On my due date (wed, 26th), I had my membranes stripped hoping to help jumpstart labor. Later that day I went on a long walk and used the breast pump to help things get going. I started having contractions that afternoon, most of them in my back. Since this was my first baby, I wasn't sure if this was it or not. That morning I was already 4cm, so I decided not to chance it and called hubby to come home from work and take me to the hospital.
We arrived at the hospital around 5:30pm but I had not made any progress from that morning, so I walked around for 2 more hours. still no change, so I was sent home. They could have broken my water or admitted me, but the chances of having a natural birth after that could be slim according to my nurse. So we went home, hoping things would continue on their own and I would be back soon.
The following 2 days I continued to have irregular contractions. On Thursday I cleaned everything I could think of! I was even contemplating scrubbing the walls, lol. By Friday, I continued to have contractions and cramping. I went for another very long walk. I had so much energy I thought I could run! lol. By that evening, the contractions started getting much more frequent and more regular. Rob came home and we DTD to try and help move things along. Well, it worked, and my contractions picked up their intensity to the point I was breathing through each one.
We arrived at the hospital at 7pm Friday evening. I was at 5cm. We walked the floor for about an hour before I was checked again, this time I was 5.5cm. The nurse started sounding like she was going to send me home and I wanted to cry. By this time the contractions were coming every couple of minutes and were getting super painful. If they sent me home I would just come straight back- this was it!! I convinced the nurse to let me stay a while and see if things progress more. An hour later I was at 6cm, moaning very very loud through each contraction. It was beginning to get unbearable. The back labor was so intense I felt I could not handle it. With each contraction I sqeezed hubby's arm or hand very hard. It was extremely difficult to control my breathing since all I wanted to do was scream. I was trying so hard just to get through the moment, the pain was indescribable. At that moment, I knew there was no reason to be superwoman and requested the epidural. This was NOT in my birthplan at all, expecially since I am terrified of needles. However, the pain was too much and I could not effectively manage it.
Around 9:30pm we finally got a room and I received my IV (this hurt very much). They also took my blood for labs before I could receive the epidural. I was allowed to get in the tub and labor there until the anethesiologist arrived. I was told it could take an hour and a half, which depressed me greatly. The warm water felt nice but it did nothing to help with my back labor. The only relief I got was when hubby massaged my lower back, which was quickly tiring him out. I kept saying 'I can't do it!' because I really felt that I could not. I honestly felt like I was going to die from all the pain. Finally, around 11:30 the anethesiologist arrived. I was at 7.5cm by then and 100% effaced. I was so happy to see him!! Hubby had to leave the room, which I was not expecting, but I had a great nurse who continued to help me through my contractions as I received the epi. It took much longer than I thought it would, but it did not hurt. The IV was much more painful. By 12am the epi was all ready to go and I finally started feeling the medication enter my body. Around 12:30am my legs were numb and the back labor was gone. I had never felt so relieved in my life!!
It was good I got the epi when I did, because before we knew it, I was 8cm and progressing rapidly. By 1:45-2am I was 10cm and ready to push. I was not expecting the epi to completely numb me during this part and expected to feel pressure. What I was not expecting was for the epi to completely wear off . I could feel the urge to push and told hubby to get the nurse, because I thought this was it! I was so scared and nervous and could see that hubby was too. By the time the nurses came in, I was feeling the contractions again. I pushed for 22 minutes. It was the most excruciating 22 minutes of my life. By this point, I was screaming. I really tried not to, but I could not help it, the pain was so intense. I tried really hard to focus on my pushing and gave each one the best I could. The nurses and my midwife kept remarking about how good I was pushing and how effective they were. They encouraged me that I was doing great and that I could do it.
At 2:20am Dallas Mae was born. After I pushed her head out, I felt the most amazing sense of relief. Rob said that the rest of her slid out very quickly after I got her head out. They put her on my chest and I asked if it was a boy or a girl (everything was very fuzzy and I could not hear much going on because I was in so much pain). I could not believe it was a girl!!! I thought for sure we would have a boy! The minutes following birth, I did not cry but was instead in a state of shock of what just happened. I was not longer pregnant- the baby was here! I could see Rob crying as I held our baby girl, who honestly seemed very foreign to me.
My midwife then worked on delivering my plancenta, which was another amazing sense of relief. I only had one very small tear that required 2 stiches. After they cleaned her up, they gave her to me to nurse and she quickly latched on and began breastfeeding beautifully. My body was shaking so bad at that point. They told me it was because of the hormones, but it ached to use so much energy in shaking. Finally, we transitioned to a post-partum room and Dallas was taken to the nursery. I had low blood pressure, so they kept the IV fluids running, which made my bladder quickly fill up. I don't think I've ever peed so much at once in my life (sorry, if TMI)! By 5:30, I finally was able to sleep.
