- Feb 11, 2005
- 5,037
- 123
- Faith
- Messianic
- Marital Status
- Married
- Politics
- US-Constitution
Warning: This birth story shouldnt be read by someone who is faint of heart or someone who is trying to achieve a natural, med-free vaginal birth.
My goal was to have a no-frills, go in to the hospital in active labor, get into the Jacuzzi tub, and have the baby in the water (whether my OB was ok with that or not.
) I had chosen a hospital birth because of finances (insurance would pay 100% vs cash for a homebirth).
Tuesday (5/6) about 4:30 pm, I lost a huge part of my mucus plug. Contractions starting picking up enough to time about 5 pm. They were about 20 minutes apart at first, so I knew I was going to be going in pretty late at night. Contractions continued Until about midnight when I decided it was time to go to the hospital. Contractions were ranging 3- 5 minutes apart by this time. They werent Lasting too long though but because of all the bloody show I was having I decided that this was truly it and I shouldnt wait too long
I got to the hospital, got admitted, etc. and the nurse checked me~ I was only at 3 cms. I couldnt believe that was all I was but because of the bloody show and how fast I normally have babies, as well as my blood pressure being borderline, my OB decided I should stay. I labored well, breathing through contractions, and finally they found (and got working) the mobile EFM unit so I could get into the tub.
I labored in the tub until about 5 am I had a _few_ contractions that I thought I could feel the baby moving down so I experimented with pushing a little, but nothing much happened. Then, everything pretty much stopped. I was clear-headed, could talk normally again, and what contractions I had were more like BH. They checked me again and I was still at 3 cms! At this point, I told everyone that I wanted to just go home but I was still having bloody show, and my blood pressure was still borderline high, so my OB said I should stay and we should try pitocin. I wasnt happy AT ALL, but after some talking to Mike we decided to go ahead. My OB had assured me that the pit would be on very low, and wed be turning it on & off so I could still labor naturally.
The pit was turned on the lowest setting and contractions picked up again. I was working with them pretty well until I started feeling pushy but nothing was happening. They checked me and I was only at 6.5- 7 cms and told me not to push through contractions. I had a Terrible headache. Thank G-d for Mike~ he talked quietly to me and kept putting a cold wash cloth on my forehead. Everything went downhill Quickly at this point as I was exhausted, discouraged, and my body was telling me one thing and my brain was telling me something else. I hit some Intense pushing contractions and my body took over pushing even though I wasnt supposed to. NOTHING happened. The baby was still high, he wasnt moving down he was stuck sideways, and these contractions became the most painful experience of my life. I am not being dramatic here. I dont know how long I dealt with these contractions, but I couldnt handle it. Ive handled a full-blown induction before, with no meds, but this was Vastly different. Something was wrong. The baby wasnt coming out. It was just _wrong_.
My OB showed up and between contractions I told him that the baby was sideways, he Wasnt coming out, and I wanted him to SLICE ME OPEN, NOW. He watched me through a couple of contractions, checked me again, informed me I was now less than 5 cms dilated (which meant that my cervix was swelling up and contractions were being Counterproductive), and also told me he was Not going to do a c-section. The decision was to get me an epidural and then keep flipping me side to side to get the baby to move. I have to say I was Not happy about this I wanted the pain to be over Right That Moment. I have nothing else to compare it with Ive never had a broken bone or any surgery of any kind, but I am telling you it was the most painful experience of my LIFE. Mike was truly scared for me. He was blown away with how powerful these contractions were and what they were doing to me and hes seen me birth all these other kids before with little to no problem!
The anesthesiologist showed up, I made it through a few more of these contractions before the meds kicked in, and then I was ok. I dozed off for a little while, and the nurses turned me side to side like my OB had said.
I dont remember what time they said I was completely dilated, but my OB came back at that point and I experimented with pushing. I have never pushed without Feeling it before, so this was a new experience for me. I finally, somehow, got it and the baby started moving down. When he got to a certain point, I could feel where he was by the pressure I was feeling, so I visualized the baby moving down, using past experience to guide me in the pushing. I was doing what I have Always told my doula clients Not to do~ purple pushing (pushing so hard you turn purple). But I wanted this kid out, and somehow I knew he was Not going to come out any other way. I was pulling on these bars on the side of the bed and Mike told me later that I was teetering on my tail bone. I couldnt feel the tail bone situation at the time I sure did feel it the next couple of days. Abels head came out~ posterior. Sunny-side up, a full 24 hrs after Id gone into labor. His body slipped out on the next push. They put him up on my chest and my reaction was oh! Somehow all that labor and intensity hadnt equaled birth to me, so I was surprised to see a baby there lol. I only needed 1 tiny stitch.
Abel Malachai, born 5/7/08, 5 pm, 7lbs 8oz, 20 long.
I also had my umbilical hernia repaired, so my OB had me taken to the OR immediately (so we could use the same epidural meds) to fix that. It took about 20 minutes, then I was in recovery for about ½ hr. They took me to my room and a few seconds later Mike came in with the baby. The nursery nurse didnt give him Any problems about the no HepB shot~ in fact she agreed that it was smart to wait. Our pediatrician came in the next morning and was fine with that decision also.
Recovery has been interesting my belly button and my tail bone were Killing me, and I have had these weird aches and pains in places I didnt know existed from the pushing phases. I never did get the dreaded epidural headache though, so I was very thankful for that. All in all, an experience I would NEVER care to repeat and am very glad is over.
