On Friday January 11th, at 39w 6d pregnant, I had a rather vigorous membrane sweep at my midwife appointment around noon. I immediately started losing parts of my plug and had a few Braxton hicks contractions throughout the rest of the day, but nothing out of the ordinary. At midnight a painful contraction woke me up and totally took me by surprise. It didn't just 'kind of' hurt, it HURT. They kept coming about 15-30 minutes apart, but never got closer than that and stayed the same strength. I was able to remain lying down during them, just had to really relax and breathe through them. Luckily I was able to sleep in between them as well.
Saturday morning I decided to just get up and get moving to see if they would pick up or slow down. For a while they seemed to pick up so we sent Quinn to her grandparents in case this was the real deal. Not long after she left, they basically stopped. Of course!! So we decided to go walk around the mall since it was one degree outside, but that didn't do anything either. I had a few contractions, but very very few! So then we got a call that Quinn was sick and throwing up so we decided to go get her since obviously I was not in labor. The rest of the evening was pretty calm.
Around 11pm I started having contractions again while in bed. This time I had to get out of bed and squat to get through them, though. They were again 15-30 mins apart. I tried walking and that didn't stop or speed them up, so I got in the shower. While in there I had a total meltdown. I had basically been in false labor for over 24 hours already and I was starting to realize that an epidural would be the only way I could make it through the rest of the labor and delivery. I have nothing against epis, but I loved my birth experience with Quinn and I really wanted to have another great experience, hopefully an even better one this time. Anywho, I got out of the shower and woke up Scott to make him listen to my pity rant and he was very understanding. The contractions continued for the rest of the night, and I had to get out of bed and squat for every. Single. One. How was I to go into proper labor after not sleeping for two nights?? I was a total mess.
Sunday morning we had Quinn go with her grandparents again so Scott and I could try to rest. I called my midwife to tell her about having these contractions for so long and she said it sounded like prodromal labor and I needed to get as much rest as possible for when my body decided to switch over to the real thing. The contractions stayed the same and were spread out and sporadic, so we decided to watch a few episodes of Dexter. The contractions seemed to speed up while I was sitting so I figured I'd just stand up and they would stop. Nope. At 1pm they were even stronger and 6 minutes apart consistently. Scott was timing them without my knowledge since I was still figuring it was false labor. Then suddenly he turns of the tv, gets in the shower and starts cleaning the house. He definitely knew something I didn't! I hopped in the shower again and that slowed them for a bit, but not by much. They were getting even more painful at this time, but still 6 minutes apart. I was REALLY working hard to get through them. Still squatting for each one and using my hypnobirthing techniques. I had to pee constantly, so I ended up squatting over a towel so I could just totally relax during contractions instead of holding in my pee, so yes, I peed!
Around 5:30p I had a few contractions mixed in that were 4-5 mins apart and I was getting pretty uncomfortable so I decided call the midwife and lie about the timing of the contractions. I wasn't supposed to go in until they were 4 minutes apart, one minute long for one hour. So that's what I told her, even thought it wasn't true. At this point I also tried to check my cervix and I swear I felt her head!
We left the house at six o'clock and I was praying contractions would slow while we were in the car since sitting made them hurt much more. No. Such. Luck. They sped up to 3-4 mins apart which meant I had about 9 in the car! I was breathing deeper and deeper with each one and moaning louder and louder. Ouch.
We got to the hospital at 6:32. Scott parked illegally right at the entrance and fought with the security guard to allow him to move the car after he got me to triage. He got me up there and headed back down. They wanted me to sit on the bed while they hooked me up to a monitor and I fought them tooth and nail. The nurse was ready to punch me, I'm sure. I was finally able to do it, they strapped the monitor and and the midwife showed up seconds later to check me. I was NINE centimeters. NINE. They tried to get me to sit in a wheelchair, and in hindsight, I should have, but I fought that one as well. Finally Scott got back and we had to go upstairs one floor to labor and delivery. We hopped in the elevator and I had another major contraction where I had to squat and basically yell through. My body was totally taking over... The midwife said that this was the first time she left her gloves on because she thought the baby would be born in the elevator.
