MonstHer
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She was born 11.11.11, at 37 weeks 5 days gestation.
6 lbs
7:10 am
name: Luna Mary (lastname)
completely drug/augmentation free, a natural birth in the hospital!! (ow, lol)
Was in early labor for about 2 1/2 days, waters broke Tues, I think, then it kicked off like crazy into active labor at around 8 pm thursday latenight. Got to hospital at 6 cm's dilated at around 1 am, and the rest is history.
I'll write my birth story soon and post in appropriate section.
Here are some grainy iphone photos! haha.
The first one she has a milk beard from nursing. lol. : P
I am sooooo soooooooooooooooooo HAPPPPPPYYYYYYYYYYYY
Full Birth Story:
Okay, so here it is.
It has taken me quite a while to actually sit down and type out. I was sorting out some feelings about it.
It all started on Tuesday Nov 8 at around 2 p.m. I was in the shower when I felt a different kind of fluid on my legs; it was my waters slowly leaking.
I was only 37w 2d, so probably I was in denial that anything was happening. I went about my day normally, the only thing being different was that I was wearing a sanitary pad. I will say though, I packed the rest of my hospital gear and cleaned the house thoroughly.
Wensday the next day at around 4 pm, I started feeling mini period like pains. My waters or whatever they were, had stopped leaking, so I still thought nothing of it. However, I had my show. It wasnt bloody or anything, rather just a clear mucus plug.
Fast forward a few hours, and I actually started having mild contractions, they were about 25 minutes apart lasting 45 seconds. I drove to the store with my husband and bought a labor/exercise ball, and some tennis balls for massage during labor.
I called my doula to let her know what was going on.
I went to bed that night at around 10:30, but was promptly woken up at 1:45 to some more serious contractions. They were about every 15 minutes at this point, slightly more painful lasting around 45 seconds. I couldnt sleep and stayed awake emailing my family and friends about the impending baby. I started taking my temperature every hour in case I started to get an infection. I still had a slow leak of amniotic fluid with an unmistakable bleachy smell, but I was playing it safe because it had been two days since I first thought I was leaking.
I tried to sleep and rest but the contractions were waking me up. I resumed the rest of the morning crocheting my baby a blanket, rolling around on the birthing ball and listening to my body.
As the day progressed, I started getting more and more excited. By this time it was Thursday afternoon and I knew Luna was coming. The contractions were still manageable at around 4 p.m Thursday, but they started getting more serious as the evening wore on. By 6 p.m, they were lasting 60 seconds and were every 8-10 minutes.
My husband came home from work and I started bossing him around to give me tea and backrubs.
The contractions started getting more and more intense to where I couldnt talk whilst I was having them. I started walking around the house and moving frantically. I drank tons of water, probably a gallon and a half throughout the day, as I was getting increasingly thirsty.
We called my doula and she coached me by phone, saying that I need to take a walk and to call her back.
Well, the mile-long walk did wonders, and sped up contractions significantly.
They were coming on every 5 minutes lasting about 90 seconds. I was finally in active labor. We called her again and she coached me a while through the contractions via speak speakerphone, reminding me to breath. I was on all fours in my living room.
My husband started getting nervous and asked her to come over.
I believe being physically active and having aerobic training really helped here. I did not having any birthing or breathing classes. I am, however, an avid runner, and that is what I pictured and how I made myself breath during the contractions. I pictured myself running, knew the routes well and always saw myself getting to the phone-pole or next stop-sign. I used the same breathing pattern as when I would begin to sprint during interval training.
By the time the doula arrived, I was getting vocal. As a private, introverted person, this was highly out of the norm for me. I cant even explain the sounds. The contractions would take me out of my body during the peak, and I let them push Luna and Luna further down.
It all gets slightly fuzzy from here. I was sort of lolling about the house, drinking water and tea. My husband had made me a snack of a fried egg on toast and some orange slices. I ate that in between contractions because I knew I couldnt eat at the hospital.
