On Monday June 27th (this is 2 days before my due date and the day before my next appointment with the midwife) after I woke up from sleeping for 3 short hours after work and was telling David that I still thought that my water might be leaking. I had thought it might be leaking for about 3 days at this point. So he gave me know option and took me to OB triage. They ran a few tests, did and ultrasound, and checked me. Needless to say my water was NOT leaking, but the nurse said my cervix was a 3 and thinning out nicely. This news was comforting seeing that I had been dilated to a 2 for almost 3 weeks.
We left the hospital around 3pm and headed home to get ready to go to Grandma and Grandpa Burtch’s for dinner. David took a small nap in the recliner while I did my hair and got dressed. While I was getting ready I started having lower back pain (4 pm) I just thought I was sore from working the night before. As we were driving to Grandma and Grandpas the lower back pain changed a little and was coming about every 8-10 minutes. I told daddy about them but tried to ignore them because we were just at the hospital. During dinner the pain started to get worse to the point that I either had to stand up or could not get comfortable. Your aunts kept trying to get me to time the pains but I was still slightly in denial. Needless to say they were about 6 minutes apart and lasting just under a minute. Finally I got to the point where I just wanted to go home and try to relax. ON the car ride home they were still getting worse. At one point I took my seat belt off to get comfortable and daddy got really mad at me. I had called Grammy and she met us at the house. I think I was finally convinced that you were coming but still….I was just at the hospital. I couldn’t get comfortable no matter what I tried. Grammy was timing the contractions (which were only in my back- I never once felt pain in my belly only in my back). As they got closer together I couldn’t take it anymore so we loaded up and headed back to the hospital.
We got to the hospital just before 9pm. Daddy dropped me off at the closer entrance and went to park the car. I was a little scared to be by myself, but it only took him a few minutes. I am pretty sure that the girl at the triage desk knew exactly why I was there just by the way I was breathing and the tears streaming down my face. She got me back into a room quickly. They made me change and pee in a cup AGAIN, asked me all of the same questions, took my vitals, and hooked me up to all of the monitors. Your heart rate was great and the contractions were definitely there! The nurse came in to check me. She said I was dilated to a 5, 90% effaced, and -2 station. I was excited that so much progress had happened since earlier in the afternoon, but you were still high up. She said she would let the midwife know and that we would probably be admitted. I thought “Probably? I am not going anywhere until this baby is out”! The nurse came into start an IV and draw blood I asked why and she told me my blood pressure was high! Well no duh! I was in so much pain. After that (and she did not get it on the first try) they put more wrist bands on me and whisked us off to our Labor and Delivery Suite!
The walk to our new room really did it for me. As soon as we walked in (where Grammy and Grandma Burtch were waiting) the pains became so much more intense. The midwife said that I was having back pain because you were “O.P. presentation” or “sunny side up”. She told me that she wanted me leaning over or arching my back as much as possible to take pressure off of my back. So what is the first thing that the nurse makes me do? Lay down, as if they couldn’t get more intense this just made them worse. And she dais I had to lay there for 20 minutes and try to relax. ARE YOU KIDDING ME.? Grammy tried to help me breathe through contractions and daddy was rubbing my back, but there was nothing relaxing about it! As the pains kept coming I kept feeling like I was going to pee myself. I would get up and on the toilet and nothing! It was so frustrating. From here on out it gets kind of fuzzy for me. I kept my eyes closed most of the time and was too busy trying to deal with the pain that I tried blocking everything out. At some point aunt Ali came. And at one point I couldn’t handle the stupid hospital gowns so they both came off and I was full on commando- except my bra, I don’t know why I kept that on! For a few minutes the nurse let me get on all fours which finally took a small amount of the pain away, but it was still unbearable. It was around this time when I was convinced I was done. I physically could not handle the pain any longer, but was not sure I wanted an epidural and if my physical pain wasn’t enough this emotional dilemma just added to it all. Daddy and I talked it over and decided we would get checked and see how far we had progressed then make a decision about the epidural. By now it was around 2330 (1130pm) 7 hours into labor, Anita came in and checked me. I was at a 7, so in 2 and half hours I had gone 2cm. It was a hard decision, but I felt that I was so far along already that I didn’t want/need an epidural. I was scared that it wouldn’t work and anxious for the way I would feel afterwards. So we tredged on. The pain only got more intense and I know I said things like “Just get him out”, “I can’t do it anymore”, “Shut up’ and I think there was a few naughty words thrown in there too!. There were lots of tears, but daddy was so good to me the whole time. He rubbed my back and stayed with me the whole time. I finally started to relax a little between contractions. It was amazing how 30 seconds of rest helped.
2 hours had passed and all of the sudden I felt like I was going to diarrhea all over myself. I waited for no one and almost ripped the monitors of their shelf and headed straight for the bathroom. I knew that this was the sign that it was finally time, but I didn’t care I did not want to poop in the bed! Someone went and got the nurse she came and was not very happy with me and told me that my baby was going to fall in the toilet! She made me get back in bed and she checked me. I was complete and it was time to start pushing! After everything I had just learned in school I was scared and nervous and didn’t know what to do. Anita came in and we started pushing (0200am). Daddy was holding one leg while Grammy held the other and Aunt Ali was fanning me. Anita broke my water- nasty warm gush! The pain was gone in my back but the pressure in my vagina AND rectum was superbly intense and indescribable. I figured I would push a few times and you would be out, but boy was I wrong! So we began pushing….. I had to remind daddy to support my leg a few times and made it known that aunt Ali could NOT stop fanning me, even for a second. And eventually I had to tell the midwife to stop reaching in and playing with your hair! I was exhausted, but it was so much easier to rest now that the back pain was gone. So I pushed for a long time and Anita told daddy that it was time to get ready. He got all gowned up and Anita walked him through every step.
Finally your head was not going in and out and pushing felt like more of an accomplishment! I felt myself stretching beyond belief and had to make sure daddy wasn’t pushing you back in. The pressure became so intense that I didn’t even care if I was having a contraction but I was getting you out. So I pushed with all of my might and out came your head. Just a few seconds later the rest of your tiny yet huge body slipped out. Daddy pressed you up against me in order to not lose his grip. Then laid you on my chest.
That was the most amazing moment of my life! I instantly forgot about all that I had just been through and was encompassed with unconditional love!You were perfect!
So neat to have your story written down! An amazing experience, and GO YOU for no meds!!
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