Birth Story

A little after 6 am on Friday, May 18, 2012, I was dosing in bed when I felt the tell-tale gush.  I looked at the clock, and realized that hubby wasn't all the way to work yet and said, "You've got to be kidding me!"  All the same, I was excited.....and a little apprehensive. Would it all work out with hubby's long commute?  Would the baby be ok being my 2nd earliest baby?

The excitement won out while I called my husband and told him to turn around the come home.  I called my parents to arrange for my father to take me to the Woman's Center where I was to give birth.  I called the Center and they said to come right in.  I texted friends and my sister, took a shower, got all my stuff together, and once my father arrived, we went on down to the Center.

Contractions hadn't started yet, and deep down I knew I should have stayed home until they did, but with the baby being a bit early, and my having a very faster labor with my daughter, it was recommended that I come in right away.  I proved that my instincts were right.  I should have stayed home until contractions began.

At the Center, I was prepped and given the same ol' "suspected water breakage" speech.  I KNEW my water was broken.  No doubt.  My L&D nurse knew I knew.  You don't have 3 previous natural labors with PPROM and NOT know a thing or two!  LOL!  Now, my L&D nurse was THE BEST L&D nurse I ever had.  It felt like I had a midwife, instead.  She was very supportive, fun to talk to, attentive and a great advocate.  I wasn't there for but a couple hours and my OB came in suggesting I take Pitocin and have the baby out now so I could have lunch.  I declined, she supported.

So, there I was walking, dancing, squatting, bouncing on the ball, swaying, laughing, joking, praying, talking for hour after hour after hour with NO pain.  I did NOT take any pain meds.  I did NOT have an epidural.  So, why wasn't I having any pain?

The nurse checked me now and again upon my request and sure enough, I was SLOWLY progressing.  I am SO glad I had her check me so frequently because my OB checked me 3 times during the course of my labor.  The first time, his check agreed with the nurse's check.  By the time he checked me again, he had already pushed pitocin twice.  The second time he checked me, the nurse had just checked me an hour before and I had progressed another cm and another 10% more effaced.  I could fell the OB didn't even go all the way in.  I could feel he didn't bother spreading his fingers to check the cervix dilation.  He pulled them out, whipped off the glove and said, "no change, exactly the same."  The "you'd better take pitocin now" attitude made the air in the room feel heavy.  My nurse and I exchanged similar glances.  I trusted her.  She mouthed to me, "I will talk to you later."

After the OB left, she came in and said, "I'm checking you now."  She checked and sure enough, I was progressed.  I no longer trusted my OB.  He out and out lied to me just to get me to take pitocin and "have it done with."  I don't even know if I'll go back for my 6 week post partum check up.  I know that I'm going to be looking for a new GYN.  I cannot believe he lied to me.

So, onward we trudged along.  I was 7 cm and 80% effaced and still not a single contraction pain.  My L&D nurse tried everything to help it progress a bit more quickly naturally.  She talked to me about my children and had me show her pictures.  She explained to me why labor was slow to progress:

When I arrived, baby's head was tilted in the pelvic area and not putting full pressure on the cervix to tell the body to open and up and get him out.  Baby was also tilted far to the right of the womb.  So, first we got him straightened out with exercises.  Then, we worked to get his head straightened, rather than cocked.  Lastly, we had to get his head off of the pubic bone and into the canal.

My OB came in at 5pm, the end of his shift and once again pushed pitocin.  He'd stay and deliver the baby if I took pitocin.  I declined and he gave me this pathetic little, "well, I guess you don't want me to deliver your baby."  Um, yeah.  After you lied to me, I'd rather not.  I was afraid he'd cut me or do some other invasive procedure.  Plus, I knew the OB who was going to catch my baby.  He delivered my daughter and I really liked him.  He was very hands off and let mama do it.  I should have switched to his practice when after my daughter was born.

I was 8 cm dilated, fully effaced and just starting stronger contractions.  I could talk through them, though.  At this point, I considered pitocin, but I really REALLY did not want it.  I KNEW what had to be done and that I could do it, if the nurse and I could only figure out the trick to get him off my pubic bone.

The nurse could see how weary I was of such a slow, and sometimes even stalled labor.  She gently suggested pitocin, but in a sympathetic way, not a pushy way.  I declined farther, so she suggested I rock up on the balls of my feet.  It was about 6:30 pm now.  12 1/2 hours since my water broke.  Her shift ended at 7pm and I really wanted her there.  I started the balls of my feet rocking and it worked.  I felt baby's head slide off my pubic bone and into the birth canal.  The contractions hit like a ton of beautiful bricks!  I moaned and breathed, banged the tray table and shouted, "YES!"  The nurse came running in, overjoyed at my progress, called the on-call OB, got the room ready, and after a few more of those contractions, I declared that I was ready to push.

I got myself in bed.  I actually LIKE giving birth in the reclined position.  The contractions started to slow and weaken, but my legs had given out on me.  The OB came in and I said I wanted to push.  The first push didn't amount to too much because the contraction was weak and I huffed through it without really getting a good grip.  So, we waited for the 2nd.  It took FOREVER to come.  The nurse offered to have me stand again and then get me back in bed for delivery.  I declined because 1. my legs were too tired and 2. I knew that once this baby started out, he wasn't going to stop.  Finally, I felt the contraction began.  I said, "Here we go!"  The contraction wasn't very strong, so I knew I had to do most of the pushing.  I was determined.  I took a deep breath, held it for a second and then PUSHED!!  The OB had to get his gloves on, so they told me to stop pushing.  Too late.  My body was now doing it for me.  There was no stopping.  So, out my baby came into the hands of my L&D nurse!!  So, after that, she really did feel like my midwife!

My baby boy was small, purple-pink, and covered in butter.  He had a full head of wavy, dark brown hair and looked like me.  He also had a good scream!  Healthy!  He was born at 6:47 pm.

Oh my goodness!  I just realized that I didn't mention hubby!  He was AMAZING!  So patient, so attentive, so encouraging, and GREAT back rubs!