L's Birth Story

Even a week and a half later, the mind starts to forget. Best to document now so I can remind myself why I'm done having children. I had a fast and intense labor with my son, arriving at the hospital less than 30 minutes before he was born. Although, this was not a bad experience, it was a bit too intense for my liking. Every doctor I saw this time said, you need to make sure you come to the hospital sooner this time! Well, Thursday night I started to have the tell-tale backache that sort of comes and goes. I tossed around for awhile trying to decide if this was pre-labor or not. (I was due on Saturday). I tried a bath to see if it went away (it didn't). I tried to go to sleep to see if it would keep me awake. I couldn't go to sleep, but it wasn't really the backache that was keeping me awake, it was the whole uncertainty of what if I'm in labor, when do I call my sister. I really don't want to wake anyone up to come and sit with the kids. Finally at about 1:30 a.m. I called my sister and said, I really think I'm in early labor you better leave to come down here. She lives about 5 1/2 hours away. She left at 2 a.m. and I decided to start timing the contractions and see if they were regular. They were every 4 minutes, spot on. Nothing painful, nothing that would even interfere with a normal conversation. Just a short (maybe 10 second) tightening. So I thought if I lay really still, they will stay nice and calm and I won't have to wake anyone else up. In the back of my mind I kept thinking, but what if my friend doesn't answer her phone in the middle of the night, what is my back-up plan, why is it happening in the middle of the night like I was afraid of? Finally at about 3:45 a.m. I decided, they aren't getting any slower, I would like to get the hospital in time to have the option of pain relief this time. I called my friend and she was here in about 3 minutes so then we had to leave. The contractions were still VERY mild, almost unnoticeable. I told my husband I didn't want to go in yet so he said there was a couple of things at work he could finish up. We stopped by there and walked around downtown for awhile and finally went and checked in at labor and delivery at about 5:30 a.m. They hooked my up to the monitor for about 45 minutes, regular contractions every 2-4 minutes lasting about 45 seconds no pain or discomfort. I swear though as I was sitting on that bed I had the first sensation of cervical dilation of the pregnancy. Finally the resident checked me, he couldn't even find my cervix it was so high and he said I was about 1 cm. He said I might not be in labor and asked when my next appointment was. He said, it's been really hot, maybe you are dehydrated. I gave him a knowing look that a third time mom can give him and said oh I'm in labor. He then said, well, you do have a history of going fast, if you really want to we could monitor you for another hour and see what happens. You just told me I was 1 cm for goodness sake, I was leaving that hospital a little disheartened. The nurse looked at me as I got dressed and asked where I lived. (we live 30 minutes from the hospital). She asked if we were really going home? I said, no we would walk around a little bit and I would be back later. I informed her I was in labor and we would be having the baby today. She said, I know. We left the hospital at 6:30 a.m. and immediately the contractions got stronger. We went to Denny's where my husband ate and I went to the bathroom 6 times. I finally told him I had to go outside (much to the worried expression of the waitress). On a side note, I just saw the charge from Denny's and it was $22. I ate one bite of oatmeal and 1/3 of a milkshake, what did my husband have for breakfast?? Anyway, we then decided to drive to Silver Lake to walk for a little while. We walked about 50 feet and I had to sit down the contractions where coming so hard. I then told my husband I wanted to go home and take a shower I felt tired and gross. We got to the car and I changed my mind, decided a drive home would be most uncomfortable. The whole time I'm thinking, but I'm only 1 cm I have so far to go and am so tired. Did I mention that I had to call my friend who was with my kids, who had gotten up in the middle of the night and had to stay up with her daughter and tell her I was only 1 cm? I was embarrassed. Anyway, we ended up calling friends of ours who live near the hospital who were getting ready for work. They had said we could hang out at their apartment so we could be more comfortable. I told them I didn't want their 2 year old to see my having contractions, they said he had been fine when his mother was in labor with his brother 5 months before. We drove there and my husband played with the kids while I had a couple more intense ones. I then went to the bathroom and passed a bunch of blood with clots. I came out and told my husband we needed to go back in. It was now 8:30 a.m. The first person we saw when we rolled into L&D (yes I was most definitely in a wheelchair this time) was the doctor who had sent us home 2 hours earlier. He gave us a confused look. I had decided that I need something to take the edge off the contractions and started right away asking the nurse