A birth story
Well, here it is... my birth story
**there is dialogue that could be considered TMI to some, you have been warned
I had been told that everyones story is different and I didn't doubt this to be true but I was curious what others went through before my own journey into parenthood. They were right, my story is very much my own. Here we are 4+ wks later and I'm here for an update to recant the news
My husband and I welcomed a little boy on tues April 16, 2019
I finished work on April 2nd and then it was getting things ready, organizing the babies room and setting up the crib. I even re arranged my room when my husband was out of town (because he would never have let me move things on my own) haha
Friday April 12 I wake up overnight with .. cramps. I was told this could be the very earliest stages of things to come... as in maybe the next week? They were similar to period cramps, they woke me up several times throughout the night
Saturday April 13 - I start having tightness/contractions. They are mild, lasting anywhere from 15-45 seconds and about 20 mins apart. No biggie. I ended up going out to my sisters place and going for a big long walk with her and her pups. I did have to stop and my walking was very slow now. See- pregnancy waddle haha. As I previously mentioned I was lucky enough to be quite active throughout my pregnancy. My last day in the gym was Thurs April 11 (woot) So, walking slowly, the contractions have started to come closer together and lasting longer. No more 15 second shenanigans. Now, they're roughly 10-12 mins apart and at least 30-45 seconds each time. Ooh, maybe this baby will be coming before the weekend is over?
Saturday evening I spent with my hubby and some of his friends at my sisters house, I was uncomfortable and had not said anything to my husband about what was happening. He did notice that I looked uncomfortable and he also noticed that my stomach was starting to 'cone' which is what happens during contractions
I go home, hubby stays to hang (there were UFC fights). At home contractions start coming even close together and lasting longer and I'm trying my best to just breath through things. I have taken zero pain medication at this point. I opt for a bath. In said bath I reach out to gfs group chat and tell them whats going on, the bath helps but I'm starting to feel overwhelmed and I want my hubby to come home. I still haven't told him at this point. He comes home around midnight to find my crying in bed and when he asks whats wrong I tell him I think I'm in labor. He panics. Stress cleans the house (haha) Overnight they got closer and closer 4 mins apart! lasting a full minute each time
4am - we decide it's time to head to the hospital. One issue, I don't feel like I "should" in order to call the midwife, especially at 4am. Well, we do and tell her we're headed to the hospital. Feeling guilty on the drive there my contractions slow down while in the car (the prenatal class warned us about this) and I'm feeling more guilty. We arrive at the hospital and the midwife meets us there. She checks my dilation - 1 cm. Ugh. What? This is why I didn't feel the "right way" frustrating, feeling guilty about calling the midwife out of bed, but also relieved
Sunday - Midwife told me to take tylenol and gravol once I returned home, I did and managed about 2 hrs of sleep. Broken, because my contractions continued and woke me up roughly every 10 mins. I never would have thought that two hours of sleep would feel so darn good. Contractions continued all day and night. Lying down set them off, laying on my side set it off, going pee set them off. I literally sat up on the couch propped by pillows and tried to breath through the contractions
My husband stayed up majority of the time I was going through everything. He felt bad that I was going through everything and tried rubbing my back for me (which did help) I felt guilty because he was staying awake all night when he didn't have to IMO
Monday - We had an appt at the hospital I'm now 41 wks and they told me that they don't like to let ladies go to 42 wks because there's a risk of still birth - no thanks!
The trip to the hospital included a stress test, which is where they monitor the baby and make sure that he/she heart rate is good and responsive. My baby always was, each time he was monitored he passed with flying colors. Including this stress test. This test also monitored my contractions, which I had the entire test (1 hr) After that the midwife came in again to chat and I said that I was having a really hard time sleeping and wanted to know options. Dilation check - still 1cm (F**k) Pain control options include morphine and gravol injection - Cool. I'll be back for that bad boy this PM.
The midwife also discussed induction. I had read that being induced increases the need for C section so I was hoping to avoid that and try to let this baby come naturally. She said that was my choice, we opted to wait until weds and if the baby had not made an appearance by then we would do the induction. Induction does not guarantee a baby btw and even if I was desperate for it today it's likely I wouldn't have been able to.
Finally, midwife requested that I go for an ultrasound - just to make sure everything looks good. From the stress test and the way I looked / palpated etc things looked good but let's' just cross out T's and dot our I's. We have the ultrasound, at this point I'm moving really slowly, Blake ends up grabbing a wheel chair to get me around because I'm moving at a snails pace having to stop because I'm having contractions so close together. Plus, I've been up for over 2 days at this point and my appetite has been next to zero so I'm basically on empty at this point
Ultrasound comes back, midwife has people in her clinic that day and asks us to stay in the area (we live in a different town) just until the results come back, so we go to booster juice and I have a small smoothie and my husbands insistence. When we get back to the hospital, the triage nurse asks us if we were aware that we were staying. Um, no? Good thing we had our bags in the car already and the car seat set up!
