Repost from 3rd Tri- Lorelei's med-free and quick delivery (long)
Rory419
member
Written 3/10/2010
Hello! Lorelei is under some photo therapy right now so I have a little bit to write my birth story while it is still fresh in my mind.
Yesterday, at 4:30-5 am I woke up to strong period cramps. They were not terrible or anything, just strong enough to keep me from sleeping. I really did not think much of it because while they were strong, they did not seem to last longer than like 10 seconds or spread much further than my abdominal area. However, when they kept coming, I decided to test and see if they were for real. I tried changing positions, bouncing on the birth ball, taking a walk and getting a shower. I figured if they slowed down or stopped, I was not in real labor, but lo and behold, they just increased. Around 10 I started timing them and from about 10-11:30, they were 4-6 minutes apart and lasting an average of 40 seconds. I could easily breathe through them and they really just felt like intense period cramps, but I still called the on call doctor, who said to come on in to L&D. I was still skeptical because I guess I imagined it being more "definitive," but I called DH and he came home. While waiting for DH, I packed what was left of our bags and ate some pretzels with peanut butter.
We arrived at the hospital around 12:30 and the contractions were coming more regularly but still not intensifying. I was really afraid of being sent home, but when they checked me, I was 4 cm (which was a shock since I had been like 1cm since 32 weeks.) Even though I was that far, they wanted me to walk for two hours to see progression. Thank God it was gorgeous out! DH and I walked outside, and were joined by my friend who is due on the 16th (and trying to start labor :-)) About 3ish, my contractions were coming 1-2 minutes apart and were getting hard to talk through. I used DH and my friend to lean on when I breathed through them and had them apply pressure to my hips and back, which really helped.
At 4, we got back into triage and I waited to get checked again. I was a bit disappointed to find that I was barely more than 5 cm, but happy to be admitted. This was it! I then started trying to communitcate my desire to go med-free, a feat that would be difficult in the hospital I was in, especially since I FORGOT my birth plan at home!! The nurse gave me the impression that I would get what I wanted, and sent me upstairs.
Up in labor and delivery around 5p.m., I was feeling more intense contractions. I declined the iv and requested intermitent monitoring, and with a bit of coaxing, convinced the nurse to let me labor in the shower for a while. I stood in the shower swaying and letting the water hit my back for about 30 minutes, and it was then that I started vocalizing more with the contractions. I was starting to feel pressure in my back and butt, which it was definitely too early for. The contractions were getting worse, and finally I got out of the shower to be monitored a little, and when I was checked, I was about 7cm. It was AWFUL laboring in bed with all the back pressure and I was starting to feel a LOT of pain. My vocalizing got a bit more out of control, in spite of my DH's efforts to give me deep breathing promps. Because of the fact that he was not given a certain bracelet to get back in, we did not have time to go back to our car to get our bags which had our hypnobirthing supplies in them, and the contractions were too close for me to let him go get it. I was feeling horrible pressure and pain and started really considering an epi. I knew that if I did not have too much further to go I could handle it, but I could not imagine being like this for another several hours. Of course the nurses were less than helpful by reminding me how long labor could be from this point and how if I wanted the epi, I needed to decide before I was in too much pain for them to put it in.
I knew I was getting really close to that point, and I was in horrible pain at this time. The contractions were short, but close together and intense, and the pressure was terrible. I asked to be checked one more time and decided if I had not progressed, I would request the epi. I was so exhausted and did not think I could go further (apparently a common feeling in transition.) I was so surprised to be checked (at about 6:45 now) and I was almost 9 centimeters! It would take a half hour to give me the bag of fluid for epi prep and I knew by the time I got it, it would be time to push. It was "too late" for me now. The nurse went to call the Dr to tell her I was close.
Suddenly, barely 15 minutes later, I was howling and screaming that I needed to push. The nurse checked me again and I was fully dialated with barely a lip of cervix. It was SO painful getting checked at that point and I was purely miserable, and losing control of the pain. The on-call dr was not near enough to come, so they called for a resident, a bunch of people rushed in to get me in pushing position. It was kind of unnerving because it was like none of them were assigned my care or ready for delivery; no one expected a first time mom to go from 5 to 10 in 2 hours (especially me.) I had Dh and a nurse holding each leg and I was on my back, trying not to scream. There was an awesome older dr (resident superviser) who was giving me encouraging words to not scream and use my energy, but to push through the contractions as soundlessly as I could. As hard as that was, the it did feel good to actually focus on a goal during the contractions.
I am not going to lie; pushing was excruciatingly painful, especially when I could feel her there. I could only push during contractions but felt the pressure of her head there the whole time, burning. Halfway through pushing, the on-call Dr. showed up, and (with a less than kind bedside manner) told me to stop screaming (uh, thanks. ) They kept whispering and acting like I was doing something wrong, and all I could think of was how much pain I was in and how much it burned.
As I was pushing, they broke my water, and apparently were assessing how tight I was down there. I heard them mention an episiotomoy, and all I could think of was how much I did not want to feel a cut (even though I am sure I would not have; I was not being rational.) I kept saying "no, please, no!" and the OB had the scissors up like she was going to cut me anyway. DH however said "she said no!" and they let me keep going without it. I am realizing now that may have been a mistake. Also, at some point I heard them mention meconium which freaked me out, but I could not concentrate on it.
It was really cool when I could actually feel her coming out, and everyone kept saying how close I was. It still burned really bad and the blood got to be too much for DH. He had to go sit down and someone else had to take my leg for the final few pushes. At 7:25 p.m., Lorelei Rose was born. I wanted to have her skin to skin right away, but they had to go suck the meconium out of her a few feet away. Also, I tore REALLY badly (like in more places than I even know) and I had to get stitched for about an hour and a half. It was hard not being able to hold her for so long, but I could watch her and she was just beautiful. Her lungs were clear, she was 7lb, 6 oz and 20 inches long, and scored an 8 & 9. Dh was so cute carrying her around as I waited and the precious moment when I finally got to hold my baby girl was all worth it.
It really is true that once the baby is out, the intense labor pain just stops. I still had some pain from delivering the placenta (especially since I could not be distracted with holding her) and the hour and a half of stitching with tons of tiny prics for the local was also painful, but nothing in comparison to labor. I feel so proud to have experienced a natural birth (though it was by God's grace; I do not know if I would have handled a longer birth.)
Lorelei and I are doing pretty well now. She is jaundiced and undergoing photo therapy right now, which is hard. She is very fussy and loves to be held, so it is torture to listen to her cry and not be able to do much about it since she needs to lay under the lights. Also, breastfeeding is challenging. I have flat nipples and she gets lazy and frustrated with latching (or she just wants to snuggle.) We started getting the hang of it this morning, and then her treatments started disrupting things and making her sleepier. I have been pumping regularly and we are feeding her while she is under the lights by using a syringe to give her my milk. Hopefully her score for the jaundice will go down so we can go home tomorrow and start adjusting to life at home! I cannot express how much DH and I adore her and how much more in love I am with DH watching him with her. It is truly incredible.
Re: Repost from 3rd Tri- Lorelei's med-free and quick delivery (long)
Matthew Kevin
7/31/83-7/20/11
Met 1/8/00
Engaged 4/21/06
Married 9/29/07
Two beautiful legacies: Noah Matthew (2 yrs) and Chloe Marcella (8 mos)
Day Three