for something. I was having really strong back contractions at that point. She said they needed to check me first. I remember telling the nurse (in between telling people not to touch me) that I have never had contractions this strong without being fully dilated. In between my repeated requests for something for the pain, another resident tried to check my cervix before I removed his hand. His conclusion was at least 7 cm maybe fully dilated, he didn't get a good check. At this point, they continued to ignore my requests for "a shot of something please" and wheeled me to a L&D room. We again wheeled past before mentioned resident who asked my husband what the story was, to which my husband replied "they aren't completely sure but they think she might be fully dilated" in my mind I added, you "might not be in labor" bastard! The attending who was waiting in the room was very calm and firm. She informed me again that I couldn't have anything until she checked me again and even convinced me to let her. She said I was fully dilated with a very bulging bag of water. She told me I was not going to get any pain relief and moreover because of my history of tearing I was going to have to be calm and listen to her. I said fine, can I push then? They asked me to please wait and I remember talking not so nicely to a number of people trying to do things like put in an IV and get the stirrups up and bed broken down. Every contractions (which were coming probably every two minutes) asking if I could push yet? I was so exhausted at this point by the night of no sleep and everything happening so fast I was willing to do whatever someone told me to do. I think it was about now that they put me on oxygen, which helped. They tried to disguise the fact that they were doing this because of the decels the baby was having with the contractions, but I was tired, not stupid. Finally they broke my water told me I could push. I asked if they wanted me to push gently at first or what would be the best. The reason for this question was that my doctor had told me that because I had delivered my first two with no meds I pushed too hard hence the very large tears. So this time I was determined to listen despite the fact that my body wass telling me to push like hell and get this baby out of here! Anyway, I did probably 5 or 6 "gentle" also read "ineffective" pushes and then started pushing for real. My doctor showed up at about this time. After a few real pushes I could tell the baby was starting to crown because of the good old burning sensations. Then they lost the baby's heartbeat on the monitor which they disguised by taking the monitor off. I lost the urge to push when the head was halfway out and I asked "do you want me to keep pushing" since I could see worried faces. They said "if you can". I pushed with no contraction and the head came out, cord around neck. They removed the cord then I pushed the rest of out, my god is that the most wonderful feeling the whole word. Such relief! 9:31 a.m. at this point. They put my baby up on me and my husband checked and said we had another girl! I had so hoped and was elated by this news. At this point I counted and we had 4 doctors two nurses and two PCAs in the room at this point. Why does everyone flock to an exciting/non-medicated birth? I have to give kudos to the resident who delivered. He was the one who said 7-full, remember him? He never said a word, but I looked up at him a couple of times and he made very strong, reassuring eye-contact that somehow helped more that any verbal encouragement. My little girl was only 7 lbs 5.6 ounces a full pound and a half lighter than her brother, thank god! There was some confusion immediately following delivery as to whether I had torn some very crucial parts of my anatomy again, but once the placenta was delivered it was determined that no it was merely another 2nd degree tear which meant another painful half hour of stitching but no operating room for me. Afterward before mentioned resident came and apologized. I felt like saying you were the bastard that stole my pain meds! But he explained he had a woman the previous night that they kept for seven hours with no progress. He went and called her after my delivery and her contractions had slowed down and she was still at home. What I wished I could have explained to him and everyone in the room was that part of the reason I was having so much trouble handling the contractions this time was because the whole time I kept thinking I had only been 1 cm two hours ago and so I was going to have to go through this for a long time still. When in fact I was actually in transition at the time. Had I known my baby was going to be born so soon I think I would have had a better attitude and less swearing. Anyway, he was actually very nice and I was much more rational about it when everything was over and had ended well. I just didn't want to be the crazy lady giving birth in a hurry with everyone watching, but I guess that was my niche to play in the childbearing saga. I have no intention of going for four to see what happens next so this brings to a conclusion the pregnancy and birth part of my life. I am not sad to see that go and am happy to enjoy my family of five.