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Jack Linden: Unmedicated Birth Story
I had an unplanned unmedicated birth story like I had read about more than I expected to...so I am here to continue the circle:)
I woke up at 7 or so to go to work on 10/24. I felt a trickle after I finished going to the bathroom and noticed a "pink" color on the toilet paper after having zero bleeding throughout my pregnancy. I walked out of the bathroom and told my husband that I thought my water was breaking.
We called the hospital who told us to come in and I took a quick shower. We went in and could see the contractions on the monitor but I couldn't really feel them yet. They had this "new test" that checks for amniotic fluid. It came back negative which I thought was crazy because it had been coming out in little gushes for over an hour by this time. They sent us home.
On the way home the contractions got a little stronger. We timed them for about 3 hours and they were about 45 seconds long and 3-5 minutes apart....but they weren't really getting much stronger or closer together so my husband went into the other room to rest and I labored in the bedroom.
I started to transition at home and for some reason wasn't able to communicate it to my husband. During the contractions I felt a strong need to pop on all fours and felt like I had to go #2 which was confusing to me - now I realize it was "bearing down". Because of being on all fours...I was laboring in the bathroom kind of embarassed to grunt on all fours in front of my DH (you just want to be alone when in pain sometimes).
My husband started to time them again and called the hospital because I had thrown up (another tell tale sign of transitioning). They said it was "up to us"...thank God he made me go.
We waited for a contraction to pass and then started out and had another in the yard. I got into the truck and reclined the seat so I could be on all fours backwards in the seat hugging the head rest. It was rush hour and we had over 20 stop lights to get through!
When we got to the hospital I was in hard labor in the admitting area. They called to rush a nurse down - her and my DH wheeled me to the room where they assess you. DH got me undressed and onto the bed sideways. I couldn't be on my back so the nurse finally just checked my cervix that way. She sort of giggled and said I was complete. I asked about pain meds and she said, "No honey, we're just going to have a baby".
From this point on I don't open my eyes till he's born:) She ripped the cords from the wall and her and DH ran me to a L&D room. They got me on the bed and hooked up an electrode to the top of the baby's head to monitor his heartbeat (they weren't able to get a read from the belt because I couldn't get on my back before). DH said he saw the head about 2 minutes after we got into the room.
I'd start making noise when a contraction was coming and then DH and a nurse would help me push 3 times for each contraction. He called two family members quick to tell them the baby was coming in between contractions. They didn't feel like "tearing or ripping"...they were like an extension of the contraction as far as sensation. Again it's "pressure". I pushed for about 20 minutes before he was born.
We hadn't found out the sex so they announced it was a boy! DH was sobbing and cut the cord and went out to tell my immediate family who rushed to get there.
I opened my eyes and the resident who sent us home earlier helped deliver my boy! They put him on my chest and he was so calm and alert. I just held him and stared at him. Then, from the loss of his warmth and hormones I shook like a cheap bed in a motel but the baby loved it.
They gave me numbing drops and stitched me up - I had a 2nd degree tear. After they were done I delivered the placenta which was a breeze by that time - felt like a poo and I was able to keep Jack on me while I did.
They cleaned up and let my family in to see us! After a bit I got a sitz bath and some ibuprofen and cool packs for my hoo ha!
It was great - I'm glad it went like it did believe it or not. Your body truly produces substances to help you through the pain - DH said I was loopy in between pushing. I never experienced the ring of fire - it wasn't a searing pain....it was pressure and the strong urge to pushing and that is truly what I felt. The pain is more dull. I never planned to go natural but if I had known what it had been like I might have cause it's not as bad as I thought it would have.
Anyhow - that's my story! Jack Linden was 8 lbs even and 21 inches long. It's been about 5 weeks and has been the easiest hard work I've ever experienced. There truly are no words. We're very lucky.
