Babies: 0 - 3 Months

24 hour all natural birth just in the nick of time - (probably the longest one you will read)

 ( Please don't judge my writing I just wanted to share my story) Warning it's a long one!

Dylan?s  ?due date? was Wednesday March the 24th as of Monday the 29th he was considered overdue I was only 1 centimeter dilated and 80% effaced at +1 and my doctor scheduled my induction for Wednesday March the 31st at 7:30 am. I was very set that my son should come when he was ready but I was willing to try natural alternatives to give him the nudge he might need. I tried acupuncture (twice) the last time on Monday and also had the doctor strip my membranes. That day I started feeling a bit crampy and was having lower back pain but knew it could be just the stripping I went about my day and had also decided to try Castor oil as a last alternative. At 10pm I drank my Castor oil/smoothie mix hoping contractions would start soon. Right before my husband left at 10:30 I could feel my stomach hardening and was asking if it could be contractions!? I started feeling more and thank goodness the Castor oil did nothing to me! By midnight my contractions were about 3 minutes apart and lasting 20-30 seconds. I had expected a long ?early labor? and still hadn?t even packed my hospital bag! I called my husband and he came home immediately. We worked through my contractions together until about 1:30 am when they were even closer together so we called my doula to give her a heads up. We continued to labor together where I did throw up probably from the Castor oil and then decided to have my doula join us. She got there around 3 am or so and I labored in the shower on the birthing ball and Shannon my doula set up lavender oil around the house. We stayed at home until about 7 am when I was in the bathtub completely relaxed and honestly enjoying everything I was experiencing. I got on all fours when I heard what sounded like a champagne cork popping from inside my belly and it felt like Dylan had sucker kicked me from the inside which I knew was not possible anymore. I then realized my water bag had broken and luckily I was in the tub! Lol We then decided my contractions were about 2 minutes apart and 45 seconds long and my bag had ruptured so it was time to head to the hospital.

 

The drive was not fun but we made it through and got checked into the hospital it was then that I decided I did NOT want to know my progression. I knew that it could change very quickly and did not show how soon my baby would be born and I did not want to let it control my mindset. Thank goodness I did that because when I was admitted I was only 2 centimeters! We labored in my room and then things felt way more intense than before and we got into the shower. I was physically shaking in my legs and did throw up again. We all believed I was in transition and things would progress soon enough. I was having a hard time dealing with the contractions but was very optimistic since I believed it would be over soon. Boy was I wrong.Then after a few hours my day turned for the not so good. I had been lucky to have a nurse that was ok with my natural birth but the next one was not comfortable at all and it showed very quickly. When they checked my bp it was very high and I had a fever but of course if you understand natural births that is pretty normal given that my body was enduring quite a bit with no meds. She freaked ordered me to the bed on my left side and pushed two fluid bags into me. This was where I think my labor begin to stall it was also the blurriest time of my labor for me. I remember laying there begging to get up because each contraction was so horrible and I could feel him on my hip and my lower back pain was unbearable. I was begging her and she said she couldn?t let me up. Luckily I was so out of it at that point I was falling asleep between each contraction so I don?t think I was able to get as worked up as I would have had I been completely awake. During that time my husband was holding my hand coaching me through each one and my doula was holding hot towel after hot towel and applying pressure to my lower back. We also used the bathroom as an excuse every chance we got so I labored on the toilet off an on that whole time.

 

 Finally after about 2-4 hours or so (told ya it was blurry for me) we had a new nurse and it was like an angel had arrived. She was older and said back in the day no one received meds and she knew I needed to be up. Took me completely off the bp machine (which they were monitoring every 15 minutes so of course they were catching my bp during contractions!) and finally took the IV out and closed it off so I just had a hep lock. She also asked my doctor for me to let me back in the shower.  Little did I know after all this time I was only at a 6 maybe a 7 and it was about 4 pm. We jumped in the shower and I felt so much better though I was still contracting hard we then went back into the room where I sat on the rocking chair and labored with my doula and my husband surrounding me. We stayed like that for a few hours it seemed. It was tough at this point and we started to notice at this point my contractions were not picking up like they should. It was now about 7 pm or so and the 3 of us had a group talk and decided that I needed to help my body along. I knew deep down I was holding myself back by not working with my contractions. I was so tired I was fighting them and obviously it was showing. I knew I had to get up and start moving and we called my mom to have us pray for us. Shannon also gave my husband and I alone time to talk about the big moments ahead and my husband pointed out how the nurses had brought in the things to be ready for when our son was born. I held his little hat and knew that I had to do this all for him. My husband gave me some very long passionate kisses and told me he had every bit of faith in me and told me how wonderful I was.

