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I promised to write about my natural, drug free birth with my DS a few weeks ago after writing my DD's birth story. Now let me add that this was written shortly after he was born but I was not on BnB at the time. It was kept in my private hand written journal. I decided to share it to those thinking about having an unmedicated birth but aren't sure because they don't know what to expect. So here goes...
I became pregnant with my DS only 4 months after the birth of my DD that was how much I loved babies! My pregnancy with DS was a lot harder than my DD however. I had morning sickness from 7 weeks to 16 weeks. It wasnt just in the mornings though. It was non-stop 24/7 all day sickness leaving me bedridden most of the day and barely able to take care of my DD (thankfully being still a baby she wasnt very demanding yet). In the middle of the second trimester when the sickness went away I began to enjoy my pregnancy much more. About 32 weeks I began having cervical stabbing pains. I told my midwife about this but she kind of brushed it off that most women experience this when their cervix starts to dilate.
Isnt this early? I asked her. My due date wasnt until May 15, 2014.
Well, if you go into labor before 36 weeks, we will try to stop it, of course. After that there is nothing we will do to stop it, was all she told me.
He must have heard her. He waited until 37 weeks to announce his arrival. On April 27, 2014 I was at the local racetrack watching the ponies run and walking around. I began having more stabbing pains in my cervix. The next morning I called my midwife and told her. She suggested I come in and shed take a look.
As soon as she walked into the room, she saw the seriousness on my face and told me so. She said You just have the look. I told her I didnt feel like I was in labor. Then again, I didnt feel like I was in labor with my DD too. This time I told myself I would try to get to the hospital a little earlier than 8 cm. I beat it by 1 cm.
Yes, thats right. I was 7 cm dilated already and didnt even know it!
She let me walk down to L&D on my own this time. I left the hospital without telling her. I told my DH to drive me home, that I wasnt in labor, that I couldnt possibly be in labor almost three weeks before my son was due. Surprisingly he obliged, but not without a fight. We decided to drop off DD with my mother, who was at work, and then go back. My mother said she had to tell work she had to leave.
Where is she? they asked mom, referring to me. Out in the parking lot. Shes in labor.
Well what is she doing here? was their response.
That taken care of, we trudged back up to the hospital. By the time we got there, from the little bit of walking I did, I dilated another cm. My midwife was freaking out. Where were you? I was trying to get a hold of you! I thought youd be here by now!
It was 3:45 PM when we got checked in. As with last time, I got dressed into my gown and the nurse came in to give me my saline lock. She measured my contractions and then listened to the babys heart beat. It was a little on the high side, which they automatically attributed to dehydration, so they hooked up my saline lock to IV fluids. I tell you that worked almost instantly. I became more alert, less tired and ordered me some food to eat (yes, I know, they say not to eat in labor but I got the approval of my midwife).
My contractions were very mild, so mild I didnt even know if they were doing anything. I continued to walk without trouble. I felt some tightening around my belly, then that was it. I still wasnt psyched up to believe I was really in labor. The main difference between my DDs birth and this one was less traffic. During my DDs birth I could have sworn every nurse in L&D was in my room! This time it was more private and they disturbed me less. Half of the time it was just DH and me in the room.
The contractions still were not picking up. By 6:30 PM I was only dilated to 8/9 cm. My midwife said my waters were bulging so she broke them. As with last time, the contractions began to intensify. I tried to walk, but I couldnt. I felt like lying down and pushing. FInally I told my midwife that and laid down. She checked my cervix once again, said there was a little piece still in the way and moved it with her fingers while I gave a big push. I think that was the most painful part about DS's delivery.
The rest was a breeze. He slid out in three magical pushes once he was in the birth canal. One to move him through the rest of the cervix, one to crown and one to get his shoulders out. Finally I gave birth to the placenta while he was placed on my chest.
We had a scare, though. He was blue from oxygen deprivation from getting the cord wrapped around his neck on the way out. He wouldnt cry for the longest time. Finally the nurses patted him until he took his first breath. That was the most beautiful breath I ever heard!
They took him away after a few minutes of skin-to-skin to weigh him and clean him up while the midwife and a nurse cleaned me up. I thankfully suffered no tears and needed no stitches this time. My son surprised me when he was told to weigh 7 lbs. 14.1 oz. at 37 weeks! Even the nurses thought he was a big boy for being born early. They had to give him a diabetic prick that they have to do with all babies who weigh in the 90th percentile for their gestational age. He came back clean.
My son didnt have as much hair as his sister but he still had those puffy cheeks. He didnt look as small as he weighed (though really almost 8 lbs. isnt too small either!) and best of all he was born an all-natural birth with no epidural or pain relief of any kind in only 15 minutes! I did keep my IV fluids hooked up and I was grateful for that. I wasnt given that with my DD and I felt dead after almost 2 hours of pushing her out.