Turns out - there was no measurable amniotic fluid anymore, not good. So, we get admitted. I text my parents and my sister and let them know whats going on. Not to worry, they don't think baby is coming anytime soon but I have to be monitored, will let them know
Monday afternoon - we got to the hospital for the stress test at 930 am, at 1 pm we get admitted and because I'm still not dilating past 1 cm (ok, seriously) the OB comes in and discusses what we're going to do next. I have to do another stress test, a labor test. This is where they strap the monitors back onto you and you get an IV of oxytocin to start a fake labor (still having contractions the entire time here) to see how the baby handles labor. Because I didn't have any (or much) fluid and it's dangerous for the baby without the lubricant to protect the baby etc
At this point, because the oxytocin was involved now the OB will be taking over my birth, the midwife stayed the entire time and helped quarter back everything which was fabulous
The OB checked things and informed me that I should not expect to have this baby tonight unless it's via C section. In fact, he said that it could be weds before the baby shows up, so get comfy
For the stress test to be successful, I had to have 3x 1min long contractions consistently in a 10 mins period, 3 times (aka 30 mins) I was told that normally it can take an hour minimum and the dose goes up to level 10 - yikes. I still haven't had any pain medication since the tylenol/advil cocktail I had early sunday.
Well, I reach the mandatory contraction amount after 35 mins (woop) and only had to get to level 4 (dbl woop) so we kill the oxytocin and I get to eat something and take a walk.
I had packed protein bars for my hubby and he insisted that I eat something so I did, I was allowed water but NO foods while oxy is running. We walked the unit I got my shot of morphine/gravol and lied down again. Midwife went over options at this point. There were two: go back on the oxytocin or use a supplement that you insert and it helps with dilation. The oxytocin is easier to cut off and its half life is shorter. I had passed the stress test with flying colors no issues with babies heart rate etc which was super.
I was checked again, 4 cm! OMG finally! that's an amount that you can be admitted for! that's labor!
OB/Midwife decided that Oxytocin was the way to go, so off we went! I had the morphine to work off of and oxytocin to keep things moving. Got up to 7cm after a ...while. Asked about epidural and I said yes please but she was in surgery and would be about an hour. I opted to wait so we cut the oxy again and tried to just breath through things until the anesthesiologist was available, plus my previous pain option was quickly running out. Offered gas I tried that and it helped me calm down but that was about it
Tuesday - early morning. Epidural is in, no it wasn't that bad, slowly get towards 10 cm. It's pushing time! I had two nurses throughout the day/night they were both so so so great. The first was more chatty with me and I really liked her. The second (night shift nurse) was soft spoken and a silent cheer squad. I would hear here talking to me calmly and reassuring. They were both fantastic.
I did not know that in labor you had a nurse by your side assigned to you until you gave birth - super cool.
When the OB had checked me, he made the comment that things were 'very tight' there were comments made about kegels and about how active I am (working out). The OB informed me that there is a chance that I will not be able to give birth naturally without help due to the small canal but, my choice was to try and he supported that
Throughout the entire time there I felt well informed, I got to make my own decisions and was supported the entire way. I appreciated the chance to push which was what I had wanted. I was open to the methods of pain control, I wasn't sure I would take anything or nothing.
I ended up taking all of the things - ha I was able to remain stubborn and breath through things for the most part but by the time we got to real labor I was over tired and up for literally days, that I was open to all the help I could get
So, now I'm pushing. For all I'm worth, trying my hardest to get this baby out. This takes time, rarely do people push three times and the baby is there. It happens, just not to me haha
So pushing and pushing and pushing, time goes by. Total time was about 3 hours. The midwife told me that the way I'm pushing should be resulting in a baby, we will have to consult the OB soon so I kept watching the clock and pushing for all I'm worth trying to get things moving before we have to bring the OB in. Midwife asked if I was getting tired? 3 hrs of pushing after all - I said no. Let's keep going
Well, its 5 am OB comes back to check things after the midwife and the nurse checked things. By check things I mean they have what feels like both hands inside of you while you're going through a contraction and you're pushing. fun times. The story I got was they could feel the babies head coming fwd but after I stopped pushing he would slip back. Not abnormal, but not great that he wasn't coming into the birth canal. OB comes in and assess things again, he works things for what feels like an enternity. I'm pushing for all I'm worth while he's trying to help the baby enter the birth canal. Holy balls. After that part he tells me that he thinks it would be best to do the C section. The baby hasn't moved down enough to help with forceps or with a vaccum. He tells me that there are things that he CAN do however, he thinks it will do more harm than good. Depending on how married I am to a natural birth. I said I don't need it that baldy I want both of us to be safe.