 

 This next few hours were the hardest part of my labor. He was so far down that each contraction was no longer felt in my belly but in my pelvis and anus region. I could feel with each contraction him pushing down and all I wanted to do was tense up but yet I had to stand and sway and let myself open up. I remember my doula and husband reminding me that I could do this no that I WAS doing it! I was so physically exhausted my husband was literally holding me up and my doula was applying pressure to my back this lasted for at least 3 if not 4 hours where at this point I had been in active labor for about 20 -23 hours. I broke down again asking my doula for help. I told her I wanted anything to help me I just couldn?t do it anymore. I know in my head I didn?t even want drugs and I was actually wanting something more like pitocin just to speed things up.I was even telling her ?I don?t really want anything I just want this to be over?.  She went over my options and how we don?t know if things would work the way they needed to, how we were facing a clock because of my broken water bag and how if we introduced one intervention it could lead to more.She also babied me and hugged me and told me she knew and that I could make it through on my own. My husband looked at me and basically told me no. Now don?t think he is a horrible man he knew that deep down all I wanted was to birth my baby naturally and how disappointed I would have been in myself if I hadn?t done so. Finally we decided I would go pee one more time and be checked and if I hadn?t progressed more I was gonna seriously consider an intervention of some sort.

 

 We get to the bathroom and all of a sudden my body started bearing down. I yelled out for Shannon that my body was pushing and it felt like I was gonna poop myself! She told me to breath and work my way through it. We got to the bed and guess what!? I was 10 centimeters and ready to go! All my hard work had finally paid off. This was at about 12: 15 am I asked the nurse while they were getting ready if I could labor on my hands and knees and she said sure. I flip over and all of a sudden my body takes over. I am feeling my stomach tighten up and then push down and am feeling my son move down inside of me! I am telling everyone ?he?s coming!!!!? my nurse checks me on my hands and knees and tells me ?honey you need to quite pushing he is right there!?  She could only get up to her first knuckle in. I had about one more contraction in that position and she tells me to flip over that being on my hands and knees might be helping to much before they are ready!  I am flat on my back and I can still feel him coming down. It was one of the most amazing feelings in the world. I knew exactly where his head was and while it was intense I would never describe it as painful. My body knew exactly what to do and I didn?t need help from anyone or any kind of medication to have him come. At that point the nurse paged anyone to come and help and paged my doctor who was not at the hospital and the on call doctor just in case. I was asking my husband and my doula what would happen if my doctor didn?t show up and my doula kept reminding me if anything happened the nurses would be fine on their own. I saw the nurses face and you could tell that the chances of her delivering where actually very big!

 

Finally somehow my doctor showed up all suited up and they slid me down to the end of the bed and put me in stir ups. I asked if I could do it without the stir ups but he said no and at that point even though that was the last position I had wanted to be in I knew it didn?t matter any more. My doctor started using oil to stretch me and massage as well. He was dumping loads of it in there and during this time my doula and husband said they were so worried each time he would reach for it because the scissors were sitting right next to it! Lol Well at this point I could feel my son starting to crown I was holding back again because the sting had taken over but I knew at this point I was gonna have to help my body along. My husband who when I had first gotten pregnant said he would remain by my shoulders was holding my hand and looking down and saying over and over again ?I see him!!! I see his hair!!? The joy and excitement in his voice was contagious and I remember I started pushing and what felt like screaming but my husband told me was very deep moaning  and within about 2 contractions and maybe 3 pushes my son had entered this world at 12:42 am.  His head popped out and the doctor suctioned him immediately because he had passed meconium then with no effort I felt his body pop out. 24 hours after labor had begun.

