Previous Birth Stories

mlindzz

I realize our spring 2018 birth stories are shared under the baby announcement thread, but I thought a place where those who have had previous births could share their stories would be fun!

I know as a FTM reading others experiences was really helpful in preparing for my own. So perhaps others might be feeling the same way, or some of you (like myself) who just never tire of hearing others birthing stories might enjoy reading them as well!

So please, any STM+ mamas willing to share their previous birth stories please do so here!

squashandlaces

I like this!

I ended up with a c-section but I knew that was likely to be our outcome.  I have several large fibroids that kept my baby transverse and the biggest one is near my cervix which probably prevented the baby making its way to the birth canal.  

My dr said we could try vaginal and I preferred that only because the recovery time is significantly shorter. 

At 32 weeks baby was transverse, dr said to book a c-section date or try for s version to turn the baby.  I went in at 37 weeks for the version, but the ob thought baby looked head down. They had shitty ultrasound equipment.  
She said come back in a week and if he stayed head down they would induce.
i went back at 38+2 and baby was still head down so we tried an induction.  

I got a cervidil insert and we waited.  Well, I walked the halls and did a crap ton of stairs.  I would get some pretty strong cramps but they’d go away if I laid down. I had at least 4 different hands check my cervix and there was zero progress in 24 hours.  They said we could try another cervidil insert and see what happens in another 24 hours, or they had an opening at noon for a c-section.  
I opted for the c-section.  I got the my iv hooked up and things happened pretty quickly so I didn’t have much time to freak out. 
The epidural was painless, I didn’t feel the catheter at all and I had groomed recently so they didn’t have to shave me.  The nurses and dr’s were all fantastic. I had a cold at the time so I was trying really hard not to cough. 
They made sure I was numb, my husband came in and they got started.  The epidural made my mouth super dry but I didn’t get any other side effects. 
They say you’ll feel pressure when they are removing the baby but it felt more like they were doing cpr.  The baby was bigger than the dr thought he would be so she made a small incision and then they had to pump for awhile to get him out.  We heard him cry right away from behind the sheet and it was surreal.  He got weighed and wiped and wrapped and then I got to hold him while they were sewing me back up. 
There was an lc in the recovery room so I got to bf right away and he latched like a champ. 
I stayed 2 nights in the hospital, the first was great - meds were managing pain and I had a lovely nurse.  The second night sucked as the meds wore off and I had a crap nurse.  
The one thing i will do differently this time is bring my own pillow!  Hospital pillows STINK!! 

JNCPro3130

I’ll play along.

At my weekly checks beginning at 38 weeks my doctors were sure I wouldn’t make it to my next appointment. I was 1cm and then 3cm. I was waiting to go into labor for 2 weeks! On my due date, DS wasn’t moving as much as usual. I called the nurse line and they set up a doctor’s visit since he was moving but just not much. By the time my appointment came, he woke up and was everywhere! Best feeling! Since I was scheduled for a checkup the next day, the doctor decided to do the check right then rather than having me come back the next day. I was 4cm and told I could go into active labor at any point. I was having BH every few minutes so I decided to go to L&D. I called DH to tell him to meet me at the hospital. It wasn’t the crazy rush to the hospital I was expecting!

 I arrived at the hospital and was checked in by 11:00am. I was told to walk as much as possible to get labor going. At 1:00pm, I was checked again. I was 5cm and still not in active labor. I still had regular BH but nothing painful. I kept walking. At 4:00pm, I was 6cm and still not in active labor so they broke my water. Things definitely got real... and fast!  Contractions are not something you’re going to miss. Around 6:25pm, I thought I needed to go to the bathroom but the nurses were convinced I was ready to push. I got checked and sure enough, I was ready. So far I had done well and felt confident but pushing was tough for me and I kept telling DH I couldn’t do it. It must have been the transition talking. I pushed for 20 minutes and DS was born at 6:45pm. I was in active labor for 2hrs and 45min. and was able to do it med free.

petitechouchou

This was my 9/2015 birth story 

I was hoping little peanut would arrive on her own and wanted to avoid an induction. My plan was for an unmedicated birth and I heard it was much harder to do that when induced. She was stubborn, so I reported to the hospital on the Wednesday 9/23 to be induced. I was barely a centimeter dilated and only 50% effaced. 

They gave me a pill, every four hours, to thin out my cervix. I started feeling contractions throughout the night and was sure I had made significant progress. On Thursday, I was barely 2 centimeter dilated but cervix had thinned. To help with dilation, they put a foley bulb in cervix at 10:45am. When my contractions were not to their liking (too far apart), they started me on pitocin and said I would likely deliver on Friday, a day later. At that point, I wasn't sure I could keep with my plan to deliver without pain meds. I was really discouraged. I decided to ride out the contractions for as long as I could. At around 4pm, the bulb fell out, which meant I was maybe 4 centimeters dilated. Since I knew I was in for the long haul I opted not to get my cervix checked because I was on the brink of asking for epidural and knew anymore references to an extended delivery would push me over the edge.

