Sunday, 21 June 2009
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My Labor and Delivery Experience
This entry is about my labor and delivery. It's more for my records so that I can recall that moment....before the memory is so far away that I forget.
It was Monday the 17th and I had an appointment for my routine 37th week check-up. Justin, my husband, had just started his new job 2 weeks prior, but decided to come along with me to my appointment because he hadn't been for a while. We had our pup Lyric with us because I was going to take her around with me later in the day.The appointment was at 9:30am when we checked in. I provided a routine urine sample and we waited in the doctors office for what seemed like an eternity. What was taking so damn long? Finally my OB comes in and told me I had protein in my urine.
Coupled with my high blood pressure and swelling, they were symptoms of toxemia. Ah-ha. For the past few weeks I had so much swelling all over my body - I'm talking hands, feet, legs, neck and face. Sometimes the swelling would flare up and I couldn't even put my hand in a fist. I even bought shoes that were a size larger than what I would normally wear and I couldn't even squeeze into those.
Our OB instructed us to go to the hospital immediately. She said that I would get further tests done to see if it was toxemia. She said "don't stop anywhere, don't go eat, just go straight to the hospital." I started to feel a sense of urgency and I know Justin was getting a little freaked out. We dropped Lyric off at my parents and went to the hospital.
I was admitted into the hospital and they continued to run some more tests. The only two outcomes were (1) delivery and (2) monitor me for the next few days. AAgh!! I was not ready to give birth yet. I hadn't played the labor and delivery in my head yet to know how I wanted it to go. Wait, I wasn't even ready to be a parent yet! I was so scared, but trying to be calm at the same time. I was not even close to being dilated. It's ok - all my tests will turn out being normal and I won't have to deliver today.I called my mom just in case to let her know what was going on. Then about 3pm I get a call from my OB saying that my tests were still the same and they all pointed to toxemia. She said in good conscience she had to deliver the baby. Since, ya know, the baby possibly was not getting oxygen and it could get really serious. Ok, fine. I guess I'm having a baby! Since I was so closed, I was put on the first of three rounds of cytotec, and hopefully I would deliver the next morning. My mom arrived at the hospital and Justin left to get our overnight bags.
The nurses at our hospital were so nice. It was so comforting to be there, since to me I think of hospitals as sterile and cold. About every hour someone was coming in and checking on me, and sticking their hand up my vajayjay. I also had a catheter inserted which was not fun. I was given magnesium as well. My blood pressure continued to go through the roof but I felt fine. Fine enough to order three plates of dinner....plus dessert.Needless to say Justin and I did not get any sleep that night. The next morning around 7am, I was still pretty closed up. I don't think I was even dilated 1cm. My OB said that I might need a C-Section - which I was absolutely against. There is no wa I would want to get a C-Section and have to deal with the recovery! I was put on pitocin and a few hours later I was still closed. So finally my OB decided to break my water. After that, things went really quickly. I started to feel minor contractions and they became more intense quickly. One of the nurses said to Justin "you have a tough cookie here" and he said "oh I know." And looked at me and smiled.
Fast forward an hour later and I'm screaming at the top of my lungs. Not too long after I was asking for the epidural. It could not come fast enough. I felt some relief after the epidural but that was short lived. I started to feel this weird pain in my anus. Kind of like I was being impaled by a house. Hmm. I notified the nurse about this peculiar feeling. She asked me what it felt like and I told her "it feels like someone is ripping my asshole apart. She asked me if I felt like pushing. If by pushing you mean pooping then yes.
My son was coming out with a vengance. Poor Justin actually saw the poop come out of my butthole. And he still loves me. I think. After that they just told me to start pushing. Ahh, it felt so good to push! Pushing didn't hurt nearly as much as the contractions.
I gave birth at 1:26pm to Nathan, who greeted us for the first time with a smile and the loudest scream. Justin started to cry, which made my heart melt even more. I was still in shock - my body was shaking uncontrollably. The nurse even commented that I looked a little freaked out. Hello! I just gave birth, yes I was freaked out.
