First, the birth plan. The short story is that there wasn't one. I've been a junkie for reading birth stories and watching all of the baby shows on TV, and I have yet to see a birth that went according to the "plan." I decided that as long as the outcome was a healthy baby and healthy mom, I'd be fine with however we got there. That said, I did have some visions of my birth - laboring at home with Dan, driving to the hospital breathing through contractions in the car, laboring there with the birth ball and walking the corridors between contractions, possibly using the showers, etc. (spoiler alert! none of this happened). I wanted to be as drug-free as possible, but I wasn't ruling out the use of an epidural (which I knew deep down meant that I'd probably get one). But other than that, I didn't really have much of a "plan." Which was good, because I couldn't have imagined how it went.
The rest of the story is below the cut, for those who aren't interested or who don't want to know all of the (gory) details :).
Of course, if you want to know how I can possibly be knitting and happy while in labor, you'll have to read on (click on "MORE" below) :)
I'm smiling now!
I had a doctor's appointment on Friday March 7th and was 1 cm dilated and 50% effaced - basically no progress since the week before. However, on Saturday I lost my mucus plug... again. Yes, I'd previously lost a plug two weeks before, just after my first internal exam, and nothing had come of it (obviously). This time, though, the plug contained a little bit of brown tinge, but I didn't think too much of it, having been there before with no results.
Over the weekend, we walked around Costco and some other stores, but didn't really do anything else to bring on labor.
My due date was March 21st. The week of March 10th was supposed to have been my last week in the office, and there were a flurry of scheduled meetings for me to brief folks who would be filling in for me during my absence. I had prepared files and lists of all of the information well in advance of this, but this week was to be the "passing of the torch." One of the meetings was even scheduled for Friday the 14th, but I did tell my co-worker that I wasn't sure I was going to make it that long. But I went to sleep on Sunday night (the 9th) ready to go back to work for 5 more days.
Monday morning at 6:45 AM I woke up to feel my water breaking. At first I did wonder if possibly I had just lost what little bladder control I had left, but there were 3 distinct "trickles" and I knew. At that point, I realized that I would have a baby within 24 hours. I knew that if I had the baby by midnight on the 10th, she would share my mother's birthday; if I managed to be in labor for 18 hours before she was born on the 11th, she would share a birthday with my friend Kelly, my friend's daughter Lily, and of course Meli!
The alarm was set for 7 AM, so I had gotten a full night's sleep, and I didn't feel bad about waking Dan up a few minutes early. I poked him and said "I think my water just broke" and he said "Oh, wow." When I got up to go to the bathroom, a whole bunch more fluid came gushing out, solidifying in my mind that my water had indeed broken.
Dan called the doctor's office, who told us to go ahead and come in to the hospital - and we got the hospital that we wanted (what a relief! - my OB/GYN practice was delivering at 2 different hospitals, and you didn't know which one you would get until you called). So much for laboring at home with Dan! We rushed around the house like mad people (with me continuing to "leak!"). I gathered up pieces of knitting to take with me (I have my priorities!), and threw some extra clothes in a bag. We had packed our bags before, but they weren't quite "complete"! In all this time, I had yet to have a single contraction.
Dan put some plastic down on the seat of the car (yes, still leaking) and we drove the 15 mintues to the hospital, still sans contractions. I took the elevator to L&D and checked in, and was show to a room... still no contractions. I met my daytime nurse, Danielle, who was FABULOUS. I managed to do some knitting (still no contractions) - see picture above.
My doctor (Dr. B.) arrived and checked me, and I was still 1 cm and now 75% effaced. Then we started on pitocin - there would be no waiting around to see if I would start having contractions normally.
I got plugged into the (external) fetal monitor when I arrived, but now the contractions really started and there were some things of concern. Basically, the baby's heartrate tended to drop after every contraction. If it was dropping during the contraction, that would be normal, but with it happening afterwards, that was not right and indicated that the baby's oxygen levels were dropping. The distress was worse when I was lying on my back, better on my left side and best on my right side, and the very best when I was on a full oxygen mask. Aside from one trip to the bathroom (before the contractions really started), I spent the rest of my labor on the bed, generally on my right side. So much for the birthing ball and walking the corridors!
