Tag: Labor

Two Years Ago…

Apologies in advance…this is a really long post. 

  
Two years ago today, our friend came over to drop off some congratulatory  Hardywood Gingerbread Stout to enjoy after our little girl arrived. Little did we know what the evening had in store for us. 

Around  7:00 pm contractions started AGAIN. Since it had been two weeks since the contractions had begun their tortuous cycle (starting, getting my our hopes up, stopping), neither Z or I believed I was in labor. We continued hanging out with our friend and trying to pass the time until I would be in labor. Just like I had been, I would began rocking on my yoga ball or moving around to ease discomfort and keep labor progressing (in case this was really labor). 

Before we all knew it, it was 8:30 pm and our friend had to leave to meet up with some other folks for the evening. Otherwise known as, hang out with other people who are not married and anxiously awaiting their daughter’s arrival boring. At this point contractions kept getting stronger…as I expected (and had dealt with for the last two weeks). 

Around 9:30 pm we decided to head to Z’s man cave for a change of scenery. Z graciously carried my giant yoga ball upstairs. Contractions kept doing their thing, and getting progressively closer together and longer. Throughout the evening Z would rub my back and put pressure on my low back to help with the discomfort, and I would rock around on my yoga ball. 

By 11:00 pm we were getting pretty confident that this was ACTUALLY LABOR. I told Z he should get a shower and some sleep. Who knew  long he’d be waiting around at the hospital, and it would be better to be clean and well rested. I kept moving around or rocking on my yoga ball, because I knew it was better to labor as long as I could at home. If I was to have a chance at the medication-free and low-intervention birth I wanted, less time at the hospital was key  

At 1:00 am I woke up Z because it was time to call the doctor! The contractions were FINALLY one minute long and five minutes apart for the last hour!  The doctor on call, we shall call her Dr. T, turned out to be my sister-in-law’s doctor!  We had joked that she would deliver our baby, because my doctor had delivered her baby 51 weeks prior!  Doctor T was excited for us and said she’d call the hospital to let them know they may see us soon. She did warn me that she might not be the doctor we’d see at the hospital as her shift ended at 6:00 am, but we’d be in great hands with the next doctor, whom we’ll call Dr. J.  Dr. T then instructed us to head to the hospital when we’re ready. What? When we’re ready?  How was I supposed to know that?  Dr. T assured me that I would know and wished me luck. After much assurance that I was fine and I wanted him to get the rest that I knew I could get, Z dozed off. 

4:30 am I woke up Z to go to the hospital. The contractions were getting much stronger and I knew that soon a 16 minute drive to the hospital would be miserable. Being able to move around REALLY helped with discomfort. We started packing up and called the moms to let them know it was go time. 

6:00 am we checked into the hospital and went up to our delivery room.  Definitely took us some time to get there as I would need to stop, breath, and rock through the contractions. Got checked in by the nurses, and found I was 6 cm dilated. Only four more to go!  

By 7:00 am my mom arrived, and I’m so glad that she did. Initially I thought I would only want it to be Z and I in the delivery room. Z was convinced it would be best to have my mom there, and boy was he right!

7:30 am I climbed into the hydrotherapy tub, which was AMAZING!!!  After 30 or 45 minutes we decided it was time to get me moving again. 

8:15 or 8:30 am I was robed up and ready for a walk around the halls. As soon as we walked out of the room I felt some water dribbling, which soon became a flood. MY WATER BROKE. My wonderful nurse and Dr. J checked me over and I was 8 cm dilated. Still had some progress to make before we were ready to push. 

From this point on things are somewhat of a blur. I fought listening to the nurse about trying different positions to help labor progress. I survived transition. Then I made it to 10 cm and 100 % effaced. 

Around 2:00 pm it was time to start pushing and I was EXHAUSTED. Through each contraction my nurse would hold one leg, Z would hold the other, and my mom would cheer me on and wipe my head with a cold cloth, and I would push with everything within me. After I was done pushing, I would collapse. The first time it happened, Z thought something was wrong and checked with the nurse. This cycle continued for the next 50 minutes. 