Wow, I guess I still remember that day clearly. I also remember that I barely needed any recover time. I was going to the gym and hiking 2 weeks later. I also dropped the 30 lbs that I gained, 1 week after delivery. Joy. I can honestly say that, I hated being pregnant; I had morning sickness 24/7 well into my 5th month, I was moody, emotional, swollen and tired. I got shooting pains down "there" all the time.The labor and delivery was chaotic. Would I do it all over again? Of course. In fact, I think we will try for a 2nd child by the end of this year or early next year. Yes we are out of our minds.
Do you remember the day you delivered your baby clearly?
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About the Author
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- From: jylnFamily
- Name: jylnFamily
- About Me: I'm 28 years old and mother to a 6-month old baby boy named Nathan. I don't like scrap-booking, preachy moms, and fake people. My husband Justin and I met in Vegas, fell in love, got pregnant and then married (yes, in that order). We are easy-going, friendly, and motivated people who tend to take risks. We would do anything for each other, our son and dog. Yes dog. She is after all our first born. I want to start blogging about my daily life in Orange County, CA as a relief and perhaps somewhere out there one or two people will get a kick out of it. I tend to tell it like it is and will try hard not to offend minorities, homosexuals, and the aging. Hahaha, jk! Welcome to my world - enjoy!
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Comments (21)
I totally remember my labor and delivery experience...and it's only been a month and i still haven't forgotten. Everyone tells me that moms forget about the pain eventually...but how long will it take for me to forget>>? i am still thinkingi f i could go thru the 2nd..
the kid looks stoked.
@BeBe_Bum@xanga - why would you forget in a month? shouldn't you remember something like that forever?
Nathan looks positively excited to be out into the world...ready to take it on...
has he kept an easy-going attitude?
I gave birth almost 4 years ago.. and one 4 months ago.. and I remember both of them very vividly!
I remember vividly! I even remember what time my water broke, what time they gave me an epidural, etc. As far as pain, I don't remember that cause I didn't have any, none at all, drugs are good!
Totally!!! I'm praying that it goes as quickly and as smoothly for #1 when I deliver #2 in February- and that my epidural holds out good and strong again too =) I couldn't feel a thing when I was pushing- it was bliss
Absolutely! I will remember it as long as I live. The 10 days overdue, the 12 hour labor, pushing for all I was worth... but none more clearly than those first 5 minutes after my son was born, I felt like the most lucky, empowered, in-love, and ecstatic woman on earth. I also recovered very quickly, and was back to normal by about 2 weeks.
I also hated most of my pregnancy. I was sick for months, depressed, moody, and miserable.
I will do it again.
I ABSOLUTELY remember both my delievery's and I am so ready for #3...my first born was 18.5 hours of labor from water popping on its own to me pushing that 10 pounder out...then my 2nd son i was in labor for only 4 hours and 12 minute, 8.4 pounds....the next baby i hope labor is only like 2 hours max. and its a girl and she is only like 6 or 7 pounds!
your son looks so happy to be done with the process as well:) And yes, I remember my day quite clearly. Haha, I remember being so self conscious before going into labor, not wanting to poop during labor. Well after after 5 hours of intense labor, dropping amniotic fluid all over the place, all inhibitions were gone and yeah, I pooped while I was pushing. My husband saw it all. If anything I think watching us go through all that gives them a new respect for us:)
It's been 6 weeks since our son entered the world, and yeah, I would so go through the entire process again in a heartbeat:)
I remember mine very well (it was two weeks ago!) I had two weeks of prodormal labor and by the time I went into actual labor, I was 8cm. I went to the hospital and two hours later, my baby arrived, au natural. I almost got an epidural but my husband talked me out of it. I'm glad he did because I didn't want one but I started to question my decision towards the end.