Tuesday morning approx 6am - we opt for C section, cut the oxytocin and call in the surgical team and we're off. Good thing, because now my epidural is also wearing off (yay)
In the OR they top up my epidural - the same anesthesiologist welcomed me back (she was nice ha) and now my legs are dead to me. Transferred to the surgical bed and put the sheet over me. I had to take off my bra (honeslty, I wasn't wearing much else ha) and remove all my jewelry now that I'm on the bed I am fighting to keep my eyes open. Hubby gets scrubbed in and joins me once they have the cover up. I smile at him and tell him we're about to meet our baby :)
Literally like 15 mins later, baby is here! Wow, so fast. Blake got to cut the cord and got to tell me -- it's a boy!
Blake and baby go off to recovery while the doctors stitched me up baby was officially born at 631 am and perfect :)
Just like that. We're parents. It's already been 4 weeks, hard to believe.
If you made it all the way through this post, I am impressed. This one was mostly for my own recount and I can look back on it later and relive the experience again. I was told that if I do have anymore babies I would likely need another C section. The words major abdominal surgery has been said to me several times. Knowing that I was so active during my pregnancy it's been stressed to me that I will feel better before I am better. I believe that to be true to a point. 4 wks post op now and feeling much better. I felt better after about 10 days. Lucky to not need much if any pain medication even after 4 days. It's still hard to roll out of bed and I can't really engage my core. My skin is still tender to the touch like a bruise or sore muscles. Hopefully that will also go away soon. I have my follow up with the OB at 7wks and hoping he will clear me to start doing more like maybe workout? or play softball? Or pick up something other than just our son? it's the little things haha
Tues April 16, 2019 at 631 am we welcomed our son. Ethan Raymond all 7lbs 10 ounces of him :)
Photos by belly baby and beyond
Website: https://www.bbandbphotography.com/
**there is dialogue that could be considered TMI to some, you have been warned
I had been told that everyones story is different and I didn't doubt this to be true but I was curious what others went through before my own journey into parenthood. They were right, my story is very much my own. Here we are 4+ wks later and I'm here for an update to recant the news
My husband and I welcomed a little boy on tues April 16, 2019
I finished work on April 2nd and then it was getting things ready, organizing the babies room and setting up the crib. I even re arranged my room when my husband was out of town (because he would never have let me move things on my own) haha
Friday April 12 I wake up overnight with .. cramps. I was told this could be the very earliest stages of things to come... as in maybe the next week? They were similar to period cramps, they woke me up several times throughout the night
Saturday April 13 - I start having tightness/contractions. They are mild, lasting anywhere from 15-45 seconds and about 20 mins apart. No biggie. I ended up going out to my sisters place and going for a big long walk with her and her pups. I did have to stop and my walking was very slow now. See- pregnancy waddle haha. As I previously mentioned I was lucky enough to be quite active throughout my pregnancy. My last day in the gym was Thurs April 11 (woot) So, walking slowly, the contractions have started to come closer together and lasting longer. No more 15 second shenanigans. Now, they're roughly 10-12 mins apart and at least 30-45 seconds each time. Ooh, maybe this baby will be coming before the weekend is over?
