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XP "Accidental" Natural Delivery (PIP)

MarchABCMarchABC member
in Birth Stories

Just love reading these so I thought I'd share our story. Plus, I know I'm biased but I think it's a cool one!

I refer to the birth of our son as an "accidental" natural birth. Don't get me wrong, I really wanted to deliver naturally, but if I had known what was going on, I probably would have asked for an epidural and been totally happy with that. In total, I labored for almost 14 hours from start to finish, so not too bad!

Our little guy was due March 4th but decided to hold on until March 6th. That day, at around 9am I started having contractions that felt like timeable bad cramps but were pretty low down. I bathed, showered, and waited to get to about 5-1-1 before calling the doctor. At around 1pm I was really closer to 3-1-1 when I spoke to the on call who suggested we come to L&D. When I got there, they tried to measure my contractions but because they were not up high, they weren't really registering. Also, I was only dilated 1cm and 50% effaced (which was what I'd been at my 38 week appointment). They told me it was false labor, offered me a shot of some narcotic (which I decline), gave me hydrocodone, and said they contractions would go away and they'd probably see me back in true labor sometime that week.

I went home but the contractions were so strong and painful. By 4, they were coming one on top of the other. Despite not wanting to, I finally broke down and took the hydrocodone at around 7pm. I was terrified of what "real labor" might feel like if this was only "false labor." I could breathe through some of the contractions but others had me yelling out expletives, climbing the sofa, or just repeating "ow, ow, ow.." At 9:15pm my husband made the executive decision to bring me to the hospital because, at that point, I couldn't think straight and the hydrocodone was making me a little loopy.

I walked into L&D moaning and breathing like a crazy lady. They put me in a small nursing room and tried to measure my contractions, BP, baby's heartrate, etc. I couldn't even sit still. The midwife came in to measure me and that's when she looked at the nurse and said, "No wonder she's in so much pain! She's 8, almost 9 cm dilated!!" There was a shared panic in the room (although not by me because I was relieved that this was true labor). They tried to wheel me out of the small room but the bed couldn't fit through the door with the side bars up. It was humorous that they kept banging me into the doorway but I was out of it, so I couldn't really have cared less!

Finally, they pushed me into a room and asked me if I wanted an epidural or for them to break my water. I could barely answer but decided to have them break it because I was sure I couldn't sit still. After my water broke, I felt the need to push and remember my husband saying "don't push!!" because the midwife was not in the room. But my body was pushing even if I wasn't. It felt almost like a convulsion but was a good thing. Ultimately, I pushed my heart out for only about 20 minutes and baby Beau was born naturally at 10:46 pm (an hour and a half after I arrived at the hospital). I felt immediate relief and elation. It was unreal!!!

I think that the fact that the sent me home in "false labor" was a blessing in disguise. I didn't have a birth plan because I didn't want to disappoint myself one way or the other but I am proud now that I was able to go natural. If I had labored in the hospital, who knows what I would have decided to do but now I know I can do it!

Here he is: (all 7lbs , 6oz, 19 in). We couldn't be more proud!!!! We love him so much!

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