My Birth Story - (mildly graphic) LONG but good.

The story of Jeremy's Entrance Into The World.

My story starts a few days before things really got started.

I was on my way for a checkup on the baby and on me at the hospital. I was sort of dreading it. Although I loved hearing the baby's heartbeat on the monitor, I had been admitted the last three times I was in because of my blood pressure, and the last time had been in four very long and boring days. I am not the type to like being in a hospital, especially being an hour away from home with no visitors, and no internet to talk to all of my friends.

Anyways, I was doing ok that day, 38 weeks pregnant. Feeling absolutely huge, mind you, and a little bit dizzy. And of course because of my back problems, I had a sore back, so when we got to the hospital my aunt got out first to go and chase me down a wheelchair. This would be the first of many adventures.

My mom and I sat out in the car in front of the hospital waiting for my aunt to return. I was damn sick of being in the car, and honestly just wanted to get in and get things over with so I could go home, eat a bunch of food, and lay back down and snooze.

Ten minutes later she still had not returned. I found this strange as the comissionaires office was right at the entrance. We waited some more.

Ten more minutes go by. Then, finally, we see her make her exit with a VERY dilapidated wheelchair. Oh well, at least there WAS a wheelchair.

Turns out the commissionaire, whos job it was to assist with these things, told her it WASN'T his job, and she had to go to maternity to get one. Well, they told her it was his job, and sent her back to him. He refused and sent her to the mom and baby floor, they sent her back. Finally she refused to leave until he got her a chair.

We wheeled up to the mom and baby checkup center, and I was sitting waiting for the nurse. She came and asked me to get a urine sample for her. Fine, I can do that - seeing as how I almost ALWAYS needed to go while pregnant.

As I was getting the sample, I noticed it looked like it had this odd stuff in it. Freaked me out at first, i thought "Oh no! Not an infection now!" Then quickly realized what it was - my plug! I had lost my plug! Exciting!!! The first step towards labour.

I came out of the room, and announced what had happened. Everyone was excited for me, and I was sort of nervous and shaking a bit, I am not sure why. I did realize that it could be a while - it can be up to a couple weeks after you lose your plug before labour starts. I guess I just got a feeling of "this is it!! it is almost here!".

The appointment went really well, and I came home that night. No hospital stay this time. The doc had planned to induce me the next week, and I wasn't sure how I was feeling about that as I had heard that inductions could be very painful.

On any hand, that night I started getting pretty strong "aches" in my upper tummy that night. I went on one of my favorite webforums, and chatted away about how I might be in labour. No such luck, it went away.

In fact, every night for the next three nights I had the same pains. I would wait, count, and then it would go away. VERY frustating when I just wanted to get things going.

At this point. I debated on trying several ridiculous methods for starting childbirth. One was jumping on the trampoline. I decided against it when I realized my belly would probably be flapping around and very uncomfortable. I tried getting on my hands and knees and staying there for a while. This led to nothing much more than a sore back and carpet marks on my hands. I tried talking the baby out. I would say " Come on you little darling, it's time to meet the world!" I think at one point I even threatened him with grounding if he didn't make an appearance RIGHT NOW. Typical child, he didn't listen. Someone told me if you used Evening Primrose, Um, Internally *blush* it would cause your cervix to start dialating. I had Evening Primrose Tea.. but really couldn't figure out a practical way to apply it. The logistics were just a nightmare.

A few days went by, until one night I really could not sleep, and couldn't figure out why. At about four thirty I finally fell asleep hoping to sleep in as long as possible.

At Nine twenty in the morning, I woke up. I felt immediately and strangely awake. I went to roll over on to my right side, and felt this very odd twinge in my lower pelvis. I remember thinking "Oh, thats odd-" And as I said that, I heard a POP! noise that felt like it was in my tummy, and whoosh! Water everywhere! I do mean everywhere. I remember thinking "I wonder if I should move off the bed" as I was getting the mattress wet. Then I realized that I shouldn't bother, as then I would just get something else wet, like the carpet and everything else.

So I just laid there and let nature take its course. Of course, what I didn't know is after the initial gush, it can leak for some time. So just when I thought I had gotten rid of it all and stood up to walk to the bathroom, whoosh again everywhere. Everytime I moved, Whoosh.

So I ended up grabbing a big fluffy towel, sitting on it in front of the computer, and posting on one of my favorite forums. I just had to tell everyone what was going on. I sat there and dripped for about half an hour. I couldn't really tell if I was having contractions yet, I was feeling odd cramps but they certainly were not regular and they certainly were not bad by any means.