Saturday evening I spent with my hubby and some of his friends at my sisters house, I was uncomfortable and had not said anything to my husband about what was happening. He did notice that I looked uncomfortable and he also noticed that my stomach was starting to 'cone' which is what happens during contractions
I go home, hubby stays to hang (there were UFC fights). At home contractions start coming even close together and lasting longer and I'm trying my best to just breath through things. I have taken zero pain medication at this point. I opt for a bath. In said bath I reach out to gfs group chat and tell them whats going on, the bath helps but I'm starting to feel overwhelmed and I want my hubby to come home. I still haven't told him at this point. He comes home around midnight to find my crying in bed and when he asks whats wrong I tell him I think I'm in labor. He panics. Stress cleans the house (haha) Overnight they got closer and closer 4 mins apart! lasting a full minute each time
4am - we decide it's time to head to the hospital. One issue, I don't feel like I "should" in order to call the midwife, especially at 4am. Well, we do and tell her we're headed to the hospital. Feeling guilty on the drive there my contractions slow down while in the car (the prenatal class warned us about this) and I'm feeling more guilty. We arrive at the hospital and the midwife meets us there. She checks my dilation - 1 cm. Ugh. What? This is why I didn't feel the "right way" frustrating, feeling guilty about calling the midwife out of bed, but also relieved
Sunday - Midwife told me to take tylenol and gravol once I returned home, I did and managed about 2 hrs of sleep. Broken, because my contractions continued and woke me up roughly every 10 mins. I never would have thought that two hours of sleep would feel so darn good. Contractions continued all day and night. Lying down set them off, laying on my side set it off, going pee set them off. I literally sat up on the couch propped by pillows and tried to breath through the contractions
My husband stayed up majority of the time I was going through everything. He felt bad that I was going through everything and tried rubbing my back for me (which did help) I felt guilty because he was staying awake all night when he didn't have to IMO
Monday - We had an appt at the hospital I'm now 41 wks and they told me that they don't like to let ladies go to 42 wks because there's a risk of still birth - no thanks!
The trip to the hospital included a stress test, which is where they monitor the baby and make sure that he/she heart rate is good and responsive. My baby always was, each time he was monitored he passed with flying colors. Including this stress test. This test also monitored my contractions, which I had the entire test (1 hr) After that the midwife came in again to chat and I said that I was having a really hard time sleeping and wanted to know options. Dilation check - still 1cm (F**k) Pain control options include morphine and gravol injection - Cool. I'll be back for that bad boy this PM.
The midwife also discussed induction. I had read that being induced increases the need for C section so I was hoping to avoid that and try to let this baby come naturally. She said that was my choice, we opted to wait until weds and if the baby had not made an appearance by then we would do the induction. Induction does not guarantee a baby btw and even if I was desperate for it today it's likely I wouldn't have been able to.
Finally, midwife requested that I go for an ultrasound - just to make sure everything looks good. From the stress test and the way I looked / palpated etc things looked good but let's' just cross out T's and dot our I's. We have the ultrasound, at this point I'm moving really slowly, Blake ends up grabbing a wheel chair to get me around because I'm moving at a snails pace having to stop because I'm having contractions so close together. Plus, I've been up for over 2 days at this point and my appetite has been next to zero so I'm basically on empty at this point
Ultrasound comes back, midwife has people in her clinic that day and asks us to stay in the area (we live in a different town) just until the results come back, so we go to booster juice and I have a small smoothie and my husbands insistence. When we get back to the hospital, the triage nurse asks us if we were aware that we were staying. Um, no? Good thing we had our bags in the car already and the car seat set up!
Turns out - there was no measurable amniotic fluid anymore, not good. So, we get admitted. I text my parents and my sister and let them know whats going on. Not to worry, they don't think baby is coming anytime soon but I have to be monitored, will let them know
Monday afternoon - we got to the hospital for the stress test at 930 am, at 1 pm we get admitted and because I'm still not dilating past 1 cm (ok, seriously) the OB comes in and discusses what we're going to do next. I have to do another stress test, a labor test. This is where they strap the monitors back onto you and you get an IV of oxytocin to start a fake labor (still having contractions the entire time here) to see how the baby handles labor. Because I didn't have any (or much) fluid and it's dangerous for the baby without the lubricant to protect the baby etc
At this point, because the oxytocin was involved now the OB will be taking over my birth, the midwife stayed the entire time and helped quarter back everything which was fabulous
The OB checked things and informed me that I should not expect to have this baby tonight unless it's via C section. In fact, he said that it could be weds before the baby shows up, so get comfy
For the stress test to be successful, I had to have 3x 1min long contractions consistently in a 10 mins period, 3 times (aka 30 mins) I was told that normally it can take an hour minimum and the dose goes up to level 10 - yikes. I still haven't had any pain medication since the tylenol/advil cocktail I had early sunday.
Well, I reach the mandatory contraction amount after 35 mins (woop) and only had to get to level 4 (dbl woop) so we kill the oxytocin and I get to eat something and take a walk.
I had packed protein bars for my hubby and he insisted that I eat something so I did, I was allowed water but NO foods while oxy is running. We walked the unit I got my shot of morphine/gravol and lied down again. Midwife went over options at this point. There were two: go back on the oxytocin or use a supplement that you insert and it helps with dilation. The oxytocin is easier to cut off and its half life is shorter. I had passed the stress test with flying colors no issues with babies heart rate etc which was super.
I was checked again, 4 cm! OMG finally! that's an amount that you can be admitted for! that's labor!
