J
JackiePed
Guest
I'd been having false starts all week... Contractions 5 minutes apart for hours, then they'd just fizzle. So, on Monday, when they started up again, I brushed them off. Then they moved to 4 minutes apart... Then skipped straight to 2 minutes with camel-back contractions doubling up. So I decided it was time... Called a friend to be with the kids, and off we went.
Got there, and within an hour had progressed from a 3+ to a 4+... So they said I was staying and would be leaving with a baby! I was so excited. Contractions were getting stronger....hooray!
But.... As with the other times, they started to fizzle. I was so frustrated. The nurse told me to get some sleep, and could start pitocin in the morning to move things along.
Started pitocin at 6:30 or so...and contractions slowly got stronger. I didn't ask for an epidural, as I wanted to see where this all led for me. But at 10:30, my water broke, and within MINUTES the contractions were SO intense I started feeling incredibly nauseous with each one, and they became intensely painful. It wasn't the pain by itself that was so hard to manage... It was how the pain and the nausea would hit hard together like that. So I said I was ready for an epidural.
For the next two hours, I had an epidural placed 4 separate times.... None of which worked. It was as if it was fate for me to experience an unmedicated birth. During all the failed attempts, ctx got worse and worse, and I was truly miserable during each contraction. After the 4th attempt, around 12 something, I began to feel intense pressure, and I was pretty sure baby wanted out! Such a weird sensation.... As if all the pain in my abdomen suddenly moved down to the center of my pelvis and concentrated there. I thought, "Do I push? Will he come out anyway??"
My OB checked me and said, "Well, no need to worry anymore about the epidural, let's have this baby! On your next contraction, just push... Give it all you've got!"
First contraction, I pushed but I don't think I really DID 'give it all I had', as I'll admit, I was terrified! Would I feel myself just rrrripping in two?? Holy crap!! I'd never done this without an epidural!
But after that contraction, I just decided it was happening either way, best to get it over with. So on the next one, I gave it everything....and out came the head!
it was alot of relief. So I said, " All I have left is the shoulders??". And DH encouraged, "That's it!" so I pushed without a contraction, and I felt him slip right out!
I couldn't believe it. That was it?!? Heck.... If someone could have told me ahead of time....really showed me the future... I'd never have bothered with the epidural attempts. The contractions were hell... But only lasted two hours like that. The pushing wasnt nearly as bad as the fear in my head....and I felt immediate relief the moment he was out. I couldn't believe what I had just done....and there was my baby boy....perfect.
I couldn't stop crying... For prob. about 15 minutes off and on... I was just so overcome with emotion. I sat, shaky, as doc stitched a small tear, and...well.. The rest is history! He's sleeping well, eating well, and I'm in love.
ETA: I'm. So. Happy.
Got there, and within an hour had progressed from a 3+ to a 4+... So they said I was staying and would be leaving with a baby! I was so excited. Contractions were getting stronger....hooray!
But.... As with the other times, they started to fizzle. I was so frustrated. The nurse told me to get some sleep, and could start pitocin in the morning to move things along.
Started pitocin at 6:30 or so...and contractions slowly got stronger. I didn't ask for an epidural, as I wanted to see where this all led for me. But at 10:30, my water broke, and within MINUTES the contractions were SO intense I started feeling incredibly nauseous with each one, and they became intensely painful. It wasn't the pain by itself that was so hard to manage... It was how the pain and the nausea would hit hard together like that. So I said I was ready for an epidural.
For the next two hours, I had an epidural placed 4 separate times.... None of which worked. It was as if it was fate for me to experience an unmedicated birth. During all the failed attempts, ctx got worse and worse, and I was truly miserable during each contraction. After the 4th attempt, around 12 something, I began to feel intense pressure, and I was pretty sure baby wanted out! Such a weird sensation.... As if all the pain in my abdomen suddenly moved down to the center of my pelvis and concentrated there. I thought, "Do I push? Will he come out anyway??"
My OB checked me and said, "Well, no need to worry anymore about the epidural, let's have this baby! On your next contraction, just push... Give it all you've got!"
First contraction, I pushed but I don't think I really DID 'give it all I had', as I'll admit, I was terrified! Would I feel myself just rrrripping in two?? Holy crap!! I'd never done this without an epidural!
But after that contraction, I just decided it was happening either way, best to get it over with. So on the next one, I gave it everything....and out came the head!
it was alot of relief. So I said, " All I have left is the shoulders??". And DH encouraged, "That's it!" so I pushed without a contraction, and I felt him slip right out!I couldn't believe it. That was it?!? Heck.... If someone could have told me ahead of time....really showed me the future... I'd never have bothered with the epidural attempts. The contractions were hell... But only lasted two hours like that. The pushing wasnt nearly as bad as the fear in my head....and I felt immediate relief the moment he was out. I couldn't believe what I had just done....and there was my baby boy....perfect.
I couldn't stop crying... For prob. about 15 minutes off and on... I was just so overcome with emotion. I sat, shaky, as doc stitched a small tear, and...well.. The rest is history! He's sleeping well, eating well, and I'm in love.
ETA: I'm. So. Happy.
Best wishes for you and baby Thor. I'm sure going to miss you in 3rd tri!