My goal was to have a no-frills, go in to the hospital in active labor, get into the Jacuzzi tub, and have the baby in the water (whether my OB was ok with that or not.
) I had chosen a hospital birth because of finances (insurance would pay 100% vs cash for a homebirth). Tuesday (5/6) about 4:30 pm, I lost a huge part of my mucus plug. Contractions starting picking up enough to time about 5 pm. They were about 20 minutes apart at first, so I knew I was going to be going in pretty late at night. Contractions continued Until about midnight when I decided it was time to go to the hospital. Contractions were ranging 3- 5 minutes apart by this time. They werent Lasting too long though but because of all the bloody show I was having I decided that this was truly it and I shouldnt wait too long
I got to the hospital, got admitted, etc. and the nurse checked me~ I was only at 3 cms. I couldnt believe that was all I was but because of the bloody show and how fast I normally have babies, as well as my blood pressure being borderline, my OB decided I should stay. I labored well, breathing through contractions, and finally they found (and got working) the mobile EFM unit so I could get into the tub.
I labored in the tub until about 5 am I had a _few_ contractions that I thought I could feel the baby moving down so I experimented with pushing a little, but nothing much happened. Then, everything pretty much stopped. I was clear-headed, could talk normally again, and what contractions I had were more like BH. They checked me again and I was still at 3 cms! At this point, I told everyone that I wanted to just go home but I was still having bloody show, and my blood pressure was still borderline high, so my OB said I should stay and we should try pitocin. I wasnt happy AT ALL, but after some talking to Mike we decided to go ahead. My OB had assured me that the pit would be on very low, and wed be turning it on & off so I could still labor naturally.
The pit was turned on the lowest setting and contractions picked up again. I was working with them pretty well until I started feeling pushy but nothing was happening. They checked me and I was only at 6.5- 7 cms and told me not to push through contractions. I had a Terrible headache. Thank G-d for Mike~ he talked quietly to me and kept putting a cold wash cloth on my forehead. Everything went downhill Quickly at this point as I was exhausted, discouraged, and my body was telling me one thing and my brain was telling me something else. I hit some Intense pushing contractions and my body took over pushing even though I wasnt supposed to. NOTHING happened. The baby was still high, he wasnt moving down he was stuck sideways, and these contractions became the most painful experience of my life. I am not being dramatic here. I dont know how long I dealt with these contractions, but I couldnt handle it. Ive handled a full-blown induction before, with no meds, but this was Vastly different. Something was wrong. The baby wasnt coming out. It was just _wrong_.
My OB showed up and between contractions I told him that the baby was sideways, he Wasnt coming out, and I wanted him to SLICE ME OPEN, NOW. He watched me through a couple of contractions, checked me again, informed me I was now less than 5 cms dilated (which meant that my cervix was swelling up and contractions were being Counterproductive), and also told me he was Not going to do a c-section. The decision was to get me an epidural and then keep flipping me side to side to get the baby to move. I have to say I was Not happy about this I wanted the pain to be over Right That Moment. I have nothing else to compare it with Ive never had a broken bone or any surgery of any kind, but I am telling you it was the most painful experience of my LIFE. Mike was truly scared for me. He was blown away with how powerful these contractions were and what they were doing to me and hes seen me birth all these other kids before with little to no problem!
The anesthesiologist showed up, I made it through a few more of these contractions before the meds kicked in, and then I was ok. I dozed off for a little while, and the nurses turned me side to side like my OB had said.
I dont remember what time they said I was completely dilated, but my OB came back at that point and I experimented with pushing. I have never pushed without Feeling it before, so this was a new experience for me. I finally, somehow, got it and the baby started moving down. When he got to a certain point, I could feel where he was by the pressure I was feeling, so I visualized the baby moving down, using past experience to guide me in the pushing. I was doing what I have Always told my doula clients Not to do~ purple pushing (pushing so hard you turn purple). But I wanted this kid out, and somehow I knew he was Not going to come out any other way. I was pulling on these bars on the side of the bed and Mike told me later that I was teetering on my tail bone. I couldnt feel the tail bone situation at the time I sure did feel it the next couple of days. Abels head came out~ posterior. Sunny-side up, a full 24 hrs after Id gone into labor. His body slipped out on the next push. They put him up on my chest and my reaction was oh! Somehow all that labor and intensity hadnt equaled birth to me, so I was surprised to see a baby there lol. I only needed 1 tiny stitch.
Abel Malachai, born 5/7/08, 5 pm, 7lbs 8oz, 20 long.
I also had my umbilical hernia repaired, so my OB had me taken to the OR immediately (so we could use the same epidural meds) to fix that. It took about 20 minutes, then I was in recovery for about ½ hr. They took me to my room and a few seconds later Mike came in with the baby. The nursery nurse didnt give him Any problems about the no HepB shot~ in fact she agreed that it was smart to wait. Our pediatrician came in the next morning and was fine with that decision also.
Recovery has been interesting my belly button and my tail bone were Killing me, and I have had these weird aches and pains in places I didnt know existed from the pushing phases. I never did get the dreaded epidural headache though, so I was very thankful for that. All in all, an experience I would NEVER care to repeat and am very glad is over.
I'm so glad to hear that you and your baby are doing well after such a hard labour. Praise God! 
