Squeeker
Proud Mom of 1!
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Here is my birth story, almost two months later! I wrote notes a few days after the birth because I knew I wouldn't be able to get to it until later, and I'm so glad I did!
So, here is how it all happened!
Monday, July 25
My due date was July 22, and at this point I was getting a little antsy and frustrated with the lack of progress. I was starting to get a lot of the "anything happening?" emails and phone calls from friends and family, and it was driving me more than a little nuts! Thankfully, my DH has Mondays off, so we spent a relaxing day at home, and that afternoon we DTD. I felt some strong contractions afterward, but they died down quickly. I didn't think much of it. That night, I woke up in the night at 2:30 and felt a little off. I dozed on and off until 4:30, when I fell back asleep.
Tuesday, July 26
DH went to work that morning, and I bounced on my ball, did some housework, putzed on the computer... nothing exciting happened. When DH come home at 5:30, I started having some mild contractions again.
We ate dinner, and then took the dogs for a walk to get ice cream. I told DH the walk and ice cream would keep things going, but I didn't really believe that... I actually just wanted ice cream!
While we were on the walk, the contractions started to get a lot stronger. After we got home we started to time the contractions and they were coming regularly about 4-6 minutes apart, so we decided to call the hospital and see what they had to say. I wanted to be sure that we had enough time to get to the hospital as we had a 40 minute drive... oh, how naive I was!
The nurse I spoke to told me that my contractions were not strong enough to warrant the trip in yet, and told me to call back when I was "on the floor writhing in pain". I sort of rolled my eyes at this, but DH and I decided to hang tight for a few more hours anyway. However, he did decide to pack the car "just in case".
We sat down and watched "The Emperor's New Groove", and after the movie we went to bed. DH fell asleep right away, but I was unable to sleep due to the contractions. At this point they were still coming at the same interval, but I was starting to have to breathe through them. I didn't want to disturb DH as I reasoned that one of us should get some rest. I went back out to the living room and tried to sleep on the couch.
Wednesday, July 27
I was unable to settle on the couch, so I decided to run a bath. Unforrtunately, my tub wasn't deep enough to offer any sort of relief at all so I was probably in for only 15 minutes. I decided to head back to the living room and put in another movie, this time it was "10 Things I Hate About You".
I bounced on the ball and watched the movie. When it finished it was about 4AM. At this point the contractions were coming every 4 minutes and lasting a minute. I woke DH and we phoned the hospital again as I was in a considerable amount of pain. The nurse agreed that it was probably time to come in.
However, I wanted to be SURE that I would be admitted as we didn't want to have to do the drive multiple times, so we took our time getting ready. First DH showered, then I showered, and by the time we were ready to leave it was after 5AM.
We arrived at the hospital and DH droppeed me off at the main entrance. I went in and the place was virtually deserted. No one was at the main desk, and no one was at the next desk I passed, so I just kept following the signs to the birth unit. I finally found the triage/assessment room but no one was at that desk either, but I could hear a nurse talking to a patient behind a curtain so I waited there. When the nurse came out she looked VERY surprised to see me... it turns out that there should have been nurses at the two desks I passed! She took me back to fill out some paperwork and by then DH caught up to me. It had taken him a long time to figure out where to go... I had walked right in through the main doors, but after he had parked the car and walked up to the main doors, he couldn't get in as they were locked! He had to run all the way around the building and go in through Emergency.
After we had filled out the paperwork, we were taken to triage for assessment. I was hooked up to the trace and it was determined that I was 5cm dilated and everything looked good, so therefore I would be admitted.
We were brought to our Labour and Delivery room and I went to work swaying and breathing while DH brought in our stuff. Because the main doors were still locked, DH had to go all the way around through Emergency again. Having to make more than one trip, he saw a door propped open just down the hall from our delivery room so he decided to use that. A nurse caught him going through and assumed he had propped it opeen and gave him hell for using a fire door, but he explained what had happened and they had a good laugh.
At this point, DH called our families to let them know I was in labour as my parents were making the 8 hr drive to take care of the dogs (that was their excuse, but they just really wanted to meet their first grandchild as soon as possible!)
So, for the next 4 hours I paced, and breathed. At one point I noticed that the contractions were slowing down, so Brad asked the nurse if I could use a ball to bounce on, and doing so kicked things off again. Unfortunately, the contractions started to seem endless for me - they would peak every 4 minutes, but between peaks I had a continuous burning ache in my legs and I felt constantly clenched in every muscle. The nurse suggested I get into the tub, so DH ran the water for me.