OB/Midwife decided that Oxytocin was the way to go, so off we went! I had the morphine to work off of and oxytocin to keep things moving. Got up to 7cm after a ...while. Asked about epidural and I said yes please but she was in surgery and would be about an hour. I opted to wait so we cut the oxy again and tried to just breath through things until the anesthesiologist was available, plus my previous pain option was quickly running out. Offered gas I tried that and it helped me calm down but that was about it
Tuesday - early morning. Epidural is in, no it wasn't that bad, slowly get towards 10 cm. It's pushing time! I had two nurses throughout the day/night they were both so so so great. The first was more chatty with me and I really liked her. The second (night shift nurse) was soft spoken and a silent cheer squad. I would hear here talking to me calmly and reassuring. They were both fantastic.
I did not know that in labor you had a nurse by your side assigned to you until you gave birth - super cool.
When the OB had checked me, he made the comment that things were 'very tight' there were comments made about kegels and about how active I am (working out). The OB informed me that there is a chance that I will not be able to give birth naturally without help due to the small canal but, my choice was to try and he supported that
Throughout the entire time there I felt well informed, I got to make my own decisions and was supported the entire way. I appreciated the chance to push which was what I had wanted. I was open to the methods of pain control, I wasn't sure I would take anything or nothing.
I ended up taking all of the things - ha I was able to remain stubborn and breath through things for the most part but by the time we got to real labor I was over tired and up for literally days, that I was open to all the help I could get
So, now I'm pushing. For all I'm worth, trying my hardest to get this baby out. This takes time, rarely do people push three times and the baby is there. It happens, just not to me haha
So pushing and pushing and pushing, time goes by. Total time was about 3 hours. The midwife told me that the way I'm pushing should be resulting in a baby, we will have to consult the OB soon so I kept watching the clock and pushing for all I'm worth trying to get things moving before we have to bring the OB in. Midwife asked if I was getting tired? 3 hrs of pushing after all - I said no. Let's keep going
Well, its 5 am OB comes back to check things after the midwife and the nurse checked things. By check things I mean they have what feels like both hands inside of you while you're going through a contraction and you're pushing. fun times. The story I got was they could feel the babies head coming fwd but after I stopped pushing he would slip back. Not abnormal, but not great that he wasn't coming into the birth canal. OB comes in and assess things again, he works things for what feels like an enternity. I'm pushing for all I'm worth while he's trying to help the baby enter the birth canal. Holy balls. After that part he tells me that he thinks it would be best to do the C section. The baby hasn't moved down enough to help with forceps or with a vaccum. He tells me that there are things that he CAN do however, he thinks it will do more harm than good. Depending on how married I am to a natural birth. I said I don't need it that baldy I want both of us to be safe.
Tuesday morning approx 6am - we opt for C section, cut the oxytocin and call in the surgical team and we're off. Good thing, because now my epidural is also wearing off (yay)
In the OR they top up my epidural - the same anesthesiologist welcomed me back (she was nice ha) and now my legs are dead to me. Transferred to the surgical bed and put the sheet over me. I had to take off my bra (honeslty, I wasn't wearing much else ha) and remove all my jewelry now that I'm on the bed I am fighting to keep my eyes open. Hubby gets scrubbed in and joins me once they have the cover up. I smile at him and tell him we're about to meet our baby :)
Literally like 15 mins later, baby is here! Wow, so fast. Blake got to cut the cord and got to tell me -- it's a boy!
Blake and baby go off to recovery while the doctors stitched me up baby was officially born at 631 am and perfect :)
Just like that. We're parents. It's already been 4 weeks, hard to believe.
If you made it all the way through this post, I am impressed. This one was mostly for my own recount and I can look back on it later and relive the experience again. I was told that if I do have anymore babies I would likely need another C section. The words major abdominal surgery has been said to me several times. Knowing that I was so active during my pregnancy it's been stressed to me that I will feel better before I am better. I believe that to be true to a point. 4 wks post op now and feeling much better. I felt better after about 10 days. Lucky to not need much if any pain medication even after 4 days. It's still hard to roll out of bed and I can't really engage my core. My skin is still tender to the touch like a bruise or sore muscles. Hopefully that will also go away soon. I have my follow up with the OB at 7wks and hoping he will clear me to start doing more like maybe workout? or play softball? Or pick up something other than just our son? it's the little things haha
Tues April 16, 2019 at 631 am we welcomed our son. Ethan Raymond all 7lbs 10 ounces of him :)
Photos by belly baby and beyond
Website: https://www.bbandbphotography.com/
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