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Natural Birth
Sara4242
member
Birth Story - LONG!
Sara4242
member
I've been a lurker on this board for the past nine months or so, but the birth stories always encouraged me so I thought I'd share my own so it might encourage someone else!
I'd had a flawless pregnancy and truly loved every second of being pregnant. At 37 weeks, I was put on bed rest at home for mild pre-eclampsia. As the next couple of weeks dragged on, my OB started to talk more seriously about inducing me after 39 weeks. Knowing that I wanted a natural birth (in a hospital, mostly due to an underlying heart condition) and that an induction would make that more difficult, I panicked and started to mourn the potential loss of my birth plan. That's a little dramatic, but I was very anxious about it all. When my pre-eclampsia symptoms worsened, my induction was scheduled for October 1.
At 4:15 a.m. on September 30 (24 hours before my scheduled induction), my water broke. The actual popping sound woke me up before I ever felt anything. Even when I stood up, it wasn't a huge gush, but it was constant. I told my husband to go back to bed and decided to labor on my own at home for a while before calling the doctor. At 4:45, I realized the contractions were less than 3 minutes apart and it was getting harder to walk through them. I took my blood pressure and it was 160/112, so I called the doctor and he said to go in right away.
We got to the hospital at 6:15 a.m. and my contractions were less than 2 minutes apart. They were still manageable, and my husband and I were still able to joke around in the car on the way there. They put me in triage were they had me lay down FOREVER to get my BP down, and the contractions were so much worse laying down. I started to wonder if I wouldn't be able to go without medication if I had another 12 hours or more to go of this. I labored there for over an hour before they checked me, and I was getting discouraged. When they finally did check me, they said I was at 5 cm and 100% effaced. Yay!
I was moved to my labor & delivery room at 7:30. For the next hour and half, I labored mostly standing up, leaning on my husband and swaying my hips. I tried the ball and the rocking chair, but wasn't comfortable either way. Standing up was by far the best. I had no pain between contractions and was able to breathe through them as long as no one talked to me. My husband, poor guy, kept trying to reassure me and tell me I was doing great and I just wanted him to shut up.
My doctor arrived at 9:15 to check me just as I started to think I might like to try laboring in the shower, and that was the first time I went anywhere near the bed. He quickly checked me and said there was no cervix left and he was surprised I hadn't had the urge to push yet. Looking back, I think I probably had but didn't realize that what it was. I remember being afraid I was going to poop on the floor while I was standing up during contractions. The nurse immediately brought in tables and carts and trays and started getting set up, and before I even realized what was happening, I was pushing. Pushing felt AWESOME. I was mostly upright in the bed and held my own legs. About 20 minutes later, I felt her crowning (by far the worst part of the whole experience - I was sure I was tearing in every direction). At that point I couldn't wait for another contraction and pushed on my own. She came out screaming and perfect.
I was able to nurse right away and felt NO pain as soon as she was out. Delivering the placenta was no big deal (passing the clots an hour later was worse). I was shocked when my doctor told me I hadn't torn at all and there was no repair to be done. She weighed in at 8 pounds, 4 ounces.
My recovery has been a breeze, and we're all doing great at home (although breastfeeding is no joke - it's the most maddening thing I've ever done, but we're learning).
I was THRILLED to have escaped an induction and somehow managed to have my dream birth in about 5 hours from start to finish.
You all can SO do this!!!
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Birth Story - LONG!
Engaged 10/2/1202
BFP (a lil quicker than expected) 12/7/2012
Married to my best friend 12/24/2012
Beautiful baby girl arrived 8/15/2013
BFP #2 3/13/2016
2010: Infertility
October 2015: missed miscarriage #2 at 11 weeks (trisomy 22)
Congratulations and thanks for sharing!
With DS#1 my water broke a little over 24 hours before scheduled induction
I was so happy about it I could not stop smiling
THANK YOU FOR POSTING YOUR STORY!
Reading this kind of puts my mind at ease and I think "If she can do it, I can do it"
Congratulations on your new baby! All the best!
Married 10-20-12 | First Baby Due 1-22-14 | Team PINK | Me (29) Hubby (33)
January 2014 | December Siggy Challenge | Favorite Christmas Movie: "It Nearly Wasn't Christmas"
Awww what a great story! Thanks for sharing. Being a FTM.. I am a little nervous about having a natural birth, but that is what I want. I just hope all goes well and I will not need to be induced or have a C-section... of course what ever is needed to keep the baby safe I will go with, but I hope to have a great delivery story like you. Congrats!