came in again about 2 hours later, I didn't want to move to the bed and refused to lay down. She (bless her) checked while I sat on the toilet and I was only at 6.5. I was told that that she wanted to break my water if they hadn't broken on their own in two hours since I didn't seem to be progressing well. I agreed.
Eventually, I moved to the ball, but only if they would cover my back with a sheet. I didn't want to flash my rear at anyone. Silly to be modest, but it was what I wanted. I tried several different positions, but ultimately ended up leaning on the foot of the bed while bouncing with my boyfriend pressing on my back and me groaning commands ("Too hard!"; "Too light!") and then my water broke. I thought I had peed and apologized then said "My water broke!" (My doctor must have checked me again at this point- I remember being only 6.5 still and wanting to cry.)
I found out that water breaking meant nothing. I moved to the toilet again and I couldn't stop pushing. It was horrible. It wasn't really time to PUSH, but I kept having to bear down. It felt so good. My labor nurse checked my baby's heartbeat and it was dropping scary low with the pushing, but once they put me on oxygen, it got better. I pushed again without problems, then felt this weird twisting in me and pressure. "Oh god!" I said. My baby's heartbeat vanished and while my nurse looked for it, he muttered "I'm going to have to change my pants after this." He wanted to do a fetal scalp monitor, but told me I would have to get on the bed.
"I have to push, but I won't lay down. I will have this kid on this toilet, I swear to god." I was feeling a bit more coherent, a bit clearer. The labor nurse told me I didn't have to worry about laying down. The bed transformed into a chair like structure. It was awesome.
I was helped up and my nurse found I was 10 centimeters (it is generally assumed I was as soon as my baby turned around correctly) the nurse pressed hot towels to my perineum to help prepare it, and told me to hold on. The team came in, and my doctor was on the way. I told him I needed to push he told me to do so slowly.
I remember pushing and feeling the burn. "He has hair!" my mom said. I looked at my boyfriend who was sitting on the couch in the labor room, staring at the mess with these enormous, terrified eyes over a pillow. I pushed again and my baby's head was out. It was the coolest thing I ever saw.
"Now, just let your contractions push him out." I told him that I needed to push, but he explained that the baby would just fly out at that point. I made it through two contractions, but ended up pushing halfway through the third, apologizing. The baby was now halfway out and my nurse said "Here! Pull him out!"
I reached down, grabbed him, and pulled him out, cradling him closely, clear-headed, like I had just woke up. I checked to make sure he was a boy and the nurse gave him some oxygen. I kept asking "Is this a dream? Is this real? " and stroking my son. He had red hair and his eyes were wide open. He cried and I cuddled him until they took him to clean him up. His tests at one minute was 7 (due to oxygen) and at 5 minutes was 9. My doctor came in and said "I'm sorry I missed it! I didn't know you'd go so fast!" I was told her neither did I. I had two tears- one in my labia and one second-degree vaginal one.
Baby J was 7.2 pounds and 19 inches long and born at 1:23pm. He was absolutely gorgeous. His dad asked if he was going to look like Gollum for long, though. I told him newborns were beautiful in an ugly way. Labor was 12.5 hours.
funny side note- while they had Baby J, I told my boyfriend to come to the bed and he was like "Is it done?" and I told him yes. However, my doctor told me to push and I did, delivering the placenta. He turned a shade of green and I laughed at him, holding his hand while he kissed my head.
Sorry it was so long!
10/21/09
I had had about a week of false labor and I was exhausted. I wasn't sleeping well (over-extending) and my boyfriend and I were staying with his mom, who was acting as my doula. It was still super hot outside (90+), and my MIL (sorta) didn't want to raise the bill for air conditioning, so it was hot and sticky.
I had an induction date set for 4 days after his due date, and I was on day 3 of the wait. The pains started up again around 12am and I swore they were fake contractions, but they were much stronger and watching the clock told me they were 7 minutes apart. Soon that dropped to 5. I had so much pressure and felt like I had to use the bathroom and soon, my treks back and forth caught the attention of MIL.
"Are you okay?" she asked. I told her yes, but I thought I might be in labor. She told me to go back to bed and relax. When I laid down, the pains were unbearable. I got up and wandered the house for a little while with many toilet stops. I was getting nauseous and the contractions felt close together. MIL got up and we timed them- 3 minutes apart. It was now 3:34am.
She got into the shower while I lay on the couch and then I got into the shower with the water almost as hot as I could make it. I had a bowl and I threw up into it, and that was when MIL went and told my boyfriend to get my stuff in the car. He had to sleep more as he is a school bus driver and couldn't afford the time off. He kissed me and told me he would be there soon, then we drove away.
