had my beautiful 7 lb 13 oz daughter on Feb 3 at 2.55 pm. This is kind of a long story but I liked reading long one so here I go...
I have been losing my mucus plus for 4 days already, I was excited at first but after 3 days just figured it didn't mean anything so was kind of sad...After reading about 2 or 3 ladies on BnB going into labor after having had sex we went to it (and it wasnt easy...I was gigantic). I also had the sudden urge to back chocolate soufflé after stopping all activity after like week 32 of pregnancy. I woke up at like 430 in the morning to pee, as per usual and had kind of like a minor back ache i wasnt so concerned but couldnt go back to sleep. Then I had like minor cramps. Again thought they were nothing but I couldn't sleep.
My husband woke up a little bit while I was up in bed and proceeded to order 4 iphones after waiting 2 years for them to come to Verizon and finally being released at 3 AM. Anyway, the cramps starting coming kind of rhythmically so i started timing them, 15 mins, 13 min, 16 min, 12 min, etc...I never had braxton hicks before in my pregnancy so I really thought it was that as I still had 4 days until my due date and was sure I was going late because I was a first time mom. I also was reading that Braxton hicks are low in the stomach while real contraction are high, and mine were low. I didn't go back to sleep and figured since I had a doctors appointment at 10 am, he would tell me it was nothing to worry about. I asked my husband to make me some eggs for breakfast (good thing too b/c that was the only thing I ate till a few hours after baby was born) and he did, which is rare b/c he never cooks for me anymore - I guess he was worried I MIGHT be in labor. I spoke to my parents and they told me to pack my bag and bring it to the car just in case --- which my husband and I proceeded to waffle over for 30 mins b/c we were like why bring it? We will just need to bring it back upstairs after the dr's appointment. Or that even if I was in labor, labor take like forever he can always run home and get it as we live 10 min from the hospital. We brought it anyway, good thing too b/c we needed that cord blood kit immediately.
Anyway, I really wasnt in TOO Much pain, still thinking it was braxton hicks, the pain wasnt even that bad in the car but when we got out of the car in the lot some of my water started leaking and then I stood there crying thinking I peed on myself or my water broke which freaked me out. Went to the dr's office, still crying, told them I think I was in labor and they took me right away, although I am sure I scared all the 1st time pregnant woman in the office. The second I got to the examining room the pain suddenly came on like crazy my husband helped me undress and my underwear had red blood and mucus and at that point I knew I was in labor and I guess I was just scared and started bawling hysterical. The pain from the contractions just hit me like a ton of bricks at that point and I was just crying with the nurses trying to calm me. The dr. came in and I was crying and whining as he examined me and he said I was 6 cm dialated. I was in so much pain (which came on so quick) at that point he asked me if he should call in for the epidural, before that I wasnt sure I wanted it but I was suffering, so he called them to get me on the list. My mother said she would come later when my father picked her up in 2 hours (he thought it would take a while) but I made him call her back and take a cab.
They called a orderly to take me to the labor and delivery (Dr. office attached to gigantic hospital) and having contraction on the way and the orderly stopped and breathed with me as I went but people were looking
like it was a sideshow as my husband was running to the car and back to get the bag and trying to catch up. Anyway, I got to my room and undressed and immediately was having such terrible contractions I was just writhing on the bed. The nurse couldn't give me any pain killers or epidurals until they took some blood, hooked me up to monitors, IV, and asked me questions which she said I needed to answer lucidly. So that took like 15 mins and it was so hard contracting with all that stuff connected to me the IV was in a bad place in my hand (I was so puffy my veins were impossible) that I couldnt flex it, and they kept missing my veins for the multiple blood draws. My blood pressure was getting very high and I got nervous they would give me a c-section (49% rate at that hospital) but after they gave me painkillers later it went down and they said it was just b/c I was in pain and stressed.