The bath was FABULOUS! The water and heat took all of the pain away between contractions so I was able to relax.
I laboured in the bath for a few hours and was assessed in the tub by the only nurse in the hospital able to do so, and I was at 8cm. At this point the nurse that would be with us for the remainder of our labour came in. Her name was Terra and she was fantastic. She was totally on board with our desire for a natural, intervention-free birth, which we talked about with her.
Around 2PM I started to feel the urge to push so I got out of the tub to be reassessed as water births are not allowed in the hospital. Terra re-assessed me and determined that the baby was turned 45 degrees in the wrong direction, and my cervix was starting to swell and my membranes were bulging.
In order to avoid interventions, Terra suggested trying a position where I would be on all fours, with my chest resting on the ball, in an attempt to rotate the baby and relieve the swelling. My hindwater broke at this point, but the forewater was still bulging.
After doing this for a period of time I was re-assed and my cervix was no longer swelling, which was good, but I was still 8cm and the baby hadn't rotated, so I got up out of bed as my legs were cramping. I paced between contractions and leaned on DH for support during contractions. At this point my contractions were practically on top of each other and the peaks were always at the end of each contraction.
DH ran the bath for me again just in case I was able to get back in as I missed the relief it had given me!
After a while I was re-assessed again and was found to be 9cm but the membranes were still bulging. Terra recommended that I have my forewater broken, which I was OK with. So, the OB on duty, Doctor Honey (not my OB), came in and we chatted a bit about our options. We decided to go ahead and break the water, so she did so, which I didn't even feel. After this the baby's head didn't move down at all as it was still rotated so the doctor recommended a manual rotation, which I also agreed to.
I layed on the bed with my feet in the stirrups and we all waited for a break between contractions, and then Dr. Honey turned her back to me, put her hand inside me, and somehow grasped the baby's head. Using her entire shoulder and body she turned, and the baby rotated with her. It's hard to describe, but I'll never forget it as it was one of the most painful things I have ever felt!
After the rotation, which was almost completely successful (15 degrees off now instead of 45), Dr. Honey and Terra both recommended that I stay on my back in bed as they were afraid that the baby would rotate back if I got up. I reluctantly agreed, even though giving birth in stirrups on my back was the LAST thing I wanted.
At this point I was FINALLY allowed to start pushing, which was all I wanted to do, even though I had planned on a hypnobirth! Dr. Honey had to leave to deliver a baby in the next room, so Terra, DH, and I went to it, with DH holding my left leg and Terra holding my right. After a few pushes, Dr. Honey came back in to check on my progress and at this point she did another incredibly painful rotation, which was successful, and left again.
I continued pushing and DH was able to see the head starting to emerge. Terra called more nurses and they started prepping for birth!
Things were progressing quickly and Terra was afraid that I might be ready to give birth before Dr. Honey was able to come back, so she started prepping me to STOP pushing. I started to get really hot, so Terra and Brad started putting cool, wet cloths on my forehead.
Each push was really making progress now, and DH and Terra could see the head getting close to crowning, when Dr. Honey came back into the room. Dr. Honey told DH that he would be allowed to catch the baby after the shoulders were out, so another nurse took the position at my left leg and DH put gloves on and went with Dr. Honey. They asked me if I wanted a mirror and I said "NO!" I don't know why, but I didn't.
After 3 or 4 more pushes, the baby crowned. When my perineum stretched to its maximum point, I screamed... it was such a sharp pain, and I was sure I had torn. One more push and the shoulders were out, and then at 5:02PM the baby slipped out! DH caught it and immediately put it on my chest. I can't even describe what went through my head at this point, but it's true what they say, all pain immediately disappeared. I asked DH, "what is it?!" and DH, who hadn't even checked as he was so caught up with the delivery, lifted one of the baby's legs and said, "It's a GIRL!"
I couldn't stop staring at the little creature on my chest! She was beautiful, eyes wide open, and not at all as bloody or discolored as I had expected. However, one thing seemed wrong to me, so I said, "Why isn't she crying?"