I became pregnant with my DS only 4 months after the birth of my DD that was how much I loved babies! My pregnancy with DS was a lot harder than my DD however. I had morning sickness from 7 weeks to 16 weeks. It wasnt just in the mornings though. It was non-stop 24/7 all day sickness leaving me bedridden most of the day and barely able to take care of my DD (thankfully being still a baby she wasnt very demanding yet). In the middle of the second trimester when the sickness went away I began to enjoy my pregnancy much more. About 32 weeks I began having cervical stabbing pains. I told my midwife about this but she kind of brushed it off that most women experience this when their cervix starts to dilate.
Isnt this early? I asked her. My due date wasnt until May 15, 2014.
Well, if you go into labor before 36 weeks, we will try to stop it, of course. After that there is nothing we will do to stop it, was all she told me.
He must have heard her. He waited until 37 weeks to announce his arrival. On April 27, 2014 I was at the local racetrack watching the ponies run and walking around. I began having more stabbing pains in my cervix. The next morning I called my midwife and told her. She suggested I come in and shed take a look.
As soon as she walked into the room, she saw the seriousness on my face and told me so. She said You just have the look. I told her I didnt feel like I was in labor. Then again, I didnt feel like I was in labor with my DD too. This time I told myself I would try to get to the hospital a little earlier than 8 cm. I beat it by 1 cm.
Yes, thats right. I was 7 cm dilated already and didnt even know it!
She let me walk down to L&D on my own this time. I left the hospital without telling her. I told my DH to drive me home, that I wasnt in labor, that I couldnt possibly be in labor almost three weeks before my son was due. Surprisingly he obliged, but not without a fight. We decided to drop off DD with my mother, who was at work, and then go back. My mother said she had to tell work she had to leave.
Where is she? they asked mom, referring to me. Out in the parking lot. Shes in labor.
Well what is she doing here? was their response.
That taken care of, we trudged back up to the hospital. By the time we got there, from the little bit of walking I did, I dilated another cm. My midwife was freaking out. Where were you? I was trying to get a hold of you! I thought youd be here by now!
It was 3:45 PM when we got checked in. As with last time, I got dressed into my gown and the nurse came in to give me my saline lock. She measured my contractions and then listened to the babys heart beat. It was a little on the high side, which they automatically attributed to dehydration, so they hooked up my saline lock to IV fluids. I tell you that worked almost instantly. I became more alert, less tired and ordered me some food to eat (yes, I know, they say not to eat in labor but I got the approval of my midwife).
My contractions were very mild, so mild I didnt even know if they were doing anything. I continued to walk without trouble. I felt some tightening around my belly, then that was it. I still wasnt psyched up to believe I was really in labor. The main difference between my DDs birth and this one was less traffic. During my DDs birth I could have sworn every nurse in L&D was in my room! This time it was more private and they disturbed me less. Half of the time it was just DH and me in the room.
The contractions still were not picking up. By 6:30 PM I was only dilated to 8/9 cm. My midwife said my waters were bulging so she broke them. As with last time, the contractions began to intensify. I tried to walk, but I couldnt. I felt like lying down and pushing. FInally I told my midwife that and laid down. She checked my cervix once again, said there was a little piece still in the way and moved it with her fingers while I gave a big push. I think that was the most painful part about DS's delivery.
The rest was a breeze. He slid out in three magical pushes once he was in the birth canal. One to move him through the rest of the cervix, one to crown and one to get his shoulders out. Finally I gave birth to the placenta while he was placed on my chest.
We had a scare, though. He was blue from oxygen deprivation from getting the cord wrapped around his neck on the way out. He wouldnt cry for the longest time. Finally the nurses patted him until he took his first breath. That was the most beautiful breath I ever heard!
They took him away after a few minutes of skin-to-skin to weigh him and clean him up while the midwife and a nurse cleaned me up. I thankfully suffered no tears and needed no stitches this time. My son surprised me when he was told to weigh 7 lbs. 14.1 oz. at 37 weeks! Even the nurses thought he was a big boy for being born early. They had to give him a diabetic prick that they have to do with all babies who weigh in the 90th percentile for their gestational age. He came back clean.
My son didnt have as much hair as his sister but he still had those puffy cheeks. He didnt look as small as he weighed (though really almost 8 lbs. isnt too small either!) and best of all he was born an all-natural birth with no epidural or pain relief of any kind in only 15 minutes! I did keep my IV fluids hooked up and I was grateful for that. I wasnt given that with my DD and I felt dead after almost 2 hours of pushing her out.
x