That was the first time that we had the c-section talk. Basically, if the baby continued to be in distress even with me on my right side and on oxygen, the doctors would opt for a section. For the time being, we were OK, but they wanted to bring it up.
An hours went by and my contractions weren't being detected by the external monitor anymore (with several repositioning efforts), so Dr B. came back to insert an internal monitor. Any hope that I had of getting out of bed died at that point! She checked, and I was still only 1 cm dilated.
Then I just settled in to the labor - I was having contractions every few minutes, lasting for 30 sec - 1 min. I was able to breathe through them, especially with a little musical exhale that I just made up. I told our nurse that I was going to try and make it without an epidural. When not contracting, Dan and I watched A Baby Story (despite our childbirth class handouts which said not to dwell on the upcoming labor) and the Cartoon Network. I particularly remember Scooby Doo and Tom and Jerry.
New doctor - Dr J. - came in to do another check just after noon, and I was only 2 cm. He wished me well, and left me to keep laboring on. The worst part about the labor at this point was the blood pressure cuff. It automatically went off every 20 minutes, and seemed to have uncanny timing to start inflating right in the middle of a contraction. I hated that thing!
After a couple of hours, the contractions were piling up on top of each other and I started feeling very hot, faint, and unable to breathe. I ripped off the oxygen mask and then started to vomit. (Yes, 38 weeks of throwing up was not enough - I kept going into the delivery room!) At that point, I decided that I didn't need to keep on without any help and asked for the epidural. It was put in with relatively little trouble, and I was blessedly pain free again. I was even making jokes with the nurses!
At about 4:30 - just after the epidural - Dr J. came back to check again, hoping for 5-6 cm. Except I was barely at 4. So we had another c-section talk - Dr. B. would be back to check on me at 6:30 and if I hadn't made significant progress by then, we would be looking at surgery. Honestly, at this point, it didn't sound like such a bad thing.
After he left, I kept having contractions and then they started piling up - exactly like just before I asked for the epidural. I got hot, sweaty, felt like I couldn't breathe, ripped off the oxygen mask, and got the bedpan ready for the vomit. And then the damned blood pressure cuff went off... and my bp was 160/something, which made an alarm start going off, adding to the panic I was feeling. I told Dan that he needed to get someone because I needed help. I don't think he actually had to move, though, because I think the nurses came in again on their own. It was now about 6:15 - just before Dr B. was coming back. The nurse checked me, and lo and behold, I was at 10 cm and ready to push.
Yep, 4 to 10 cm in less than 2 hours. No wonder I felt like I was on a freight train!
I heard the nurse intercept Dr B. as she was coming into my room, and she said OK, turned around and put scrubs on. She came in, took out the internal monitor, took out the catheter, and I got in position to push with Dan on one side and the (new) nurse on the other holding my legs. The baby was "right there" and I started to push. For those that haven't had the experience, a push is timed with a contraction (since I'd had the epidural, the nurse was helping me to figure out when they were), and consists of: deep breath in, bearing down for a count of 10, big exhale, big breath in, bearing down, exhale, inhale, bearing down, and you're done.
I did three pushes (cycles of 10). Dr. B said that she could see the head and it looked like red hair! Then everybody got up and truly got prepared - Dr B. put on a face shield, etc. One more push and the doctor said I could touch her head if I wanted to - it was much softer and slipperier than I expected. One more count of 10 and then the doctor said that the head was out and I should stop pushing. I admit that I felt something at that point, but it still suprised me that the head was out already. One more push and the rest of her came out - which I definitely felt - at 7:18 PM. She started crying, they laid her up on my chest, and I was a mom!
Dan cut the cord, and we stayed there for a few minutes looking her over, counting toes and fingers, before they took her over to the side of the room for all of the weighing and measuring. Dan went with her while Dr B. tended to me - I had a 2nd degree tear (no episiotomy) which required stitches, and I delivered the placenta. Her APGAR scores were 8 and 9, and she was 7 lbs 4.2 oz and 21 inches long.