Terra and Dr. Honey didn't seem concerned, and explained to DH that babies don't often cry until after the cord is cut (We had opted for delayed cord clamping). DH cut the cord while we were having skin-to-skin, and they gave me the shot for the placenta, which I didn't even feel. I hadn't wanted the shot, but it was determined that I needed it because I was bleeding a fair bit and my family has a history of hemmhorage, so we went with it.
The next bit went by like a blur. The nurse took the baby and DH went with her to the bassinet where she was weighed (7lb, 5oz) and suctoined because she was really mucousy. DH took some video, diapered her, and brought her back to me.
Meanwhile, I delivered the placenta, which I didn't even feel happen, and then I asked Dr. Honey if I had torn. She took a look and found one small graze inside, but no tears! However, the graze required one stitch so she numbed the area and stitched me up, and again, I didn't even feel it.
Right after that was when DH came back to me with the baby.
DH and I discussed our short list of names, and we decided that she would be Jillian Audrey!
Terra examined me again and found that I was still bleeding quite a bit and that something needed to be done, so DH took Jill and Terra poked around my abdomen a bit.
She told me she would do a procedure, but warned me that it was going to be incredibly painful. She pressed with all of her strength on my abdomen to expel all of the blood and clots from my uterus, as well as all of the urine from my bladder, as things weren't contracting properly.
Honestly, this was the most painful thing I have ever endured, and she did it 3 or 4 more times. Then she cleaned me up and I was able to get up out of bed and I went to the washroom, but was unable to urinate so Terra did the "procedure" a few more times. (Later, a different nurse examined me and said that Terra really manhandles her patients, but it works...)
I was cleaned up again and DH handed Jill back to me, and then my parents came in to visit! (I found out later that they had arrived at the hospital almost an hour and a half before they were allowed in to see us... with everything going on, DH hadn't called them to update all day, so they just assumed when they arrived that I would have already had the baby and they would come right in. However, that wasn't the case, and because of patient confidentiality laws the nurses weren't allowed to update them with our progress. My parents were flipping out as they assumed something was wrong! Thankfully everything was perfect!)
After their short visit, Terra helped me to get started with breastfeeding, and at 8PM we were wheeled to our room.
Everything since has been going pretty smoothly! Jill is a pretty chill baby, and we get a decent amount of sleep. Breastfeeding continues to go well, and we're a happy new family!
View attachment 266401
So, here is how it all happened!
Monday, July 25
My due date was July 22, and at this point I was getting a little antsy and frustrated with the lack of progress. I was starting to get a lot of the "anything happening?" emails and phone calls from friends and family, and it was driving me more than a little nuts! Thankfully, my DH has Mondays off, so we spent a relaxing day at home, and that afternoon we DTD. I felt some strong contractions afterward, but they died down quickly. I didn't think much of it. That night, I woke up in the night at 2:30 and felt a little off. I dozed on and off until 4:30, when I fell back asleep.
Tuesday, July 26
DH went to work that morning, and I bounced on my ball, did some housework, putzed on the computer... nothing exciting happened. When DH come home at 5:30, I started having some mild contractions again.
We ate dinner, and then took the dogs for a walk to get ice cream. I told DH the walk and ice cream would keep things going, but I didn't really believe that... I actually just wanted ice cream!
While we were on the walk, the contractions started to get a lot stronger. After we got home we started to time the contractions and they were coming regularly about 4-6 minutes apart, so we decided to call the hospital and see what they had to say. I wanted to be sure that we had enough time to get to the hospital as we had a 40 minute drive... oh, how naive I was!
The nurse I spoke to told me that my contractions were not strong enough to warrant the trip in yet, and told me to call back when I was "on the floor writhing in pain". I sort of rolled my eyes at this, but DH and I decided to hang tight for a few more hours anyway. However, he did decide to pack the car "just in case".
We sat down and watched "The Emperor's New Groove", and after the movie we went to bed. DH fell asleep right away, but I was unable to sleep due to the contractions. At this point they were still coming at the same interval, but I was starting to have to breathe through them. I didn't want to disturb DH as I reasoned that one of us should get some rest. I went back out to the living room and tried to sleep on the couch.
Wednesday, July 27
I was unable to settle on the couch, so I decided to run a bath. Unforrtunately, my tub wasn't deep enough to offer any sort of relief at all so I was probably in for only 15 minutes. I decided to head back to the living room and put in another movie, this time it was "10 Things I Hate About You".
