Very fast first labor and delivery-Baby Jackson is here! (Long)

smiles122482 · May 2010

I am mostly a lurker but love reading birth stories so here is mine Big Smile

I woke up on Friday, April 30th and got ready for work (I was 39 weeks and 1 day pg) and was feeling completely normal (well normal for 9 months pg). I had been having more frequent BH's but nothing that stood out to me or that was painful. I had my weekly doctor's appointment scheduled for 2 pm that afternoon (I was hoping for more progress-the week before I was 3cm, 90% effaced and zero station). I was feeling huge and uncomfortable and was going to talk to my doctor about membrane stripping to try to get things moving.

DH and I took the train to work and I told him I would update him after my appointment later that afternoon. At 8 am I got on my shuttle bus to the office and when I took one step down to get off the bus I felt a strange/intense pain. I really didn't know what to think as I have never had a real contraction before. I decided to go up to my office and just relax for a bit to see if the pain continued. I kept having the pain but didn't think it was contractions because it was constant and I was thinking if it was labor it would come and go/be timeable/etc. I tried to keep track of when the pain was more intense and noticed it went from 10 to 9 to 7 minutes in less than half an hour. At this point I called DH and told him to try to take a half day so he could come to my appointment with me because I thought something might be starting. I also put a call into my doctor's office to see if I could get in any earlier. By 9:30 am the pains were getting very strong and about 5 minutes "apart"...I started to get scared because if this was IT things were happening very fast and I was in downtown Chicago and knew it would be at least 1 to 1 1/2 hours before I could get to the hospital. I called DH and told him I was getting in a cab and heading over to pick him up.

In the cab I realized that I was most likely in labor because the pains were now almost on top of each other and I could hardly talk through them. DH was so scared...I also feel bad for the poor cab driver...LOL...I was trying to downplay the pain so he could concentrate on driving. The cab ride took about 35 minutes and we still had to stop at home to grab my bag and drive 20 minutes to the hospital. At this point I can barely walk and am crying because I am so afraid that the baby is coming now and we have more traveling to do. I finally get a hold of my doctor and he tells me he wants me to stop by the office (it is right next to the hospital) to make sure it is real labor. DH was so mad...he knew it was real...he had never seen me in pain like this but I told him we had to do what the doc said and things will be ok. About 5 minutes into our drive the gas light turns on! DH feels so bad but we have to stop for gas...that was the longest 3 minutes of my life! The whole rest of the drive he is just "yelling" at himself for not having gas in the car...I just tell him it is what it is and lets just focus on getting to the hospital.

We arrive at the office and of course the wating room is full of patients...again I try to down play the pain because I am so embarrassed but it was all I could do not to get down on my hands and knees because the pain was so bad. I go back and they check me and I'm 5 cm...I am a little relieved because I think to myself ok...I have some time and we are right here at the hospital. I also think that my pain tolerance must not be all that great since I still have a ways to go. My doc says head on over to L&D and we should have a baby by tonight. I can't walk so they put me in a wheelchair and took me through an underground passage to the hospital...all the while I am delierious with pain, trying to focus on my breathing and so nauseous...I get to L&D only to find out that there are no rooms-busy day for babies. I get set up in a triage room and a nurse says she is going to check me because I tell her I feel so much pressure...I was at 9 cm! So in the 10 minutes it took to go from my doctors office to the L&D room I progressed 4 cm! I was so scared because I really wanted an epidural and I knew they can't do it past a certain point.

It only took about 15 more minutes to get me to a room (I think they had to rush another woman out of recovery a little early because I was so close). They asked me if I wanted to try for an epi and I said if you can still do it-YES! The doc came in and could only give me a touch of an epi since I was so close but it was heaven...the pain went from a 10 to a 5 and I was so much more comfortable. At that point DH and I could take a breath...our morning of travel and panic was over and we were safely at the hospital and very close to meeting our son.

My doctor broke my water and I started pushing around 1:30 pm. The epi had pretty much worn off since it was such a small dose so I was feeling a lot of pain/pressure and was so nauseous...it was good though because it gave me motivation to push more effectively. I pushed for about 90 minutes and at 3:05 pm little Jackson Scott was born. He was 8lbs 1 oz and 20 inches long. DH was so wonderful that day and such a great coach during the pushing...I could not have done it without him. I did have 3 decent tears and a small episotomy so recovery has been slow but feeling better everyday.

My doctor said I had what is called a precipitous labor..very quick and intense...it was tough during but when all is said and done 7 hours for a first labor and delivery is pretty nice. Plus I think we have a pretty labor fun story to tell (well its funny now).

We are all adjusting to being together now. Jackson and I have had some bf issues but are going to continue to work on it. He also still has his days and nights mixed up so we are both pretty tired but he is a very calm baby and such a sweetheart. We feel so blessed to have this beautiful little person in our lives and can't wait to see who he becomes. Thank you to those that read through this whole thing. GL to all the new moms and moms-to-be!