Tessa's Birth Story

My water broke at 12:25 am on Saturday morning after 2 hours of sleep. We had been cleared to labor at home until contractions were nice and close, so we decided to pack the car and get things ready  before labor really set in and I became solely focused on that. All was going well and I even had 2 20 minute naps until 9 am when contractions completely stopped. I decided to power clean my stepdaughter's room to see if that helped, but only had two weak ones and was feeling decreased baby movement so we called L&D and they told us to come right in. We got to the hospital at 11:30 and to our surprise there were no rooms or staff to see us. There were so many laboring women that they put us in two chairs in the hallway for 45 minutes before they had a triage room to check me. I had a few contractions during our bumpy car ride so,used that opportunity to walk the hallway and encourage them to pick back up. I was super bummed to hear that after 12 hours post my water breaking I had not progressed beyond the soft 1 cm I was over 2 weeks ago. At that point they admitted me  (took 3 hours to get a room in L&D) and pressed hard for me to get a pitocen drip to speed things up. I really didn't like that because I was hoping to keep things as medfree as possible and was worried that with pit contractions I'd be begging for med relief.

At 3:30 pm they start my drip and increased it every 30 minutes. By 6:30 pm my contractions were about 2 1/2 -3 minutes apart and were very intense. We were certain that some good progress was being made! 

I was 2 cm at that point. I cried and seriously considered an epi then.  At the next stage I became very withdrawn. My eyes remained closed and I used my partner's and my sister's voices to keep my focus. I remember hearing my voice no longer sounding like my own. It was very animalistic. My sister was particularly calming and helped me through "one or two more" to see how'd I'd feel. Her voice sounded so much like my moms, who I've missed terribly throughout this pregnancy journey. The next thing I knew it was 12:30am and I was having overlapping contractions. Woohoo! At this check I was feeling like I had have opened to about am 8. I had to! But I was at 6, only this time fully effaced.

Up until this point (and for the rest of it) all of my labor had been in my back. I knew she was sunny side up and wasn't surprised. While laboring I tried to stay in positions that would help flip her, but wasn't having luck. I was exhausted from so little sleep and little break, so they gave me something in my IV to take the edge off. It was temporary  (only last an hour)and it did nothing to relieve the pressure or pain, but did allow me to calm down enough during what little time I had between contractions to regain focus and keep my breathing steady.

Between 12:30 and 2:30 I went fron the 6 cm to 9.5 cm. At this point my body began involuntarily pushing with each contraction. I remember someone checking me and saying that if I need to push to let it happen (they said I was a 10). Then my midwife came in and checked me again and immediately had me stop myself from pushing because there was still too much cervix and she didn't want me to cause damage. This was the hardest part of my labor; intentionally trying to open up the final 0.5 cm but not push. Thank God it only took 30 minutes to get there. And as a blessed bonus, Tess flipped in the final 30.

I was so tired when it came to push. It was very hard to figure out effective breathing. I finally got my rhythm after 3 contractions of pushing. I only pushed for an hour and out she came at 3:59 am. I remember the midwife telling me that her heart rate was dropping and she needed to come out with the next set of pushing. So as the contraction start I pushed threw it and continued to push even after it ended. That's when I tore. I didn't (and still dont) care. My baby was here safe and sound.

Feeling the rest of her leave my body was the most euphoric feeling I've ever experienced. I understand now how some women compare it to an organic feeling, though that was not necessarily my experience.

We had skin to skin immediately for an hour bwfore they took her for measurments. They let her cord pulse out before Paul cut and my placenta (though strangely horn shaped) came out without problem. I was so glad for both.

She had a nice thick and very long umbilical cord. The midwife told us she was suprised that Tess wasn't tangled in it. And even though it had been 27 hours since my water broke, no meconium was passed or ingested!

They stitched me up and started my uterine massages while we nursed right away. She is a champion nurser. The nursing made my uterus contract quickly, which I appreciated. Unfortunately I was not able to pee. I had to, I wanted to, but my body was still in so much shock that I couldn't go. We did a straight cath around 6:00 this morning and I felt glorious after all that pressure was gone. They did keep me on a pit drip until 8 to get my uterus really contracted down. Unfortunately I continued to contract in my back, so that did not afford for any sleeping. But I was so in love that we snuggled and nursed the whole time.

Since our hospital was so full, we stayed in our big beautiful labor and delivery room until 11 am. The room we're in now is fortunately private, but oh so tiny. Theres not even a place for Paul to stay. Needless to say we're really looking forward to going home.

Tess has had 4 blood draws today. Poor thing. They did a full panel from her foot because it had been so long between my water breaking and her birth so they wanted to make sure there were no infections. Unfortunately the sample clotted and they couldn't use it. With the second panel her red blood cell count was elevated (71, our hospital likes 65) so they required a Venus sample. After two attempts they couldn't get it drawn so they brought her back and encouraged us to nurse because they suspected she is still a little dehydated. After her 3rd power nursing session today ( 45 minutes, 50 minutes, 35 minutes!) They collected her for attempt #5. I was just about to call the nursery because it had been over an hour and a half when the nurse brought her back. Apparently they got a second report back that said her levels were normal. So they didn't have to draw! Turns out our little charmer was wide awake and the nursing staff was just hanging out with her in the nursery. It gave me a chance to eat dinner and write out (most of) our story, so I don't really mind. 

I'm glad I went in with the intention of having as little intervention as possible. With that and my two incredible coaches (my partner Paul and my sister) it gave me the focus and strength I needed to push through such a long, and a little bumpy, process. This has been such an amazing, incredible and life altering experience and I am so in love with this life we've created.

A year ago I had begun to acknowledge and accept that pregnancy and childbirth would most likely not happen for me in this life time. I honestly felt like i was in a really good place about it. Endometriosis, multiple miscarriages, 2 failed surgeries resilting in the the loss of a tube, and failed fertility treatments had broken me. It was one of the biggest heartaches of my failed marriage. After my divorce and with the birth of babies by all four of my best friends, I really worked hard to accept it and find joy in my new nieces and nephew.

I am so thankful and blessed for this wild ride and for the wonderful partner and incredible coparent I have in Paul. Tessa is hands down the most incredible gift I have ever received.