Brooklyn's Crazy Birth

shortstuff15 · January 2012

So here goes....

Due date - January 10th. I went in for my 40 week appointment with some cramps and uncomfortableness. I had my membranes swept and found out I was 2 to 3 cm's dialated. Horray! I got that far after 12 hours of labour last time, so I was theoretically 12 hours ahead this time! My doctor told me to come into the hospital when contractions were 8 to 10 minutes apart. That surprised me but I never intended on going in that early!

I continued to feel crampy and uncomfortable throughout the rest of the day but was not sure that this was it or just membrane results. While we were eating supper (around 5:30) I had a couple of contractions that took my breath away, but nothing that made me think "this is it". We put our first daughter to bed around 8 and I went and had a bath because I was having irregular contractions and just wanted to relax. After about 45 minutes in the tub I got out, said goodnight to my daughter and went downstairs to start to time the contractions. They were about 30 seconds long and 4 to 5 minutes apart. Exactly how my first labour started. I still wasn't 100% convinced that this was it though.

My mom called around 9 to see how things were going. I told her I wasn't sure if this was it and to wait and see. We went to bed around 10 but the contractions moved to my hips at that point so I couldn't lay in bed. I went to go sleep on the couch but by 10:20ish I called my mom and told her to come in. My husband got the bags out to the car and we were ready to go. My mom got there right before 11 and we left for the hospital. Got to the hospital at around 11:30 but during the drive contractions had moved to my back (which was my first labour... I did not want that again!) so I was very uncomfortable! Checked into the ER, got sent up to Triage and they did the monitoring. Because I couldn't lay on my back due to contractions I spent the entire montitoring time leaning forward over the bed. They checked me and I was 3 1/2 but they didn't want to send me home, so we walked the waiting room for about an hour. I went back and they checked me again right before 1. I was at 4 so they admitted me.

Got back to the delivery room at about 1ish. Contractions were still in my back at this point so I spent the next 1/2 hour bent over the bed trying to move them to the front. Eventually that worked and I was able to sit on the bed. I got laughing gas and that helped enough to take the edge off the contractions and helped me breath deep through the contractions. I may have slept through some of the breaks between contractions - I don't remember, but I do remember asking my husband what time it was because it felt like I had to poop and I knew that could mean the end! It was 2:45 am, January 11. This is where it gets crazy.

They checked me and I was only 5 1/2 cm's. I was discouraged and knowing how my last labour went, I asked for the epidural. They called my doctor to make sure that was ok and she said that I was probably moving to fast to get the drug lady there (my hospital doesn't keep them there 24/7) so she suggested fentenal, which still needed an IV. So after I agreed to fentenal they went to get the IV stuff ready. By the time that was all ready I could not hold my hand still enough for them to put the IV in so I just said "whatever, I'll do without". All through this time I was laying on my side, contractions in my hips, screaming "OW, OW, OW, OW, OW" throughout each contraction while my husband massaged my outward facing hip. All of the sudden I knew I had to flip so I got on my hands & knees and screamed that I had to push. The nurse wanted to check me and I almost swore at her because I did not want her too, but I let her just so I could push. I was at 9 1/2 cm's so they called the doctor and I was having this baby!!!!!

I pushed, while basically suffocating myself with my pillow because I was screaming into it during each push, and could feel her head moving down with each push. The doctor got there directed me for a couple pushes and out came her head. The next push brought out the rest of her and I was done! Time: 3:22 am. So I went from 5 1/2 cm's to fully delivered in just over 35 minutes. Completely different then last time as I pushed for 3 hours last time and 10 minutes this time!

I got onto my back, they put her on my chest and let the umbilical cord stop pulsing and I got to watch my husband cut the cord this time! I had a small 2nd degree tear but feel awesome already and this baby latched much better then my first, although this morning my milk came in so today was the engorgment day and I used the shield today to help with that. We will see now whether my milk comes in skim or not.

So there you have it. Brooklyn Paige, born Jan 11, 2012, 6 lbs 12 oz, 21 inches long after 7 hours of labour but most of it happened in 1/2 hour.