I labored for one more hour and my water broke at 5pm, I thought I’d peed myself, it was the oddest sensation. At 5:30pm, I felt like I had to poop, but the nurse informed me that since I only felt that way during contractions, it didn't mean I was ready. I insisted on getting checked and the nurse was surprised that I was fully dilated and baby’s head was right there! I’d planned to push on my knees because I was terrified of tearing and I heard it may be a good position for just that. However, I was so tired and so weak that I had little strength to hold myself up.  So  midwife recommended I lay on my side to push. Then she had the nerve to walk out of the room after telling me I’d likely push for two hours and she’d be back when I got close. I nearly cried! I pushed for 10 mins or so and I saw midwife running back, which was honestly the best sight! Baby girl made her debut and I had a  first degree tear that required stitches. 

The contractions were painful, but during the breaks in between, I kept reminding myself that the pain will pass and that it was only temporary. I took it a contraction at a time and tried not to focus on how much time had passed or how much longer it could all take. Don't be afraid of being induced, it’s manageable and I don’t even have a high pain tolerance. 

mlindzz

@squashandlaces so glad to hear you had such a successful c-section and little bean arrived safe and sound! And I agree, boo to hospital pillows!  

@JNCPro3130 & @petitechouchou I could relate to you both, thanks for sharing! I remember hearing in my prenatal class that 98% of woman end up having an epidural after getting induced, apparently it make things pretty intense. You’re rockstars, I applaud you both!

& here is my 3hr labour story for anyone who is still scrolling the post.

The morning of Fathers Day (40w5d), I woke up at 4:30 with what felt like menstral cramps. I decided to have a shower (during which time I later learned my water had broke). At around 5am the cramps turned into contractions. I woke my husband who reluctantly got out of bed and started packing, in disbelief that we actually needed to be heading to the hospital so quickly. From our bed while I was packing my last minute things he timed my contractions which he was counting was 3 minutes apart, then he got up! Ha!

Its roughly a 30 minute drive to the hospital, we arrived around 6-6:30am. Once the triage nurse checked me, she said ‘you’re 9 3/4cm dilated, don’t push!’ And ran off to get me a room. I asked for something for the pain, even though I had hoped for a natural delivery, but in the midst of everything was hoping for gas at the least but nothing as available with such short notice and because I was so far along.

I found that suprisingly reciting the Lords Prayer got me through contractions, not something I had ever thought of doing until I was in the middle of it. So I suggest if you’re looking for something to focus on, perhaps counting or reciting something familiar to you might be helpful. I found that as soon as I felt a contraction coming on, I would begin reciting the scripture as quickly as I could, and by the time I got to the end the contraction would also be digressing. I also spent the majority of my time on my knees in bed labouring, with my arms wrapped around my husbands shoulders as he stood beside me. 

It was suggested that I lay down to push, however this time around I’ll ask to stay upright as long as I can instead. After a few minutes of pushing baby’s heart rate dropped, the room flooded with people  assuming he might need help. It’s mostly a blur, it was a very scary few minutes. Eventually I received an epsitiomy (which in the end was kinda a double edge sword, of course the needle and stitches sucked but avoiding the whole ‘ring of fire’ probably had some perks too), and he was born likely without an issue because of the intervention. His hand had been pushing up against his neck and chin, possibly contributing to the decrease heart rate. Anyways, at 7:21 he safely arrived. I was able to hold and nurse him right away, and everything was fine. Every ounce of him was heavenly and perfect, so thankful he was safe.

My advice to all first time moms is to listen to your body. When you’re in actual labour, you’ll know it. And when you’re feeling unsure about what to do, try your best to relax. Even though you mind might be overwhelmed and racing, your body knows what to do. If something doesn’t feel right, advocate for yourself even when it’s uncomfrotable. And of course, as mentioned above by others, remember this too shall pass. Soon your little babe will be in your arms!

babydreams88

Thanks for these ladies, I love reading your birth stories!! Hopefully some of our own DD group will be posted soon

mrsmtothek

Mostly been lurking throughout this pregnancy so apologies in advance for the drive-by!

Around 11:00 AM at 38 weeks + 4 days, I started having pretty excruciating back pain. I wasn't overly concerned because in the back of my head I thought, "I'm a FTM, undoubtedly I'll go late, there's no way this is any indicator of labor because it's too early for that!". 



Fast-forward to 2:00 PM, I had just sat down to have some lunch. I already cancelled dinner plans with our friends because my back pain wasn't getting any better, still in denial about being in labor. I take a bite of my sandwich and realize that I'm kind of having to breathe through this pain. It was radiating through my back (and some of my front, but I was too focused on my back to really notice) and would get exponentially worse in waves. I took a pregnant pause (har har) and realized "ooh ****, I think I might be in labor." It was at this point that I started timing the contractions. 12 minutes apart. Definitely felt like early labor, but they were consistent and STRONG *oof*. After a half hour of sitting on the couch contemplating my fate I decided to hop in the shower in the event this was false labor. Contractions continued throughout. By the end of the hour I went from 12 minutes apart to 3 minutes apart. 

