WendyG
Mother of 1 Little Boy
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- Dec 1, 2010
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It all started on August 16th in the middle of the afternoon. We had to go to the Labour and Delivery ward to be assessed after having Cervidil inserted the day before in order to help induce labour by using a hormone called prostaglandin to help soften an dilate my cervix to prepare for labour. We went in around 3pm, where they removed the prostaglandin that had been in there for 24 hours and checked my cervix. There was no change from the day before. They monitored the baby for a couple hours and decided they would try inserting a prostaglandin gel around my cervix, and said I would need to return 6 hours after it was inserted for another treatment. They inserted it and monitored me for two hours before releasing me.
We left and went to Taco Time to eat before going to my Mom's place to hang out for a while. At around 9:00PM I started feeling contractions. They were happening every 4 minutes or so and were painful (about a 5-6 on a scale from 1-10). I was still able to walk through them and started to think I might finally be in labour. However, there was some doubt, because I was told that some cramping from the gel would be a normal side effect.
The contractions continued and were getting more intense over the next hour or so. At around 10:00PM I called Labour and Delivery to see if they thought I should come in or not. I said I was having contractions 4 minutes apart or so, and that they were lasting anywhere between 40-45 seconds each. The nurse I spoke with told me to stay relaxed and have a soak into the tub to help me "progress".
I didn't get in the tub. I laid down on my mom's couch on my side, as the contractions had become so strong that I could no longer stand or walk while I was having one. On a scale of 1-10 at this point, I'd say I was at about a 7, maybe even an 8. After about fifteen minutes of these contractions, I had one where I felt a slight desire to push during it. It was 10:15 and I told Dave it was time to go to the hospital. Dave, my Mom and I quickly got into the car.
At this point, things moved really quickly. It took about 10-15 minutes to drive to the hospital, and I was having contractions which were increasing quickly in intensity and they were happening every 2 minutes or so. The pain was incredible and like nothing I have ever felt. I would rate them to be at least a 9 on a scale of 1-10, probably closer to 9.5. The drive seemed to take forever and with each contraction, the urge to push became stronger and stronger. We finally arrived at the hospital at probably 10:30 or so. We pulled into emergency and Dave took me in while my Mom parked the vehicle.
Once in emergency, contractions were easily every 2 minutes. I was told by someone to sit in a wheel chair and wait. WAIT? The baby didn't want to wait. I had a contraction slowly after getting in there and could barely breathe through it and I almost started pushing. I felt the baby move. I sat there trying to calm myself down but that was a lot easier said than done. Another contraction started and someone told Dave he could just take me upstairs without being admitted. They called Labour and Delivery to let them know I was on my way.
No hallway has ever been longer. Dave rushed me to the elevators where we painstakingly waited what seemed like forever to get to the second floor. Once on the 2nd floor, I started to calm down slightly because no matter what happened, at least I was on the right floor. I had another contraction between the elevators and the Labour and Delivery ward. We finally got through the doors and I just remember seeing 4 nurses sitting at the desk. I said something along the lines of "The baby is coming! Help!"
Instead of taking my word for it, they said they were going to take me into an assessment room to "see". The room, only 10 feet away, already contained a nurse who was going to "check me". I told anyone who was listening that there was no time just as I started to have another contraction where I began to push and honestly couldn't really stop myself. They knew I was serious at that point and as the contraction continued, the wheelchair did a 180 and I was on my way down the hallway to a delivery room.
Once in the delivery room, I was asked if I had to go to the bathroom. I told them if I went to the bathroom, the baby would be born in the toilet. They told me to put on a gown. I stripped faster than I ever have in life and put on the gown. I didn't bother doing it up. I got up on the bed. At this point, I could tell the room was filling with doctors and nurses but was too focused to really notice how many or what they were all doing. I was completely focused on my body and what it was doing. It really did sort of take over. A nurse checked my cervix and I heard her say that I was fully dilated. Another nurse didn't seem to believe her (perhaps because just hours before, my cervix had not changed during a 24 hour hormone treatment and was 2cm dilated) but checked and confirmed that I was fully dilated and that she could feel the baby's head.
They told me the baby's head was still in a high position and that I should push with the next contraction to "see what happens" and see if the baby would move down.