My cousin and birth coach arrived, and she asked me what was happening contraction wise. Not much, I replied, feeling brave and thinking, if this is contractions, I am going to get through this JUST FINE!! We started timing the pains. For a while they were not regular and would come and go. I called the labour floor at the hospital and asked what I should do. They told me to come in, since my water had broken. I asked if I had to come in right away since the pains were not regular or anything, and could I have a bath. Damn, no bath as my water had broken and it could cause infection. But they did say to come in when I was feeling like I was getting uncomfortable or pains were within five min apart.

So I chose to stay home and spend time chatting excitedly to my female friends online who were in the know about my pregnancy. Everyone was excited! I had a shower, which was more annoying than anything but I felt like I needed to feel clean before being poked and prodded.

I was STILL leaking every so often, so began the journey through "female napkin" after "female napkin." Looking back, I really should have invested in depends, as funny as they would have looked.

Around Ten Thirty things started picking up. I could definetly feel them now, and they were about fifteen minutes apart. They still were no worse than a bad cramp however. I was still feeling really calm and positive. My cousin remarked over how calm I was. It was very odd, for someone with an anxiety disorder I was VERY calm and not nervous at all.

Around 11:30, we were down to 7 minutes between contractions, and I started having to breath a little during the pains. I was still handling things really really well however. We decided since the hospital was an hour away and things were speeding up so fast we had better go now.

The car ride was VERY uncomfortable. Probably something to do with the fact that I was sitting on a blanket to not leak on the seat, and my back, and the fact that the pains were getting stronger. Nonetheless, we chatted amicably on the ride. I was still writing things down. The pains started coming a little off, I would get one, then it would be 7 minutes, then 4, then 10, then 7 again.. I think this must have been the vibrations from the car ride.

The hour passed quickly. I was about five minutes between contractions at this point. When we got to the hospital, I remembered the wheelchair fiasco, and told my cousin if she had any problems to send him to me, as I would have no problem telling the guy right where he could stick his lack of responsibility for helping others. Luckily, telling him I was in labour seemed to put a bee in his bonnet and he produced one in seconds.

I got up to the floor, and all of the nurses welcomed me. They remembered me from my previous stays in the hospital for blood pressure problems. Finally, I was here and I was NOT going home without a baby. Preferably my own baby. I'm sure I wouldn't be appreciated if I stole someone else's.

They got me into my room, and a nurse came in and told me to put on a gown.Oh fabulous. I breifly wondered if they were plus size gowns. I took the gown into the bathroom to change. At this point I still had modesty. I wouldn't for long.

Pains were still coming but very manageable. I changed into the very ugly...green? gown. Upon closer inspection the pattern on it had what looked like swastikas on it. I breifly wondered what this meant. And wondered who had thought this would be comforting to a woman in labour.

Of course the gown was hanging open in the back so I waddled out of the bathroom and over to the bed, my mother laughing histerically of course as I tried desperately to hold it shut. I got on the bed, and laid down. my cousin covered my lower half with a sheet so I would have some decency since they make you take EVERYTHING off except the gown.

A few minutes passed and a nurse came in. She looked really young, and I remember wondering critically if she knew what the heck she was doing. In hindsight this was just my mental state at the time. When it comes to your kid though you want the best of the best.

She asked me how things were going and I told her about four minutes apart. It was about one pm then and we all debated on what time I would have the baby. I thought around 11 pm, my cousin thought around six.

The nurse checked my cervix at this point. Only one centimeter dialated. VERY disappointing for sure. I had thought I would be much further than this. She also checked and tested the fluid to make sure it was amniotic fluid. She was going on the basis that many women pee themselves in late pregnancy and think there water has broken. Um, hello, I even told you I soaked the bed, my pants, part of the floor, the bathroom floor, and six million napkins and a blanket. I really don't think any human can pee that much. Unless they are part elephant maybe.

They hooked me up to the monitor but my contractions were not reading. Not suprising as I wasn't feeling them that strongly still.

And thus began the hours of waiting for things to speed up. I cannot remember much in the way of time from here on in, as I wasn't watching the clock so much.

I think it was about suppertime when the nurse came in again to check on me. The first thing I wanted to know was could I eat my supper. She checked me again, and I was still a little over one centimeter. GAH! Not encouraging at all. But, I was allowed to eat my supper. Supper turned out to be pretty gross, but I downed it anyways as I didn't know when I would get to eat next.

My doctor came shortly after supper to see me. She took my blood pressure, which she wasn't that happy with. She asked me what i wanted for pain regulation. I told her I was still fine, and didn't need anything yet though i planned on having the epi if it got bad. I also said I really was thinking i did not want the morphine if i could help it, I was scared of the side effects on the baby. She checked me, and said I was 2 centimeters. Hello, progress although not much. By this time i was losing my modesty as I had had two different sets of hands in me already.

The doctor said she thought that she would like to have my epi done early as it would help to bring my blood pressure down some. I thought that she had said only if my blood pressure went up. It turned out later she had ordered it and it never got done when it was supposed to.