I bounced on the ball and watched the movie. When it finished it was about 4AM. At this point the contractions were coming every 4 minutes and lasting a minute. I woke DH and we phoned the hospital again as I was in a considerable amount of pain. The nurse agreed that it was probably time to come in.
However, I wanted to be SURE that I would be admitted as we didn't want to have to do the drive multiple times, so we took our time getting ready. First DH showered, then I showered, and by the time we were ready to leave it was after 5AM.
We arrived at the hospital and DH droppeed me off at the main entrance. I went in and the place was virtually deserted. No one was at the main desk, and no one was at the next desk I passed, so I just kept following the signs to the birth unit. I finally found the triage/assessment room but no one was at that desk either, but I could hear a nurse talking to a patient behind a curtain so I waited there. When the nurse came out she looked VERY surprised to see me... it turns out that there should have been nurses at the two desks I passed! She took me back to fill out some paperwork and by then DH caught up to me. It had taken him a long time to figure out where to go... I had walked right in through the main doors, but after he had parked the car and walked up to the main doors, he couldn't get in as they were locked! He had to run all the way around the building and go in through Emergency.
After we had filled out the paperwork, we were taken to triage for assessment. I was hooked up to the trace and it was determined that I was 5cm dilated and everything looked good, so therefore I would be admitted.
We were brought to our Labour and Delivery room and I went to work swaying and breathing while DH brought in our stuff. Because the main doors were still locked, DH had to go all the way around through Emergency again. Having to make more than one trip, he saw a door propped open just down the hall from our delivery room so he decided to use that. A nurse caught him going through and assumed he had propped it opeen and gave him hell for using a fire door, but he explained what had happened and they had a good laugh.
At this point, DH called our families to let them know I was in labour as my parents were making the 8 hr drive to take care of the dogs (that was their excuse, but they just really wanted to meet their first grandchild as soon as possible!)
So, for the next 4 hours I paced, and breathed. At one point I noticed that the contractions were slowing down, so Brad asked the nurse if I could use a ball to bounce on, and doing so kicked things off again. Unfortunately, the contractions started to seem endless for me - they would peak every 4 minutes, but between peaks I had a continuous burning ache in my legs and I felt constantly clenched in every muscle. The nurse suggested I get into the tub, so DH ran the water for me.
The bath was FABULOUS! The water and heat took all of the pain away between contractions so I was able to relax.
I laboured in the bath for a few hours and was assessed in the tub by the only nurse in the hospital able to do so, and I was at 8cm. At this point the nurse that would be with us for the remainder of our labour came in. Her name was Terra and she was fantastic. She was totally on board with our desire for a natural, intervention-free birth, which we talked about with her.
Around 2PM I started to feel the urge to push so I got out of the tub to be reassessed as water births are not allowed in the hospital. Terra re-assessed me and determined that the baby was turned 45 degrees in the wrong direction, and my cervix was starting to swell and my membranes were bulging.
In order to avoid interventions, Terra suggested trying a position where I would be on all fours, with my chest resting on the ball, in an attempt to rotate the baby and relieve the swelling. My hindwater broke at this point, but the forewater was still bulging.
After doing this for a period of time I was re-assed and my cervix was no longer swelling, which was good, but I was still 8cm and the baby hadn't rotated, so I got up out of bed as my legs were cramping. I paced between contractions and leaned on DH for support during contractions. At this point my contractions were practically on top of each other and the peaks were always at the end of each contraction.
DH ran the bath for me again just in case I was able to get back in as I missed the relief it had given me!
After a while I was re-assessed again and was found to be 9cm but the membranes were still bulging. Terra recommended that I have my forewater broken, which I was OK with. So, the OB on duty, Doctor Honey (not my OB), came in and we chatted a bit about our options. We decided to go ahead and break the water, so she did so, which I didn't even feel. After this the baby's head didn't move down at all as it was still rotated so the doctor recommended a manual rotation, which I also agreed to.
I layed on the bed with my feet in the stirrups and we all waited for a break between contractions, and then Dr. Honey turned her back to me, put her hand inside me, and somehow grasped the baby's head. Using her entire shoulder and body she turned, and the baby rotated with her. It's hard to describe, but I'll never forget it as it was one of the most painful things I have ever felt!