They asked me if I wanted some sort of narcotic painkillers until the epidural came that it would take the edge off a little plus so they would be able to hold me still when giving me the epidural. It was funny too b/c I told my husband try to stop me from getting epidural if it looks like I can do it --- he didnt even try, I was in agony. So they gave me the drugs and immediately I was sooooo high and drugged I couldnt keep my eyes open but I did feel better. After that its kind of blurry. I remember leaning over a nurse forever as they tried to get an epidural in b/c no matter how often they told me to keep still I couldnt. But it did get in eventually. This was probably like 11:15 AM (so like 1.15 hrs later) around 12 the dr. came in and said I was 10 cm dialtaed (already!!!) and I pushed a few times but he said her head could descend a little further so I could push now or rest for a bit and it would probably be easier. 2 hours later after napping he came back and I started pushing I couldnt feel a thing really just the effort was exhausting. They wanted to turn down my epidural so I could feel more but decided to give me some pitocin instead which wasnt painful as I had the epidural. I pushed for about 50 mins and it only really hurt the last min of pushing when she was coming out I wasnt even sure I had her as I pushed with eyes closed the whole time (I just couldnt since I got the narcotic painkillers) and was numb. But they brought my hand down and I felt a slimy arm and they put her own top of me and I cried a bit. Then my husband watched as they cleaned and weighed her and the dr stitched me up (he said I had a small tear but he was stitching for a while I started to feel it towards the end didnt hurt so much just freaked me out.
All in all this was not the birth experience I THOUGHT I wanted - I was going to try for no drugs, was very much against pitocin, didnt want an IV, constant monitoring, etc .but it happened so fast and I was in so much pain when I came in I just didnt care and I wouldnt change it if I could. The birth was painless (after the drugs), the baby was healthy except for some minor jaundice, I was healthy, It was very quick (I first got back pain at 4 am and she was born at almost 3 pm and contractions werent very painful till about 10 am and the dr. said if I didnt have an epidural she would have been born probably earlier), I had no c-section, so I couldnt have asked for a better birth or nicer nurses.
Dr. warned me next time to come to hospital right away b/c the baby would be born in the car, and he was serious. I have been having a little trouble breast feeding and adopting to mommyhood, and have been a slightly hysterical crying wreck but I love her dearly.
I know this is long but I also wanted to keep a record of what happened for myself for the future as I didnt let OH videotape the birth.
I have been losing my mucus plus for 4 days already, I was excited at first but after 3 days just figured it didn't mean anything so was kind of sad...After reading about 2 or 3 ladies on BnB going into labor after having had sex we went to it (and it wasnt easy...I was gigantic). I also had the sudden urge to back chocolate soufflé after stopping all activity after like week 32 of pregnancy. I woke up at like 430 in the morning to pee, as per usual and had kind of like a minor back ache i wasnt so concerned but couldnt go back to sleep. Then I had like minor cramps. Again thought they were nothing but I couldn't sleep.
My husband woke up a little bit while I was up in bed and proceeded to order 4 iphones after waiting 2 years for them to come to Verizon and finally being released at 3 AM. Anyway, the cramps starting coming kind of rhythmically so i started timing them, 15 mins, 13 min, 16 min, 12 min, etc...I never had braxton hicks before in my pregnancy so I really thought it was that as I still had 4 days until my due date and was sure I was going late because I was a first time mom. I also was reading that Braxton hicks are low in the stomach while real contraction are high, and mine were low. I didn't go back to sleep and figured since I had a doctors appointment at 10 am, he would tell me it was nothing to worry about. I asked my husband to make me some eggs for breakfast (good thing too b/c that was the only thing I ate till a few hours after baby was born) and he did, which is rare b/c he never cooks for me anymore - I guess he was worried I MIGHT be in labor. I spoke to my parents and they told me to pack my bag and bring it to the car just in case --- which my husband and I proceeded to waffle over for 30 mins b/c we were like why bring it? We will just need to bring it back upstairs after the dr's appointment. Or that even if I was in labor, labor take like forever he can always run home and get it as we live 10 min from the hospital. We brought it anyway, good thing too b/c we needed that cord blood kit immediately.