Once out of the elevator we rounded the corner and another contraction. I squatted again and this time I felt her move way down. They were trying to get me back up and walking to my room, but I was certain she was coming so I told them there was no way as she was rightthere! This sent everyone into a panic. Nurses running from all directions to help deliver the baby in the hallway. The first responder was an anesthesiologist, which made the midwife laugh as he was of no use at this point. They talked me in to crawling into a nearby room so I could have privacy. Once there she checked me again and said we still had time to make it to my room. So they talked me into walking again. I was wearing a dress and it was up over my belly and I had nothing else on. Blood and goo were oozing from me...there were innocent bystanders in the hall watching this all go down! I was only able to walk a bit further as this time baby WAS coming. So again, we popped into another room that was not mine! I saw a nurse with a blanket that she was putting on the floor and I was on it in no time flat. My body just started pushing on its own...strangest feeling ever! I was basically roaring with each push. My legs were so tired of squatting so I tried to lie on the bed. I got as far as my hands and knees on the end of the bed and my body was pushing again. This time I could feel every inch of Zoe inside me. My ass felt like it was going to bust wide open! I asked what was up with the ass pain and they all laughed at me. Seconds later she was out! I heard them all marveling since she was born in her sac. They broke it since there was meconium in it and they placed her underneath me as I was on my hands and knees. They kept telling me to pick her up, but I was frozen from the shock! I said hi and happy bday to her, but could not get myself to move a muscle. So they must have given her to Scott, I have no idea. Then my midwife had to force me to sit down so they could monitor my placenta and bleeding. I was totally shocked that it was over and I was just laughing saying, 'what just happened?' And 'did that really just happen??' We checked into the hospital at 6:40 and Zoe was born at 7:06. My placenta came out easily within 10 minutes, I was fine, Zoe was fine...omg. I'm still trying to get my head around the whole thing! We thought I would be sent home once we got there since I lied about my contractions. And good thing I did! She was so close to being born at home or in the car on that freeeeezing night! We checked out of the hospital 25 hours later -the shortest stay any of the nurses had ever seen. But since I didn't labor there at all, that cut the time significantly. It was a total whirlwind. And it was perfect. It was a great experience despite going thru transition in the car/triage/hallway!
Saturday morning I decided to just get up and get moving to see if they would pick up or slow down. For a while they seemed to pick up so we sent Quinn to her grandparents in case this was the real deal. Not long after she left, they basically stopped. Of course!! So we decided to go walk around the mall since it was one degree outside, but that didn't do anything either. I had a few contractions, but very very few! So then we got a call that Quinn was sick and throwing up so we decided to go get her since obviously I was not in labor. The rest of the evening was pretty calm.
Around 11pm I started having contractions again while in bed. This time I had to get out of bed and squat to get through them, though. They were again 15-30 mins apart. I tried walking and that didn't stop or speed them up, so I got in the shower. While in there I had a total meltdown. I had basically been in false labor for over 24 hours already and I was starting to realize that an epidural would be the only way I could make it through the rest of the labor and delivery. I have nothing against epis, but I loved my birth experience with Quinn and I really wanted to have another great experience, hopefully an even better one this time. Anywho, I got out of the shower and woke up Scott to make him listen to my pity rant and he was very understanding. The contractions continued for the rest of the night, and I had to get out of bed and squat for every. Single. One. How was I to go into proper labor after not sleeping for two nights?? I was a total mess.
Sunday morning we had Quinn go with her grandparents again so Scott and I could try to rest. I called my midwife to tell her about having these contractions for so long and she said it sounded like prodromal labor and I needed to get as much rest as possible for when my body decided to switch over to the real thing. The contractions stayed the same and were spread out and sporadic, so we decided to watch a few episodes of Dexter. The contractions seemed to speed up while I was sitting so I figured I'd just stand up and they would stop. Nope. At 1pm they were even stronger and 6 minutes apart consistently. Scott was timing them without my knowledge since I was still figuring it was false labor. Then suddenly he turns of the tv, gets in the shower and starts cleaning the house. He definitely knew something I didn't! I hopped in the shower again and that slowed them for a bit, but not by much. They were getting even more painful at this time, but still 6 minutes apart. I was REALLY working hard to get through them. Still squatting for each one and using my hypnobirthing techniques. I had to pee constantly, so I ended up squatting over a towel so I could just totally relax during contractions instead of holding in my pee, so yes, I peed!
