Owen Reid's (fireflygirl12) Birth Story

fireflygirl12 · April 2014

Short Version: Owen Reid was born at 6:59AM on 4/15 vaginally without pain meds, less than 2 hours after we arrived at the hospital. He was 9lbs and 21.25 inches long.

Really Long Version: I started having contractions approximately 5-7 minutes apart on 4/4, which was 10 days before my due date. They continued all day long, but were mostly just tightening without any pain or cramping. We weren’t even close to being prepared for the baby yet because we are total procrastinators and apparently I lack the nesting instinct. We had just had all of our carpet replaced so all of our furniture was literally shoved into the dining room and garage, the crib wasn’t set up yet and I didn’t have a bag packed. We decided to do all of these things that night and I finally went to bed around 2AM.

When I woke up the next morning, I was still having my contractions but they had slowed down to the 8-10 minute range and within a few hours were back to 5-6 minutes. This is EXACTLY how things happened with DS1, and every time I called into L&D, they told me that if I wasn’t in much pain, I probably wasn’t really in labor and didn’t need to come in. When I showed up at the hospital with DS1, I was dilated to a 6 and had him less than 3 hours later. This time I was extra paranoid, because I was GBS+ and was supposed to be at the hospital 4 hours early to get 2 doses of Penicillin before delivery. We decided to err on the cautious decide and went into L&D to be checked. The monitor was picking up my contractions every 4-5 minutes and I was checked and dilated to a 3. They kept me on the monitor for 2 hours, but my contractions never got any closer or more intense, so when I was still a 3 two hours later, they sent me home. Fucking fake labor.

Contractions slowed down the next day and disappeared completely on Sunday. Tuesday morning (the 7^th), they picked up again and they were in the 3-5 minute range, but still not painful. I had an OB appointment that morning, so decided to have her check me there. I was a 4 and she was debating whether or not to send me into L&D to get checked. She decided that if they got closer together or more intense, then I should go in to be evaluated. They continued in the 4-6 minute range for the rest of the night, and I was positive that it was going somewhere. I fell asleep for a few hours around midnight and when I woke up, they had slowed way down again into the 6-10 minute range. Fucking fake labor.

The next time they picked up again was early in the morning of the 14^th (my due date). They were 3-5 minutes again, but still not very intense. We decided to head off to L&D anyways to get checked. I checked in around 5AM and was at 4cm, but 80% effaced, whereas I had been at 70% before. Finally, I was going to have a baby! They decided to send me walking around the hospital for a few hours to see if things would progress before checking me in. We walked for 2.5 hours and all I could think about was how much better it would be to be sleeping if I was about to birth a child. When I got checked again, I had progressed to a 5, but still 80%. They decided that it would be best to check us in and start administering the Penicillin just in case. 12 hours later I was still having contractions 3-5 minutes apart, was dilated to a 5, but THEY SENT ME HOME!! Fucking fake labor.

The next morning I woke up around 3:30AM and was having contractions that were a little more intense. I jumped in the shower and woke up DH to let him know that contractions were 2-4 minutes and probably we were really going to have a baby this time (to which I’m sure he eyerolled me for). When we checked in a little after 5:00, I was 7cm and completely effaced (thank goodness!). They hooked me up to the Penicillin and I walked around the room and used the birthing ball for awhile. It had only been a little over an hour when I started feeling a bit of pressure and asked to be checked just so I could see how I was progressing. The Doctor was busy, so the nurse checked and I was already at a 10 and ready to start pushing! The Doctors came flying in and set up all the equipment and decided to break my water so that the baby could supposedly come out more quickly. I started pushing and 7 minutes later (as DS2 was crowning) the anesthesiologist walked in to introduce himself and explain my pain relief options to me. HA, a little late dude! A few pushes later, DS2 (Owen Reid) was out and laying on my chest. I had a 1^st degree perennial tear that required a few stitches and a surface side tear that just reopened from where I tore with DS1 and it didn’t require any stitches. We are so in love and Wesley absolutely adores his new baby brother!

harleychic726 · April 2014

Wow what a crazy story. Congrats

baileymama3 · April 2014

How frustrating to have all the fake labor! But what a cutie pie! Congrats

isamaraguirre · April 2014

What a cutie, congrats!

haziedaze · April 2014

Fucking fake labor is right!! Total misery. I swear without my membrane sweep I probably would have last days more also. I was going batty. So glad he's here and your labor and delivery went very smoothly. Congrats!