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Birth Stories
kdiguise
member
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Almost totally med-free birth story (long)
kdiguise
member
Monday, February 2nd (at 35w,6d), DH and I were watching a movie and when it finished up around 9:15pm I got up to grab something to eat. While my food was cooking I started towards the bathroom and all of the sudden I felt a huge gush. I ran to the bathroom and stood over the toilet in complete shock because I knew it had to be my water breaking, but we figured we still had a long way to go so I was freaking out a little. I wasn't having any contractions (or so I thought) just the same cramping I'd been having for a week or so. Since I was feeling okay we took our time and while DH finished packing our bags I took a quick shower and shaved my legs and armpits (really glad I did this)!We got to the hospital at about 10:30 and got hooked up to the monitors and they checked to make sure it was indeed amniotic fluid which it was. They checked me at this point and I was only 1 cm and about 50% effaced with the head very low, pretty much exactly how I had been for two weeks. They hooked up my IV so I could get some fluids and told me that they would check me at 6am and if I hadn't had any progress that they would start pitocin. I was really worried about this because I wanted to go natural and was scared of all the horror stories I heard associated with pitocin contractions. I labored through the night, my contractions felt stronger but not that bad as the night progressed. I was frustrated because I would watch the monitor that showed my contractions and I would barely see a bump with even really painful contractions so the nurses were constatly moving the sensor around my belly to try to pick them up since obviously I was having painful contractions.At 6am they came in and checked me and I was at 1-2cm and about 80% effaced so they decided to start me on a low dose of pitocin which they gradually upped little by little. The pitocin kicked in pretty much right away and my contractions got much stronger and closer together. The next time they checked me around 8:00am, I was at 3cm and 100% effaced. I was having very bad back labor and around 9:30am, I was dilated to 5cm, but I was feeling a lot of pressure and the need to push. Things got really rough at this point and the pain was excruciating. I moaned through much of my labor, but once the urge to push came I started screaming (I found out later that my brother said he could hear me screaming from the watiting room which was pretty far away!).Around 10:00am the nurse offered me something to take the edge off, I really wish she hadn't because I don't think I would have asked for it, but at the time I was in so much pain that I said yes. She gave me one shot of Stadol into my IV, and although it did kick in right away, it didn't help with the pain AT ALL. What it did was make me groggy and I actually fell asleep between contractions which is amazing to me now when I think back on it. At this point things became very fuzzy since I was falling asleep between contractions and I have a hard time remembering everything much about it because things went very, very quickly. I remember the nurse coming to check me and yelling for the doctor to come in quick because the baby was ready to come! The next thing I remember is them getting me ready to push. I pushed for only like 20 minutes and out he came! The put him right onto my chest and he was screaming his head off! The doctor had to give me an episiotomy which I didn't know about until she was stitching me up. She showed us the placenta which was really cool.Noah was born at 10:38am on February 3rd. He weighed 5 pounds 7 ounces, was 18 inches long and scored 8 & 9 on his Apgars! ?He was as perfect as can be and I feel very fortunate that he was so healthy considering he was a month early. I was a little disappointed that I gave in and got a little bit of pain killers only like 40 minutes before I delivere, but I'm very happy with my labor and delivery just the same. I really feel very proud of myself knowing that I made it through childbirth naturally.Noah left the hospital with a little jaundice so we had to keep him under phototherapy lights at home, but he was only on them for 2 days and came out from them today (what a relief!). Breastfeeding has been a challenge for us. You would think it would be such a natural thing that it would be easy, but it's a lot of hard work for the both of you. My milk came in 2 days after birth and since yesterday Noah has been nursing like a champ! We are so in awe of our new son and so in love. I can't imagine life without him! I miss my belly a little and found myself sleeping with a pillow down at my waist for comort. DH has been amazing and I find myself falling in love with him even more seeing him with our son. He was a fantastic labor coach and I totally attribute my great experience to him.?
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Re: Almost totally med-free birth story (long)
Just so you know, a little bit of painkiller 40 mins before delivery is a LOT more dangerous than an epidural the minute you are admitted. ?Common misconception that pain = good and no pain = danger.
The painkillers you had would be systemic and thus drug the baby with the same dose. You could have had an epi which is regional and only traces go to the baby AND they are non-drowsy drugs anyway. Much much safer to get an epi than any other painkillers.
I do not understand why people think pain is so damned important.?