Chase is here!

Mrs_Springbride · March 2010

Chase?s Birth Story

On Saturday Feb 27, I woke up with some back pains. I was a week away from my due date so I didn?t think much of it. I had breakfast and then got in the shower. By 11 am they were getting a little stronger. I thought I was having some constipation problems because I kept feeling the urge to go to the bathroom. I started using the contraction app on my iPhone to see if I could time them. The pain was almost like a burning sensation only in my back. The contractions were 1 min long and were approximately 45 minutes apart.

By 2 pm, the contractions were still 1 min long, and were then approx 30 min apart. At this point I wasn?t sure if I was really having contractions or not, because nothing was reaching around to the front of my uterus, like all the books and my birthing class said.

At 4 pm I took a nap thinking that it may help, but it didn?t. I placed a call to my doctor when I woke up around 6pm, and told her of the intense pain I was having in my back and told her I was timing them. By that point, they were about 20 min apart. She said that if they were contractions, they were too far apart to put any change in my cervix and for me to just wait it out at home and they may eventually stop. She reminded me of the 5-1-1 rule. (contrax 5 min apart for 1 hour, lasting 1 min).

After talking to a few of my neighbors, they were telling me that I could be feeling this kind of stuff for a few days before going into labor. They all have children, so I figured they may be right.

By 8pm I was in so much pain I couldn?t take it anymore. I was going back and forth to the bathroom thinking I still had to go. I told Chris I really wanted to go to the hospital that minute and what was the worst that could happen, they send me home? I just wanted something to make the pain go away.

Our hospital is a 25 minute drive. We grabbed the camera and video camera just in case. By 9 pm we were on our way. I was still timing the contractions and they were around 7 minutes apart.

We checked into triage around 9:30pm. The nurse asked me if I had called my doctor, and I told her yes but that?s when they were 20 min apart. She said they may have me walk around, or send me home with a sleeping pill. They hooked me up to the machine and the contractions were 5-7 minutes apart. While I was waiting for the resident OB to come in and check me out I felt like I had to go to the bathroom again. I lost my mucus plug and started bleeding. I told the nurse that I was bleeding and she said all this was normal. I went back to the triage room and told Chris what happened. I got back in the bed and started shaking and feeling like I was going to throw up.

Finally, around 10:30 pm the doctor came in to check my cervix to see how dilated I was. My last OB appt was on Tuesday, where I was 1 cm dilated and 50% effaced. I wasn?t prepared to learn that I was 8-9 cm dilated now! Chris and I looked at each other looked at her and said um, what?! Then about 10 seconds later I said WHAT, does this mean I don?t get an epidural?!!? She said they could try for one but I was in so much pain I probably wouldn?t be able to sit still enough for one.

Within minutes about 5 nurses came in and wheeled me to the birthing room. All our stuff was still in the car, because I was not expecting that we were having this baby tonight so Chris ran downstairs to the car to get the camera.

I was in the birthing room waiting for my OB to arrive. I was in such shock I could not believe we were having the baby. My Dr got there at around 11:15 pm and we were still waiting for me to dilate to 10 cm. My water had not broken yet. She asked me if I wanted her to break my water to speed things along. Um, yes please!

By midnight we were ready to start pushing. If someone told me that I would be having a baby with no pain medication I would have told them they were crazy! My birth plan was to have an epidural. So much for that! The pushing was the most intense pain I have ever felt in my life. Because I had only been having back labor, every time I had to pull back on the bars it hurt so much more. The only thing that felt better was pushing down on the bed while lifting up my bottom. It was unconventional, but was working. I felt really bad for everyone in the room because I was letting out some blood curdling screams. I?m surprised they all have their hearing!! It took about 7 good pushes to get his head out. As soon as his head was all the way out all the pain really does go away. Then he was all the way out and your stomach kind rolls with it. That was probably the weirdest feeling. The Dr. put the baby on my lap. I looked and Chris, looked at the baby, looked at Chris again pretty much in shock like what the hell just happened!

At 12:34 am Sunday morning, Chase Alexander was born. He weighed 6lbs, 12 oz and was 21 inches long. He is the cutest thing I have ever seen. He is a great baby already. Although I was expecting the epidural, I am glad I had a med free birth. It makes for a better story anyway!