Wednesday, 05 December 2012

• My Labor & Delivery Story (With Pics!)

  
  
  It started after my 41.5 week appointment (which turned out to be my last appointment!). We were talking about induction, and my midwife did an internal exam to see if I was dilated, and asked if I wanted a membrane sweep. I told her yes. I was 3cm dilated.

  The rest of that day we ran errands. We knew that no matter what, we were going to have a baby on Friday the 13th (induction if labor didn't happen on its own). We also went out to dinner with our friends which unfortunately wasn't a good experience (poor service). After dinner, we came back home and stayed up 'til 2:30am. We decided that we would *do the deed* since we wouldn't be able to for 6 weeks after the baby was born. Well, afterwards I had some dull back pain, and then around 4am I started having more lower back pain, and I asked Cody to rub my back thinking "Oh, it'll go away after he rubs it." Nope. It kept coming back, and got stronger, and stronger, and by 6am it was starting to get REALLY painful.
  
  After first I thought it might be gas and I would try to relieve the pain, and pressure. I also felt like I had to poop, but every time I would go to the bathroom to try (sorry for the tmi) nothing would come out. But after I peed, I noticed blood when I wiped. I called Cody to come look (it was 8am) and I started becoming concerned. He told me to call the midwife, that he was concerned about the baby's well being too. So I called, and their answering service picked up. The guy on the other line asked if it was an emergency or if I had a concern, and I told him it was both. I had a concern, and it was an emergency. So, he asked for my number, I gave it to him, and he said he would have a midwife contact me.
  
  When she contacted me she asked what my concern was, and I told her I was starting to notice blood when I wiped. She asked if it was dripping down my leg, and I told her no, and she said it was probably my bloody show since I only noticed it when wiping. Then I told her about my back pain, and she said that could be one of two things: I could be in early labor or it could be the baby turning to get ready to come. Then she asked how bad my pain was, and I told her it was pretty bad. She said that if you can talk through the pain, then there was no point of going to the hospital because they'll just send you home. "Call me when you can barely talk through it." I told her that I had taken Tylenol, and tried the other things they recommend the last time, and nothing worked to relieve the pain. She told me to take a hot shower, try to get plenty of rest, get on all fours, and try rocking back and forth.
  
  Well I tried all of that. I even got in the shower, and rocked back and forth on all fours. I also tossed back and forth. While I was trying to sleep Cody's mom and my mom called, and he told them both what the midwife had told me, and they both said, "She is in labor."
  
  So Cody made me an omelet. And when he came back to check on me (and made me eat the omelet) he told me I was in labor. My mom told him that my grandma was suppose to be induced with one of my uncles, and they were on their way to the hospital when she went into labor with him. I came out to use the bathroom thinking, "maybe this time I can go." Because nothing Cody had said sunk in. I even asked him to go get my prune juice. He told me that wasn't a good idea. So instead I had dry toast and milk.
  
  Around 6:30pm I came out from the bedroom, thinking that maybe if I sat on my yoga ball it would help with the pain. Because it was to the point it was UNBEARABLE! The ball helped a little (not much) and the pain kept getting stronger and stronger. I asked Cody to rub my lower back which helped but it kept getting stronger, to the point I could barely move. So, I figured I would get up, and try to walk around. But as soon as I got up, it got to the point I barely talk through the pain. That was when we decided it was time to head to the hospital!
  
  On our way to the hospital, Cody called both our moms and told them where we were going and that we would call again if I got admitted. After he called them he called my midwife. He told her that I'd been in labor since 4am, and that I could barely speak through the contractions. She told him that she would call OB triage, and have them waiting for me. Then, Cody called my dad to give him, and my dad's girlfriend, the news and my dad said he would keep his phone on. 

  We got to the hospital and contractions were getting stronger by the minute. I was trying my best to breathe through them. Cody kept his hand on my lower back the whole time. We got to OB triage, and soon as we got there, they had to put my info through the system (again) to get me registered, and while we were waiting for them to take me back, the contractions keep coming. Closer, and closer together too! They finally got me registered and into a room. They hooked me up to a contractions monitor, and baby's heart rate monitor. I had the same nurse I had the first time we went, and she asked if I wanted any medication for the contractions. I said I would like to see how it goes, and how long I can manage them well. The doctor came in to check me because she saw on a monitor how consistent and strong my contractions were. And when she checked me I was 8 cm dilated. ALREADY!
  
  And when the nurse found out, she came in and said, "Honey, you are almost there! You have one more hump to get over, and then you can have this baby." We got to the labor and delivery room, and they hooked me up to an IV. My midwife showed up, and she said, "Since this is your first one, you are in no hurry to push. Only push when you feel the urge." I was in so much pain, and had so much pressure I just wanted him out.
  
  The L&D nurse was AWESOME and we tried all kinds of different positions. The midwife came in, and suggested that we walk the hall. We did that, and I was still feeling *the pressure* and my nurse told me to come back when it started to feel like a watermelon was about fall out of my woo ha. We walked the hall a couple times until I couldn't take the pressure any more. We got back in the room, and the midwife came in and told me to go sit on the toilet and to push like I'm having a bowel movement.
  
  That pissed my L&D nurse off because she knew how unsanitary that was, and she was also mad because she couldn't keep track of my vital signs or the baby's heart rate while in there. I didn't stay in the bathroom very long, and when I came back from the bathroom the nurse was relieved. When I came back, we tried the squatting position. The nurse got some fresh linens, and the pressure just kept getting stronger, so the nurse checked me, and says, "You are 10 cm dilated, and I can feel his head." Then she asked if I wanted her to get the midwife, and we said yes.
  
  The midwife came back and checked me, and said, "Yep I feel his head." She took the external baby monitor off, and stuck one on his head so she could monitor him out in the nurses station. Oh I forgot to add when the midwife came back to check me she also popped my water since it was also giving me pressure. But anyways... The nurse checked me a couple more times to see where the baby was, and she could tell that I was ready to have him with how close the contractions were. She asked me how I was feeling, and I told her I was still feeling a lot of pressure so around 10pm she went and got the midwife.
  
  When the midwife came back she could see that David was getting ready to crown. So, she looked at me and said, "You're ready to have this baby." I nodded yes. I pushed for a couple of hours. My midwife said she could tell that the David had pooped because he had some meconium in his hair. She had to call up the NICU just in case it got in his lungs. The midwife warned me then that when he was born he was going to be handed over to the NICU team so they could check him out, and clean him up. I pushed for 3 hours, and then he was born. 
  

  
  Introducing: David J* P* H*

  Born on: July 13th, 2012 (which was the Friday I would have been induced)

  At: 1:11am 

  Weighing in at: 8 lb 8.4 oz and 21 inches long

   

   

  
  Pictures taken during the labor and delivery are in the gallery!
  
  
  *Name edited by Momaroo staff for privacy
  top image source

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