He's here! My birth story

Hopeful1029 · October 2014

Hi ladies - Short version: my son arrived Wednesday September 17th at 7:32pm He was 8#9oz 19.5 inches long. He was two weeks early, but I guess he couldn't wait to meet his mama and daddy! For those interested, the long version follows:

I couldn't really sleep Tuesday night (which has been pretty normal lately with frequent bathroom trips) but I was having these odd cramping sensations too. They weren't strong or intense at all, just crampy and I had to pee every 40 minutes to an hour. Then I noticed it was every 30 minutes that I had a cramp feeling and needed to pee. By 4:30am, when DH gets ready to go to work, I just felt like he should stay home with me. I had been battling the flu and strep throat for 5 weeks and although was feeling overall better, I just wanted DH to stay home with me. I honestly wasn't thinking anything baby-wise.. So he made us some tea and we started watching the news.
By 5am it dawned on me that I was getting these cramps (still nothing painful or uncomfortable at all) regularly and I had to pee or poop right afterwards. I started to silently time them and when I got four episodes 12 minutes apart in a row, I mentioned it to DH. We both began to pay attention now, even though in my head, this COULD NOT be labor. Every 12 minutes, I would have a cramping sensation in my supra pubic area and then would immediately have to use the restroom. We used our contraction app on the phone for consistency. By 7:30am they were about every 8-9 minutes apart and felt like strong period cramps and I was starting to get uncomfortable while I had them, but nothing fierce. I couldn't really lay down because every 7-8 minutes, after a contraction, I still had to use the restroom!
We had our weekly OB appt scheduled for 4pm that afternoon but I texted OB and told him what was going on. He advised me to monitor things and show up for our appt as scheduled. DH prepared for "baby time" (he never said anything to me, but he got my bag, his bag and everything else ready and placed by the door) The cramps got progressively more intense as the morning wore on. DH made sure that I ate a protein packed meal and that I stayed hydrated.
By 1:00pm the contractions jumped from 7 minutes to 4minutes apart and were starting to get extremely intense. At this point I started to question if I was in labor. The contractions lasted about a minute, but I wasn't able to be comfortable during them no matter what I tried ( sit, stand, kneel, sway). I jumped in the shower to let the hot water run over my back - that was the only place I felt comfortable. The contractions were now 3-4 minutes apart so I called the OB and said we were heading in early to be seen (stupid me STILL wasn't convinced I should go to the hospital!!) . We live 40 minutes from the OB office and 4 miles after leaving the house, with strong contractions every 4ish minutes, I looked at DH and told him to drive to the hospital. I called the OB told him we were going there and he said he's meet us. A
At this point, I had made a point of refocusing myself and telling myself to be loose with each contraction and not tense up....it actually helped. The hospital is right down the road from us so we were there in minutes. Contractions were still about 3 minutes apart and the nurse checked me at 3pm and I was 4cm dilated, 100% effaced. I stayed in a triage room with DH, my mom and my doula while I filled out paperwork and waited on a room to be cleaned for us. The contractions were now about 2 minutes apart and so strong I could only breathe through them. There was no comfortable option....I couldn't walk, use the birth ball, kneel....I would just stand up, lean in to DH with my arms around his neck and sway through them. It took about an hour before we were put in a L&D room. Contractions were now about every 1-2 minutes and I found sitting on the "peanut" birth ball they had offered relief while I was not experiencing a contraction. Everyone kept telling me to stop sitting on the birth ball because I was only on it for a minute, but my body was on autopilot.
By 6pm I was 6cm dilated. I could hear the doctor laughing with my mom and doula about when the baby was coming....he was saying 10pm, they were saying probably 9pm. I was completely in my own world at this point. My eyes were closed, I was not partaking in any conversation, I was just riding each contraction as they came. And at 7pm I was 8 cm dilated......well little mister came 30 minutes later in a rush of pushing!
I hit transition around 6:30ish and was pretty much delirious from then until he arrived at 7:30. I pushed for 30 minutes and he was out, but it was so intense. I honestly didn't think I could do it and was VERY vocal about not being able to finish. In looking back, I knew deep down I WAS doing it but it just happened so fast I was just speaking negative nonsense. It was all so fast that I actually forgot how to push! At one point, when I knew he was crowing, it dawned on me that I needed to not arch away from the pain, but I needed to take a breath, tuck my chin and push!! I only pushed a few times and he was here All perfect and looking up at me. They instantly placed him on my chest and he grabbed my finger. I started to talk to DH and Cadien looked at both of us, one at a time! He actually picked up his little head and looked at each of us! It was the most incredible moment to be recognized by him.
They actually had to give me pitocin AFTER I had him because it all happened so quickly, my placenta didn't really grasp the baby was gone lol it wasn't contracting at all and I was bleeding a lot. I didn't know, and couldn't tell, but they put me on the pitocin and shortly after I birthed the placenta. THAT was an amazingly awesome relief!! I tore slightly and needed just a couple of stitches, but my son was on my chest staring in to my eyes and I was lost in love. Cadien was a champ and found his way to the breast and latched right on.
I wanted a natural, un-medicated vaginal birth, and that's just what I got. From getting fired from my OB at 30 weeks to delivering my perfect baby boy, just the way I wanted to, 7 weeks later, was such a beautiful feeling.
He will be two weeks old on Wednesday and I can not believe it. I cry just about every time I hold him/look at him/think of him! HA! There is NO greater love than the love I feel for my son. If you made it this far, thank you so much for reading and thank you for your love and support through this journey.
Here's a picture of my angel on my chest just seconds after birth and at 7 days old