His Arrival ? Re-posted here

HK2mom4

 

My Clayton?s - Birth Story ? (long)

Now after having been pregnant on six separate occasions; with this my (our) 5th child (another son) who?s EDD was this past Tuesday; May the 14th which came and went quite uneventfully except for all those numerous Braxton Hick contractions I?d been having for the past 4 or so weeks. The date given was based on an assumed ultrasound done at 12 weeks without my ever having had any previous signs of a period returning as denoted by AF neither before nor after this his conception. Our son Clayton made known his spectacular, grand entrance - presences by arriving on this pasted Saturday; May 18th, at 3:18PM then being assumed to be 40 weeks-4 days or four days passed his EDD - so they said!

I would?ve enjoyed posting this earlier but, it wasn?t in the cards to do so with all the hectic things as they were unraveling just the way everything was happening up ?til, during, and even after his birth! With everything just happening O? so fast it wasn?t until after 5:30PM Saturday afternoon when he was finally picked-up - taken to the nursery! I was just to blame tired; exhausted to even think about, let alone start writing about his birth. I?d been up since 3AM Friday morning with very little rest; let along any sleep. Being mostly glassy eyed after being awake, up for over 38 hours! Like I said, I was just extremely tried - exhausted!

So without any further delay; here?s what his birth was really like ? it all began unfolding this past Friday afternoon slightly past noon when all hell broke loose as those real labor pains/contractions started so unmercifully. Most all were extremely painful, in getting that tight squeezing feeling in my abdomen, followed by some very sharp pains such as that of piercing, liken to pins, needles sticking me in the lower abdomen - from inside (as they started I though! Oh No! Not again, more BH) but, then really very quickly realizing these were just extremely to strong and painful; much more so than those mere BH which you can get through without major difficulty. These however were to blame painful just so much more, very painful. These are the ones you know for sure are the real thing the kind that?ll stop you dead in your tracks. These cause you to grab on to something and just stay there until they pass. These really started hurting me way more than those BH type did while coming about 4-1/2 minutes apart and lasting roughly 35 seconds. Hurtful they were! Really hurting! Those continued getting closer, ever - ever closer; but, never really stopped until after Clayton was born - out in the world, breathing on his own. I continued trying my level best to stay totally focused, really hard focused - all the while staying at home until they could be timed at a 3 minute interval, lasting about 55-60 seconds - before going to the hospital. Well they finally reached/got to that point so we?re now out the door on our way to the hospital it was now11:35AM Saturday morning.

Arriving some 15 minutes later - DH pulled-up dropping me out at the receiving entrance where an attendant came; helped me into a wheel chair; wheeling me into triage - where they made assessment which lead to them keeping me; sending me on up to L&D. While hubby parked the car - coming in - he was sent up to L&D where they brought him to my room. The nurse stepped in - checked me, saying you?re 8.5cm totally effaced - too late for an epidural - it was now 12:35PM. At this point things were really picking-up, starting to move somewhat quickly -quicker! The next thing I remember is my water breaking as once again the nurse was back checking me; she turned toward me saying you?re now 9cm the time was then 1:25PM Saturday afternoon.

Now all those crazy contractions were very, very painful, constant, coming in multiple waves of 2 minutes while building in intendancy; lasting 1 minute. At that point I didn?t remember any breaks or relief in-between either. They seemed to be fixed coming steadily at that 2-1, 2-1, and 2-1 continually; while having no real rest or breaks in-between etc. Not good! Painful very, very painful! Not a good sign at all! That feeling isn?t a good one! You can by quickly focusing extremely hard get through them but, only by using such deep, deep breathing technics combined with being totally, that is totally - focused! Even then it doesn?t make them any easier or better - either! Sorry if this is so blunt; dramatic - but those contractions were just down right painful Oh! Oh those pains - they hurt, were hurting!!! On a scale of 1-10 I?d put them at the full 10 + I?d add another 4 on top of that! Hurting!

My doctor returned about quarter of 3 that afternoon to find me literally screaming in extreme agony of sheer pain - crying! She quickly checked me - saying: ?OK! You?re ready ? you?re ready, you can start your pushing any time!? Finally I would be getting some relief; seeing the light; Oh! for that light at the end of a tunnel - so now (short lived) but, some relief was in sight, finally - so like a flash we?re very much into this one?s birth, underway with all the pushing that followed - so for about the next 30+ minutes I?m really hard at it. Definitely hurting getting/having tremendous pain with all that so called ring-of-fire (this time) it hurt, really hurt, I mean it really; really hurt badly this time with all that burning, ever burning sensation in the vagina and all around my vaginal opening as he started crowning then as his head pasted/came through; continuing somewhat slowly at first then moving on a little quicker after his shoulders pasted on through! Pain O? the pain! Later my doctor said his was somewhat of a ?dry? birth - I ended up with two tears in different directions resulting in what was described as tearing in the second degree. These were stitched up after everything was over! After he was finally out - the worst of those pains settled down; starting to subside - then finally stopped, as we now had our fifth son. He was out - yes out, with him being placed on my stomach/chest - as the umbilical cord was left intact still pulsing for several more minutes before being clamped afterward so hubby could cut it. Clayton was left there for a minute or so before being whisk away; so he could finish getting cleaned-up, weighted and measured. He weighed in at 6.752lbs (6lbs-12ozs) measuring just over 21-1/2?.

As he was given back (I got a surge of adrenalin) for some motherly love, skin-to-skin also getting him nursed. We were together cuddling until they came later getting him, taking him to the nursery. After he was taken DH and I were left in the room talking as I started nodding, drifted in and out of consciousness, going to sleep! I was so tired, really tired, exhausted! I vaguely remember the nurse(s) coming in (that night) checking me or with LO so I could nurse him! I didn?t really have any major medical difficulty - complications; just some minor discomfort with that tearing and those stiches as well as being extremely sore; itching, O? the itching like crazy down there from his birth. The nurse used some ointment on the area which helped with that eternal itching and some of the pain which was still present.

We were released this morning. Sandra (my nurse) brought me two tubes of the hospital ointment/cream I?d been using to take home so I?d have it for use as necessary. I must say - that stuff works really works well by cooling and soothing all the eternal itching, burning, even some of the soreness I still have down there by giving great cooling relief to all that swelling also!

This birth was an all-natural one with basically no medical intervention as were my last three ? however; this one was really quite different; in that I was in and having so much pain, stress with all that extra pain. I felt really felt every single contraction this time and believe me they hurt - I don?t remember any of my previous three all natural births being all this/that painful or hurting nearly as much. In fact if I?d known this was the way it was going down - happening  then I?d definitely have gone with getting some pain medication; but, that?s neither here nor there - besides it?s too late now anyway ? so!

It?s now afternoon and we?re all back home with the family. Both my sisters? as well as SIL have so graciously said they?ll be dropping by taking turns coming in - over helping out with things around here for the next few weeks while I recover (this time it?s so much more needed, welcomed - I?m still extremely sore down below from Clayton?s birth) so I really do appreciate their wanting to help, being there for me! -- Right now!

One Final Note: I do wish everyone the very best, may your birth experience be clearly better than that which I?ve just described/experienced (this time) - in other words may yours be a good one that you?ll always remember fondly; treasure for a lifetime; with the greatest of admiration! As I do my previous three ? GL!

 

shueyswife

Beautiful story :