I had my husband turn on music, and my doula was giving me pressurized massaging during contractions.
We decided at around 12:30 a.m. that we needed to leave now. I was beginning to feel pressure on my cervix and had intermittent needs to push.
The car ride wasnt that bad, it took about 20 minutes. My doula was distracting me with stories of her births on the way over, while I was working on breathing through contractions.
We got to triage and they took absolutely forever to get anyone to check me. I was in there about an hour contracting. When they did come in, they started asking me questions about my water breaking and pain, (I lied and said it broke that afternoon so they wouldnt freak out and automatically assume I had an infection, since it had, in fact, broken three days before that). The doctor came in and took a look at my birth plan, he didnt like it and let me know, arguing with me about certain aspects of it. We negotiated on some things, and he figured out I wasnt an idiot I think. He was a family practice doctor and I was fine with it.
He examined me and saw hair,
, He stated I was at 6 cms and my station was 0.
It turns out my test result of GBS came back positive, so I had to go on the penicillin drip. I guess it was good then I got there when I did and not later like I had originally wanted.
I got to the labor room after being in triage for 1.5 hours. I started walking around the room, my doula asked for the birthing ball. They allowed me to drink water whenever I wanted since I was low risk and already at 6 cms. I didnt have to be on the saline drip and I could walk, and move about the room as I pleased. We had a little snag with the monitors because A.) I did NOT like them, they really hurt, especially the one counting contractions, so we loosened it and put a pad around the strap where it was tight. They also let my husband hold the fetal heartbeat moniter on me for 15 minutes every hour instead of it being strapped. Luna was just moving around too much, and I was complaining too much. Lol. I had intermittent monitoring throughout labor and I enjoyed my luck.
Here is where it really gets hard to recall anything. I will try to be brutally honest. I wanted to go through this naturally and I wanted to stick to my goal of a medication free birth. (Other than the surprise of needing penicillin)
The contractions were getting so painful. I was crying and growling and screaming through each one.
The only feeling I can discern from the others is ANGER. I was angry because they hurt so much and I was losing control.
I was MAD they were taking over me and I couldnt breath properly couldnt concentrate. So I fought them.
My doula and husband helped me emmensely. I was drinking water like crazy and breathing like I was in a full on sprint in each contraction, where as, during the blessed breaks I would nearly pass-out from exhaustion. They went on and on like this when I started feeling the urge to bear down again. It was around 4 or 5 a.m. They called in the nurse to checked me. I was only at 8 cms and I was pissed!!!
So I started walking around the room frantically stretching, doing lunges and rotating my hips. Needless to say I was dripping blood everywhere. Haha.
Luna was being pushed down and putting a lot of pressure on my perineum.
I cant remember much at point, but I started going blind. I actually couldnt see, and all I saw were shapes and flashes of lights for about two hours.
At around 6:30 a.m, I started pushing involuntarily, they checked me again and thank bananas I was finally at 10 cms and plus 2!!!
It was time to push. They told me to get on the bed, which I did on all fours. The nurse told me to turn around on my back and screamed at her NO!! It hurt. The doctor came and told me he would do something to the bed, (I wasnt really listening and couldnt) but he said the bed goes vertical and that I can hold onto things, And that I wont be in lithotomy.
So they did some crazy thing to the bed. It was odd, it went into stair sections and I was sort of standing in the stirrups and holding onto the bars. I was in kind of a squat. I was ready to push.
My husband on one side, a nurse on the other helping to hold my legs (I asked, as I was so, so weak at this point) My doula was in the background telling me how to push and breath.
I was told to push with contractions. The doctor was very helpful and kind (what happened to the arguing jackass from earlier? Lol) I was pushing but he said I was pushing with my legs, and I needed to push like I had a bowel movement with contractions. He had me feel lunas head. I did, and got some extra courage and strength. I pushed about six or seven more times with all my might, and out popped Lunas head. I did feel the ring of fire, but it wasnt all that bad, actually.
