Sierra birth story- LONG

NHnative71 · February 2010

I woke up on Friday the 29th with "bloody show". This is a prelude to labor. I called work and said I wouldn't be in (it was going to be my last day anyway) and decided to get some sleep. I slept until noon or so. I woke up and watched some TV and just had a funky feeling. I was having the same Braxton-Hicks contractions I'd been having for weeks. But then the real contractions started approximately 2pm. Just were more tight and went around my back a bit. Also felt crampy like my period was coming. The contractions increased in intensity at around 4:30 pm (I called DH at work and told him to get home). Had an early dinner and by then the contractions were every 5 minutes apart but still manageable through breathing. I called Harvard Vanguard about 6:30 pm and they said it sounded like labor but early labor and to stay at home and wait 1 or 2 hrs to come in to the hospital. Within 30 minutes the contractions worsened- they were very painful and I couldn't walk or talk through them. (and those breathing exercises did nothing). We timed them and realized they were coming 2-2:30 minutes apart. Thats when I said, we need to get to the hospital. It was 15 degrees with a wind chill factor of -20 that night so DH had to heat up the car and grab out bags, etc. We left for hospital at around 8:30 pm. Getting to the hospital was the longest 1 mile car ride of my life. We got to the valet and I was doubled over, shaking all over (from the labor hormones, not the cold weather) and could not get out of the car. A hospital personnel got me into a wheelchair and rolled me to OB admitting. They took one look at me and fast tracked me through triage and up to labor and delivery. Many people get to the hospital too soon and get sent home but this was not the case with us. the doctor on call (not mine but a nice one) checked me was 3 cm dilated. I was admitted around 9pm and moved to a room. The fact that I was already 3 cm and that the contractions were coming fast and furious at 2 minutes apart left little to doubt the baby would be arriving. I was so uncomfortable and couldn't catch my breath with the frequent contractions so almost as soon as I got into the room, anesthesia arrived and I was prepped for the epidural, which I got around 10 p.m. I can't say enough about the epi. OMG what a miracle. It was a bit scary to think of a huge needle going into my back but I never would have been able to get through without it. The residents looked about 20 years old but they got it in on the first try and within 15 minutes I felt nothing. Amazing. A miracle. I kept asking, "Am I still having contractions". Fortunately the contractions continued fast and furious all night and did not slow down ever with the epi. I then could not move out of the bed and was hooked up to an IV, catheter, blood pressure monitor, etc. I didn't car. Moving around and breathing were not going to be effective for this labor. I tried to sleep a bit once the epi was in but it was tough with all the lights and machines. They monitored the baby's heartrate and contractions from the external nurses station. I was too nervous and keyed up to sleep and DH didn't sleep much either. Around 1 a.m., I felt some pain and pressure so I requested the nurse. OB anesthesia came by with another epidural than was a bit stronger. The doctor came in at 1:30 and said I was progressing nicely and was almost 5 cm dilated. They broke my water at 1:30 and then I was at 5 cm. It felt like a whoosh. Then they attached an internal heart rate monitor to Sierra's head. I dozed for about 1 hour and then awoke to all sorts of alarms ringing and people rushing at me, doctor being paged, machines beeping, putting on an oxygen mask on me, etc. It was terrifying. I was sure I was about to be wheeled into the OR for a C-section. But it turned out that Sierra's heartrate had dropped very low because I went from 5 cm to 10 cm fully dilated in one hour. I was expecting to labor and progress 1 cm per hour for the night and then push in the morning so I couldn't believe it when the doctor said it was time to push. So at 3:30 a.m. I started to push.

DH held one leg and Lisa the nurse held the other. DH did amazing. He helped with support, held my legs for the pushing, and cut the cord. He saw the head come out and all. The doctor was there for the whole time. I got the hang of the pushing pretty quick. She was so low that almost immediately everyone could see the head and kept telling me she had so much hair, and keep going, etc. the pushing was hard work but not painful, just a lot of pressure "down there". I pushed for one hour (you only push during the contractions) and by the end I was so ready to have her out. Her head was kind of going out then back in for about 20 minutes. Everyone kept saying, "one more, one more". Suddenly, with one last big push, out she came! Sierra Rose was born at 4:27 am, weighing 7lb 9oz, and measuring 18.5?. She immediately started crying and believe me there is no greater sound than that. I collapsed back on the bed and said, "I did it!" Bryan cut the cord and then they held her up! The first thing I felt was awe and wonder. They put her on my chest and I started talking to her and she immediately quieted down- clearly she knew mom's voice! I did have a 2^nd degree tear that needed to be repaired. Overall it was about 12 hours, it was pretty fast for a first baby, first labor. Far and away the worst part was before I got the epidural. My impression is that with the epidural, labor is totally do-able.