I had a contraction and instead of fighting my body, I could finally let it do what nature intended.
I pushed. I pushed harder than I ever have. With that mighty push, I brought the baby down and was then crowning. With the contraction over I was told to wait. At this point, they told me they were going to break my water and that we were going to have a baby. I noticed the doctor who would be delivering the baby. He took a plastic hook looking thing and broke the amniotic sac. I felt a major gush of fluid and was told that it was clear (that's a good thing). At this point I looked at Dave who seemed to be in shock, as he said "Do you want me here for this?". OF COURSE! At some point, my Mom came in and stood up by my right shoulder. It wasn't originally planned for her to be in the delivery room. However, everything happened so quickly, she thought she was coming in the room just to see how I was doing and didn't know that the baby was about to be delivered.
A nurse to my left told me to push again with the next contraction. She joked that I was supposed to come back at 11:00PM to have another gel treatment, but that I decided to come back early to have a baby instead. I felt another contraction coming and told them. A nurse on either side of me grabbed my legs and told me to push. Again, I let my body do its thing. I was told later by the nurses that I didn't even scream. With this second mighty push, I felt the head come out. Everyone in the room cheered me on saying things like: "Here comes the head!" "The head is almost out!" "The head is out!" "You're doing so good!"
The head was out. I thought to myself, this is easier than I thought! The nurse to the left of me said I was a great pusher. The cord was around the baby's neck when the head came out, but it was quickly pushed over the baby's head so it wasn't a problem. The head came out with one tiny little fist up under the chin in an epic pose. With the contraction over, I had a second to think of how amazing it was that the head was out. About ten seconds later, I had another contraction.
Again, the nurses all told me to push, told me how good I was doing, and I'm pretty sure I heard my Mom crying behind me saying how amazing I was doing and cheering me on. I didn't have to push as hard to get the baby's body out. Suddenly, one of the nurses said "Look down!"
I saw my baby for the first time. He was placed immediately on my chest and I say with complete confidence that this was the happiest moment in my entire life. I am welling up with happiness just typing this. A tiny body flailing its little arms and legs out in the world for the first time was now in front of me. All of the pain, all of the discomfort of pregnancy, all of the stretch marks, cravings, swollen ankles and increases in clothing sizes were to give this little person life. Never in my life have I been more proud. Never have I been so incredibly happy. It was as if all the happiness in the universe suddenly came down into me and the surge of emotion and love I felt at that moment cannot be described. The bond was instant and I couldn't take my eyes off the baby. So many things were happening all at once. Dave continually told me I was amazing and how much he loved me, my Mom was crying tears of joy and congratulating me.
https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-g3OlIzhARWs/Tk9hFVoAEvI/AAAAAAAAAjM/DxPcDfIi80Y/s320/Darwin1.jpg
After a minute or so of just looking at this wiggling wet body and crying my eyes out while telling this new life how beautiful it was and how much I loved it, I finally asked the question we had wondered throughout the entire pregnancy and quickly received the answer from one of the nurses, "It's a boy!"
A boy. We have a son.
Darwin James was born at 10:44PM on August 16th weighing 8lbs 3oz. He was born after about 2 hours of labour and three pushes. I suffered a second degree perineal tear during delivery and I guess my cervix prolapsed slightly but went back in within minutes.
I delivered the placenta with a very small push and I remember it feeling really bizarre coming out. I asked to see it and Dave took a photo. Dave cut the cord while Darwin hung out on my chest as I held him and just stared at him with nothing but love. We tried breastfeeding right away and the little man caught on immediately.
They pushed hard on my stomach to make sure all of the blood and clots came out of my uterus. Within about 20 minutes of delivering, my uterus had shrunk down to about the size of a cantaloupe, which I found absolutely amazing that it shrinks back down that quickly. Within a few more hours it was back down in my pelvis.
Everything happened so quickly and it was incredibly amazing. I would do it again in a second. I'm glad that I delivered entirely natural with no pain killers, and it all happened so quickly that I made it through the entire process without having an IV in at all. Darwin came out 14 minutes after we arrived at the hospital. I knew my Mom went fast with her labours, but I had no idea that I would be even faster.