The rest of her body came after that and I think I may have passed out for a few seconds because I cant remember anything until they put her on my chest.
My husband said her cord was short and the doctor was scared of backflow, so clamped early against my birth-plan, and my husband cut the cord. I was fine with it since Luna was healthy and okay. I delivered my placenta three minutes after Luna with minimal bleeding, on my own and without the shot. The doctor was pleased. My doctor checked me over and told me I didnt tear at all! Just a graze which I didnt even feel afterward.
When I came to, Luna was cooing at me, laying down and wriggling. She was actually smiling and I put her to my breast. She latched immediately had the biggest eyes. I love her. She was covered in varnix because she was early I think, but I didnt care. She was mine and I earned her. She knew exactly who I was; she only had eyes for me.
When my husband spoke, she turned her eyes towards his, and we felt she knew him too. My husband sat beside me and started crying.
My doula was snapping photos and more photos.
She was on my chest for an hour, and they took her away to be weighed and washed. I consented to the vitamin K shot and the antibiotic drops since my waters had broken so early and I was GBS positive.
The nurses congratulated me and told me they never saw anything like that; a natural birth for a first time mom. It was their first. They asked what I did prior to coming to the hospital. I think they were getting labor tips from me!
It was a full moon that night, which I think suits her name. Haha.
She turned a week old yesterday and is doing well. She had to go under the bili lights for about 12 hours, two days after she was born because of slight jaundice, but everything is great now.
We are breastfeeding exclusively; she is a champion.
We are in love with her, and are the happiest weve ever been.
To first time moms/mums wanting to do it naturally, you CAN do it.
Be informed and educate yourself prior to going in. Have a plan. Dont let them deliver your baby for you. YOU have to do it.
Labor is hard work, thats why its called labor.
Here is photo of her an hour after she was delivered:
6 lbs
7:10 am
name: Luna Mary (lastname)
completely drug/augmentation free, a natural birth in the hospital!! (ow, lol)
Was in early labor for about 2 1/2 days, waters broke Tues, I think, then it kicked off like crazy into active labor at around 8 pm thursday latenight. Got to hospital at 6 cm's dilated at around 1 am, and the rest is history.
I'll write my birth story soon and post in appropriate section.
Here are some grainy iphone photos! haha.
The first one she has a milk beard from nursing. lol. : P
I am sooooo soooooooooooooooooo HAPPPPPPYYYYYYYYYYYY
Full Birth Story:
Okay, so here it is.
It has taken me quite a while to actually sit down and type out. I was sorting out some feelings about it.
It all started on Tuesday Nov 8 at around 2 p.m. I was in the shower when I felt a different kind of fluid on my legs; it was my waters slowly leaking.
I was only 37w 2d, so probably I was in denial that anything was happening. I went about my day normally, the only thing being different was that I was wearing a sanitary pad. I will say though, I packed the rest of my hospital gear and cleaned the house thoroughly.
Wensday the next day at around 4 pm, I started feeling mini period like pains. My waters or whatever they were, had stopped leaking, so I still thought nothing of it. However, I had my show. It wasnt bloody or anything, rather just a clear mucus plug.
Fast forward a few hours, and I actually started having mild contractions, they were about 25 minutes apart lasting 45 seconds. I drove to the store with my husband and bought a labor/exercise ball, and some tennis balls for massage during labor.
I called my doula to let her know what was going on.
I went to bed that night at around 10:30, but was promptly woken up at 1:45 to some more serious contractions. They were about every 15 minutes at this point, slightly more painful lasting around 45 seconds. I couldnt sleep and stayed awake emailing my family and friends about the impending baby. I started taking my temperature every hour in case I started to get an infection. I still had a slow leak of amniotic fluid with an unmistakable bleachy smell, but I was playing it safe because it had been two days since I first thought I was leaking.