Anyway, I really wasnt in TOO Much pain, still thinking it was braxton hicks, the pain wasnt even that bad in the car but when we got out of the car in the lot some of my water started leaking and then I stood there crying thinking I peed on myself or my water broke which freaked me out. Went to the dr's office, still crying, told them I think I was in labor and they took me right away, although I am sure I scared all the 1st time pregnant woman in the office. The second I got to the examining room the pain suddenly came on like crazy my husband helped me undress and my underwear had red blood and mucus and at that point I knew I was in labor and I guess I was just scared and started bawling hysterical. The pain from the contractions just hit me like a ton of bricks at that point and I was just crying with the nurses trying to calm me. The dr. came in and I was crying and whining as he examined me and he said I was 6 cm dialated. I was in so much pain (which came on so quick) at that point he asked me if he should call in for the epidural, before that I wasnt sure I wanted it but I was suffering, so he called them to get me on the list. My mother said she would come later when my father picked her up in 2 hours (he thought it would take a while) but I made him call her back and take a cab.
They called a orderly to take me to the labor and delivery (Dr. office attached to gigantic hospital) and having contraction on the way and the orderly stopped and breathed with me as I went but people were looking
like it was a sideshow as my husband was running to the car and back to get the bag and trying to catch up. Anyway, I got to my room and undressed and immediately was having such terrible contractions I was just writhing on the bed. The nurse couldn't give me any pain killers or epidurals until they took some blood, hooked me up to monitors, IV, and asked me questions which she said I needed to answer lucidly. So that took like 15 mins and it was so hard contracting with all that stuff connected to me the IV was in a bad place in my hand (I was so puffy my veins were impossible) that I couldnt flex it, and they kept missing my veins for the multiple blood draws. My blood pressure was getting very high and I got nervous they would give me a c-section (49% rate at that hospital) but after they gave me painkillers later it went down and they said it was just b/c I was in pain and stressed.They asked me if I wanted some sort of narcotic painkillers until the epidural came that it would take the edge off a little plus so they would be able to hold me still when giving me the epidural. It was funny too b/c I told my husband try to stop me from getting epidural if it looks like I can do it --- he didnt even try, I was in agony. So they gave me the drugs and immediately I was sooooo high and drugged I couldnt keep my eyes open but I did feel better. After that its kind of blurry. I remember leaning over a nurse forever as they tried to get an epidural in b/c no matter how often they told me to keep still I couldnt. But it did get in eventually. This was probably like 11:15 AM (so like 1.15 hrs later) around 12 the dr. came in and said I was 10 cm dialtaed (already!!!) and I pushed a few times but he said her head could descend a little further so I could push now or rest for a bit and it would probably be easier. 2 hours later after napping he came back and I started pushing I couldnt feel a thing really just the effort was exhausting. They wanted to turn down my epidural so I could feel more but decided to give me some pitocin instead which wasnt painful as I had the epidural. I pushed for about 50 mins and it only really hurt the last min of pushing when she was coming out I wasnt even sure I had her as I pushed with eyes closed the whole time (I just couldnt since I got the narcotic painkillers) and was numb. But they brought my hand down and I felt a slimy arm and they put her own top of me and I cried a bit. Then my husband watched as they cleaned and weighed her and the dr stitched me up (he said I had a small tear but he was stitching for a while I started to feel it towards the end didnt hurt so much just freaked me out.
All in all this was not the birth experience I THOUGHT I wanted - I was going to try for no drugs, was very much against pitocin, didnt want an IV, constant monitoring, etc .but it happened so fast and I was in so much pain when I came in I just didnt care and I wouldnt change it if I could. The birth was painless (after the drugs), the baby was healthy except for some minor jaundice, I was healthy, It was very quick (I first got back pain at 4 am and she was born at almost 3 pm and contractions werent very painful till about 10 am and the dr. said if I didnt have an epidural she would have been born probably earlier), I had no c-section, so I couldnt have asked for a better birth or nicer nurses.
Dr. warned me next time to come to hospital right away b/c the baby would be born in the car, and he was serious. I have been having a little trouble breast feeding and adopting to mommyhood, and have been a slightly hysterical crying wreck but I love her dearly.
I know this is long but I also wanted to keep a record of what happened for myself for the future as I didnt let OH videotape the birth.
