Ten days before my due date: I am not dilating very quickly but still getting nervous. My doctor is in London for the Olympics and my husband and I are hoping earnestly that this baby waits at least two more days to come.
Eight days before my due date: Matt is home! And baby is not here yet! Phew! We all breathe a sigh of relief and let out a hip-hip-hooray! And I began to think of all those little things I have put off so baby wouldn't come. Now I just want them done so baby can come. But even though I don't get all of them done my "list of things to do before baby comes" gets shorter as my expectations lower.
Thursday, August 2nd: Tamara takes my kids to water aerobics even though I don't feel like I can go. There is too much to do and I haven't gotten any time with Matt yet. When she brings them back I am rearing and ready to get stuff done. It feels like a busy morning, getting kids ready and keeping them happy. Trying to get a few more things done while they play and want to be played with. I feel myself getting more impatient and realize I'm having more contractions than usual. It is probably around 9 or 9:30. By ten thirty I have talked to Matt about this and we agree that I am in the early stages of labor.
When Benson was born, I woke up in labor at about 3:30. By 5:30 I couldn't sleep. He was born at 9:21 am. We had been in the hospital doors less than an hour. My labor and delivery nurse said "I've been with you for 18 minutes." We had cut it pretty close and denied my body the two (or even a complete one) doses of antibiotics I needed to fight the strep B virus in my cervix. Remembering all this, we decided to go in early for our next baby.
When labor became certain and I was relaxing on the couch, Matt started getting ready. he called his mom and our back up babysitter. He packed some bags, finished getting the kids ready, and even cleaned up the house (what a guy!). By about noon we didn't know what else to do and even though i was still pretty calm, we decided to go. I think I checked into the hospital at 12:45. Everything was so much calmer than it was when Benson was born. I was having contractions but I could still talk through them and had full control of my faculties. When checked, I was dilated to what the nurse called a five so they got me to a room and started the antibiotics. Monitors said my contractions weren't regular but they agreed I was in labor.
I met my labor and delivery (L&D) nurses ( I had two because one was training the other). They were both phenomenal. So kind and all for natural births and doing what I felt was right. They congratulated me and encouraged me to stick to my guns. Soooo different from Brooklyn's nurse who just rolled her eyes at me. My doctor's partner, Dr. Bass, came to meet me and check on me and Matt and I settled in for what we hoped would be a short time. I had been "in labor" for maybe three hours.
Three hours later, not much had changed. The first time Dr. Bass checked my dilation he said I was at a four (Did I really go backwards or is the method of measuring somewhat subjective?). He asked if I'd like to have my water broken. I said no. I was fine waiting longer to do this naturally. I wasn't all that uncomfortable.
Three hours later, not much had changed.
Three hours later, not much had changed. I think I had progressed to maybe a seven by this point, but that was 3 centimeters in 9 hourse. What was my body doing? At this point, I didn't want my water broken because it was getting to be bedtime and even though it would have been cool to have two kids with birthdays on the second - I wanted to try to sleep. I was tired (and hungry! - I did eat a little bit of Matt's dinner. Only a few bites, because I thought, "This is going to get itself going any time and then it's going to be quick and I'm going to be sick.") and the doctor was now a half hour away.
Matt and I watched the Olympics (the only parts of it we got to watch - some gymnastics). And then we read scriptures and went to bed. My new night nurse was also nice but to be honest I slept most of the time she was with me except when she came to give me new doses of antibiotics (you get them every four hours - I was on three or four - you only "need" two). Mostly the only thing I remember about her is that she had her nose pierced, as did my previous two L&D nurses. Is that an L&D club thing? :)
Morning comes. New nurse checks in. Not much has changed except that I am frustrated. This one was supposed to be quicker than the last. I should have a baby by now. I still don't even know if its a boy or a girl (everyone in the hospital was excited about that).
My doctors other partner, Dr. Desiree Brotsky, checks on me at about 8. I am still at a seven (no change from last night) and the baby's head is still bouncing around in my uterus (rather than engaged in my cervix). They don't want me to go home. I am too far along and now weak from having not eaten and from laboring this whole time. Contractions haven't stopped. In fact, they haven't done anything! They haven't hurt, they haven't progressed things, they haven't stressed out baby - nothing. I am discouraged and impatient.
Dr. Brotsky expresses a need to get things going and I don't want to argue with her. She gives us some time to think about it and we agree, eventually, that we should have them break my water - if the baby's head comes down a little. Withe the babies head up, breaking the water increases the chance of a prolapsed cord, which is very dangerous.
Now we are just waiting on the medical world. We try sitting on the birthing ball (my new nurse is maybe my favorite and totally pro-natural birth) and I walk around the room (still attached to the monitors). Matt turns on some rousing music and we dance. Contractions are still coming but they have not intensified and I can dance, talk, and probably sleep through them still. Is anything happening!!!???
Its noon on Friday, August 3rd, and Dr. Brotsky is back to me (OBs are so busy). She checks me (I hate that part) and baby is slightly lower than he or she was - enough she feels like she can break my water. My awesome nurse (I think I have her name somewhere) gets me sitting up to help baby's head engage and we let the magic happen! It's 12:12 pm.
Contractions definitely increase, and after a little while so does my comfort. I sit back in bed a little; my tailbone is hurting. After about an hour and a half of this, my nurse comes in and offers the birthing ball again. I'm obviously progressing but all of us are ready to get things done. I have pumped myself up a little like an athlete might and my mind is in the game. I sit on the birthing ball and Matt sits on a rolling stool in front of me so I can lean into him and rest on him. This is very comfortable but it is not long before I am gripping his pockets (thats what I could reach) during contractions and breathing hard. My nurse, who knows and respects natural childbirth, stays with us the whole time - she knows!
When Doctor Brotsky comes in (probably around 3), she asks to know when I feel increased pressure so we can get in a position to push. I am extremely uncomfortable by this point and tell her "I don't know. I'm feeling quite a bit of pressure." So they get me on the bed. I am still in game mode a little bit and thinking "Lets do this. Lets push this baby out." So much for waiting for my body to do the work. :) I push a little and Matt says, "I can see the head." Being completely present mentally I am proud to offer the witty response, "Does it look like a boy head or a girl head?" He can't tell but it makes him smile.
The doctor and nurse coach me through a few more pushes (I never count - maybe its 3? maybe more) which I perform beautifully, if I do say so myself. Really, I was just so lucid and still had energy because I hadn't been doing anything for 27 hours! So I could push well. And there he was. Surprise! It's a boy! And I didn't feel a moment of regret for being wrong or that it wasn't a girl. I was delighted. Nine pounds, one ounce (two ounces smaller than Benson), and doing great! Totally strep B free (after 9 doses of antibiotics!). Perfect. :)
Then we had to name him. (Eeek!) But I think that is a different story. :)
1 comment:
WOW! Anslin, this is awesome that you have this down in your journal. Congrats on a natural birth. You rock woman!
Post a Comment