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Natural Birth
Birth Story-Jelly Bean turned Freight Train
Our little man was born at 8:25 a.m. on Tuesday morning, May 21. He was 8 lb 2 oz, 20.5 inches, apgars 9/9.
The long story: While we managed our goal of a natural, med-free, intervention-free birth, nothing went as we had expected or planned. I started my maternity leave Monday and was already going crazy by Monday night. I went to bed Monday night around 11 feeling annoyed at "wasting" my leave, but no labor symptoms at all. I had been to my 40 week appointment on Friday and had been dilated at 3 cm and 70-80% effaced.
I woke up at 2:30 a.m. with strong contractions coming 3 minutes apart and lasting about 30 seconds. I tried to go back to sleep, took a shower, bounced on the yoga ball, and finally woke my husband at 3:30. We called the midwife at 4 and she said to try soaking in a tub for a bit. I decided it made more sense for my husband to take a shower and wake up and I was doing okay at that point although the contractions were getting closer together.
By the time we called back at 5, I was screaming through them--there was no relaxing and working with my body--it was all survival to get through. Contractions at that point were 2 minutes apart lasting 45 seconds each. We were admitted at 5:30 and was at 5.5 cm and 100% effaced. They did the requisite 20 minutes of monitoring and then I tried to get into the tub to labor. The tub did absolutely nothing to help with the pain and contractions were about 1.5 min apart lasting 45-50 seconds. I just screamed through it because that was all I could do.
At some point I got out of the tub and was checked at 7 cm. I have no clue when that was. What felt like immediately after I was checked again at 9 with just a lip left. The midwife suggested I get on the birth ball to get that last bit. They rolled me onto my side to get up and I got slammed with another contraction and couldn?t move.
That was around 8 and the midwife said to do a practice push to see where I was. After 25 minutes of pushing, my little giant came out kicking and screaming. There was some concern after birth because apparently I started gushing blood so they had to cut the cord a little earlier than we wanted (but they still let it pulse almost all the way) so they could give me some Pitocin and get the placenta delivered. Thankfully, the blood was because someone decided to have his hand at his neck and ripped me up, so it was from the tear rather than anything serious.
I feel great?no pain at all now, nursing is going well and we came home Thursday afternoon. I definitely attribute being able to walk around and how easy the recovery has been to somehow making it through the labor med free.
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Re: Birth Story-Jelly Bean turned Freight Train
Congratulations!!! I'm curious too, to know what you expected or planned, that was different.
Enjoy your wee little man.
Elizabeth 5yrs old Jane 3yrs old
I expected that labor would be a lot longer and slower. I thought contractions would start 10-15 minutes apart and would build up rather than being 3 minutes apart and unbearable from the start. I figured there would be time during labor that would not be 100% intense and that I would have time to rest in between contractions rather than them being one on top of another the whole time. I thought we would use some of the techniques (massage, relaxation, tub, etc) at some point but all I could do was scream through. I also thought pushing would be a lot longer and different than it was.
Overall, the important thing is that we stayed committed to no epidural or narcotics and that we just got through. I had a ton of support from my husband, mom and midwife. My SIL made it just in time for pushing so she was there for the birth but not the labor.
Congratulations! You did great!
I had a similar birth experience and had the same disconnect between expectations and reality. It is taking me a while to process! I'm writing up my birth story now.
BFP #2 9/5/2012 -- Born 5/20/2013 -- Welcome, rainbow baby!
BFP #1 1/24/12 -- No HB 2/16/12 -- Misoprostol 3/10/12
Congrats to you too! Can't wait to read it!