In my head I thought that was a pretty quick acceleration, so I called my OB office to let them know what was going on. The on-call OB told me that it could potentially be false labor because its my first and a bit early, and to wait it out at home for several more hours to see. I only made it 1-2 more hours at home with consistent painful contractions 2 1/2 - 3 minutes apart before I pulled the plug and told my DH that we were going to the hospital. Upon arrival I was told I was dilated 4 cm, and I requested an epidural pretty much as soon as I bust through those doors. The anesthesiologist took several hours to get there after paperwork had been signed, waiting felt like forever but at the same time was such a blur. My contractions were still going steady and usually lasted 1 1/2 - 2 minutes each.

I basically didn't move from the fetal position the entire time which was a HUGE mistake, especially for someone with back labor. You just have no idea what contractions are going to *really* feel like prior, and I felt like trying to stay still and focus on my breathing was my best bet. Now that I understand more likely than not I'll have back labor once again, I will absolutely be on all fours, on a ball, leaning up against a wall--pretty much doing anything but what I did last time. *facepalm*. 

My anesthesiologist was a miracle worker and the epidural made me feel 100% better (no kidding). I had a good amount of control in my legs too which I was super thankful for, because I know thats not always the case. I slept for several more hours into the AM until I got stuck at 8 cm. They brought out the peanut ball and had me rotate from side to side straddling it (while laying down) every 30 minutes, until I was finally fully dilated. Another good tidbit of advice--request this ball as soon as you get to the hospital (most have them available for you). There are so many benefits to using it, but it can really help to accelerate your labor and reduce your c-section risk, which is what they were considering for me at one point.

7:17 AM and my little man made his way into the world. I pushed for 45 minutes and had a dream team of nurses and OB in delivery. Overall I was pretty thankful I had such an uneventful L&D story. Now I'm just trying to remain calm and not freak out about going early again--which I can only assume I have great odds of now 

crunchyice

I don't remember everything, but DS was born two days early. My contractions were I think 4 minutes apart and I lost my mucus plug early in the morning. We had a thirty minute drive. Checked into triage. I don't remember how far along I was when they checked me, but it must have been enough to be sent to L&D.

They started me on pit and told me that the anesthesiologist lived an hour away so I had to wait for my epidural and my OB was out of town for the weekend. Getting the epidural was painful for me. I remember it felt like he was digging around in my spine and it took two tries, but I still plan on getting one again. DS was at an angle. The on-call OB did an internal cephalic version and it worked. My water didn't spontaneously break so if it does this time around, I might just think I peed on myself.

I remember feeling really hot and stripping off my gown and begging DH to rub my head with a cold washcloth. I don't really remember what else I might have said to him, but I remember him saying something about me being mean.

Around 3pm, apparently, my BP dropped too low and DS was in the birth canal for too long so my OB gave me the choice of c-section or letting her use the kiwi. She performed an episiotomy and pulled him out. My epidural completely wore off when she was stitching me up and I felt everything, but I was so focused on DS that it was okay and I didn't scream too much.

codeeye

I've been mostly lurking but I'll share. 

My may 2016 birth story.

Originally my due date was may 5th. Then suddenly at 36 weeks they decided it was actually may 14th. I still don't understand why the change. Either way, both of those dates came and went and I was getting increasingly impatient. Finally at 41+3 they decided to induce me (originally were going to do it at 41 weeks but had a baby boom and no room for me at our small hospital so i had to wait it out a bit longer) 

First day was two rounds of gel. Nothing. Not a twitch. Second day was a different kind of gel (i forget what it's called... the one that's like a tampon basically). Again, not a single contraction. Day three they tried the gel again. Got me walking. Broke my water. Made me walk even more. Still nothing. Not a single contraction. 

At that point we were admitted already and committed to having a baby through whatever means. They hooked me up to the pitocin drip and although I still felt no contractions at all the monitors were saying that my uterus was spasming. After 6 hours of them trying to safely increase the pitocin dose the doctor came in and said that it was my choice of we continue trying until one of us is in distress, or if we just head for a section while everyone was good. 

Being that I was now 41+6 (according to the may 14th due date) I was 100% done being pregnant. I felt like none of the methods were working and I immediately agreed to the section. 

In the operating room they had trouble getting the needle in my back to numb me and when they did it hurt me very badly (made fire and nerve pain run down one side until the meds numbed me finally) the rest of the section went off without a hitch and my little fella arrived at 6:27pm, weighing 8lbs 9oz and 21.5 inches long. 

While they were closing me up the doctor (who was a co-worker of mine I might add) told me that my uterine muscles were not proper and that is likely why I never had any contractions at all. 

This time we scheduled the c-section to avoid a repeat of the last situation. And also because to try v-bac I would have to go to a hospital 1 hour away. 

mlindzz

Thanks everyone for sharing, I’ve loved reading each one! @mrsmtothek you are an entertaining writer, I was absolutely laughing out loud at some parts. Could completely relate! 

My heart aches at the idea of waiting day after day trying to find something that would induce labour @codeeye, it must be such a relief to know this time you can skip all the uncertainty and waiting. Best of luck with the c-section! 

Keep the stories comin’ mama’s! There are a few of us lurkers still here enjoying them!