I tried to sleep and rest but the contractions were waking me up. I resumed the rest of the morning crocheting my baby a blanket, rolling around on the birthing ball and listening to my body.
As the day progressed, I started getting more and more excited. By this time it was Thursday afternoon and I knew Luna was coming. The contractions were still manageable at around 4 p.m Thursday, but they started getting more serious as the evening wore on. By 6 p.m, they were lasting 60 seconds and were every 8-10 minutes.
My husband came home from work and I started bossing him around to give me tea and backrubs.
The contractions started getting more and more intense to where I couldnt talk whilst I was having them. I started walking around the house and moving frantically. I drank tons of water, probably a gallon and a half throughout the day, as I was getting increasingly thirsty.
We called my doula and she coached me by phone, saying that I need to take a walk and to call her back.
Well, the mile-long walk did wonders, and sped up contractions significantly.
They were coming on every 5 minutes lasting about 90 seconds. I was finally in active labor. We called her again and she coached me a while through the contractions via speak speakerphone, reminding me to breath. I was on all fours in my living room.
My husband started getting nervous and asked her to come over.
I believe being physically active and having aerobic training really helped here. I did not having any birthing or breathing classes. I am, however, an avid runner, and that is what I pictured and how I made myself breath during the contractions. I pictured myself running, knew the routes well and always saw myself getting to the phone-pole or next stop-sign. I used the same breathing pattern as when I would begin to sprint during interval training.
By the time the doula arrived, I was getting vocal. As a private, introverted person, this was highly out of the norm for me. I cant even explain the sounds. The contractions would take me out of my body during the peak, and I let them push Luna and Luna further down.
It all gets slightly fuzzy from here. I was sort of lolling about the house, drinking water and tea. My husband had made me a snack of a fried egg on toast and some orange slices. I ate that in between contractions because I knew I couldnt eat at the hospital.
I had my husband turn on music, and my doula was giving me pressurized massaging during contractions.
We decided at around 12:30 a.m. that we needed to leave now. I was beginning to feel pressure on my cervix and had intermittent needs to push.
The car ride wasnt that bad, it took about 20 minutes. My doula was distracting me with stories of her births on the way over, while I was working on breathing through contractions.
We got to triage and they took absolutely forever to get anyone to check me. I was in there about an hour contracting. When they did come in, they started asking me questions about my water breaking and pain, (I lied and said it broke that afternoon so they wouldnt freak out and automatically assume I had an infection, since it had, in fact, broken three days before that). The doctor came in and took a look at my birth plan, he didnt like it and let me know, arguing with me about certain aspects of it. We negotiated on some things, and he figured out I wasnt an idiot I think. He was a family practice doctor and I was fine with it.
He examined me and saw hair,
, He stated I was at 6 cms and my station was 0.It turns out my test result of GBS came back positive, so I had to go on the penicillin drip. I guess it was good then I got there when I did and not later like I had originally wanted.
I got to the labor room after being in triage for 1.5 hours. I started walking around the room, my doula asked for the birthing ball. They allowed me to drink water whenever I wanted since I was low risk and already at 6 cms. I didnt have to be on the saline drip and I could walk, and move about the room as I pleased. We had a little snag with the monitors because A.) I did NOT like them, they really hurt, especially the one counting contractions, so we loosened it and put a pad around the strap where it was tight. They also let my husband hold the fetal heartbeat moniter on me for 15 minutes every hour instead of it being strapped. Luna was just moving around too much, and I was complaining too much. Lol. I had intermittent monitoring throughout labor and I enjoyed my luck.
Here is where it really gets hard to recall anything. I will try to be brutally honest. I wanted to go through this naturally and I wanted to stick to my goal of a medication free birth. (Other than the surprise of needing penicillin)
The contractions were getting so painful. I was crying and growling and screaming through each one.
