August 2011 Moms

My OMG I will never try and go natural again birth story

Hey everyone!  We just got back from the hospital so I thought I'd take a minute while everyone is sleeping to share my birth story and pictures of my awesome little baby. 

My water broke in small gushes Sunday morning starting around 5.  I did my hair and makeup, cleaned the house, then woke up DH and told him that we should stop by the hospital on our way to church because I thought my water had broken.  He immediately asked if I had wet the bed.  Uh, no.  It doesn't always happen like in the movies, LOL.  

I called the hospital and let them know I was on my way.  I was having contractions every 3-5 minutes apart but they weren't that strong.  When I got there they confirmed that my water had broken but it was a slow leak.  They gave me the option to go home and come back in six hours or so or to start Pitocin to speed things up.  I didn't think my contractions were strong enough to make much progress in 6 hours and I knew that I was on the clock so I chose to stay and to augment labor.  I was still 2cm and 75%, the same as at my appointment on Friday. 

I called my friend who was going to support me in labor and sent DH and DD home.  DH is a great dad, but doesn't enjoy hospitals, isn't good with seeing me in pain, and isn't into labor.   Not having him there was one of the best decisions I made.  My friend was so supportive and encouraging and we kept each other very entertained throughout the whole process. 

Early labor even with Pitocin was fun and manageable.  I bounced on the birthing ball and just needed to concentrate and breathe through the contractions.  We watched Toddlers and Tiaras and joked around about the bad parenting on the show.  My nurse kept having to come in and adjust the heart rate monitor because they kept losing the baby.  (Really, she was with us most of the day and the three of us had a blast.)  When I first came in for monitoring his heart rate was in the 120's but then they kept losing it sporadically in the 150's. 

Finally I wasn't getting a break between the contractions so I unhooked myself for a long potty break and ended up bumping my IV.  My whole forearm started swelling up so we called the nurse in again.  We realized then that my body had taken over and that I didn't need the Pitocin so I was allowed to go off the monitors for a bit and move around.  After a while they told me that I needed to go back on the monitors for 20 minutes or so.  I got into bed and they put the heart rate monitor on me again.  They STILL couldn't get a good reading, no matter how still I laid.  At this point my contractions were hurting a lot more and I needed to move.  The charge nurse came in to try and adjust my monitor and still couldn't get a solid reading.  So they called the head midwife who made me lay completely still on the bed and she held the heart rate monitor.  All she wanted was to get readings through two contractions and she still couldn't get it.  They told me they had never seen such an active baby. 

At this time my contractions were getting really bad so they checked me.  I was only between a 3 and 4 and it was almost 8:00.  I had gotten Pitocin around noon.  I thought I would have made much more progress than that!!  So the midwife told me that I had a bulging forebag of waters.  She wanted to break it to help speed up my labor and insert an internal heart rate monitor on my baby's head so that I could at least move around the bed.  I agreed.  I thought it was best because I wanted to know that my baby was ok because there were such drastic fluctuations in his heartrate.  

After they broke the rest of my water the pain went through the roof.  I hit a point where I wanted to run away from all the contractions.  I didn't know if I could make it through one more, even with all the positions I was trying and counter pressure on my back.  I was vocalizing to make it through the contractions but not screaming.  They checked me again because of the pain and I was only a 5.  The baby didn't like it when they broke my water either and his heartrate had some decels.  There was also some meconium in the fluid.  I was put on oxygen and the whole thing really freaked me out.  I asked for the epi. 

The anesthesiologist came in and explained what to do.  I was hating life and hating everyone in the room.   (I actually at one point did tell the anesthesiologist that I hated her so I hope she forgives me.)  If it took 9 hours to progress 3cm how much longer was it going to take me to get to 10?  And if I did make it to 10 naturally would everyone else in the room make it out alive?!?  They did the shot in my back and I screamed so loud I probably scared everyone else on the L&D floor.  I'm trying to make it through these intense contractions and she just kept telling me to sit still and let her know if it hurt without moving. 

Then she inserted the catheter for the epi.   I held as still as possible and screamed at her that it hurt.  She asked where and I yelled at her IN MY BACK!  My friend said that the anesthesiologist probably thought I was a wimp but she had no idea that I hadn't been that vocal through my entire labor.  She really was hurting me!  A while later the nurse came in to do the foley catheter and I felt that entire thing too.  I don't think that anesthesia affects me as fast as it does others.  I should keep that in mind if I ever decide to have more kids.  The nurse called the anesthesiologist in to give me a bolus because I felt the catheter and could still feel contractions very, very low, although I was still at a 5. 

After the bolus life was great.  I kept wondering why I didn't get the epi sooner.  I calmed down and the baby's heartrate steadied.  I couldn't feel my legs, at all.  I could still feel the contractions very low but didn't want to have them check me unnecessarily.  I could also feel the cord for the internal heartrate monitor moving on its own.  Very strange feeling.  I knew it was probably time to push but I just didn't want to yet.  I was finally getting to rest and enjoy my break. 

A new midwife came in and introduced herself.  She also mentioned something about expecting a big baby.  This was the first I had ever heard of having a big baby, although everyone kept asking me if I felt that this baby was bigger than my last.  That was three years ago.  How am I supposed to remember?  She asked how I was doing and I told her I was feeling some pressure.  It had been two hours since I had last been checked so she wanted to check me again.  Yeah.  The baby's head was RIGHT THERE.  Apparently for me the epi doesn't slow things down but only makes me dilate at lightning fast speeds.  I called DH who had just left DD with his mom and told him to get to the hospital.  The midwife got situated and called the nurse and pediatrics.  We went over what could happen because of the meconium in the fluid. I told my midwife my concerns about tearing like I did last time and so she told me she'd help me out. 

DH actually wanted to be in the room for the pushing but he stayed by my head this time.  He did so much better this time now that he knew what to expect and had only been at the hospital a short time.  

Six minutes after I started pushing my baby was born.  He weighed in at 8lbs 15oz and 21in long.  Holy crap!  That's 2lbs and 2oz bigger than my DD!!  My midwife really did help me out.  I have a small first degree tear and a few skid marks.  My midwife even joked that he would have been 9lbs if he hadn't already pooped.  DS is really enthusiastic about nursing and only lost 2% of his body weight in the hospital.  I feel like that's a huge accomplishment.  DD absolutely loves him and is so sweet to him. 

And finally...here are pics!!

First out.  So pissed off!

image 

Coming home:

image 

image 

I still have some more family pics I need to upload so I'll AW those when I have a chance.   Congrats to all the recent births, good luck to those who are still pregnant, and many prayers to the overdue moms.  This kid came one day overdue and the wait was torturous. 

Image and video hosting by TinyPic image
Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker

Re: My OMG I will never try and go natural again birth story

  • OMG is right! You went through some craziness to get little Elias here. OUCH.

    And WOW--- he is gorgeous!!!!! So happy for you! Welcome to the world, Elias! 

    Image and video hosting by TinyPic

    Lilypie Kids Birthday tickersLilypie Second Birthday tickers
  • Welcome baby Elias!  Congratulations, he's a beautiful boy :)   So everything checked out okay healthwise, even with meconium in the AF??  If so, that's so good to hear!  Can't wait to see family pics with your DD in them.
    Warning No formatter is installed for the format bbhtml
  • Loading the player...
  • imagekjgilhoo:
    Welcome baby Elias!  Congratulations, he's a beautiful boy :)   So everything checked out okay healthwise, even with meconium in the AF??  If so, that's so good to hear!  Can't wait to see family pics with your DD in them.

    Yeah!  He scored an 8 and a 9 on his Apgars.  

    Image and video hosting by TinyPic image
    Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker
  • Congrats Jellie! I love the little frog stuff.. he's a cutie!
    Warning No formatter is installed for the format bbhtml
  • congrats, but i'm confused...how did you try for a natural birth?  seems like you had lots of interventions, which often make birth more painful than it otherwise would be. 
  • Congratulations! It sounds like you went through a lot and did an amazing job! He is precious!
    Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker
  • Loved your birth story! But OMG so sorry you had so much pain, glad the epi helped you though :)

    He is adorable!!! Congrats!

    Warning No formatter is installed for the format bbhtml
  • Congrats! What a cutie! I love that frog hat...
    Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker Image and video hosting by TinyPic
  • Congrats on your beautiful and healthy baby boy!!
    Warning No formatter is installed for the format bbhtml
  • Thank you for sharing your intense birth story. And Congratulations on your handsome little guyParty!!!
    Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker image
  • Congratulations, Jellie! What a rollercoaster birth!!! So glad that you and little Elias are doing great!
                                             Image and video hosting by TinyPic BabyFruit Ticker CafeMom Tickers
  • Congratulations on your handsome LO!

    Not to be snarky, but I kind of want to mention that getting pitocin doesn't qualify as going "natural", and your story sounds atypical so hopefully any FTM who have yet to give birth don't see it as normal. 

    I labored naturally, with no meds at all, for almost 14 hours before I received an epi (great decision) to help my body relax because I wasn't progressing.  I'll admit that the contractions were really intense, but I was told they would have been A LOT worse if I had been given pitocin to "speed things up" as well as told I would have been fine naturally if I hadn't been in labor for so long with so little progression.

    End result regardless is pretty great though!  :):)

    Warning No formatter is installed for the format bbhtml
  • Crazy story! Congrats, mama!
    Image and video hosting by TinyPic Lilypie Third Birthday tickers Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker
  • Congratulations!
    Warning No formatter is installed for the format bbhtml
  • Congrats on your cute guy!
    Warning No formatter is installed for the format bbhtml
  • The pitocin was stopped completely when I bumped my IV. My contractions on pitocin were all early labor. The unmanageable contractions were all mine.
    Image and video hosting by TinyPic image
    Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker
  • Congratulations!  He's so handsome! 
    Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker I'm a Mom Maven. Learn More...
  • Wow!  What a story!  Congrats!  He is georgeous!!!
    imageBaby Birthday Ticker Ticker
  • Wow~ what a story! So glad that you ended up happy with your birth and that Elias was born healthy - can't get any better than that!
  • Thanks for sharing - Elias is PERFECT!!! 

    AlternaTickers - Cool, free Web tickersimage
    imageAlternaTickers - Cool, free Web tickers
    Farewell, nesticle, you will be missed
    Image and video hosting by TinyPicImage and video hosting by TinyPicImage and video hosting by TinyPic
  • Congratulations on your beautiful baby.  I'm glad the epi helped you.  After I had a natural birth with my second I said the same thing, never again.

    Kelly, Mom to Christopher Shannon 9.27.06, Catherine Quinn 2.24.09, Trey Barton lost on 12.28.09, Therese Barton lost on 6.10.10, Joseph Sullivan 7.23.11, and our latest, Victoria Maren 11.15.12

    Secondary infertility success with IVF, then two losses, one at 14 weeks and one at 10 weeks, then success with IUI and then just pure, crazy luck.  Expecting our fifth in May as the result of a FET.

    This Cluttered Life

  • Congrats on baby Elias! He is SOOO beautiful!!

    I could have written this post. My water broke Sunday July 24 night at 5 pm, tried to go pain-med-free, was given pitocin at noon on Monday. Was told that I hadn't made any progress 8 AM TUESDAY, got an epi at 9 AM Tues, Jack was born 9:45 AM July 26. So, I'm with you, Pitocin is a horrible drug and sometimes epidurals make sense.

    Warning No formatter is installed for the format bbhtml
  • Congrats!  He is a cutie :)
    Warning No formatter is installed for the format bbhtml
  • adorable and thank you for the detailed stories.  I am reading these stories with so much interest now that i'm having a baby this weekend! 

    TTCAL Siggy Challenge: "He's my favorite.  His birthday is the same as mine almost"

    image image

    Missing my little one lost at 9 weeks on 2.24.13. brokenhearted but not broken... 

    d&c 5/21/13... Still Healing, Still Standing... 

    MMC discovered 10/2/2013, TWINS... d&c 10/7/2013.  I still miss you, little ones. 

    Surgery December 2013 to remove a 10+cm fibroid... Open myomectomy. Benched for 3-9 months... 
    Will TTC summer Summer 2014 we hope!

    Dear God, Since I couldn't hold my little one in my lap and tell him about you, could you hold him in your lap and tell him about me? 

    PgAL and PAL always welcome...
This discussion has been closed.
Choose Another Board
Search Boards
"
"