I had just eaten dinner on Tuesday evening around 8 pm when I got up to pee. I felt a pop in my hip and thought I’d pulled a muscle. I waddled to the bathroom to pee and it seemed like there was a bit of a gush. I checked the toilet and it was green and brown with some stuff floating in there. I knew immediately my water had broken so I called the MW. They told me I could labor at home for a bit and meet at the hospital at 9:30pm. While I was on the phone with her I had a contraction. I was still on the toilet b/c I suddenly had diarrhea. I told DH it was ok to go take a shower. I realized contractions were coming fast so I started timing, they were 2.5 to 3 minutes apart lasting at least a minute. I only timed 3 of them and went to get DH. DH called the MW and she said to come right to the hospital. When I got up from the toilet there was bright red blood. Not a lot but enough to freak me out that something was wrong.
We headed to the hospital, a 15 minute ride, but my contractions got worse and were in my back so it was very uncomfortable. I realized I was not going to be able to walk into the hospital from the parking deck and valet was closed (it’s a very big hospital). DH dropped me at the ER entrance and stopped a police officer. The police officer grabbed a wheelchair and took me to L&D while DH parked the car. I felt really weird being rolled into the hospital by a cop on a wheelchair, seemed like everyone was staring.
DH made it up to L& D registration very quickly. I suddenly felt very sick and puked all over a chair at the registration desk. It took a few minutes for them to get a nurse to come wheel me back to L&D. By now it was probably 9:30 or 10 but I’m not sure.I had hoped to go med free but that didn’t last very long. I tried the birth ball and hands and knees position but the pain was all in my back and I just couldn’t take it. They checked me and I was only 1 cm dilated, but 90% effaced. I was shocked, thinking I was probably in transition already because of my pain level. I could not imagine continuing at that level for several hours. The contractions were really close together and I couldn’t seem to relax between them. My legs started shaking and I just kept telling DH “I can’t do it.” I knew no one would offer me meds so I told them I needed the epidural & they called anesthesia. In the meantime DH and the MW tried to help me by offering other options but I was not having any of it. It felt like the wait for anesthesia took forever, I have no idea how long it was because I had no concept of time. I kept thinking about asking them to give me something else until it got there but didn’t end up asking.
By 11:30 pm I had the epi and was relaxed enough to take notice of the time. I felt contractions at the top of my stomach but they were totally manageable since the back pain was gone.
At 1 am they checked me and everyone was surprised that I was at 10 cm. We decided to wait a bit b/c he was only at -2 station. But after about 20 minutes I felt pressure and like there was something stuck in me. We did a couple of practice pushes to make sure they were productive and I guess they were. I started pushing and the epidural was wearing off so as time passed I could feel the urge to push more and more. They brought the mirror in and when I first looked at it I was shocked to see the baby’s head protruding...until I realized I was looking at my butt hole! It looked like it had gone inside out and was sticking out! The MW later told me they call that the “anal flower” WTF??? No one warned me about that part of labor! Also I saw myself poop in the mirror too. Pretty gross.
I pushed for 2.5 hours. It was exhausting and I felt bad b/c I started screaming at the end of every push. They brought in a team of pediatricians to check baby in the room b/c of meconium. By the time baby was born I was pretty sure I could feel everything- my legs were no longer numb and I definitely felt the ring of fire, but it was still less painful than those contractions. Baby Whoberry was born at 4:02 am, 8 lbs 4 oz, 20 inches long. The peds didn’t even need to look at him, he came out screaming and they put him right on my chest for our “golden hour” of skin to skin.
My placenta was stubborn. They called an OB in after half an hour who reached in and pulled it out. They had to give me another round of the epi and some local numbing meds to do my stitches b/c I could feel everything by then. I tore my labia and something internal but not my perineum. They tested baby’s blood through his cord and we were RH incompatible so I got another dose of rhogam later through my IV port.
Talking about it afterwards I feel a bit embarrassed that I gave up on my med free plans so quickly. DH thinks I just freaked out b/c everything happened so fast and I basically skipped the first phase of labor.. The green fluid, blood and my pain level definitely scared me, I was afraid of a placental abruption. But in the end the things I was worried about with the epidural (slowing my labor down, ending up with a c-section from effects of the epi) didn’t happen at all so it was NBD that I got it. If it happened like that again I would make the same decision.
My nurses were awesome, one of them said I probably needed the epi to relax so my cervix could catch up with the rest of my body. I am pretty sure she was just trying to make me feel better when she said that but it was nice. Unfortunately I had my eyes closed when I finally pushed baby out so I didn’t get to see it in the mirror which I kind of regret. We are happy to be home, breastfeeding away with the assistance of a nipple shield. I am afraid to google anal flower but geez, I wish someone had warned me about that in advance!
For my PAIF ladies: I have been paranoid from the beginning that they screwed something up in the lab and baby would not be ours. As soon as he was born I said to DH “Is he ours??” But he has a combo of our blood types and there is no mistaking that he’s got features from both of us. Such a relief! Are any of you doing anything special for your RE now? I know mine wants a picture, they put them in albums in their waiting room, but he said to wait until baby gets to the cute chubby 6 month phase. I thought about bringing baby by the office but I don’t think the ladies in the waiting room would appreciate that at all.
IF, 5 losses, 1 son, 1 on the way.
Re: Fast & Furious - Whoberry's Birth Story
Eta: it's true that for some women the epi allows them to relax so they dilate better, it worked for me with my first delivery!
Married DH 7/30/11
CSC arrived 5/7/12
CHC arrived 6/2/14
As far as the RE goes I think I am planning on sending them a birth announcement with a thank you card. I miss my RE and nurses so much.
As for the RE, we will be sending a birth announcement and possibly bringing LO by to meet everyone, but the meeting might not happen for a while. I know my offices waiting room has times where it's basically empty, maybe call and ask if yours does to?
June- Femara 7.5mg + Trigger + IUI = BFN August- Lap & Hysteroscopy = Blocked & Partially Blocked Tubes
September- Femara 5mg = CX - No Response on Left = BFN October- 100mg Clomid + Trigger + TI = BFN
IVF # 1: Stims 11/30 ER 12/12/12! (10R, 10M, 8F, 2T, 6 F) :: Beta #1- 176 c/p @ 4w4d
FET #1 February 26th :: Lost 4 to Thaw, Transferred 2 = BFFN
IVF # 2 Stims 5/10 ER 5/21 (15R, 13M, 13F, 2T, 7F- 6d3 & 1d5) :: Beta # 1- 15 c/p @ 4w
FET #2.2 Scheduled for September 20th
2 Thawed, 2 Transferred! Beta #1- 96, Beta #2 906! :: EDD June 10th
2015- 2 failed FET. We are done
SURPRISE! BFP 8/8/16 EDD 4/1/17
I'm not sure yet what I'll do with my RE! I'm thinking I'll drop him an email with pics. Once we're ready for an FET I'll probably bring them in for them to see... but maybe I'll just bring them in early anyways! I'd call the office, find their dead hours, and have hubby wait with them in the hallway till they're ready
I knew about the anal flower thing and still googled it. Lots of porn in the results
DD1: June 2014 - VBM4lyfe
DD2: October 2016
DC3: coming May 2019
Haha anal flower- had no idea that existed, but now that I know, I'm def still in pain from mine! Thank god for tucks pads!
Me (36) + DH(35) = Married 9yrs!