Our Birth Story

I've been mostly a non-posting member here since last fall (lurker?) and also on the Over 35 board, but I gained so much insight and comfort from reading everyone's birth stories that I figured the least I could do was post ours - perhaps it will do for others what so many did for me.

My due date was June 2.  At each of my last few appointments, the baby was observed to be healthy and fine, as was I - despite my "advanced maternal age" (40), I had a very normal and uncomplicated pregnancy.  But my baby's ETA came and went... a few days, then a week, and so an induction was scheduled for 41.5 weeks.  I was disheartened at this, as I had hoped for a med-free, intervention-free birth and I knew that the Pitocin could very well make the contractions unbearable for me, but I also knew it was time for us to meet our little girl and she didn't seem willing/able to come on her own.  I made my peace with the idea that an epidural might be necessary and that even a C-section could become a possibility.  

My husband and I checked in to the hospital at 9 p.m. on the evening of 6/12.  We had chosen to utilize the Doula program at our hospital - not a private, 1:1 doula but the services of a practitioner throughout (they work in 12 hour shifts) and so we were immediately greeted by our (first of three) assigned doula and she helped us get comfortable and situated in our room.  My IV was placed and antibiotics started (GBS +) and the night doc came in to place my cervical ripening agent... we were told to sleep though the night, but this proved difficult with all the people coming in to check on me, the baby's heart rate, etc...  By the morning, my OB was starting her shift and she came into check me - the cervical medication had me contracting regularly but not very strong, so I had not progressed much.  Pitocin was started around 9:00 a.m with the plan to go up incrementally each 1/2 hour, so as not to over do it.  We met our second doula and I chatted with her for a while and again, tried to snooze.  And I got to eat some breakfast!

By 1:00 pm or so I was pretty sure my "actual labor" had begun.  Contractions were notable and I decided to bounce on the birthing ball.  My doctor checked me again and I had progressed to 3 cm and so Pitocin was held at 9 ml.  From 2 pm or 3 pm on, I became progressively more out of it, mentally... my husband and I agreed to a code word if I really decided I needed the epidural and the doula helped with suggested position changes as the contractions became more intense.  I did not realize that with each position change, the contractions would immediately intensify for one or two rounds, and then level out a bit, so this made changing positions less desirable for me - but with my husband and doula's support, I worked through it.  Prior to entering what I now know was "transition", I felt like I was on some really trippy drug - things were understandable to me but out of focus and I did not feel like I was operating on the same plane as the people around me.

Soon enough I was asking to get into the tub, but I had to wait for another internal to determine my progress - by this point I was definitely in transition and was considering that epidural!!  I was moaning low, crazy moans through each contraction and dozing more or less in between.  That internal was awful!!!  And although the good news was that I was now dilated to 9 cm, that meant I could not get in the tub.  Yikes.  But I remained resolved to hold out on any medication.  The next hour or two is something of a blur - the doula, doctor and nurses all switched shifts and I hung over the back of the bed in a upright position.  Once that intense pressure started down low near the "pooping area" I knew it couldn't be much longer now!  However, I asked several times if I could push in an upright position, using the birthing bar, and the nurse denied me each time, saying the doctor didn't want me to move now and risk slowing things down.  If my OB had still been on shift, I know this would not have been a problem.  This was my only (small) regret of the delivery, because on my back, it ended up taking just over 90 minutes to push my baby out, and I had a 2nd degree tear (despite the nurse doing perineum massage for me and applying a few warm wash clothes).  On the plus side, I found pushing to be the least painful part of the L and D -my husband coached me through each push and I was encouraged to use the mirror, which I initially thought I wouldn't want, but it was totally motivational for those last few pushes!  Our daughter was born at 9:44 p.m. weighing 6 lb 6 oz, screaming and wriggling around and beautiful.  I had immediate skin to skin and put her to the breast and it was amazing.

Shortly after this, the doctor informed me that we needed to deliver the placenta, but after a few contractions the umbilical cord came out separated from the placenta - a narcotic was put in my IV and the doctor removed my placenta manually (whoa).  Then I got stitched up from my tear and soon, a few moments of family time with hubby and our little girl. 

There has been a lot that has happened since then, but those details are for another post.  The labor and delivery of my daughter was a magical time for me and I am so proud of my body and what it was able to do.  The pain was the most intense, the physical effort the most exhausting, and the reward - the most phenomenal.