I decided that I should go ahead and record this story before I start to forget details, as I am so apt to do. I felt like I was in labor for two days before things finally established a pattern and started happening.
At 1:00 AM on Friday, January 2nd, I lost my plug. At that point, I started feeling "labor-y," and contractions became painful. I called my mom to let her know what had happened, and that I would call her again when things were progressing.
Around 5:00 Friday morning, I realized that I had gotten little sleep from contractions, and they were still coming. I woke New Daddy up and called my mom. She and Aunt Ma arrived in time to watch the kids as they woke up, and to cook me breakfast. We thought about heading to the hospital, but things didn't seem regular enough. New Daddy took the day off, and that afternoon we went to an outdoor mall to walk and shop a little. We had a late lunch at a nice deli before heading home that evening.
I slept poorly again Friday night, thanks to the really intense, but spaced-out contractions, about ten to fifteen minutes apart. The intensity of these contractions reminded me of my transition contractions with Bubby, and I gradually got used to the more intense feeling. These made Bubby's early labor seem pretty easy! Even though I wasn't getting much sleep, I let New Daddy sleep; I knew he would need it.
Early Saturday morning, I got up to potty Bubby, and I had a contraction that left me kneeling on his bed. I went to the bathroom after that and thought my water had broken. Bubby wouldn't stop crying, and New Daddy called from bed to ask what was going on. I said, "Bubby went to the potty and he's upset. My water broke." From New Daddy, I heard silence. He was still asleep, and obviously, my pre-labor, "crying wolf" had affected him. The man could no longer be convinced that this baby was on its way.
I knew that, even if my water had broken, I still had some time, since contractions were still intense, but not really closer together. I took my time getting dressed and packing the last few items for the hospital.
At 5:00 AM, I woke up New Daddy, and we shortly went to the hospital. I was 1.5 cm dilated, 50% effaced, and at the minus 3 station. Not too impressive for a day and a half of hard contractions! They had me walk for an hour or so, and things still hadn't progressed much. Plus that, my water had not broken, after all. Discharge orders were to come back when contractions had been coming five minutes apart for two hours. At 8:00 AM, we came back home. New Daddy fell into bed and slept until 3:00 PM.
About 2:00 PM, I started timing contractions. They were coming every seven minutes or so, and I had eight contractions in the hour. Between 3:00 and 4:00, I had nine contractions, and between 4:00 and 5:00, I had ten, averaging five minutes apart. I spent the time reading our Golden Book collections that the kids had gotten for Christmas. After another hour of regular contractions, we ate a light supper and left again for the hospital at 6:00 PM.
I had progressed a little more from the afternoon of regular labor. I was at 3 cm, 80% effaced, and at the minus 1 station. They wanted me to walk for another hour, but I just wanted to get into a room to relax and labor. Thankfully, I ran into my midwife in the hall. It was the same one who had delivered Precious, and the one I was really hoping would be on call. She wanted to check me in triage shortly, so I slowly made my way back, squatting along the wall with contractions.
When she checked me, I immediately went from 3 to 5 cm, and I was 100% effaced with my amniotic sac bulging. They moved me to the LDR room. As soon as I got out of the wheelchair, I headed to the chair to squat through a contraction. We had planned for Precious to be present for Cutie's birth, and she jumped behind me in the chair for our *only* photo of me in a contraction. As it turned out, Precious decided that she would rather stay in the waiting room and meet Cutie right after she was born.
Here was our birth plan, printed in a no-frills .txt file. The hospital personnel loved its brevity, and they were wonderful at accommodating us.
The only thing they really weren't able to do was the "minimal fetal monitoring." There was some weird stuff going on with Cutie's umbilical cord, and her heart rate kept dropping after contractions. The midwife thought her cord was probably wrapped around her. When I leaned back a little, this condition eased up, but that didn't help me through contractions at all. They put me on some oxygen, and this seemed to help Cutie's heart rate.
As contractions started coming two minutes apart, some with double peaks, the midwife suggested a squatting bar. That sounded like a good idea, with New Daddy behind me to support. I sat up towards the bar, and Cutie's heart rate improved, too. I started having contractions that felt like I was bearing down, but I didn't feel quite ready to push.
The midwife checked me again, confirmed 9 cm, and told me things were thinned out enough to go ahead and push. At the next contraction, my water broke ("I didn't do it!" exclaimed the midwife), and it was time to meet this gal. I pushed for about two minutes before I could feel Cutie's head with my hand. The midwife encouraged me to deliver her myself (as she calmly freed the umbilical cord), and at 9:30, she helped me lift Cutie up to my chest to nurse. Cutie latched on beautifully and was so peaceful as she took her first colostrum. While we were nursing, the midwife encouraged me to deliver the placenta with just one more push. It came out completely in the amniotic sac.
We nursed and snuggled for about thirty minutes. When I held Cutie vertically, she held her head up and away from my chest almost immediately. This confirmed my suspicions that she was my strongest baby yet! All of the aunts and grandmothers came in to meet her, and the nurse arrived around 10:00 PM for the newborn procedures. The vitamin K shot didn't even make Cutie cry, she was so relaxed from all of the nursing!
Summary: Labor, from the start of regular contractions at 2:00 PM, until delivery at 9:30 PM, lasted a total of seven and a half hours. Cutie weighed 7 lbs., 10 oz., and was 20 inches long.
I've got some reflections on the birth rolling around in my head, so that should be forthcoming.
At 1:00 AM on Friday, January 2nd, I lost my plug. At that point, I started feeling "labor-y," and contractions became painful. I called my mom to let her know what had happened, and that I would call her again when things were progressing.
