Here' s the detailed story of our baby's birth for those that are interested and aren't too squeamish with birthing terms. Just to preface, on this day (mar.9), I was six days over due and feeling particularly emotional with what felt like never ending waiting.
6:00 p.m.- I just finished cooking dinner and needed to go to the bathroom. I notice that I lost what I think is my mucous plug mixed with some blood. Right after that I have a real contraction, unlike the braxton hicks contractions that I've had for several months now. I have some hope that maybe this could be "it" (real labor), but then I didn't have another contraction for about thirty minutes.
We eat dinner as a family.
7:00 p.m.- There isn't any consistency to my contractions and they are still pretty far apart so I thought they may take some time (hours) until they get consistent. The "husbird" was a super star and tells me to lay down and rest while he washs the dinner dishes, picks up the house, and does some vacuuming. He knows how I like a clean house when I leave for the hospital. I told him that it may take until tomorrow morning for my contractions to be at the point that I'm in active labor, but he knows me too well and knew if he didn't clean I would. He wanted me to be rested, so when I went into labor I would have the energy I needed.
7:30 p.m.- We get the "nestlings" showered and ready for bed. My contractions are still very inconsistent, but semi-painful when I have one.
8:00 p.m.- The "husbird" leaves for a church meeting. I read a story to the "nestlings", pray with them, and put them to bed. Then I take a shower and get ready for bed.
9:15 p.m.- The "husbird" gets home and gets ready for bed and we start to watch our dvr'd Survivor, but don't get far.
10:00 p.m.- My contractions are coming on stronger, but are still about ten minutes apart. I have to start breathing through them. I decide to call my mom, who lives an hour away, and tell her we might need her tonight if my contractions get closer.
10:30 p.m.- I call my mom to come over. My contractions are anywhere from eight to three minutes apart and getting increasingly painful. I constantly have to go to the bathroom between contractions and can't quit shaking for awhile.
11:30 p.m.- My contractions are every 2 to 3 minutes apart. I have to be on all fours, sitting on my exercise ball, or leaning on the "husbird" to make it through each one.
The "husbird" starts to get anxious to leave for the hospital and calls my mom to see if she is getting close.
11:45 p.m.- My mom gets there and the "husbird" gathers our stuff up and puts it in the car while I breathe through a very intense and painful contraction. Before we even get out of the driveway I ask for the "husbird" to stop until I get through a contraction because even the smallest bumps make it so I can't concentrate. We have to stop three times on the way to the hospital.
about 12:15 a.m.- We get to the hospital and a police officer outside brings a wheel chair over and pushes me into labor and delivery. I have a very strong contraction the minute we get to the front desk. This always happens to me, with every baby, for some reason. While I breathe through it the "husbird" tells the lady I'm preregistered, gives her my ID, insurance card, and signs a consent paper. She puts us in a room and gives me a hospital gown to put on. I change and the nurse asks me to lay on the bed to check me. I have a horrible contraction the minute I lay down and I ask her to wait a minute to check me until my contraction ends. She checks me and then says, "you're complete." I was kind of out of it and in excruciating pain and so I wasn't sure what that meant, but all of a sudden my water broke and I immediately needed to push. She asks me if I can hold it. It's like my body completely took over and pushed almost involuntarily. There was no way I could hold it. The nurse asked the "husbird" to push the button to get the doctor on call and they tell him, "Alright we'll send a nurse. He says, "The nurse is here. We need the hospitalist (doctor on call)." The nurse is scrambling to help deliver the baby. Next thing I know the "husbird" says that his head is out and then after some twisting, trying to get his shoulders out, one more push and...
12:35 a.m.- out he came, making his grand entrance into the world. It all happened so quickly and we never expected him to come so soon after we got to the hospital. Usually my contractions are one on top of the other, with no break and that is how I know I'm in transition. Well, not this time. I was only in labor for about two and a half hours and had about seven to eight extremely painful intense contractions about two minutes apart and he was here. If we had only been fifteen minutes later to the hospital I would have had him at home or in the car. We barely made it.
12:40 a.m.- The hospitalist got there. It seemed like he had just woken up. He helped deliver the placenta and put a couple stitches in where I tore. About an hour later my midwife showed up. They didn't even have a chance to call her before I delivered. She was disappointed she wasn't there to deliver the baby, but at this point I didn't care, I was just glad I made it through another natural child birth. I got to hold and nurse the baby for a long time since there wasn't anyone from the nursery there to take him from me. It was great! The nurse that delivered the baby asked me all my admittance questions while I enjoyed my baby. The "husbird" made a joke with her that she didn't need to admit us anymore, that it would save us thousands of dollars. Ha, Ha!
Since it all happened so fast, it took awhile for it to all sink in...that he was finally here, that the pain of natural child birth was over, and that we had another healthy baby.
What an amazing feeling! We are truly blessed.
Friday, March 11, 2011
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What beautiful pictures those are! Can't believe how fast your labor was, thank goodness you made it to the hospital! Sounds like when he was finally ready to come, he was READY to come! :)
ReplyDeleteCongrats from Eric and I. We're excited for you guys.
Thank you for sharing your beautiful story! It brought me to tears...remembering the births of my own 2 beautiful sons. That was 17 and 14 years ago, but it seems like just yesterday. The pictures are lovely. Enjoy your new baby...and get some rest! Congratulations!
ReplyDeleteEMILY! Great job and congratulations..I couldn't help but cry as I read your birth story! He is absolutely beautiful. Hope you are feeling well and taking care of yourself.
ReplyDeleteWow! Congrats! Can't wait to see him!
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