2:45 pm It was time for one final push. Dr. J wasn’t in the room yet to deliver the baby. Our nurse tried to coach me through breathing  to wait, but our little girl wasn’t  waiting.  

2:50 pm  Our nurse kept her cool, guided the baby out, unwrapped the cord from her neck, and VHP made her debut. First thing she did was stare up at her daddy and stole his heart. Next they laid her on my chest, and life has never been the same. 

  

 

Dear Expectant Mama

Dear Expectant Mama,

In case you weren’t aware or ready for YOUR pregnancy to be over, you are due to have your sweet baby any day or week now.  Every friend, family member,  co-worker, and stranger off the street would like to know when your little one will make their debut. 


Of all people, wouldn’t you love to know?! Close behind you would be your beloved partner who is living with you and dealing supporting you through this  (period of joyful expectation) waiting zone. In the meantime, I’m begging you… Please. Don’t. Kill. Them. 

Yes, you may respond in a snarky fashion to these questions. 

Yes, you may ignore the phone calls and texts. 

Yes, you should go enjoy a warm bath. Then call for help getting out.  

Lastly, your baby will be here soon. Though I know soon is not soon enough. Believe me, I sympathize!

On November 1, 2013 around 4:00 am I awoke from my last good night of sleep for awhile to contractions. Excitedly I thought that I was in labor (Iwas due on the 13th). I began tracking my contractions with a handy dandy app. They progressed to being a minute long and five minutes apart. This lasted for 15 minutes, which became 30 minutes, and then 45 minutes. You expectant ladies know what this means…I was close to hitting 5:1:1 and ready to call the doctor. Around 10:30 or 11:00 the contractions stopped!  Yup, stopped?! It was almost time to call the doctor and say I wasn’t coming for my 12:15 appointment, contractions aren’t suppose to stop!

At 12:15 I went for my 38 week appointment. My doctor and nurse were impressed that I was able to so easily track my contractions with my handy dandy app. Based on the data  provided and how things looked, they thought my sweet girl was about to make her debut. Just to be safe I scheduled my 39 week appointment, but we all were certain I wouldn’t need the appointment. 

On November 8, 2013 at 12:30 I was back at my doctor’s off…and not that excited. It had been a week of broken sleep and shattered hopes. I was STILL pregnant and continued getting to 45 or 50 minutes of my contractions being a minute long and five minutes apart only to have my contractions stop. My doctor and nurse were shocked to see me, but certain the end of pregnancy was near. To help move things along my doctor stripped my membranes and sent me on my way… to have a baby soon. 

On November 13, 2013 at 2:15 I arrived for my 40 week appointment… on my due date. At this point I was thoroughly done with being pregnant,tired of shattered hopes from the contractions stopping, and DONE with being asked if the baby had arrived. My doctor and nurse couldn’t believe I was still pregnant and plans needed to be made. By next week I would be 41 weeks and induction was a distinct possibility. Induction was NOT what I wanted to happen. BUT, we were hitting the period of time where it was getting dangerous for my sweet baby to stay all cozy in my uterus.  I wanted to let things progress naturally so that I could have the birth I wanted, but I wanted my daughter to be safe. We decided to strip my membranes AGAIN. Next week we’d figure out a plan. 

On November 14, 2013 I was done with the questions about the baby’s arrival. I was so done with not sleeping because of contractions. I was done with putting on a happy face for everyone else, no matter how well meaning they were trying to be. I sent the moms (my mom, stepmom, and mother-in-law) a text saying I had turned off Facebook. I was also no longer talking to anyone besides my husband or them until the baby arrived. I didn’t kill anyone. I didn’t say anything mean and regrettable, but I did feel better. That night Z and I went for a nice walk and I was ready to wait this girl out.