Around 5:30p I had a few contractions mixed in that were 4-5 mins apart and I was getting pretty uncomfortable so I decided call the midwife and lie about the timing of the contractions. I wasn't supposed to go in until they were 4 minutes apart, one minute long for one hour. So that's what I told her, even thought it wasn't true. At this point I also tried to check my cervix and I swear I felt her head!
We left the house at six o'clock and I was praying contractions would slow while we were in the car since sitting made them hurt much more. No. Such. Luck. They sped up to 3-4 mins apart which meant I had about 9 in the car! I was breathing deeper and deeper with each one and moaning louder and louder. Ouch.
We got to the hospital at 6:32. Scott parked illegally right at the entrance and fought with the security guard to allow him to move the car after he got me to triage. He got me up there and headed back down. They wanted me to sit on the bed while they hooked me up to a monitor and I fought them tooth and nail. The nurse was ready to punch me, I'm sure. I was finally able to do it, they strapped the monitor and and the midwife showed up seconds later to check me. I was NINE centimeters. NINE. They tried to get me to sit in a wheelchair, and in hindsight, I should have, but I fought that one as well. Finally Scott got back and we had to go upstairs one floor to labor and delivery. We hopped in the elevator and I had another major contraction where I had to squat and basically yell through. My body was totally taking over... The midwife said that this was the first time she left her gloves on because she thought the baby would be born in the elevator.
Once out of the elevator we rounded the corner and another contraction. I squatted again and this time I felt her move way down. They were trying to get me back up and walking to my room, but I was certain she was coming so I told them there was no way as she was rightthere! This sent everyone into a panic. Nurses running from all directions to help deliver the baby in the hallway. The first responder was an anesthesiologist, which made the midwife laugh as he was of no use at this point. They talked me in to crawling into a nearby room so I could have privacy. Once there she checked me again and said we still had time to make it to my room. So they talked me into walking again. I was wearing a dress and it was up over my belly and I had nothing else on. Blood and goo were oozing from me...there were innocent bystanders in the hall watching this all go down! I was only able to walk a bit further as this time baby WAS coming. So again, we popped into another room that was not mine! I saw a nurse with a blanket that she was putting on the floor and I was on it in no time flat. My body just started pushing on its own...strangest feeling ever! I was basically roaring with each push. My legs were so tired of squatting so I tried to lie on the bed. I got as far as my hands and knees on the end of the bed and my body was pushing again. This time I could feel every inch of Zoe inside me. My ass felt like it was going to bust wide open! I asked what was up with the ass pain and they all laughed at me. Seconds later she was out! I heard them all marveling since she was born in her sac. They broke it since there was meconium in it and they placed her underneath me as I was on my hands and knees. They kept telling me to pick her up, but I was frozen from the shock! I said hi and happy bday to her, but could not get myself to move a muscle. So they must have given her to Scott, I have no idea. Then my midwife had to force me to sit down so they could monitor my placenta and bleeding. I was totally shocked that it was over and I was just laughing saying, 'what just happened?' And 'did that really just happen??' We checked into the hospital at 6:40 and Zoe was born at 7:06. My placenta came out easily within 10 minutes, I was fine, Zoe was fine...omg. I'm still trying to get my head around the whole thing! We thought I would be sent home once we got there since I lied about my contractions. And good thing I did! She was so close to being born at home or in the car on that freeeeezing night! We checked out of the hospital 25 hours later -the shortest stay any of the nurses had ever seen. But since I didn't labor there at all, that cut the time significantly. It was a total whirlwind. And it was perfect. It was a great experience despite going thru transition in the car/triage/hallway!
What a birth story too! Glad you made the hospital! xxx
