- Pregnancy
- Baby & Toddler
- Parents
- Getting Pregnant
- Baby Names
- Product Reviews
-
Registry
- Community
-
More
Want a personalized experience?
Download the free app
August 2014 Moms
dogperson11
member
Clara's Birth Story (dogperson11)
dogperson11
member
Clara's birth story. Almost 2 weeks later...
I woke up on Thursday, August 28th around 3:30am to use the bathroom and felt a contraction. Didn't think anything of it because I had been having Braxton hicks for weeks. I had a few more contractions that morning but they weren't regular or in a pattern and they stopped by the time I got to work (7:30am). They started back up around 12:30, when I was headed home for lunch, but again no pattern and not much stronger then my Braxton hicks. I let my manager know about them when I returned after lunch, just in case.
At 4:45pm I was sitting with one of my patients and suddenly had a very intense contraction then felt a pop, then felt my water break. The patient stayed chatting (oblivious) for the longest 3 minutes of my life before leaving. I yelled to my coworkers, got my things together, and left. Dan was pulling into the driveway same time as me and I told him my water broke. I went inside to clean up but every time I stood up more fluid gushed out.
Dan called the neighbors to let them know because they were going to watch the dog. I'm still in the bathroom at this point and my contractions were getting worse and worse so I got in the shower. I stayed in the shower for quite a while but the contractions were getting really intense. They were right on top of each other (2 minutes apart) so we decided we should go to the hospital before it was too late.
We got there around 6:30 and by the time we were taken up to L&D I was 3 cm. After they tortured me for 30 minutes (made me lay on my back with the monitors hooked up) we decided to try the hot bath. It was awful - I couldn't get comfortable and the contractions were almost unbearable. They were 90 seconds apart at this point. That's when I had Dan go ask for the epidural.
They checked me at 8pm before the epidural and I was 8cm. At 8:30 I was fully dilated and the anesthesiologist was there to place the epidural, but my nurse didn't think I would have enough time for it to kick in. The doctor suggested getting it anyway because "you never know how long you'll push". We decided I'd get it and they prepped me and tried to do it between contractions. The guy had to do it twice - didn't hit the correct space the first time. He kept asking Dan about my hips - I guess he could tell they were a little wonky, even though I had been at my chiropractor the day before. Having it placed didn't hurt a bit - I was too focused on the awful contractions and the fact that I was peeing all over. Seriously, so much pee. After it was placed they gave me a shot to try to slow down (spread out) my contractions. They were still 90 seconds apart at this point. The med to slow the contractions didn't ever work.
At 9:10pm They told me it was time to push and put oxygen on me, which was really annoying because it kept slipping around. The epidural only worked on my right side and only lasted for about 30 minutes. I pushed for an hour. Felt everything. Clara's heart rate dropped way too low near the end of pushing so the doctor gave me an episiotomy to get her out quickly. Apparently the doctor was pretty no-nonsense when her heart rate got so bad, but I had no idea. I pretty much had my eyes closed the whole time. It was the most odd feeling ever feeling her come out. So strange. She was born at 10:13pm. My total labor was only 5.5 hours. Ladies, faster is not necessarily better. It went from zero to sixty so fast - I had no breaks at all and there was no easing into it.
Once she was born they found that her cord was around her neck. Dan said she was blue and it was really scary but as soon as the doctor moved the cord from her neck she pinked up then squeaked. They plopped her on my chest and the nurse removed my oxygen and Dan cut the cord. The doctor delivered my placenta (second most odd feeling ever) then started stitching me up. I felt every stitch going in, unfortunately. The tightening of the stitches was almost worse then the stitch going in. Then they didn't like how much blood I was loosing so the doctor was scraping me out with his hand. The first 30 minutes after she was born may have been worse then labor. The only thing keeping me from screaming was Clara on my chest.
Apparently the whole labor I kept repeating "I'm ok, I'm ok" over and over. I think I was trying to convince myself. Dan said I kept apologizing, too. I have no idea why. Dan was amazing through the entire thing. I couldn't have asked for a better coach. He was super supportive and encouraging the entire time.
