After a really long labor, I finally have my baby boy!
On Friday I got my membranes stripped and had contractions on and off the whole day. They ebbed and flowed until midnight, when my husband, Chris, and I decided to "help things along" in an intimate way, and after that the contractions got really, really strong. So I headed out to the hospital and got there around 2 AM, but the contractions stayed about the same in intensity throughout the night and into the morning... so basically I got no sleep that night, but nothing really progressed. So at around 6 AM we decided to break my water, because they were intense enough that I couldn't get rest, but not getting any stronger.
After they broke my water, I started progressing... fast! That was probably the worst pain I've ever been in in my entire life. I was having horrible back labor, and the contractions came on top of each other with no break in between (or if there were breaks in the contractions, I couldn't tell because my lower back hurt so much). Everyone thought I was transitioning already, and Chris spent a good deal of time getting bitten by me or his fingers nearly wrenched off... I spent most of the time draped on the birthing ball on my stomach and rocking back and forth on that, and I tried a warm bath but it didn't help at all. After 4 hours of this I could not go on, I was completely exhausted by the contractions being on top of each other and in so much pain that I didn't know how much more I could take. I told them to check me, because if I was already transitioning then I could hold out, but it turns out I hadn't progressed at all! My cervix was still at 3 cm, which was where it was when I got my membranes stripped Friday morning. So I told them I needed pain relief...
They first gave me nubain which felt really good because at least I could rest in between contractions. It took a while for the anesthesiologist to get in, and I was still having horrific contractions (but they were more bearable because I could rest in between) but I couldn't hold still through them, so the poor anesthesiologist had to wait while I flailed and rocked back and forth during a contraction, then had to hurry up and stick me with the needle before another contraction came agian...
The epidural started working fairly soon, and at that point all I wanted to do was rest. It felt so goooooood. I slept through a lot of contractions, and when they checked me later on I was actually progressed to 5 cm. the bad news was, of course, that I had to be on continuous fetal monitoring, given an IV, and my legs were all numb so I couldn't move them without help. The baby was also sleepy from the nubain, but he woke up after they checked me and his heart rate went up.
After noon, my doula came and we got me into a couple different positions to try to stimulate both the contractions and the heart rate, since laying on my back and sides were slowing things down. The contractions were pretty steady througout the afternoon, and they checked me a couple of times... I got up to 8 cm dilated by around 5 o clock. I woke up from a short nap feeling very sick. I gestured to my sister to bring me a trash bag but she didn't get it in time and I threw up all over her! I felt so weak and bad, and the doula said I was transitioning. Then the epidural started wearing off so they gave me a greater dose. Unfortunately that also slowed down my contractions, and they didn't pick back up again until 7, when things started to progress very fast! I was at 9 cm at that point and almost ready to start pushing, so they called my Dr and everyone stood around me, coaching me on pushing once I got to 10 cm. I started pushing around 7:45, and wow, that was hard work! Then my doula got a mirror and let me see my little baby's head crowning. :) I pushed him out while watching through the mirror- it was a hell of an inspiration to keep pushing! And then in one final push Taevyn Ziel was born at around 9 o clock. :) I couldn't believe that this little guy actually came out of me! It was miraculous to say the least...
He was put on my chest to see, Chris cut the cord, and my Dr delivered the placenta. I had a 3rd degree tear which hurt like hell when she stitched it up, and I was also hemoraging so they gave me pitocin and massaged my uterus. My little boy was rather pale so they took him to the warmer, but he cried and squirmed and otherwise was very vigorous. His cord seriously looked like a sausage, it was so big! It seemed like forever before they gave him back to me, but it was only a few minutes. I tried breastfeeding and he latched on like it was the easiest thing in the world and nursed for a long, long time. :) He has a full head of dark hair, big hands, and big beautiful eyes. :) He was active and alert for a long time, just calmly taking in his surroundings. Throughout the labor he was a real trooper.
Later I passed out from blood loss so I had to stay in the delivery room for a while, and at that time Taevyn was weighed and measured. He weighed 7 lbs 6 oz and was 21 inches long. I never got his APGAR scores.
So from the time I got to the hospital to the time I delivered was 17 hours, that's not counting the time I labored at home. I didn't get a drug-free birth like I planned, but it ended up being what I needed at the time, and there was no way I was going to make it 13 hours with constant back labor. So I feel good about my decision even though it wasn't the ideal.
Taevyn is amazing. There's nothing else that even comes close to the feeling of holding a little life that I co- created, and nurtured for 9 months... and all of a sudden everything is all worth it and I'm so wrapped up in everything he does. It's nuts. :)
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I'm so happy for you & your hubby!! It sounded like an ordeal, but that's in the past. I'm anticipating lots of baby stories from now on. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm certain the birth was a glorious thing, but I'm equally glad my dear wife has never been that interested in it. I can't imagine her and I going through such a thing. Because of our age, we'll never have to.
two thing:
ReplyDeleteone, you didn't get much throw-up on me, if any. I saw the jetstream coming and quickly side-stepped it. I wasn't much help with the garbage can, but I didn't get puked on... much... All the kids at day care and Tris have made me aware of the face one makes right before puking and also the motioning of the neck. :)
Two, when Taevyn was born- at first when he came out- he looked nothing like a baby. I honestly had a moment where I thought he was just a pile of blood and white tissue... then they placed him on you and suddenly he stretched, almost unwrapping him from within himself, and turned into a baby. It was really a moving gesture.
You were so good! I'm so proud of you!
Thanks again for letting me be an auntie!!! :D
hehe thanks :) yeah when i saw him crowning at first i had no idea what i was really looking at... but i've seen animals give birth before and it is similar to what you described... it seems like it's all blood and tissue and then... it breathes and moves... and it's a baby. :)
ReplyDeletehi, i read your old post on babycenter, about 39 weeks and the baby still not dropped. so, when the baby dropped? i'm in 39w4d and dr said the baby head also still high.. any tips for me, since i really want to avoid the c-section..
ReplyDeletethanks