My body cleaned itself out throughly that day before I went into labor but I remember being scared to push because I didn't want to poop!
Labor and delivery are very intense moments in a woman's life, I would imagine most women remember them vividly.
I remember all 5 of my childrens' births!
And I love a birth story that mentions poop- more women need to include that! My last birth story (home in a birthing tub) I mention how I felt a poop ball roll onto my foot LOL Classic.
I remember all 3 of mine, in fairly good detail, and my kids are 4,2, and 1.
Yep! Although I don't remember every single minute of my 26-hour labor, but I do remember it pretty clearly. But somehow, looking back, everything seems shortened. The 20 hours of early and then regular labor, the 6 hours of transition labor, it just doesn't seem like it lasted THAT long, lol.
@XxFireXboltxX@xanga - Oh my! I wanna a birth like yours! I understand the part about wanting the epidural- except I was at home and it wasn't an option. My midwife had a narcotics shot that she offered after about 20 hours of labor so I could get some sleep. I told I'd let her know in an hour. And then asked my hubby if I should get it. Talk about being between a rock and a hard place for him! He didn't want me to be in pain but he also knew how much I wanted to do it naturally and told me I'd kick myself later- and he was right. So I ended up not getting it, thinking that maybe I'd get it in an hour, if I hadn't progressed yet. And that's how I got through it- until the last part of transition which was totally the whole mental, "I can't do this anymore!", "Gonna be in labor forever!", etc. Then I was totally saying, "Give me the shot!" Of course it was too late and the midwives told me that every woman has to go through this stage and that the baby would here very, very soon. I found it very hard to believe that last part as it had taken me several weeks and 26 hours to get to 9 1/2 cm. How was I supposed to know it wouldn't take a few more hours to get that last half cm.? At least, that's how I felt at the time! But then, it WAS over and I was pushing! And it felt so good compared to before! 8 minutes after my first pushing contraction my son was born and I was so glad I hadn't got the shot- I could feel everything and was totally alert and with it. That rush of hormones and endorphins you get when the baby is born and just placed in your arms should be illegal!
Cute baby. I want to give birth naturally. No pain medication whatsoever. Plus epidurals can give you back problems later on in life and I don't want to be drugged up when my baby comes out. Our bodies know how to deliver a baby. Women delivered without any pain medication for thousands of years. Pain medication is only a recent invention. Besides most women end up screaming their heads off in labor even with medication so there's no point in taking it.
This was very well written! :) I have not given birth, but i have given so much thought to what is going to happen, and when! I know that i will remember giving birth for the first time for the rest of my life! and congrads. on the new addition! He looks so happy to be born! it's so adorable!
AH! Im so scared of ever having to deliver. It's one of the reasons I don't want to have a baby. It sounds so painful, scary, and embarrassing! Pooing in front of your family and spouse? DX
The birth of my son, my first child, is really blurry. It was a long (17 hours) labor and I had IV pain meds that really put me out of it for a while. And then I had too much epidural and had to push for 3 hours. And THEN my son had a fever so they took him off to the nursery for three hours before I ever got to hold him. I remember the major parts but it's hard for me to remember the little things that happened.
My daughter's birth I remember very clearly. I had an unmedicated home waterbirth with her and everything went so much faster and more smoothly!
"I started to feel this weird pain in my anus. Kind of like I was being impaled by a house. Hmm. I notified the nurse about this peculiar feeling. She asked me what it felt like and I told her "it feels like someone is ripping my asshole apart." HAHAHA- I have never heard it descriped like that, but YEAH- that's how it is!
I remember both births, mostly. I don't remember specific details anymore, though.
It's only been six weeks since I had my baby, so it's still pretty fresh in my mind. It was one of the most incredible days of my life, so I don't think I will forget! I was so afraid to poop on the delivery table, but I didn't!
do people really open their eyes & smile like that when they're born? are they really that big?
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