Birth Stories
Strozyk Hayes
member
Kiska's water birth
Strozyk Hayes
member
I woke Sat eve around 11:30 to contractions. They were 2-3 mins apart and strong. I got up to pee and seen a slight bloody show, "thank goodness" I said and we started to get ready. Shortly we were on the way, fun ride! We got to the hospital and i tried to time my getting out of the truck and inside, between contractions. I didnt make it far before I stopped. 4 times in less then 5 mins for contractions.
We were given the big room after I noted the birth tub wouldnt fit in the little room. The nurse checked me 2cm 90%. She monitored the heart rate for 30 min and checked me again after an hour. I was the same! I couldn't believe it, and felt so discouraged. My son was a 3hr 20min wonder. Meanwhile my hubby set up the tub. I was a touch grumpy and in pain. After being checked the nurse said I neede to make progress to be admitted but she was sure I would. I chose the tub over walking halls.
My water still had not broke! With my son that was first thing. In the tub I went its nearly 1am and Was sad about the slow progress. The longer I labored the more I wondered why my water hadn't broken. My husband tried to be faithful at putting pressure on my back with every contraction. At 0545 the nurse peeked in for vitals and lnformed us she would be in the other room for a while. At 6 or 6:05 I entered transition. Oopphh I made a lot of noise, the contractions were so intense.
My sweetheart pushed and rubbed my lower back while I held a hose of hot water on my lower belly. I was like an animal on all fours loud with pain. I had been checking myself often in between contractions. Suddenly I was confused. I felt a wrinkeled skin sliding over the head. Another contraction 0615 I tested it with a little push. Nope. then another contraction pushing felt a little better. So I pushed hard trying to give my body some relief. The nurse stepped in at 0620 and watched me through a contraction. By then I was quieting down while pushing. The next contraction she crowned.
The nurse said "is that the head?" My hubby calmly said "yup baby is here." The poor nurse. She freaked, "I need you on the bed, the doc isn't here, Jessica I need a cart, call doc, call respiratory, get everyone!, common I need you in the bed, don't push." (Mid contraction ) "I can't" I whispered, as I turned in the tub, And out came her head with me trying to move my skin away from her head. Daddy held her head and very calmly I said "the cord is around the head" the nurse ran to put on gloves and broke the bag of bulging water and gently slipped off the cord. "I want the baby out now" said the nurse. "Its ok I said its okay." She was so shook up. Again i reassured her it was ok and that I had done this before. "But I haven't" she said. "Its okay" i repeated, then said "here come the shoulders" out slides our baby and both hubby and nurse hand me the baby who calmly sits in my arms. "Cry for momma" I keep saying "cry all the gunk out" my baby cries here and there for a second but is so quiet. The nurse tries to clamp the cord immediately, " no no" I gently hold her hand away. She tries again saying I have too. I use my famous "its okay" line and watch the cord turn white. My husband says "its okay now" and she clamps with trembling hands. She asks daddy if he wants to cut and he does. The room is in a panic as I calmly hold our baby, they peek and we have a girl!
Much is lost to me in the jumble my focus didn't leave the tub. Everything outside of the inflated blue bubble all is a blur and lost. I wanted to stay longer in the tub and let my baby move on her own. Some how we got out of the tub they wrapped her in warm dry blankets and i was on the bed with the baby, suddenly there was the doc (who had been called at home in a rush and then the phone dropped leaving him to hear the chaos in the hall.)
they were pushing on my stomach asking me to give a push to deliver the placenta. "Give me a moment" i asked taking a breath, wincing, then with a push, the placenta slid out. They kept pushing on my stomach, which was incredibly painful. This is all the part I feared so much, the sting, the pain, tears, stitches. "This is my biggest fear" I said moving the nurses hand from my stomach. Now its their turn to reassure me. The doc looks and says my tear is more of a skid mark and it will be worse off with stitches as it wasn't even bleeding. "Leave it then" I said relieved.
During all this they are wanting to give me a new iv to administer pictocin to bring on contractions. I kept saying no, no I don't want anything. Finally they told the doc and he said okay, I relaxed. Completely drug free! After all that, there We were with our baby. I was wishing they all would leave us alone. (All this chaos is why I love home births).
The next day we talked to our nurse again and she was glowing. The other nurses all heard and were envious and wished they could have seen it. I was the hospitals first to deliver in water. The nurse was chatting with us when the doc came again to follow up. The nurse still floating on air announced she was the next to deliver in water. Doc piped up and said "next time call me sooner, I at least want to see it!" I hope I have left positive vibes and they will allow the births to happen that way now. The nurse is so happy her first birth alone was mine! She said she used to be strictly against water birth but she was so taken by it, now its a must for her next. 
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Re: Kiska's water birth
Over-40 parents...what we lack in vigor, we make up for with cunning.