Tuesday, January 24, 2012, started out like the days before it…when am I going to go into labor, how much longer?? I was a few days overdue and getting more and more anxious. I had an appointment at 11:30, and that morning for some reason I was frantically getting more things packed and ready to go, just in case. I even dusted a shelf in the bathroom that was bothering me. Jon and I considered bringing our suitcases to the hospital, since it’s about an hour away, but figured we’d jinx ourselves if we did. At the doctor’s office I saw a newborn baby girl and it made me cry because I wanted my baby so bad. During the visit with my midwife, we talked a lot about what to expect when I do actually go into labor and things we could do to speed things along. She mentioned stripping my membranes if I was dilated enough, but I said I didn’t really think I wanted that. She checked me and my cervix was only about a fingertip dilated (no change from last visit) but very thinned out and soft. She said my cervix was also posterior and still needed to come forward more. I told her I had been doing hands and knees positions for this, so would try doing this more. Jon and I got home around 1:00 from the appointment and I was hungry so warmed up some leftover sloppy joe’s. I kneeled over a footstool while eating. I was going to stay in that position all day if I had to to get this baby to come out! Around 1:20 all of a sudden I felt and heard a big pop sound and then warm water came gushing out. I yelled to Jon, “I think my water just broke!” but he didn’t say anything. I ran to the bathroom and let all the fluids gush out. Seemed like it would never stop. Jon came into the bathroom and then realized what was going on. He said the midwife must have done something but I told him she didn’t. We both got really excited! Jon was about 10 minutes from leaving to go to work, so it was perfect timing! I started listing things off to Jon that I still needed to pack and he got everything together and ready to put in the car. My contractions started almost immediately, about 15 minutes apart a couple times and then about 7 or 8 minutes, but they seemed to be all over the place. I loaded the dishwasher, not wanting to come home to dirty dishes in the sink. J The timing of the contractions was throwing me off and we weren’t sure what to do, so we called the OB department and they told us to try to stay home until the contractions were regular and closer together. Some were short and some longer and more intense but they were definitely pretty close together. We called the hospital a few more times, still not sure what we should do and they told us to come in if we felt more comfortable. We left the house around 3:30 and the contractions were somewhat bearable in the car ride with the seat reclined. We stopped at Dysart’s Travel Stop to get gas. We got to the hospital at about 4:30. We went in through the emergency room entrance. A security officer helped us and brought us to the OB floor. On the way there I had to stop for a contraction and I guess it freaked the guy out because he ran and got a nurse and a wheelchair for me. The nurse wheeled me the rest of the way, to one of the delivery rooms. Everyone thought it was still pretty early labor so thought maybe Jon and I could go get something to eat and she also brought me some soup, crackers and ginger ale which I wanted nothing to do with. I felt pretty nauseous. I got in the bed so we could listen to the baby’s heartbeat for a while and also to check my cervix. Laying on my back made the contractions much worse! Lauren (the midwife) checked me and said I was about 2 cm dilated and when she left the nurse told us Lauren was very conservative when she said how many centimeters and I was probably closer to 3. Still attached to the monitor, I got out of the bed and tried the birthing ball which was not very comfortable either. We had a big bowl of candy to use during labor, and I had a cherry Lifesaver but it ended up tasting sooo sweet so I spit it out into Jon’s hand and it fell and shattered under the bed. Makes me laugh to think about now. The baby’s heartbeat was great so I didn’t need the monitor anymore. I labored standing near the bed for about half an hour, then we decided to try the shower. I wanted to try the tub but the midwife and nurse thought I should try the shower first. I was in the shower for about an hour and a half and that’s when the contractions got really intense. I swayed back and forth through them and the warm water was slightly helpful. For a long time I held onto the curtain rod above me and just hung there. I started to feel like I wasn’t going to be able to get through, especially thinking I still had a long ways to go. I said I couldn’t do it and wanted drugs and told Lauren I wanted an epidural. She reminded me that they didn’t do epidurals, only intrathecals, but that I could get out of the shower so she could check me and then maybe try the tub or get an IV started. I got out of the shower and back to the bed where she told me I was 9 cm! I was so happy, I just looked at her and said, “Really?” She looked just as surprised as I was. She said I should be able to start pushing after the next contraction. I was relieved and so glad I wouldn’t have to have drugs after all since that was how I had planned it. By this time it was around 7:30 pm. At first being back in that bed was so uncomfortable. I felt so much pressure in front low in my uterus so I tried squatting on the bed leaning over a bar for the next push. That was even worse, so I laid back down in the bed. Once the baby had descended further, Lauren asked if I wanted a mirror so I could see, but I didn’t. I wanted to see her head but not everything else! Jon held my left leg and the nurse held my right. In between contractions I tried to just enjoy lying there, deep breathing and relaxing, and having my legs down on the bed instead of bent back helped me relax too. Some pushes felt great just to do something with the pain, others hurt awful and I said the F word a few times and then apologized. It was that burning “ring of fire” I’d heard about. I felt like I was going to throw up and had heartburn really bad. I never did throw up but asked for some Tums and that helped. I pushed for about an hour and a half and then at 9:04 our little princess was born! I didn’t cry like I thought I would. I think I was just so amazed at all that happened, relieved and then happy to see Natalie finally! She weighed 8 lbs 5 oz and was 21 inches long. I tore pretty bad inside, even with Lauren trying to help stretch me and using oils. I think the last few pushes I was determined to get her out and pushed really hard. Being stitched seemed to take forever and hurt sooo bad, so I just held onto Natalie and tried to focus on her instead of the pain. I still can’t believe I have a daughter. She is our precious little girl!
Natalie Alaina born 1/24/2012
Congratulations mama!!!!! Way to go :) Wishing you a peaceful recovery!
DH Me,
My Previous Charts --- Currently TTA while BFing.
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer. ~Romans 12:12~
Awesome work, mama!
Amy: 32 / DH: 35 Est. 1 August 2009 - Arrived 28 April 2011 at 40wks0d - Arrived 16 June 2012 at 39wks3d
TTA using Paragard Copper IUD while charting
"The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance; the wise grows it under his feet." ~James Oppenheim
Good job! Congrats on your little girl! :) :)
Susan - 31 married to Chris - 33
Catherine Anne born via c-section June 30, 2008
Rebecca Marie born naturally April 18, 2010
John McNary born naturally January 9, 2012
Julia Grace due August 24, 2013!
Great job! There's nothing like it, is there? :) So happy you had a safe birth! Hope you and your family have a wonderful time getting to know each other.
Me 30 DH 29 Married 6 Yrs
My Pregnancy Exercise/Eating Blog
10/09 - Ectopic
- Jackson Douglas 4/8/2011
- Emma Joy 4/29/2013 - Birth story - http://prego2013.blogspot.com/p/post-partum.html
Congrats Mama! What a great story! So glad you had the natural birth you wanted
Congrats! Love the name and I wish I could go as fast as you in labour... sounded like an amazing experience. Hope you are all adjusting well.
Dh 30 Me 26 Bethany Grace October 3, 2009 Judah September 15, 2011 Induced at 35w5d due to partial placenta abruption
Congratulations!!!! Your story is beautiful!