Hello, beautiful
So, if you read this far, you probably deserve a medal, but here's my summary. I did get an epidural, but I think it is probably why I managed to have a vaginal delivery - I relaxed enough that I was able to make a lot of progress in a little amount of time. The first 10 hours of labor were pretty slow, aside from the vomit highlight, but a lot happened in the last 2. From 4-10 cm and then 5 pushes and she was here! I think that the "labor" part went about how I'd imagined, painwise and sensationwise; the "delivery" part was so much easier.
And now I have a little munchkin! She shares her grandma's birthday (best birthday present ever!). The munchkin is now sleeping on me - this post took about 4 hours, 2 diaper changes, 3 feedings, and 2 naps to write!
Posted by Sarah at April 7, 2008 11:20 AM | in: baby | PermalinkOMG I am crying here so happy for you. Birth stories are awesome!!!
Mine was crazy funny/ white coat funny!
CONGRATS !!!!!!
No lie - I'm about to write my birth story as well. And my babe is asleep on the couch next to me. Not ON me.
I'm going to come back to read this later. Can you believe it's been FOUR weeks?!
Posted by: Cara on April 7, 2008 01:19 PMThanks for sharing - I know what you mean about reading other people's birth stories to see how it really happens. Then I go to write Ellie's and leave out the blood pressure cuff. God I hated that thing. Quarter after. Quarter 'til. Quarter after. Quarter 'til. All night long. I'm feeling a little jittery just thinking about it.
Posted by: Emily on April 7, 2008 05:03 PMThanks for sharing! I posted my son's birth stories a few days after he was born, and like you had talks of a c-section that never happened. I also had my water break and no contractions, was also induced THREE times on pitocin!
Your little one is adorable. I'm pregnant with number 2, and not looking forward to pushing anything more than 5 lbs 5 oz out of me. My son was full term preemie size, and HARD to push out (episiotomy hard!)I'm so not prepared if this guy is bigger! LOL
Posted by: Robyn (Knit & Purl Mama) on April 7, 2008 07:35 PMSure it was nothing like you imagined, but wonderful all the same, right?
PS Blood pressure cuffs are evil - mine actually got stuck ON at one point!
I took the same approach you did...no plans just a goal. Also, I remember hearing how much the epidural would slow down labor so I tried to wait as long as possible, but for me, it all went fast after that! Glad to hear it was the same for you!
Posted by: sarah b. on April 7, 2008 08:14 PMThanks for sharing your story! For those of us without kids - it's quite interesting to hear!
It was great seeing you two tonight!
Posted by: Jody on April 7, 2008 10:43 PMYey! Long birth story posts! The truth is it doesn't really matter how she got here, she is here and beautiful (though I am very thankful for you that your body cooperated and you didn't have a C-section). I can only hope I push as little as you did when it's my baby making time.
Posted by: Jenna on April 8, 2008 09:02 AMIt's never what you expect and it sounds like you were ready for whatever life handed you. I barfed toward the end and it sucked but I knew it maybe meant pushing time was close. Bravo to you! Raley is just so sweet.
Posted by: Kim on April 8, 2008 12:40 PMCongratulations! You're a real trooper! My story is very similar, at least until the pushing part - we never made it that far. And MAN do I hat the blood pressure cuff. They initially put mine on the same arm that had the IV in it, so every time the cuff inflated, VERY weird things happened to that side. Hope the nursing is getting better!
Posted by: Natalie on April 8, 2008 02:24 PMcongrats! She is so precious. and, I admit, I read the whole birthing story. :) So happy for you that every thing went well.
Posted by: maya on April 8, 2008 07:02 PMI'm glad you got the vaginal birth you wanted; I was not so lucky :(. Similar circumstances, except the baby's heartrate wouldn't settle down no matter where I was, so even though I was at 6cms after 8 hours, c-section it was for us! Healthy baby, healthy mama, though, so it was all okay.
Thanks for posting this. Even four months after my little girl was born, I'm fascinated by birth stories.
Posted by: Kristine on April 9, 2008 08:16 AMThanks for sharing. I love birthing stories. Also, five pushes...very impressive!