Now I'm a mother. Dave is a father. We are a family. I feel like my life didn't mean anything until the point when Darwin was placed on my chest. It's as if everything I've ever done was just to prepare me for my new role. My life has meaning now and I have never been happier.
We left and went to Taco Time to eat before going to my Mom's place to hang out for a while. At around 9:00PM I started feeling contractions. They were happening every 4 minutes or so and were painful (about a 5-6 on a scale from 1-10). I was still able to walk through them and started to think I might finally be in labour. However, there was some doubt, because I was told that some cramping from the gel would be a normal side effect.
The contractions continued and were getting more intense over the next hour or so. At around 10:00PM I called Labour and Delivery to see if they thought I should come in or not. I said I was having contractions 4 minutes apart or so, and that they were lasting anywhere between 40-45 seconds each. The nurse I spoke with told me to stay relaxed and have a soak into the tub to help me "progress".
I didn't get in the tub. I laid down on my mom's couch on my side, as the contractions had become so strong that I could no longer stand or walk while I was having one. On a scale of 1-10 at this point, I'd say I was at about a 7, maybe even an 8. After about fifteen minutes of these contractions, I had one where I felt a slight desire to push during it. It was 10:15 and I told Dave it was time to go to the hospital. Dave, my Mom and I quickly got into the car.
At this point, things moved really quickly. It took about 10-15 minutes to drive to the hospital, and I was having contractions which were increasing quickly in intensity and they were happening every 2 minutes or so. The pain was incredible and like nothing I have ever felt. I would rate them to be at least a 9 on a scale of 1-10, probably closer to 9.5. The drive seemed to take forever and with each contraction, the urge to push became stronger and stronger. We finally arrived at the hospital at probably 10:30 or so. We pulled into emergency and Dave took me in while my Mom parked the vehicle.
Once in emergency, contractions were easily every 2 minutes. I was told by someone to sit in a wheel chair and wait. WAIT? The baby didn't want to wait. I had a contraction slowly after getting in there and could barely breathe through it and I almost started pushing. I felt the baby move. I sat there trying to calm myself down but that was a lot easier said than done. Another contraction started and someone told Dave he could just take me upstairs without being admitted. They called Labour and Delivery to let them know I was on my way.
No hallway has ever been longer. Dave rushed me to the elevators where we painstakingly waited what seemed like forever to get to the second floor. Once on the 2nd floor, I started to calm down slightly because no matter what happened, at least I was on the right floor. I had another contraction between the elevators and the Labour and Delivery ward. We finally got through the doors and I just remember seeing 4 nurses sitting at the desk. I said something along the lines of "The baby is coming! Help!"
Instead of taking my word for it, they said they were going to take me into an assessment room to "see". The room, only 10 feet away, already contained a nurse who was going to "check me". I told anyone who was listening that there was no time just as I started to have another contraction where I began to push and honestly couldn't really stop myself. They knew I was serious at that point and as the contraction continued, the wheelchair did a 180 and I was on my way down the hallway to a delivery room.
Once in the delivery room, I was asked if I had to go to the bathroom. I told them if I went to the bathroom, the baby would be born in the toilet. They told me to put on a gown. I stripped faster than I ever have in life and put on the gown. I didn't bother doing it up. I got up on the bed. At this point, I could tell the room was filling with doctors and nurses but was too focused to really notice how many or what they were all doing. I was completely focused on my body and what it was doing. It really did sort of take over. A nurse checked my cervix and I heard her say that I was fully dilated. Another nurse didn't seem to believe her (perhaps because just hours before, my cervix had not changed during a 24 hour hormone treatment and was 2cm dilated) but checked and confirmed that I was fully dilated and that she could feel the baby's head.
They told me the baby's head was still in a high position and that I should push with the next contraction to "see what happens" and see if the baby would move down.
I had a contraction and instead of fighting my body, I could finally let it do what nature intended.
I pushed. I pushed harder than I ever have. With that mighty push, I brought the baby down and was then crowning. With the contraction over I was told to wait. At this point, they told me they were going to break my water and that we were going to have a baby. I noticed the doctor who would be delivering the baby. He took a plastic hook looking thing and broke the amniotic sac. I felt a major gush of fluid and was told that it was clear (that's a good thing). At this point I looked at Dave who seemed to be in shock, as he said "Do you want me here for this?". OF COURSE! At some point, my Mom came in and stood up by my right shoulder. It wasn't originally planned for her to be in the delivery room. However, everything happened so quickly, she thought she was coming in the room just to see how I was doing and didn't know that the baby was about to be delivered.