 

They placed him on me briefly and the doctor did let his cord pulse for about 2 minutes and my husband cut the cord. The doctor said I can?t let it go much longer because he needed to be checked out. Funny thing is as soon as he was out I felt zero pain and was even aware to the point of telling my doctor polietly? thank you so much we understand?! lol I remember looking down and thinking this is not real, that can?t be him, look at this new beautiful face! The moment he was placed on me I started crying and my husband was saying that?s our son! Look at him!!! He was taken away to get checked out and I looked at my doula who had been on my right side the whole time asking if my placenta would hurt. Nope not in the least and she was hugging me and telling me ?You have a baby? congratulations!!! My husband went with Dylan and she stayed by my side. I had only minor 1st degree tears that would heal on their own and zero hemorrhoids. I believe it?s because I could feel and push with my body instead of having to be coached. Actually I did not once hear anyone say to push and if they were I was in a zone to where it was falling on deaf ears. My son was amazing he whimpered when he came out after being suctioned and maybe lightly cried for a minute after that he was eyes wide open just taking in the world. He was so content and not scared or anxious and I fully believe it?s because he was able to be born all naturally. They finished cleaning him up and he latched on for maybe a minute but enough to get some skin to skin contact and cuddle time with me. Then my doula went home and they finished up his tests which he got a 8 then a 10 on his apgar and weighed 6 lbs 11 oz and was 18 ? inches long.

 

The hardest part of my labor I believe was the length of my labor sure the contractions at times were hard but I had so much support and love surrounding me that at times I couldn?t even feel some of the harder ones. The time started to tear me down and question myself but thanks to my wonderful husband and my amazing doula they were able to remind me that I could and DID make it through. I remember how many people told me ?You don?t get a medal for birthing naturally? but you know what YES I did. I am not going to say it?s my baby because no matter what he would have made his entrance into this world. My medal is my self worth I have now. It is knowing that I made a decision and rode it out till the very end through hell and high water. That I proved to myself that I am a super woman maybe not to anyone else but to myself. I did it for my son and for me and no one can ever take that away from me. This was the hardest thing I have ever gone through and I proved to myself that I can and did accomplish it, that to me is my medal that I will have forever.

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Re: 24 hour all natural birth just in the nick of time - (probably the longest one you will read)

  • Just wanted to say welcome anabel!  I'm so glad you were able to have the natural birth you wanted!!
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  • Holy cow! That is the longest birth story I have ever read. You give me motivation for a natural birth for my next one.

    Congrats on your baby boy btw! He is adorable.

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  • Awesome!  Congrats again!  I loved reading your birth story!  You are super woman!  For the rest of your life, you'll know you can do anything! 
    image
    Asher Benjamin and Lola Aisling

     Infertility
    PCOS, Progesterone Deficiency Disorder, Multiple Miscarriage
    Clomid, Metformin, Ovadril, PIO, P17 Iron/Platlet Tranfusion

    My Spring Babies! 
    <3 Angel Baby   Elisabeth Adelle  April 2008 <3
    Asher Benjamin  April 2010
    Lola Aisling  May 2014
  • Yes
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  • :)

    Congratulations again Ana.

    You know how proud I am of you.

    You did good, girl.

    Jack Anderson 2.28.10 Our amazing little man. image
  • Congratulations Anabelle, I'm so glad you were able to go naturally enjoy your LO and take care of yourself.  See you on the Chatzy side.
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  • AMAZING birth story!! I'm so stoked for my own natural birth/labor and this just made me even more excited. Congratulations!!
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  • congrats ana! your story is amazing and dylan is precious!

    i know when i was done and had my little man in my arms, i was very glad i did it naturally (i did have one dose of IV pain meds though---glad for that too). 

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  • Congrats on Dylan!

    Did you deliver at Lake Forest?  I thought I remembered you saying you were going there.  I delivered there, too, and also wound up with  a frustrating nurse who wanted to confine me to bed because of a broken bag of waters.  I wish I had been more forceful about wanting to labor in different positions! 

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  • Reading your description of how you felt and your thoughts made me cry. I am happy you got the type of delivery and experience you wanted. You do deserve a medal for a natural birth!
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  • It may have taken me a couple of days to read but I just wanted to let you know how very proud i am of you! you are amazing!!! I only wish i could have been as strong as you & had the labor i wanted. maybe for my next child if i can v-back. you are truly an inspiration. thank you so much for sharing your story with us. i truly envy you. :-)
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