As the day progressed and I was given my daughter to nurse, the shock gradually started to wear off and I fell in love with the little angel we had created. Dallas Mae's birth certainly will remain etched in my memory forever. All the pain was more than worth it for our sweet little girl.
We arrived at the hospital around 5:30pm but I had not made any progress from that morning, so I walked around for 2 more hours. still no change, so I was sent home. They could have broken my water or admitted me, but the chances of having a natural birth after that could be slim according to my nurse. So we went home, hoping things would continue on their own and I would be back soon.
The following 2 days I continued to have irregular contractions. On Thursday I cleaned everything I could think of! I was even contemplating scrubbing the walls, lol. By Friday, I continued to have contractions and cramping. I went for another very long walk. I had so much energy I thought I could run! lol. By that evening, the contractions started getting much more frequent and more regular. Rob came home and we DTD to try and help move things along. Well, it worked, and my contractions picked up their intensity to the point I was breathing through each one.
We arrived at the hospital at 7pm Friday evening. I was at 5cm. We walked the floor for about an hour before I was checked again, this time I was 5.5cm. The nurse started sounding like she was going to send me home and I wanted to cry. By this time the contractions were coming every couple of minutes and were getting super painful. If they sent me home I would just come straight back- this was it!! I convinced the nurse to let me stay a while and see if things progress more. An hour later I was at 6cm, moaning very very loud through each contraction. It was beginning to get unbearable. The back labor was so intense I felt I could not handle it. With each contraction I sqeezed hubby's arm or hand very hard. It was extremely difficult to control my breathing since all I wanted to do was scream. I was trying so hard just to get through the moment, the pain was indescribable. At that moment, I knew there was no reason to be superwoman and requested the epidural. This was NOT in my birthplan at all, expecially since I am terrified of needles. However, the pain was too much and I could not effectively manage it.
Around 9:30pm we finally got a room and I received my IV (this hurt very much). They also took my blood for labs before I could receive the epidural. I was allowed to get in the tub and labor there until the anethesiologist arrived. I was told it could take an hour and a half, which depressed me greatly. The warm water felt nice but it did nothing to help with my back labor. The only relief I got was when hubby massaged my lower back, which was quickly tiring him out. I kept saying 'I can't do it!' because I really felt that I could not. I honestly felt like I was going to die from all the pain. Finally, around 11:30 the anethesiologist arrived. I was at 7.5cm by then and 100% effaced. I was so happy to see him!! Hubby had to leave the room, which I was not expecting, but I had a great nurse who continued to help me through my contractions as I received the epi. It took much longer than I thought it would, but it did not hurt. The IV was much more painful. By 12am the epi was all ready to go and I finally started feeling the medication enter my body. Around 12:30am my legs were numb and the back labor was gone. I had never felt so relieved in my life!!
It was good I got the epi when I did, because before we knew it, I was 8cm and progressing rapidly. By 1:45-2am I was 10cm and ready to push. I was not expecting the epi to completely numb me during this part and expected to feel pressure. What I was not expecting was for the epi to completely wear off . I could feel the urge to push and told hubby to get the nurse, because I thought this was it! I was so scared and nervous and could see that hubby was too. By the time the nurses came in, I was feeling the contractions again. I pushed for 22 minutes. It was the most excruciating 22 minutes of my life. By this point, I was screaming. I really tried not to, but I could not help it, the pain was so intense. I tried really hard to focus on my pushing and gave each one the best I could. The nurses and my midwife kept remarking about how good I was pushing and how effective they were. They encouraged me that I was doing great and that I could do it.
At 2:20am Dallas Mae was born. After I pushed her head out, I felt the most amazing sense of relief. Rob said that the rest of her slid out very quickly after I got her head out. They put her on my chest and I asked if it was a boy or a girl (everything was very fuzzy and I could not hear much going on because I was in so much pain). I could not believe it was a girl!!! I thought for sure we would have a boy! The minutes following birth, I did not cry but was instead in a state of shock of what just happened. I was not longer pregnant- the baby was here! I could see Rob crying as I held our baby girl, who honestly seemed very foreign to me.
My midwife then worked on delivering my plancenta, which was another amazing sense of relief. I only had one very small tear that required 2 stiches. After they cleaned her up, they gave her to me to nurse and she quickly latched on and began breastfeeding beautifully. My body was shaking so bad at that point. They told me it was because of the hormones, but it ached to use so much energy in shaking. Finally, we transitioned to a post-partum room and Dallas was taken to the nursery. I had low blood pressure, so they kept the IV fluids running, which made my bladder quickly fill up. I don't think I've ever peed so much at once in my life (sorry, if TMI)! By 5:30, I finally was able to sleep.
As the day progressed and I was given my daughter to nurse, the shock gradually started to wear off and I fell in love with the little angel we had created. Dallas Mae's birth certainly will remain etched in my memory forever. All the pain was more than worth it for our sweet little girl.
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