After the rotation, which was almost completely successful (15 degrees off now instead of 45), Dr. Honey and Terra both recommended that I stay on my back in bed as they were afraid that the baby would rotate back if I got up. I reluctantly agreed, even though giving birth in stirrups on my back was the LAST thing I wanted.
At this point I was FINALLY allowed to start pushing, which was all I wanted to do, even though I had planned on a hypnobirth! Dr. Honey had to leave to deliver a baby in the next room, so Terra, DH, and I went to it, with DH holding my left leg and Terra holding my right. After a few pushes, Dr. Honey came back in to check on my progress and at this point she did another incredibly painful rotation, which was successful, and left again.
I continued pushing and DH was able to see the head starting to emerge. Terra called more nurses and they started prepping for birth!
Things were progressing quickly and Terra was afraid that I might be ready to give birth before Dr. Honey was able to come back, so she started prepping me to STOP pushing. I started to get really hot, so Terra and Brad started putting cool, wet cloths on my forehead.
Each push was really making progress now, and DH and Terra could see the head getting close to crowning, when Dr. Honey came back into the room. Dr. Honey told DH that he would be allowed to catch the baby after the shoulders were out, so another nurse took the position at my left leg and DH put gloves on and went with Dr. Honey. They asked me if I wanted a mirror and I said "NO!" I don't know why, but I didn't.
After 3 or 4 more pushes, the baby crowned. When my perineum stretched to its maximum point, I screamed... it was such a sharp pain, and I was sure I had torn. One more push and the shoulders were out, and then at 5:02PM the baby slipped out! DH caught it and immediately put it on my chest. I can't even describe what went through my head at this point, but it's true what they say, all pain immediately disappeared. I asked DH, "what is it?!" and DH, who hadn't even checked as he was so caught up with the delivery, lifted one of the baby's legs and said, "It's a GIRL!"
I couldn't stop staring at the little creature on my chest! She was beautiful, eyes wide open, and not at all as bloody or discolored as I had expected. However, one thing seemed wrong to me, so I said, "Why isn't she crying?"
Terra and Dr. Honey didn't seem concerned, and explained to DH that babies don't often cry until after the cord is cut (We had opted for delayed cord clamping). DH cut the cord while we were having skin-to-skin, and they gave me the shot for the placenta, which I didn't even feel. I hadn't wanted the shot, but it was determined that I needed it because I was bleeding a fair bit and my family has a history of hemmhorage, so we went with it.
The next bit went by like a blur. The nurse took the baby and DH went with her to the bassinet where she was weighed (7lb, 5oz) and suctoined because she was really mucousy. DH took some video, diapered her, and brought her back to me.
Meanwhile, I delivered the placenta, which I didn't even feel happen, and then I asked Dr. Honey if I had torn. She took a look and found one small graze inside, but no tears! However, the graze required one stitch so she numbed the area and stitched me up, and again, I didn't even feel it.
Right after that was when DH came back to me with the baby.
DH and I discussed our short list of names, and we decided that she would be Jillian Audrey!
Terra examined me again and found that I was still bleeding quite a bit and that something needed to be done, so DH took Jill and Terra poked around my abdomen a bit.
She told me she would do a procedure, but warned me that it was going to be incredibly painful. She pressed with all of her strength on my abdomen to expel all of the blood and clots from my uterus, as well as all of the urine from my bladder, as things weren't contracting properly.
Honestly, this was the most painful thing I have ever endured, and she did it 3 or 4 more times. Then she cleaned me up and I was able to get up out of bed and I went to the washroom, but was unable to urinate so Terra did the "procedure" a few more times. (Later, a different nurse examined me and said that Terra really manhandles her patients, but it works...)
I was cleaned up again and DH handed Jill back to me, and then my parents came in to visit! (I found out later that they had arrived at the hospital almost an hour and a half before they were allowed in to see us... with everything going on, DH hadn't called them to update all day, so they just assumed when they arrived that I would have already had the baby and they would come right in. However, that wasn't the case, and because of patient confidentiality laws the nurses weren't allowed to update them with our progress. My parents were flipping out as they assumed something was wrong! Thankfully everything was perfect!)
After their short visit, Terra helped me to get started with breastfeeding, and at 8PM we were wheeled to our room.
Everything since has been going pretty smoothly! Jill is a pretty chill baby, and we get a decent amount of sleep. Breastfeeding continues to go well, and we're a happy new family!
View attachment 266401