Around 5:00 Friday morning, I realized that I had gotten little sleep from contractions, and they were still coming. I woke New Daddy up and called my mom. She and Aunt Ma arrived in time to watch the kids as they woke up, and to cook me breakfast. We thought about heading to the hospital, but things didn't seem regular enough. New Daddy took the day off, and that afternoon we went to an outdoor mall to walk and shop a little. We had a late lunch at a nice deli before heading home that evening.
I slept poorly again Friday night, thanks to the really intense, but spaced-out contractions, about ten to fifteen minutes apart. The intensity of these contractions reminded me of my transition contractions with Bubby, and I gradually got used to the more intense feeling. These made Bubby's early labor seem pretty easy! Even though I wasn't getting much sleep, I let New Daddy sleep; I knew he would need it.
Early Saturday morning, I got up to potty Bubby, and I had a contraction that left me kneeling on his bed. I went to the bathroom after that and thought my water had broken. Bubby wouldn't stop crying, and New Daddy called from bed to ask what was going on. I said, "Bubby went to the potty and he's upset. My water broke." From New Daddy, I heard silence. He was still asleep, and obviously, my pre-labor, "crying wolf" had affected him. The man could no longer be convinced that this baby was on its way.
I knew that, even if my water had broken, I still had some time, since contractions were still intense, but not really closer together. I took my time getting dressed and packing the last few items for the hospital.
At 5:00 AM, I woke up New Daddy, and we shortly went to the hospital. I was 1.5 cm dilated, 50% effaced, and at the minus 3 station. Not too impressive for a day and a half of hard contractions! They had me walk for an hour or so, and things still hadn't progressed much. Plus that, my water had not broken, after all. Discharge orders were to come back when contractions had been coming five minutes apart for two hours. At 8:00 AM, we came back home. New Daddy fell into bed and slept until 3:00 PM.
About 2:00 PM, I started timing contractions. They were coming every seven minutes or so, and I had eight contractions in the hour. Between 3:00 and 4:00, I had nine contractions, and between 4:00 and 5:00, I had ten, averaging five minutes apart. I spent the time reading our Golden Book collections that the kids had gotten for Christmas. After another hour of regular contractions, we ate a light supper and left again for the hospital at 6:00 PM.
I had progressed a little more from the afternoon of regular labor. I was at 3 cm, 80% effaced, and at the minus 1 station. They wanted me to walk for another hour, but I just wanted to get into a room to relax and labor. Thankfully, I ran into my midwife in the hall. It was the same one who had delivered Precious, and the one I was really hoping would be on call. She wanted to check me in triage shortly, so I slowly made my way back, squatting along the wall with contractions.
When she checked me, I immediately went from 3 to 5 cm, and I was 100% effaced with my amniotic sac bulging. They moved me to the LDR room. As soon as I got out of the wheelchair, I headed to the chair to squat through a contraction. We had planned for Precious to be present for Cutie's birth, and she jumped behind me in the chair for our *only* photo of me in a contraction. As it turned out, Precious decided that she would rather stay in the waiting room and meet Cutie right after she was born.
Here was our birth plan, printed in a no-frills .txt file. The hospital personnel loved its brevity, and they were wonderful at accommodating us.
Heparin lock only- no attached IV
Minimal fetal monitoring
After birth, immediate contact between mother and baby: baby placed on mother’s chest, breastfeed, mother and baby left undisturbed for half an hour following birth, and any newborn procedures performed afterward. (NO Hep B or eye drops)
Delay clamping and cutting umbilical cord until blood stops pulsing.
Placenta delivered naturally - no pitocin or oxytocin.
The only thing they really weren't able to do was the "minimal fetal monitoring." There was some weird stuff going on with Cutie's umbilical cord, and her heart rate kept dropping after contractions. The midwife thought her cord was probably wrapped around her. When I leaned back a little, this condition eased up, but that didn't help me through contractions at all. They put me on some oxygen, and this seemed to help Cutie's heart rate.
As contractions started coming two minutes apart, some with double peaks, the midwife suggested a squatting bar. That sounded like a good idea, with New Daddy behind me to support. I sat up towards the bar, and Cutie's heart rate improved, too. I started having contractions that felt like I was bearing down, but I didn't feel quite ready to push.
The midwife checked me again, confirmed 9 cm, and told me things were thinned out enough to go ahead and push. At the next contraction, my water broke ("I didn't do it!" exclaimed the midwife), and it was time to meet this gal. I pushed for about two minutes before I could feel Cutie's head with my hand. The midwife encouraged me to deliver her myself (as she calmly freed the umbilical cord), and at 9:30, she helped me lift Cutie up to my chest to nurse. Cutie latched on beautifully and was so peaceful as she took her first colostrum. While we were nursing, the midwife encouraged me to deliver the placenta with just one more push. It came out completely in the amniotic sac.
We nursed and snuggled for about thirty minutes. When I held Cutie vertically, she held her head up and away from my chest almost immediately. This confirmed my suspicions that she was my strongest baby yet! All of the aunts and grandmothers came in to meet her, and the nurse arrived around 10:00 PM for the newborn procedures. The vitamin K shot didn't even make Cutie cry, she was so relaxed from all of the nursing!
Summary: Labor, from the start of regular contractions at 2:00 PM, until delivery at 9:30 PM, lasted a total of seven and a half hours. Cutie weighed 7 lbs., 10 oz., and was 20 inches long.
I've got some reflections on the birth rolling around in my head, so that should be forthcoming.
Comments
hugs!
jenn
p.s. so did you find each natural birth was harder on you and your mind or easier? mine seem harder, like i just can't do it.... but i do. ;)
jennifer
Epidural? Relax and enjoy the ride. :)