Here he is at about 2 weeks:)
https://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b7cf30b3127ccebff3f44477da00000026108AYuWThi4ZOf
https://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b7cf30b3127ccebff3f44df6e300000026108AYuWThi4ZOf
I woke up at 7 or so to go to work on 10/24. I felt a trickle after I finished going to the bathroom and noticed a "pink" color on the toilet paper after having zero bleeding throughout my pregnancy. I walked out of the bathroom and told my husband that I thought my water was breaking.
We called the hospital who told us to come in and I took a quick shower. We went in and could see the contractions on the monitor but I couldn't really feel them yet. They had this "new test" that checks for amniotic fluid. It came back negative which I thought was crazy because it had been coming out in little gushes for over an hour by this time. They sent us home.
On the way home the contractions got a little stronger. We timed them for about 3 hours and they were about 45 seconds long and 3-5 minutes apart....but they weren't really getting much stronger or closer together so my husband went into the other room to rest and I labored in the bedroom.
I started to transition at home and for some reason wasn't able to communicate it to my husband. During the contractions I felt a strong need to pop on all fours and felt like I had to go #2 which was confusing to me - now I realize it was "bearing down". Because of being on all fours...I was laboring in the bathroom kind of embarassed to grunt on all fours in front of my DH (you just want to be alone when in pain sometimes).
My husband started to time them again and called the hospital because I had thrown up (another tell tale sign of transitioning). They said it was "up to us"...thank God he made me go.
We waited for a contraction to pass and then started out and had another in the yard. I got into the truck and reclined the seat so I could be on all fours backwards in the seat hugging the head rest. It was rush hour and we had over 20 stop lights to get through!
When we got to the hospital I was in hard labor in the admitting area. They called to rush a nurse down - her and my DH wheeled me to the room where they assess you. DH got me undressed and onto the bed sideways. I couldn't be on my back so the nurse finally just checked my cervix that way. She sort of giggled and said I was complete. I asked about pain meds and she said, "No honey, we're just going to have a baby".
From this point on I don't open my eyes till he's born:) She ripped the cords from the wall and her and DH ran me to a L&D room. They got me on the bed and hooked up an electrode to the top of the baby's head to monitor his heartbeat (they weren't able to get a read from the belt because I couldn't get on my back before). DH said he saw the head about 2 minutes after we got into the room.
I'd start making noise when a contraction was coming and then DH and a nurse would help me push 3 times for each contraction. He called two family members quick to tell them the baby was coming in between contractions. They didn't feel like "tearing or ripping"...they were like an extension of the contraction as far as sensation. Again it's "pressure". I pushed for about 20 minutes before he was born.
We hadn't found out the sex so they announced it was a boy! DH was sobbing and cut the cord and went out to tell my immediate family who rushed to get there.
I opened my eyes and the resident who sent us home earlier helped deliver my boy! They put him on my chest and he was so calm and alert. I just held him and stared at him. Then, from the loss of his warmth and hormones I shook like a cheap bed in a motel but the baby loved it.
They gave me numbing drops and stitched me up - I had a 2nd degree tear. After they were done I delivered the placenta which was a breeze by that time - felt like a poo and I was able to keep Jack on me while I did.
They cleaned up and let my family in to see us! After a bit I got a sitz bath and some ibuprofen and cool packs for my hoo ha!
It was great - I'm glad it went like it did believe it or not. Your body truly produces substances to help you through the pain - DH said I was loopy in between pushing. I never experienced the ring of fire - it wasn't a searing pain....it was pressure and the strong urge to pushing and that is truly what I felt. The pain is more dull. I never planned to go natural but if I had known what it had been like I might have cause it's not as bad as I thought it would have.
Anyhow - that's my story! Jack Linden was 8 lbs even and 21 inches long. It's been about 5 weeks and has been the easiest hard work I've ever experienced. There truly are no words. We're very lucky.
Here he is at about 2 weeks:)
https://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b7cf30b3127ccebff3f44477da00000026108AYuWThi4ZOf
https://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b7cf30b3127ccebff3f44df6e300000026108AYuWThi4ZOf
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