Even though I'm planning a birth with some drugs and an epidural I'm posting my friend's birth story as it's a pretty awesome one for those wishing to go natural:
So there is totally truth to the "you'll know thing". I mean, i was not 100%, but i just felt different that morning. I actually slept so soundly the night before - natures way of getting me ready, perhaps? I had no appetite, but no other "symptoms" until we were leaving for the dr...when I peed, the toilet paper had a little pink - not enough to be sure, but I was certainly suspicious.
Ok, so I had a 9:45 dr appointment (40 weeks) and she is delivering a baby, so we are waiting. Probably 20 min go by and I tell my husband that this is the day and I ask the receptionist if I can see any dr because I think I'm going into labor. I cannot tell you any particular reason I said this. So anyway, I go back and get undressed and the nurse says my dr will be there in five minuets. I'm on the table and I have my first true contraction - major cramp, a "strong" BH feeling, and then a fairly sharp pain very low. I said "ouch" pretty loudly and made a face. Pretty soon I told my husband that I felt "leaky". Dr comes in, looks at the leak, and says that my bag hasn't fully broken, but it does have a leak. She goes to examine me, I have another contraction (much stronger!), there is an audible "pop", and I gush water everywhere! Yuck! She declares that I am 4cm, 90%, and at 0 station - and says I must go to labor and delivery now because there was slight meconium staining. Mind you, my dr is at the hospital, so we only have a one minute walk.
Call the doula (come now!), call my mom, get checked in and by now my contractions are about two minutes apart (not necessarily normal - everything was in fast forward for me). Doula arrives, Davin runs home (thankfully five minutes away) to get the camera and bags, and by the time he returns (20 min) my contractions are one minute apart and very strong. It hurt. A lot. But it is doable and that minute inbetween is heavenly! I found waking, swaying, and leaning forward on someone very helpful. Laying down made my low back really hurt. I also had this obsession with Davin rubbing between my thumb and first finger - I actually bruised but would not let him stop - I think I focused on it. Gross alert - at this point I very suddenly and painfully had to poop. I ran to the toilet and, in front of everyone, just let go. Ugh! But you truly don't care at that point. Also, my doula was great about making me drink water (with a straw - she'd just shove it in my face) and I still ended dehydrated, so put someone on water duty. At the end of this part, I suddenly got violently shaky - like I was cold, but I don't think I was. The nurse and my doula said it was normal - my teeth about rattled out of my head.
Transition came quickly for me and that was the worst part. A contraction would peak and just start to wane and another would come - I kept saying I thought I'd have a break. But that did go quickly. In fact, the whole thing flew by. At this point, I moved to the toilet to labor and that ended up feeling the best and I hung out there forever. I sometimes stood over it, but usually just kind of sat with my legs wide apart and used it as leverage. Davin was in front of me and sometimes I would lean forward on him. In between the contractions I would completely zone out - it felt like I was on the brink of fainting almost, but I never did. I felt nauseas at times, but never got sick - burped like a drunk man though! Haha! My temperature fluctuated wildly - I would have these hot, sweaty flashes and someone would fan me - bring something to fan with! Then I'd get cold and shaky and want to hug someone for warmth.
Pushing sucked - it did. But again, it flew by and I pushed for nearly two hours. The time inbetween was, again, great and I'd zone out. But when the contraction would hit, it would hurt and pushing hurt and I could never decide which was worse. So sometimes I pushed and sometimes I just breathed through it. I did this over the toilet as well and when they made me move to check me, it hurt worse, so I went back to the toilet. Good thing - I pooped again. :( ugh! The whole time I could feel his head moving lower, which was actually very reassuring. And when I did summon the strength to really push, it felt good because I felt like I was making progress.
Ok, so then I KNEW when he was starting to crown because it burned! I had to move to the bed, which I didn't love, BUT I did have a squat bar, which I used and liked a lot. Also, if I did lay back, Davin and my doula would grab my legs and pull them back and then I'd grab my thighs and pull forward and that felt good. Then when they could first see the head, Davin got excited and I reached down to feel it and that was awesome and gave me the strength to keep going. Plus, then you know it's almost over! Very shortly after, I could SEE the head when I pushed and pulled myself forward, and that was great too. While crowning did burn a lot, it was not as bad as I had expected. And it was quick. So then the dr has to kind of push your skin back a little as the head comes out, which is terrible, but the second it clears, the feeling is of tremendous relief - it was amazingly great! Then the shoulders I didn't really notice, and then my only real yelling - Davin had his shoulders and I told him to just pull and get him out! Haha! Then he was on my belly and it was over and all worth it and all the terrible thoughts seem ridiculous (I actually said out loud at one point that we were never having another kid!) and you instantly start to forget! I only vaguely remember delivering the placenta- it was easy and felt again slightly like relief.
Then unfortunately, I hemmoraged (spl?) pretty badly - my uterus would not contract and shrink and I lost A LOT of blood! I was so enamored with Henry that I was unaware for awhile. But the dr got really concerned and more nurses came in and they had to give my oxytocin to make it contract. Later, they said they really thought I was going to need a transfusion! But again, I was somewhat blissfully unaware!
The tummy time was amazing and he fed right away and Davin cut the cord. That all lasted about an hour. Then they took him (just across the room) for all the stats and I realized I was STARVING and dehydrated. I ate graham crackers and downed apple juice like a kid and let me tell you, it was the best thing I have ever tasted! Haha! Then we moved to recovery. So my water broke about 10:25 and he was born at 3:50. Fast! And I did it the way I wanted - no meds!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment