October 2014 Moms
Emerald27
member
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~Emerald27's Birth Story~
Emerald27
member
TL;DR
3:37am 1st contraction after pillow falls on the floor
5:00am Water breaks
7:03am Arrive at hospital
7:45am Elliott Michael is born
Long version:
I woke up around 3:30am to the sound of the sofa cushion I was keeping between my knees while I slept crashing onto the floor, into my bedside table, and knocking the table into the wall. It startled me awake, and since it was the wall that DS's and our room shares, I stayed up a bit to see if it woke him. It didn't, but I started having some contractions and decided to time them. They lasted about 5-6 minutes apart and lasting 45 seconds or so.
I wondered if there could be anything to them, and I was really uncomfortable, so I decided to go downstairs and sit on the exercise ball for a bit. As soon as I got to the stairs, I heard "mommy!" DS had woken up...so I abandoned the ball and went to snuggle him back to sleep. Laying there, I continued to time the contractions which I had to carefully breathe through. Decided that the ball wasn't going to help much, but I would bring it upstairs and then get in the shower. I woke DH to warn him of the giant ball that would be at the end of the bed and told him I was taking a shower. It was about 4:30am at this point.
Took my shower. Every contraction I would lean my hands and head against the wall and rock my hips back and forth. That worked so well to manage the pain. I got out to dry off and leaned over the sink for another contraction, and my water broke. It was 4:59am. I stared at this little clear puddle between my legs thinking..."Holy crap. Wait, could this just be shower water? How could shower water do THAT?"
I cleaned it up and went to tell DH what I thought had happened. We weren't sure, but I sat down on the ball and suddenly felt/heard another gush, and had a really strong contraction. Then began the scramble for towels in between contractions for me to stand on, because every contraction was very intense and my water would gush. The best relief was my husband kneeling in front of me with my arms around his neck leaning over and swaying. We had planned for slow dancing, but with his broken ankle, him kneeling was our best option. The contractions before my water breaking could be managed on my own, but I absolutely needed my husband for these stronger ones.
In between contractions we called my BIL to come watch DS, we called the doula, and we called the midwife. I tried the tens unit but took it off immediately...the contractions were just too strong and I couldn't get in the zone with that thing on my back.
The doula arrived and we ran another shower for me. I knelt on all fours in the shower and started to moan through contractions. The doula pressed inward on my hips, and did this throughout the rest of my labor, which provided amazing relief. I mentioned being worried about how long it was taking BIL, and we decided to call our closer backup who lives down the street. She came right away. I dried off and threw on a dress to make my way to the car. I had to stop and kneel on the stairs for a contraction, and had another on the porch steps and one leaning against the car - I was so vocal that I was sure I would wake up the whole neighborhood...
I knelt over the backseat of the car as the doula drove us very quickly to the hospital. My contractions spaced out in the car, thank goodness, but they were so intense that I punched the seat and pretty much screamed at the top of my lungs. The car is NOT a comfortable place to have contractions, and no one was able to help me in the car. :P I was terrified that I would get to the hospital and be told that I was like 2cm dilated, and really worried that I couldn't do this.
When we arrived the nurses had a wheelchair for me. I could barely see, if that makes sense...was kind of out of it...they led me to the chair and pushed me quickly to a room. On the way down the hall I had a very intense contraction, which I screamed through. Then I loudly apologized to any moms just getting started and said I hoped I hadn't scared anyone. They got me on the bed and checked dilation. I was at 7cm and it was 7:03am. Then I flipped over to "hug" the back of the bed and continued contracting, but with almost no breaks in between. They told me they needed to draw blood and monitor baby's heartbeat for 20 minutes as I begged for the bath or shower. I tore off the tourniquet twice telling the nurse to wait until the next contraction before drawing blood...I was so scared of contracting while the needle was in my arm, because I moved rather violently and was afraid of getting hurt. Every contraction at this point, my doula would tell me to look at her eyes and take longer deep breaths. Looking into her eyes helped, but I just wanted to scream, not breathe. Lol
They got the blood somehow, but told me that they couldn't find baby's heartbeat on the monitor. Either he was too low or I was moving too much. The midwife made me flip to my back to put on an internal monitor, but said that I was complete and could push if I wanted. I told her I didn't feel the urge, but I was ready to be done so I would try. Apparently I wasn't getting it right, though...I was pushing with my legs, and your legs don't get the baby out. So I was going to have to wait until my body took over and did it for me. But I couldn't stay on my back another moment!
Sat up and leaned over the back of the bed in a half-squat, half-all fours position, and then had another contraction. It was so intense and I really really didn't want to feel another one, so I started trying to push this way even though I didn't really have the urge. The midwife heard me and said that I was doing great, but they thought I had stopped pushing in between contractions, because I was quiet...but I was focused! I wanted baby out and did not stop pushing even when I wasn't contracting. I could feel him and it burned and was SO much pressure, so I just kept pushing. And the midwife was taken by surprise as I delivered him very quickly. She didn't even have an opportunity to glove up, but caught him barehanded and set him down between my legs.
She yelled "look at your baby! Look down, it's your baby!" I leaned back and picked him up, then flipped onto my back and held him on my abdomen. I couldn't bring him up to my chest because his cord was too short. They examined him (got 9s on both apgars), and when the cord had stopped pulsing, DH cut it. Then I pulled him up to my chest and snuggled him while I delivered the placenta in barely a push. The midwife examined me and thankfully, despite my unorthodox pushing, not a single tear!
We snuggled skin-to-skin and nursed for nearly two hours before he was weighed and measured. 6lbs 7oz, 19" long. I got up to use the restroom and then got ready to wheel down to my postpartum recovery room.
Baby Elliott did great. Was an awesome nurser from the start, and very snugly. His older brother and daddy are smitten. My birth experience was intense and very painful, but it was incredible and empowering and the most amazing experience of my life. I really am amazed at what my body could do, and am grateful that it did it in just 4 hours.
It was the most difficult thing I have ever done, and the only way I would choose to birth.
I feel pretty good except for some hip soreness and crazy after pains. Didn't get after pains with DS1, and apparently that's normal and they get worse with every kid. So I've been using a heating pad on my lower tummy and taking some Advil to try to make those contractions less painful. They really only bother me while I'm nursing at this point.
So thanks for reading! I'll be on as much as possible to catch news of other O'14 deliveries!!! So happy for all of us!
Here's my new tiny:
3:37am 1st contraction after pillow falls on the floor
5:00am Water breaks
7:03am Arrive at hospital
7:45am Elliott Michael is born
Long version:
I woke up around 3:30am to the sound of the sofa cushion I was keeping between my knees while I slept crashing onto the floor, into my bedside table, and knocking the table into the wall. It startled me awake, and since it was the wall that DS's and our room shares, I stayed up a bit to see if it woke him. It didn't, but I started having some contractions and decided to time them. They lasted about 5-6 minutes apart and lasting 45 seconds or so.
I wondered if there could be anything to them, and I was really uncomfortable, so I decided to go downstairs and sit on the exercise ball for a bit. As soon as I got to the stairs, I heard "mommy!" DS had woken up...so I abandoned the ball and went to snuggle him back to sleep. Laying there, I continued to time the contractions which I had to carefully breathe through. Decided that the ball wasn't going to help much, but I would bring it upstairs and then get in the shower. I woke DH to warn him of the giant ball that would be at the end of the bed and told him I was taking a shower. It was about 4:30am at this point.
Took my shower. Every contraction I would lean my hands and head against the wall and rock my hips back and forth. That worked so well to manage the pain. I got out to dry off and leaned over the sink for another contraction, and my water broke. It was 4:59am. I stared at this little clear puddle between my legs thinking..."Holy crap. Wait, could this just be shower water? How could shower water do THAT?"
I cleaned it up and went to tell DH what I thought had happened. We weren't sure, but I sat down on the ball and suddenly felt/heard another gush, and had a really strong contraction. Then began the scramble for towels in between contractions for me to stand on, because every contraction was very intense and my water would gush. The best relief was my husband kneeling in front of me with my arms around his neck leaning over and swaying. We had planned for slow dancing, but with his broken ankle, him kneeling was our best option. The contractions before my water breaking could be managed on my own, but I absolutely needed my husband for these stronger ones.
In between contractions we called my BIL to come watch DS, we called the doula, and we called the midwife. I tried the tens unit but took it off immediately...the contractions were just too strong and I couldn't get in the zone with that thing on my back.
The doula arrived and we ran another shower for me. I knelt on all fours in the shower and started to moan through contractions. The doula pressed inward on my hips, and did this throughout the rest of my labor, which provided amazing relief. I mentioned being worried about how long it was taking BIL, and we decided to call our closer backup who lives down the street. She came right away. I dried off and threw on a dress to make my way to the car. I had to stop and kneel on the stairs for a contraction, and had another on the porch steps and one leaning against the car - I was so vocal that I was sure I would wake up the whole neighborhood...
I knelt over the backseat of the car as the doula drove us very quickly to the hospital. My contractions spaced out in the car, thank goodness, but they were so intense that I punched the seat and pretty much screamed at the top of my lungs. The car is NOT a comfortable place to have contractions, and no one was able to help me in the car. :P I was terrified that I would get to the hospital and be told that I was like 2cm dilated, and really worried that I couldn't do this.
When we arrived the nurses had a wheelchair for me. I could barely see, if that makes sense...was kind of out of it...they led me to the chair and pushed me quickly to a room. On the way down the hall I had a very intense contraction, which I screamed through. Then I loudly apologized to any moms just getting started and said I hoped I hadn't scared anyone. They got me on the bed and checked dilation. I was at 7cm and it was 7:03am. Then I flipped over to "hug" the back of the bed and continued contracting, but with almost no breaks in between. They told me they needed to draw blood and monitor baby's heartbeat for 20 minutes as I begged for the bath or shower. I tore off the tourniquet twice telling the nurse to wait until the next contraction before drawing blood...I was so scared of contracting while the needle was in my arm, because I moved rather violently and was afraid of getting hurt. Every contraction at this point, my doula would tell me to look at her eyes and take longer deep breaths. Looking into her eyes helped, but I just wanted to scream, not breathe. Lol
They got the blood somehow, but told me that they couldn't find baby's heartbeat on the monitor. Either he was too low or I was moving too much. The midwife made me flip to my back to put on an internal monitor, but said that I was complete and could push if I wanted. I told her I didn't feel the urge, but I was ready to be done so I would try. Apparently I wasn't getting it right, though...I was pushing with my legs, and your legs don't get the baby out. So I was going to have to wait until my body took over and did it for me. But I couldn't stay on my back another moment!
Sat up and leaned over the back of the bed in a half-squat, half-all fours position, and then had another contraction. It was so intense and I really really didn't want to feel another one, so I started trying to push this way even though I didn't really have the urge. The midwife heard me and said that I was doing great, but they thought I had stopped pushing in between contractions, because I was quiet...but I was focused! I wanted baby out and did not stop pushing even when I wasn't contracting. I could feel him and it burned and was SO much pressure, so I just kept pushing. And the midwife was taken by surprise as I delivered him very quickly. She didn't even have an opportunity to glove up, but caught him barehanded and set him down between my legs.
She yelled "look at your baby! Look down, it's your baby!" I leaned back and picked him up, then flipped onto my back and held him on my abdomen. I couldn't bring him up to my chest because his cord was too short. They examined him (got 9s on both apgars), and when the cord had stopped pulsing, DH cut it. Then I pulled him up to my chest and snuggled him while I delivered the placenta in barely a push. The midwife examined me and thankfully, despite my unorthodox pushing, not a single tear!
We snuggled skin-to-skin and nursed for nearly two hours before he was weighed and measured. 6lbs 7oz, 19" long. I got up to use the restroom and then got ready to wheel down to my postpartum recovery room.
Baby Elliott did great. Was an awesome nurser from the start, and very snugly. His older brother and daddy are smitten. My birth experience was intense and very painful, but it was incredible and empowering and the most amazing experience of my life. I really am amazed at what my body could do, and am grateful that it did it in just 4 hours.
It was the most difficult thing I have ever done, and the only way I would choose to birth. I feel pretty good except for some hip soreness and crazy after pains. Didn't get after pains with DS1, and apparently that's normal and they get worse with every kid. So I've been using a heating pad on my lower tummy and taking some Advil to try to make those contractions less painful. They really only bother me while I'm nursing at this point.
So thanks for reading! I'll be on as much as possible to catch news of other O'14 deliveries!!! So happy for all of us!
Here's my new tiny:
This discussion has been closed.
Re: ~Emerald27's Birth Story~
Congrats!
TFMC 08.02.13 at 19+ weeks. Everyday I grieve for my little Olive.
30 dx with PCOS 2010 treating with metformin
DS1 12-29-11 DS2 11-4-14
BFP 10/19/13 missed mc at 5 weeks d&c 11/18/13
BFP 2/16/14 Please stick baby! ! EDD 10/31/14
DX with septate uterus 3/1/14
O14 January Signature Challenge: Snow Fails
Me: 34 DH: 34
TTC since Jan '13
BFP#1 - EDD 3/24/14 - d&c 7w5d
BFP#2 - EDD 6/14/14 - cp 4w2d
BFP#3 - EDD 10/28/14 - It's a BOY!!! - Born 10/26/14
The 600-800mg Motrins really helped!!
Emma Rose - 9.14.05 Beckett - 5.26.07 Sawyer - 9.22.12 Lennon Mae - 9.26.14
Baby Turtle - November 2014