A nurse to my left told me to push again with the next contraction. She joked that I was supposed to come back at 11:00PM to have another gel treatment, but that I decided to come back early to have a baby instead. I felt another contraction coming and told them. A nurse on either side of me grabbed my legs and told me to push. Again, I let my body do its thing. I was told later by the nurses that I didn't even scream. With this second mighty push, I felt the head come out. Everyone in the room cheered me on saying things like: "Here comes the head!" "The head is almost out!" "The head is out!" "You're doing so good!"
The head was out. I thought to myself, this is easier than I thought! The nurse to the left of me said I was a great pusher. The cord was around the baby's neck when the head came out, but it was quickly pushed over the baby's head so it wasn't a problem. The head came out with one tiny little fist up under the chin in an epic pose. With the contraction over, I had a second to think of how amazing it was that the head was out. About ten seconds later, I had another contraction.
Again, the nurses all told me to push, told me how good I was doing, and I'm pretty sure I heard my Mom crying behind me saying how amazing I was doing and cheering me on. I didn't have to push as hard to get the baby's body out. Suddenly, one of the nurses said "Look down!"
I saw my baby for the first time. He was placed immediately on my chest and I say with complete confidence that this was the happiest moment in my entire life. I am welling up with happiness just typing this. A tiny body flailing its little arms and legs out in the world for the first time was now in front of me. All of the pain, all of the discomfort of pregnancy, all of the stretch marks, cravings, swollen ankles and increases in clothing sizes were to give this little person life. Never in my life have I been more proud. Never have I been so incredibly happy. It was as if all the happiness in the universe suddenly came down into me and the surge of emotion and love I felt at that moment cannot be described. The bond was instant and I couldn't take my eyes off the baby. So many things were happening all at once. Dave continually told me I was amazing and how much he loved me, my Mom was crying tears of joy and congratulating me.
https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-g3OlIzhARWs/Tk9hFVoAEvI/AAAAAAAAAjM/DxPcDfIi80Y/s320/Darwin1.jpg
After a minute or so of just looking at this wiggling wet body and crying my eyes out while telling this new life how beautiful it was and how much I loved it, I finally asked the question we had wondered throughout the entire pregnancy and quickly received the answer from one of the nurses, "It's a boy!"
A boy. We have a son.
Darwin James was born at 10:44PM on August 16th weighing 8lbs 3oz. He was born after about 2 hours of labour and three pushes. I suffered a second degree perineal tear during delivery and I guess my cervix prolapsed slightly but went back in within minutes.
https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jyicwV_I8L8/Tk9kV4KtEbI/AAAAAAAAAjc/TbjmVanc2Yo/s320/DarwinJames.jpg
I delivered the placenta with a very small push and I remember it feeling really bizarre coming out. I asked to see it and Dave took a photo. Dave cut the cord while Darwin hung out on my chest as I held him and just stared at him with nothing but love. We tried breastfeeding right away and the little man caught on immediately.
They pushed hard on my stomach to make sure all of the blood and clots came out of my uterus. Within about 20 minutes of delivering, my uterus had shrunk down to about the size of a cantaloupe, which I found absolutely amazing that it shrinks back down that quickly. Within a few more hours it was back down in my pelvis.
Everything happened so quickly and it was incredibly amazing. I would do it again in a second. I'm glad that I delivered entirely natural with no pain killers, and it all happened so quickly that I made it through the entire process without having an IV in at all. Darwin came out 14 minutes after we arrived at the hospital. I knew my Mom went fast with her labours, but I had no idea that I would be even faster.
Now I'm a mother. Dave is a father. We are a family. I feel like my life didn't mean anything until the point when Darwin was placed on my chest. It's as if everything I've ever done was just to prepare me for my new role. My life has meaning now and I have never been happier.
I'm so emotional right now ! Massive congratulations. Well done on trusting your body. Your son is perfect 
x