The only feeling I can discern from the others is ANGER. I was angry because they hurt so much and I was losing control.
I was MAD they were taking over me and I couldnt breath properly couldnt concentrate. So I fought them.
My doula and husband helped me emmensely. I was drinking water like crazy and breathing like I was in a full on sprint in each contraction, where as, during the blessed breaks I would nearly pass-out from exhaustion. They went on and on like this when I started feeling the urge to bear down again. It was around 4 or 5 a.m. They called in the nurse to checked me. I was only at 8 cms and I was pissed!!!
So I started walking around the room frantically stretching, doing lunges and rotating my hips. Needless to say I was dripping blood everywhere. Haha.
Luna was being pushed down and putting a lot of pressure on my perineum.
I cant remember much at point, but I started going blind. I actually couldnt see, and all I saw were shapes and flashes of lights for about two hours.
At around 6:30 a.m, I started pushing involuntarily, they checked me again and thank bananas I was finally at 10 cms and plus 2!!!
It was time to push. They told me to get on the bed, which I did on all fours. The nurse told me to turn around on my back and screamed at her NO!! It hurt. The doctor came and told me he would do something to the bed, (I wasnt really listening and couldnt) but he said the bed goes vertical and that I can hold onto things, And that I wont be in lithotomy.
So they did some crazy thing to the bed. It was odd, it went into stair sections and I was sort of standing in the stirrups and holding onto the bars. I was in kind of a squat. I was ready to push.
My husband on one side, a nurse on the other helping to hold my legs (I asked, as I was so, so weak at this point) My doula was in the background telling me how to push and breath.
I was told to push with contractions. The doctor was very helpful and kind (what happened to the arguing jackass from earlier? Lol) I was pushing but he said I was pushing with my legs, and I needed to push like I had a bowel movement with contractions. He had me feel lunas head. I did, and got some extra courage and strength. I pushed about six or seven more times with all my might, and out popped Lunas head. I did feel the ring of fire, but it wasnt all that bad, actually.
The rest of her body came after that and I think I may have passed out for a few seconds because I cant remember anything until they put her on my chest.
My husband said her cord was short and the doctor was scared of backflow, so clamped early against my birth-plan, and my husband cut the cord. I was fine with it since Luna was healthy and okay. I delivered my placenta three minutes after Luna with minimal bleeding, on my own and without the shot. The doctor was pleased. My doctor checked me over and told me I didnt tear at all! Just a graze which I didnt even feel afterward.
When I came to, Luna was cooing at me, laying down and wriggling. She was actually smiling and I put her to my breast. She latched immediately had the biggest eyes. I love her. She was covered in varnix because she was early I think, but I didnt care. She was mine and I earned her. She knew exactly who I was; she only had eyes for me.
When my husband spoke, she turned her eyes towards his, and we felt she knew him too. My husband sat beside me and started crying.
My doula was snapping photos and more photos.
She was on my chest for an hour, and they took her away to be weighed and washed. I consented to the vitamin K shot and the antibiotic drops since my waters had broken so early and I was GBS positive.
The nurses congratulated me and told me they never saw anything like that; a natural birth for a first time mom. It was their first. They asked what I did prior to coming to the hospital. I think they were getting labor tips from me!
It was a full moon that night, which I think suits her name. Haha.
She turned a week old yesterday and is doing well. She had to go under the bili lights for about 12 hours, two days after she was born because of slight jaundice, but everything is great now.
We are breastfeeding exclusively; she is a champion.
We are in love with her, and are the happiest weve ever been.
To first time moms/mums wanting to do it naturally, you CAN do it.
Be informed and educate yourself prior to going in. Have a plan. Dont let them deliver your baby for you. YOU have to do it.
Labor is hard work, thats why its called labor.
Here is photo of her an hour after she was delivered:
Congrats! Glad you didn't have any problems with sneaky nurses lol. And on my birthday! 11.11.11 she's gonna be your good luck charm.
