Baby Charlotte - Jan 3rd

CarolinaNiki · January 2011

It took a while to find the time to type this, but either way, here's Birth Story.

I started having random strong contractions on Monday, Dec 27. I left work and went home to work there instead. I spent all week having random strong contractions that would start and stop. Then they kicked into high gear Saturday, Jan 1st morning at 2am, after only an hour and half of sleep. They were strong, painful, and 10 mins apart. After 3 hrs, I woke up Hubby to let him know. They continued for another 2 hrs becoming 6-7 mins apart. We called them doctor around 8am to make sure that we were supposed to keep waiting. Because my contractions had be starting and stopping all week, I was told to wait until I had 5min contractions for 2hrs.

So, we tried to relax as best we could and take a nap. I woke up after only 45mins with way too much energy for someone who had only had a little over 2hrs of sleep. Hubby got up an hour or so later. My contractions had once again slowed down to 15-20 mins, so we headed out lunch. The contractions continued throughout the afternoon but not well patterned and at varying frequency. The doctor recommended taking Benedryl to calm the contractions down so that I can sleep. Sunday morning they started up strong as ever and even more erratic. By the evening they were becoming fairly unbearable but still only 8-10 mins apart. It got to the point that I wasn't watching the clock to time them but to brace myself for the next wave. Around 7pm, I broke down and told him I couldn't take it any more - I needed something for the pain. We loaded up and headed to the hospital.

I had a contraction on the way to the hospital. I had one as we pulled in. I had two while I waited at admissions to be checked in. I had one in the hallway to the room. Once they put the monitor on me - nothing. It was 30 mins before I had a contraction. Of course this does not build confidence in the nursing staff as they tend to you. Due to the lack of contractions, the lack of dilation, they said there wasn't much they could do. They suggested an Ambien to help me sleep. Reluctantly I agreed, and home we went. As soon as they removed the monitor, my contractions started again.

By the time we got home, I could feel the Ambien kicking in, and for the record, I don't like it. My brain was still active, but felt disconnected from my body, which seemed sluggish and not fully under my control. I had to actually get Hubby to help me get dressed for bed. After about 15-20 mins of that, the effects wore off and I couldn't feel it at all. Also, as it wore off my contractions kicked into high gear. They were even more painful than before - but still not 5 mins appart. I tried hard to follow doctors orders. I laid down in bed and put on some classical music to try to relax me and provide some escape from the pain. Nothing I did helped. I tried different positions; I tried walking around. Nothing.

I came to Hubby sobbing that I didn't care what it meant, I was giving up, and we were going back to the hospital. He called the doctor and told her, and she said she would instruct the hospital to get me started on an epidural. If my cervix continued to not respond to the contractions, then the would induce. They believed I was in non-productive labor - all the fun of the contractions without progressing.

Because it was now Jan 3rd, we had to go through the whole check-in process again and fill out all paperwork again. By the time we got to the room, my contractions were 3-4 mins apart. I was still only at 1cm. It took forever to get the epidural, and then for them to get it into my spine. The contractions were to the point they could hear me in the hallway and the nurses were trying everything to track down the anesthesiologist. Once she did get there, it wasn't easy to get it placed. I am borderline for scoliosis, which until now has meant nothing to me. However when it comes to the epidural, it apparently makes it a much trickier procedure. That paired with how quickly my contractions were hitting, didn't give her enough time work between the contractions. But once it was in and working, it was all worth it. They checked me again, and I was only up to 2cm, so it was time for pitocin.

I was told to try and get some sleep as it would take a while for me to dilate. They set up Hubby on a pull out bed, and we tried to sleep. I woke up a couple hours later around 6am as the contractions got worse again. About the same time my doctor got there to check in on me. I complained about the pain and the epi not keeping up, so they said they would track down the anesthesiologist to see about upping the dose.

My doctor examined me and was surprised to find I was already up to 8cm and my water on the edge of breaking. She went ahead and ruptured the sack, but reminded me that it would probably be awhile longer before I dilated the additional 2cm and that even then they would need to wait for the baby to enter the birth canal before I would start pushing. They told me how I would know the baby was ready and to let me know when I felt it. I don't think it was even 15 mins later that I started feeling the pressure. They hadn't even managed to track down the anesthesiologist yet. I looked at Hubby and told him he needed to find a nurse now.

Sure enough, my doctor came in, examined me, and declared it was time to start pushing. After only 20 mins of pushing, at 7:27am on Jan 3rd, I had my beautiful baby girl, Charlotte Marie. Charlie was 6lb 14oz and 19 in long.