Here's Bonnie's birth story..

textbookcase · January 2012

I have a few spare moments, so I guess I'll write it up!

Late Wednesday (the 11th) night I woke up with strong contractions. I walked around the house a bit and tried to go back to sleep, but the contractions were pretty painful, and about 7 minutes apart at that time. I didn't want to wake H up yet, so I just watched tv and walked around. Around 1, I took a shower because it was the only thing that sounded like it would bring relief. It helped with the pain and was a bit comforting, but the contractions were still painful and getting closer together. When they were 5 minutes apart for over an hour, I went to the bathroom and noticed a bloody show. I decided it was time to wake H up.

We live about 30 miles from the hospital and I didn't want to go in too late, since I generally transition REALLY quickly in labor. We had to gather the older girls, their suitcases, our hospital bags, and drive the girls to BIL and SILs house. We got there around 3:30-4am, dropped the girls off, and headed to the hospital.

In l&d triage, they hooked me up to the monitors to check on the contractions. They also did an internal and said I was only dilated to a 1! They monitored me for awhile and the contractions stayed strong and 5 minutes apart, but since I was only a 1 they sent me home. Since I generally go through labor so quickly I didn't want to go all the way home just to come right back, so I spent most of the day at BIL and SILs house. We ended up going home in the evening, although the contractions were still coming fast and hard, and the bleeding was intensifying. I didn't get any sleep at all Thursday night. I would try to sleep but the contractions were so painful. I decided to head back to the hospital on Friday morning around 6am.

We got to the hospital and I was now dilated to a 4 with contractions 2-5 mins apart. I thought for sure they would admit me, but they sent me home again! I knew it would be the day, so I went back to BIL ans SILs house and laid in their bed contracting all day. I had a dr. appt. that afternoon, so I figured I would go to it and ask my doc to admit me. When it was time for my appointment I was contracting and bleeding so badly that we decided to just head straight back to the hospital instead.

L&D was super busy, the whole triage was full and I had to wait in the waiting room for awhile for a bed. The registration lady saw me contracting so much and in so much pain that she called back to the triage area and said that I needed a bed right away.

I got into a bed, and the nurse checked me. I was dilated to a 5 and she said they would FINALLY admit me. They got me hooked up to an IV and prepared a room for me. When I got into the room, she asked if I would like a sedative to relieve some of the pain. I said yes, although I was planning a natural birth. My last one was natural and I wanted this one to be, too, but after contracting so much, the pain, and no sleep or food for the past 2 days, the drugs sounded like such a relief. I said I would like an epidural as well. I got the epidural around 3 in the afternoon on Friday and it was the first relief I had felt in a few days.

The epidural slowed labor a bit. They waited for a few hours and then started pitocin, which wasn't too bad with the epidural. My water finally broke around 9-10pm and they began preparing for delivery. When I was dilated to a 10, I started pushing. I think it was between 4-6 pushes and Bonnie was here! She came out with a head full for dark, dark hair, which was a shock to us both! She came out kicking and screaming and was a very healthy 8lbs, 10 oz. 21 inches long.

It was my hardest labor yet, but we are so glad she's finally here