I woke up on Thursday, August 28th around 3:30am to use the bathroom and felt a contraction. Didn't think anything of it because I had been having Braxton hicks for weeks. I had a few more contractions that morning but they weren't regular or in a pattern and they stopped by the time I got to work (7:30am). They started back up around 12:30, when I was headed home for lunch, but again no pattern and not much stronger then my Braxton hicks. I let my manager know about them when I returned after lunch, just in case.
At 4:45pm I was sitting with one of my patients and suddenly had a very intense contraction then felt a pop, then felt my water break. The patient stayed chatting (oblivious) for the longest 3 minutes of my life before leaving. I yelled to my coworkers, got my things together, and left. Dan was pulling into the driveway same time as me and I told him my water broke. I went inside to clean up but every time I stood up more fluid gushed out.
Dan called the neighbors to let them know because they were going to watch the dog. I'm still in the bathroom at this point and my contractions were getting worse and worse so I got in the shower. I stayed in the shower for quite a while but the contractions were getting really intense. They were right on top of each other (2 minutes apart) so we decided we should go to the hospital before it was too late.
We got there around 6:30 and by the time we were taken up to L&D I was 3 cm. After they tortured me for 30 minutes (made me lay on my back with the monitors hooked up) we decided to try the hot bath. It was awful - I couldn't get comfortable and the contractions were almost unbearable. They were 90 seconds apart at this point. That's when I had Dan go ask for the epidural.
They checked me at 8pm before the epidural and I was 8cm. At 8:30 I was fully dilated and the anesthesiologist was there to place the epidural, but my nurse didn't think I would have enough time for it to kick in. The doctor suggested getting it anyway because "you never know how long you'll push". We decided I'd get it and they prepped me and tried to do it between contractions. The guy had to do it twice - didn't hit the correct space the first time. He kept asking Dan about my hips - I guess he could tell they were a little wonky, even though I had been at my chiropractor the day before. Having it placed didn't hurt a bit - I was too focused on the awful contractions and the fact that I was peeing all over. Seriously, so much pee. After it was placed they gave me a shot to try to slow down (spread out) my contractions. They were still 90 seconds apart at this point. The med to slow the contractions didn't ever work.
At 9:10pm They told me it was time to push and put oxygen on me, which was really annoying because it kept slipping around. The epidural only worked on my right side and only lasted for about 30 minutes. I pushed for an hour. Felt everything. Clara's heart rate dropped way too low near the end of pushing so the doctor gave me an episiotomy to get her out quickly. Apparently the doctor was pretty no-nonsense when her heart rate got so bad, but I had no idea. I pretty much had my eyes closed the whole time. It was the most odd feeling ever feeling her come out. So strange. She was born at 10:13pm. My total labor was only 5.5 hours. Ladies, faster is not necessarily better. It went from zero to sixty so fast - I had no breaks at all and there was no easing into it.
Once she was born they found that her cord was around her neck. Dan said she was blue and it was really scary but as soon as the doctor moved the cord from her neck she pinked up then squeaked. They plopped her on my chest and the nurse removed my oxygen and Dan cut the cord. The doctor delivered my placenta (second most odd feeling ever) then started stitching me up. I felt every stitch going in, unfortunately. The tightening of the stitches was almost worse then the stitch going in. Then they didn't like how much blood I was loosing so the doctor was scraping me out with his hand. The first 30 minutes after she was born may have been worse then labor. The only thing keeping me from screaming was Clara on my chest.
Apparently the whole labor I kept repeating "I'm ok, I'm ok" over and over. I think I was trying to convince myself. Dan said I kept apologizing, too. I have no idea why. Dan was amazing through the entire thing. I couldn't have asked for a better coach. He was super supportive and encouraging the entire time.
Married November 2009
Clara, August 2014
Baby Boy due October 2017
Baby Boy due October 2017
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Clara's Birth Story (dogperson11)
Baby Boy due October 2017