birth story

L was born 12:29 am on 4/7/08 - 6 lbs, 2.3 oz, 20 inches long. EDD was 4/29/08 - he arrived 3.5 weeks early (they used 5/1/08 as my EDD at the hospital). I had my last baby shower on April 5th and felt great. I still had 3 ½ weeks to go in my pregnancy, and at the last weekly doctor's visit had been told I was 70% effaced and fingertip dilated. I felt happy that my body seemed to be progressing on its own which pointed to not being induced later. I noticed at midnight of the same night (April 6th now) that I had a difference. I would not call it a mucous plug, but it was a change (a tiny thin line of blood?). At 2am, just two hours later, I was sleeping on my left side and felt a release and gush and was in the bathroom very fast. I knew immediately that my water had broken. My first instinct was panic and then told Jeff to check the bed. He woke up in disbelief as well and checked. We both started pacing asking each other what to do. I checked some notes/books that I had and realized the only risk that made me nervous was if the water broke, baby moves down and somehow compresses the cord. I went ahead and called the doctor on call. The doctor on call was very nice and just told me to come on in to the hospital. I was not having any sort of contractions that were regular at this point, just some cramping.

We went ahead and arrived at the hospital on Sunday, April 6th at 5am. I knew in the back of my head that without contractions beginning that I was taking a risk of being induced, but also had read that water breaking can also signal labor to begin. I don't know, I felt very confident but yet nervous about being "early." We were checked into Labor and Delivery and in the room by 7am. I was 90% effaced and 1 cm dilated. I had already had the beginnings of bloody show. But, I was told I could not eat or drink once in L&D except for ice chips. I was asked if I wanted to augment my labor with pitocin. I declined. I went ahead and signed consents for anesthesia because I really did not know what I would be faced with as far as length of labor. I was told Ampicilin 2gm every 4 hours would be started at 2pm to prevent infection. I was fine with that as well.

We made some phone calls to let immediate family know. I had a new nurse at shift change and was asked about pitocin again. I declined. I decided at that point that what I needed to do was to walk. I walked up and down the ramp at the hospital and ended up after 4-6 hours was dilated to 3-4 cm. I was able to use Bradley relaxation along with what I call old school Lamaze focal point/breathing to stay completely in control of my contractions. I asked for a fleet enema and gave it to myself. I was hoping this would help to speed labor and prevent me from having a BM on the table! (By the way, it worked!) The nurse also mentioned that no one ever asked for them anymore. I'm so glad I thought to do it!

It wasn't until 5pm or so that regular contractions every 4-5 minutes happened. I was still mostly in bed at this point staying on top of the contractions. I was really focusing more. Shift change happened again at 7 pm and a wonderful nurse who I was told was more "granola" would be assigned to me. I was excited! By shift change I was about 5-6 cm and felt really close at times to losing control but my nurse and husband kept encouraging me. I sent my husband home to take care of our dogs (crazy I know!) while still hovering at 5-6 cm. I didn't feel I was progressing as fast as I was hoping. My wonderful nurse told me it was time for us to get labor moving. I was being a bit lazy laying in bed at an angle breathing and focusing. She pulled out the yoga ball, I labored there for 3-4 contractions. She had me sit in the glider for several contractions. She had me on all fours on the bed for several contractions. We stood and "slow danced." Jeff was great! I was feeling a sense of losing control during most of the contractions during this time. I wanted to watch TV, listen to music, but then when a contraction would come I would writhe a bit feeling a sense of panic. The nurse checked me, and I was 7-8 cm. At this point it was almost 9:30pm – 19 hours since my water broke. I had no food, etc… I was so exhausted that in between contractions I would start to doze and would lose the ability to start the contraction correctly and stay on top of it. Instead, the contraction was already peaking and I was definitely resorting to writhing and begging for help. In between contractions though, I would regain composure. I was checked again – still 7-8 cm.

I asked for an epidural. I asked would it be possible to get half a dose? Apparently only one dose available here. Anesthesia was called, and I went through 3 more intensely crazy contractions where I felt cold/clammy and had the urge to vomit (but nothing to vomit). The epidural was not at all painful and 15 minutes after administration, was checked and was 9 ½ cm! I was told the doctor on call was wrapping up a delivery down the street at Baptist (I was at Centennial) and could take a nap. This was the best thing I've ever heard in my life at this point! So I fell asleep after letting the family come in to let them know I was fine, had an epidural, and that we would begin pushing when the doctor was back.

As far as the epidural goes, there was one point where my blood pressure fell to 85/50 though I never was nervous (I was too tired, yet elated). I rolled to my left side, and my blood pressure immediately went back up. The baby's heart rate never went down the entire time. In fact all day I had used the sound of his heartbeat (when hooked up to the fetal monitor) to help me know when the next contraction was beginning. I was also able to tell somehow when I was contracting with the epidural. I could barely move my feet, but I could actually move them a bit. All in all believe now in hindsight that I made the right decision. So far have had no lasting effects with the epidural. I'm very proud of how labor went with the decision to forgo augmenting labor and laboring as long as I possibly could with the circumstances of no sleep/food.

The nurse woke me up at midnight and asked if it was ok for us to start pushing as the doctor was on his way. I was very excited and relaxed at this point. The nurse checked me, and I was 10 cm! I pushed 3 times per contraction for two contractions, and the nurse asked me if I wanted to feel his head. I did, and it was so sweet! I felt so good. I cannot tell you enough the feeling I had of enduring labor as far as I did and then be able to really enjoy this last part. The nurse was holding in his head and asking for someone to tell the doctor to hurry. The doctor barely arrived for his birth at 12:29 am on April 8th. He was immediately put on my chest where we made eye-to-eye contact but NICU had to be called present for the delivery since his gestational age was 36 weeks, 4 days (anything less than "full term" 37 weeks). They evaluated him with an APGAR score of 8 both times but noticed when he was not crying that his nostrils were flaring and he was retracting in the lung area. I was told that he would need to be admitted to the NICU for possible respiratory distress syndrome due to a possible lack of surfactant (lungs not mature) and did I want to hold him again? I held him again, and talked to him/made eye contact, and he stared at me and stopped crying.

He knew my voice and knew who I was. We took some pictures and then he was taken away. Of course, there were mixed feelings about it all. How soon would he be home? I was told early on that he wouldn't be discharged with me. It was hard to stay on the same floor with other new mothers and their visitors with babies crying up and down the hall. My baby was in the NICU. If someone came to visit, they could not see him. I had to show him pictures on my laptop. It's been very emotional. L had to have surfactant/CPAP/oxygen. He started oral feedings on April 8th. He's back on the oxygen via nasal cannula now. I'm hoping they will wean his TPN soon (IV food since he is taking oral) I am pumping and waiting on my milk to come in, and the NICU is encouraging when I bring my colostrum in to mix with what they are giving him by mouth. We're hoping to have our sweet precious son home in a few days. In the meantime, I will go back and forth to be present at as many feeds as possible.