An hour or so passed, i think it may have been around eight. Things started getting pretty intense, but I still didn't feel I needed anything for pain. I was breathing through the contractions easily. We all started joking about how we would start a heavy metal band called the Screaming Cervix's. We even had song names picked out. One of them was Fluid on the Bed to the tune of Smoke on the Water. I cannot remember the others. But I do know that I was having contractions and laughing at the same time, and it totally was not working but I couldn't stop laughing to save my life. So that led to "ahahaha, OW!! ahahaah, OW OW STOP LAUGHING haahhahahaa" for many minutes.

I asked to have a shower as I was starting to have very bad back labour and pretty strong pains. I thought the heat would help. I got in the shower and sat on the shower chair with the water running down my back. Heaven. I could have stayed there for several hours to be honest. My naughty cousin snuck in and took a picture of me labouring in the shower. The door was the frosted type though so you couldn't see anything major.

I decided to get out of the shower because things were really ramping up. I was about two min apart and was really having to breathe things through now. I was asked to walk around, but I didn't want to. My back was VERY sore so I just crawled back into the bed and lay on my side, which helped.

I spent the next while rotating positions and finding nothing comfortable. I tried getting a hot blanket and putting it behind my back, but that just irritated me. I was getting pretty uncomfortable so I finally asked for something for the pain - I.E. my epidural.

They came in and told me that the anesthiesiolgist was called and he would be a few minutes. By this point, this makes me cranky. Although I could still breathe through the pains I certainly wasn't enjoying them, thats for sure.

I kept breathing through the pains. I went to pee and go #2 since I was afraid of doing that on the table while pushing. I came back and he was here, with a VERY long large needle. I started shaking a little at that point. I think I was more scared of the needle than anything.

He told me to sit up and lean forward, so I leaned with my arms over the table-tray thing they serve your food on that leans over the bed. My cousin stood in front of it, holding on to my arms and coaching me through the pains. They were about a minute apart now.

I jumped when he put the first needle to freeze the skin in. I apologized, feeling a little stupid for jumping at the first teensy needle and not the big one. Luckily he was a very calm spoken and friendly guy. He didn't mind. He just waited for me to reposition and tried again.

Finally he got the surface frozen, or whatever it is they do first. I was having trouble Arching my back like he needed it, as I was having humpback contractions that were getting really painful moreso each one. Things were really speeding up quickly.

Then he started the process of getting the needle between my vertebrae. Well every time he moved the needle. I got another contraction, and at this point they got so bad I thougth I was going to pass out. I got nauseaus, almost puked. I ranted. I raved. I yelled. I said I couldn't do it. I told the nurse to shutup when she tried to calm me. I slumped a couple of times on to the table. I kept trying to arch, and apologizing every time I got a contraction because I would invert my back naturally. Every time I came down from a contraction I would apologize profusely and feel silly. Finally at the worst of it the nurse, my cousin, and the anesth doc were all talking me through it. I did feel amazingly supported and the anesth had a wonderfully soft voice!

Finally he got the needle in, and placed. I was feeling better now that the needle wasn't poking around my spine. About ten minutes later I felt the numbness start in my legs. The contractions also got MUCH more manageable. In fact, I was barely feeling them again. In hindsight, I was also feeling a strange pressure, and i think what actually happened is those strong contractions I had before the epi dialated me to almost ten. I rested for a while and ate a popsicle to hydrate myself.

The nurses came in at about midnight and told me they were going to start me on a pitocin drip as the epi had slowed my contractions down to about three min apart and very mild. They never checked me, and again in hindsight I don't think I would have needed it if they had checked.

They started the drip and almost immediately I noticed the pains getting worse again and the pressure increasing. I told a nurse, and she checked me. It was finally happening! I was ten centimeters and ready to push.

I started out on my side as it was more comfortable. My cousin would help me lift my leg into the air when I was pushing as the numbness was making it hard to use my muscles properly.

About ten minutes later, they switched me onto my back. Feet into stirrups, all shame gone. There were three nurses, my cousin and my mother. The nurse told me to reach down and feel his head as it was right there but not out yet. I did, and I remember exclaiming something in amazement.

I kept pushing, and I remember saying that my doctor was not going to make it in time. A few minutes later she came in the door rushing. She said " Oh Amanda, wait for me!!" I laughed at this later, because it wasn't as if I had much choice in the matter. The doctor quickly threw on gloves and a smock, and had just enough time to get in front of me before he came sliding into the world right into her hands. He cried as soon as he came out! And his cry was just what I thought it would be. I remember thinking it was weird that i recognized him already. The sensation was the best thing I have ever experienced in my whole life - like the culmination of so many months of pregnancy all coming together. Heck, the culmination of my whole life reaching the point of fruition.

I let my mother cut the cord and then she asked me if I wanted to hold my new son. I sure did, and we put him right on my chest. He wasn't very happy, but when I talked to him he calmed right down and had a five minute cat nap. I thought he was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen and so so chubby.

After that they took him to do his apgars and weighed him and measured him. Seven pounds fourteen ounces, 22 inches. A great size. The nurse brought him back and we got him latched on perfectly and feeding. I couldn't stop staring at his little face, and hands, and all the other parts of him.

They let me hold him for another little while, then the nurse took him to have a bath. Mom and my cousin and I all kissed him goodbye.

After that the nurses got me into a wheelchair and down into the mom baby unit. Getting into the wheelchair was a riot as my legs were still paralyzed and since I weigh almost 250 it took three nurses and my cousin.

Spent the rest of the night nursing or staring at my little darling.

What a great experience

wow that was an amazing story Rainbowzz...thanx for sharing it

That is great. I love hearing how babies come into the world. It just amazes me everytime. I can't wait til the day it happens to me although I will be shocked if it ever does. I'm proud of you Rainbowzz you are gonna be a great mom!!!

Jbug

Oh Rainbowzz - thank you SO MUCH for sharing this! I hope that you're going to print it and put it in his baby book.

I loved every second of your story (although I admit to skipping past the part about the epidural, out of self-preservation). It was beautifully written - I almost felt like I was there! Although I recall WONDERING WHAT WAS HAPPENING when you had posted that your water broke and then we didn't hear from you for a few days!



Thanks!

No worries LMO! I do suggest if you plan to get the epi that you don't wait too long like I did. That's what led to my contractions almost getting too much to handle for a short time.. i tried to go without it for too long when I should have asked for it.

Now if your planning to go natural then that is a different story.

planning to go natural, but I do reserve the right to change my mind!

hon that is a beautiful story! you are a good writer!

epidurals are awesome aren't they??

epidural needles ain't got nothing on those contractions for sure.

Mine wore off quickly though and in a sense, with my first delivery, made it more difficult to push out a 10 pound baby. He was stuck in my canal for a few minutes and losing oxygen, then the epidural wore off and I was able to push him out. It was a scary experience because they were preparing me for C-section when I begged them to give me another chance. We got lucky though and he was healthy...very healthy...odviously.

Wow Rain, Thanks for sharing. I've heard it said that modesty concerns never last for long once labour starts.

Glad it all worked out so well.

--spltiimage

well..doesn`t sound as scarry and horrible except for the epidural part.

Thanks for sharing...i am happy for you!

You done good. I am glad I could read your birth story.

What a wonderful story! Thank you for sharing it. I reminded me when I had my babies. Take care Rainbowzz and hug that little sweetheart for me
Lily

how much weight do babies make you gain when people are pregnant?

(((((((((((( Rainbowzz )))))))))))

</font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>
Court_Knee said:
how much weight do babies make you gain when people are pregnant?

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That is extremely variable.

Some people gain like fifteen pounds, some gain a hundred. I gained about 70 pounds myself, but I have been having issues with gaining weight for three years cause of meds so my metabolism is screwed.

<font color="purple">Haha, that was pretty funny (and a nice story!).
Speaking of "no shame" I was born at 27 weeks, so my mom told me that every doctor just couldn't wait to stick their hands in her while she was trying to you know...not give birth? I'm a little worried when the day comes that I have a kid because every single one of mom's kids were born early: Oldest brother(21 weeks, died as an infant/stillborn) Older brother (one week early) and well, me (27 weeks) </font>

Wow Rain that was awesome!!!! Thank you so much for writing that!

Thanks Rainbowzz, that was so well written.

"They hooked me up to the monitor but my contractions were not reading. Not suprising as I wasn't feeling them that strongly still."

- that reminded me of my last child...I had already gone into prem labour that was stopped but was having strong Braxton Hicks ones every day. On the Wednesday while on the monitor (I was in a week before I had no3) the contractions were off the chart (as they had been several times throughout the week), but all I was feeling were 'tightenings'. I argued with my doc til they discovered I was already 3cm dilated!!!!!

OH MYLANTA! RAIN ARE YOU SERIOUS!?!

A 7 POUND BABY CAN MAKE YOU GAIN 70 POUNDS???!!!

GEEZ FORGET IT PEOPLE I AM ADOPTING MY BABIES!

Thanks for sharing your story - just the right touch of humour to make it a most enjoyable read!

((((((Rainbowzz & baby))))))))

That was so beautiful! It sounds like you were very brave and handled yourself VERY well through-out. So happy for you and your little one! I know that indescribable feeling you spoke of when you first heard his cry. It is the most amazing and wonderful feeling because finally, and suddenly, you ARE a MOMMY!!!!!!

Blessings to you and your family!!!