nicole3108
Mom to 3
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- Sep 27, 2009
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I had been having braxtons hicks for weeks, sometimes they were regular so when I woke up to them at on July 19th at 39 weeks and 4 days I really didn't think anything would come of them. They continued but didn't have much of a pattern. I had a midwife appointment in the afternoon where they offered to check my cervix and do a stretch and sweep. I was thrilled, I had been quite miserable that day and was struggling to take care of my other two children. The student midwife checked me and I was 3 cm, she stretched me to a 4 and there was blood when she took her hand out. She said that was a good sign and I went home.
My contractions started getting regular and more painful right away along with a bloody show. They stayed 3-5 minutes apart from about 4:00, around 8 or 9 they started getting more painful. I still wasn't convinced I was really in labour for some reason. I had to get in the tub and breathe through them at this point. By 11 I was begging for an epidural so at 12:30 I gave up on my goal of a natural birth and we called the midwife and said I was going to go to the hospital.
I was dealing with the contractions (poorly)and just waiting until I could get an epidural. She checked me right away and I was 7 cm with a bulging bag of waters. She was trying to convince me not to get an epidural, she said if she broke my water that the baby would be born within half an hour. I was scared to feel the pain of a natural birth so even though part of me was encouraged by being 7 cm I maintained I needed drugs. She went to show my husband where the fridge was and told him that I didn't have time for an epidural since the anesthesiologist was in surgery. She asked him to encourage me and to help get me on board with not having drugs. He came in and told me I could do it, this surprised me since throughout my pregnancy he hadn't been too supportive of me wanting to do it naturally. I have a very low pain tolerance and was screaming in pain at 1-2 cm with our first so I understood his reservations. That actually helped me though, when he said I could do it I really felt like I could.
Once the second midwife arrived they broke my water. Immediately the pain got so intense that I used some gas and air until I started pushing. It gave me something to focus on and I was much calmer. 4 minutes after my water was broken (I found out how long after, at the time I had no idea how long it had been) I screamed that I had to push, they weren't expecting it to be so fast but told me to push if I needed to. I pushed once and my sweet Isabelle shot right out at 2;25 am weighing 6 lbs 13 oz. She came out so fast that the midwife couldn't slow her down at all to prevent tearing so for the third time I had a second degree tear. They cut the cord right away and took her to make sure she was okay since I had meconium in my water.
They brought her to me then and I got to meet my first daughter she was so beautiful and calm. What an incredible feeling, I'm amazed at how that feeling is the same no matter how many times you do it. My placenta wouldn't come out even after two shots of pitocin and an iv, the midwife ended up getting it out manually and they stitched me up, finally I could nurse her for the first time. We left at 6 and my boys got to wake up to their new sister. They were in bed when I left so they didn't even know she was coming. It was an amazing feeling to feel her come out without being numbed and I no longer have a fear of giving birth. I am so thankful for my midwife, she encouraged me to stay at home and gave me the motivation to relax and deal with the pain, because of her I got the birth I dreamed of. I'm looking forward to doing it again! Sorry for the length, I have never written a birth story before but wanted to this time because it was such a great experience for me.
My contractions started getting regular and more painful right away along with a bloody show. They stayed 3-5 minutes apart from about 4:00, around 8 or 9 they started getting more painful. I still wasn't convinced I was really in labour for some reason. I had to get in the tub and breathe through them at this point. By 11 I was begging for an epidural so at 12:30 I gave up on my goal of a natural birth and we called the midwife and said I was going to go to the hospital.
I was dealing with the contractions (poorly)and just waiting until I could get an epidural. She checked me right away and I was 7 cm with a bulging bag of waters. She was trying to convince me not to get an epidural, she said if she broke my water that the baby would be born within half an hour. I was scared to feel the pain of a natural birth so even though part of me was encouraged by being 7 cm I maintained I needed drugs. She went to show my husband where the fridge was and told him that I didn't have time for an epidural since the anesthesiologist was in surgery. She asked him to encourage me and to help get me on board with not having drugs. He came in and told me I could do it, this surprised me since throughout my pregnancy he hadn't been too supportive of me wanting to do it naturally. I have a very low pain tolerance and was screaming in pain at 1-2 cm with our first so I understood his reservations. That actually helped me though, when he said I could do it I really felt like I could.
Once the second midwife arrived they broke my water. Immediately the pain got so intense that I used some gas and air until I started pushing. It gave me something to focus on and I was much calmer. 4 minutes after my water was broken (I found out how long after, at the time I had no idea how long it had been) I screamed that I had to push, they weren't expecting it to be so fast but told me to push if I needed to. I pushed once and my sweet Isabelle shot right out at 2;25 am weighing 6 lbs 13 oz. She came out so fast that the midwife couldn't slow her down at all to prevent tearing so for the third time I had a second degree tear. They cut the cord right away and took her to make sure she was okay since I had meconium in my water.
They brought her to me then and I got to meet my first daughter she was so beautiful and calm. What an incredible feeling, I'm amazed at how that feeling is the same no matter how many times you do it. My placenta wouldn't come out even after two shots of pitocin and an iv, the midwife ended up getting it out manually and they stitched me up, finally I could nurse her for the first time. We left at 6 and my boys got to wake up to their new sister. They were in bed when I left so they didn't even know she was coming. It was an amazing feeling to feel her come out without being numbed and I no longer have a fear of giving birth. I am so thankful for my midwife, she encouraged me to stay at home and gave me the motivation to relax and deal with the pain, because of her I got the birth I dreamed of. I'm looking forward to doing it again! Sorry for the length, I have never written a birth story before but wanted to this time because it was such a great experience for me.
You did so incredibly well and I agree it is a wonderful experience to go au naturelle.