While we drove to the hospital @ 4:45am, I called my mom. She said to let her shower and she would be there. Once we were there, I checked in briefly and went to my room where they laid me down and questioned me while they checked me and timed the contractions. I was frustrated and kept asking for the tub, but they had to do the initial monitoring, but once I was in the tub, it was so much better. My sisters and mom showed up as they were putting in the antibiotics and after awhile, the antibiotics caused my arm to bruise horribly and swell, so they took them out. I remember telling my amazing labor nurse that it hurt worse than the contractions. I kept throwing up, but my stomach was empty- the whole time I was in labor I puked, but managed to avoid the anti-nausea meds (I have an allergy to several and I really didn't want to risk it).
I don't remember a lot for a while after that, other than being in the bathtub, on my knees, leaning on a stool. I wanted the room dark and I had the curtain closed. I remember my boyfriend showing up and asking me how I was and stroking my hair, then leaving to sit in the main room since I wanted to be alone. After awhile, my doctor showed up and checked me. I was at 6. I sat on the toilet and labored.
When my doctor came in again about 2 hours later, I didn't want to move to the bed and refused to lay down. She (bless her) checked while I sat on the toilet and I was only at 6.5. I was told that that she wanted to break my water if they hadn't broken on their own in two hours since I didn't seem to be progressing well. I agreed.
Eventually, I moved to the ball, but only if they would cover my back with a sheet. I didn't want to flash my rear at anyone. Silly to be modest, but it was what I wanted. I tried several different positions, but ultimately ended up leaning on the foot of the bed while bouncing with my boyfriend pressing on my back and me groaning commands ("Too hard!"; "Too light!") and then my water broke. I thought I had peed and apologized then said "My water broke!" (My doctor must have checked me again at this point- I remember being only 6.5 still and wanting to cry.)
I found out that water breaking meant nothing. I moved to the toilet again and I couldn't stop pushing. It was horrible. It wasn't really time to PUSH, but I kept having to bear down. It felt so good. My labor nurse checked my baby's heartbeat and it was dropping scary low with the pushing, but once they put me on oxygen, it got better. I pushed again without problems, then felt this weird twisting in me and pressure. "Oh god!" I said. My baby's heartbeat vanished and while my nurse looked for it, he muttered "I'm going to have to change my pants after this." He wanted to do a fetal scalp monitor, but told me I would have to get on the bed.
"I have to push, but I won't lay down. I will have this kid on this toilet, I swear to god." I was feeling a bit more coherent, a bit clearer. The labor nurse told me I didn't have to worry about laying down. The bed transformed into a chair like structure. It was awesome.
I was helped up and my nurse found I was 10 centimeters (it is generally assumed I was as soon as my baby turned around correctly) the nurse pressed hot towels to my perineum to help prepare it, and told me to hold on. The team came in, and my doctor was on the way. I told him I needed to push he told me to do so slowly.
I remember pushing and feeling the burn. "He has hair!" my mom said. I looked at my boyfriend who was sitting on the couch in the labor room, staring at the mess with these enormous, terrified eyes over a pillow. I pushed again and my baby's head was out. It was the coolest thing I ever saw.
"Now, just let your contractions push him out." I told him that I needed to push, but he explained that the baby would just fly out at that point. I made it through two contractions, but ended up pushing halfway through the third, apologizing. The baby was now halfway out and my nurse said "Here! Pull him out!"
I reached down, grabbed him, and pulled him out, cradling him closely, clear-headed, like I had just woke up. I checked to make sure he was a boy and the nurse gave him some oxygen. I kept asking "Is this a dream? Is this real? " and stroking my son. He had red hair and his eyes were wide open. He cried and I cuddled him until they took him to clean him up. His tests at one minute was 7 (due to oxygen) and at 5 minutes was 9. My doctor came in and said "I'm sorry I missed it! I didn't know you'd go so fast!" I was told her neither did I. I had two tears- one in my labia and one second-degree vaginal one.
Baby J was 7.2 pounds and 19 inches long and born at 1:23pm. He was absolutely gorgeous. His dad asked if he was going to look like Gollum for long, though. I told him newborns were beautiful in an ugly way. Labor was 12.5 hours.
funny side note- while they had Baby J, I told my boyfriend to come to the bed and he was like "Is it done?" and I told him yes. However, my doctor told me to push and I did, delivering the placenta. He turned a shade of green and I laughed at him, holding his hand while he kissed my head.
Sorry it was so long!
