Saturday, September 8, 2012

The Birth Story

All births are a story. Here is my baby's birth story...

Fri Aug 17, 7:25am. Woke up starving. Went into kitchen and felt a little trickle come out. Thinking, dang my bladder must be really full! But realized it was a little bit of water. Yay, membranes have started to release, labor is imminent J all day my membranes kept slowly trickling out a little here, a little there. Hubby also had this unusual need to pee every 10min…sympathy water breaking?? I had him keep working on my acupressure points during the day to see if we could get them surges going cuz I knew that I had 24hrs on the clock before I’d need to have some antibiotics administered to keep infection at bay. I just relaxed all day. Laid down, watch Friends, played some cards and had hubby massage me feet. Then at about 9:30pm, I started to feel mild cramps and thought yay, labor is got to be starting now, right? Hard to say for sure as I’d been having them mild cramps for a couple weeks here and there. I didn’t want to get my hopes up. Then at 10:30pm they started picking up in frequency and intensity-yes, I’m finally in labor! We waited until they were 3mins apart and about 1min in length. Why, cuz I wasn’t interested in my baby’s birth becoming a medical event if arriving at the clinic too early.

We got to medi clinic at 11:45pm ish (not sure exactly). Went into labor room with nice midwife (Diane). She asked who our dr was. She then informed us that Michelle was away for the weekend and the on call dr is Johan. I was so upset. I said I didn’t want him, I don’t like him! That was about where hypno birthing ended for me as I totally lost my mental A game. I started to cry (all his hypno mom’s ended in cesar and we just don’t like him cuz he’s a jerk in wanting his own damn way). I wanted to go back home and just have the baby there. The irony of it all-the gynae we fired in April was the gynae who was going to deliver my precious child despite my best efforts. Went over the birth preferences with Diane but she was all this is a clinic and we have certain protocol and some of these things can’t and won’t be done. She also said that she had her babies with midwives and I should have hired someone if I wanted a birth like that. She was really nice about it though cuz she’s obviously supportive of natural birth but she was more warning me or preparing me for what will happen.

She checked me and I was 3cm dialated. I begged her not to call Johan until I was ready to push cuz then he wont make it in time and she could deliver my baby. She said she would get in big trouble. Then I said, we could just say it all happened too fast and we won’t tell him! She laughed. I really liked her. She left hubby and I to labor alone in peace. No IVs or anything hooked up to me other than that initial 20min baby heart read on arrival. When she left, my body moved along quickly. I really think it all had to do with the fact the Johan was going to be there. It’s like my body said “alright guys, we got a situation on our hands. Lets do this and let’s get er done quickly. Fire it up in top gear!”

My surges started to just roll on top of each other and got stronger with each one. Man it was so intense. My legs would shake uncontrollably before one came. They were so strong and fast, I had no time to regroup and do my breathing. I tried my best. It was intense. I made lots of noise. Couldn’t even help stop the noise-my way of getting thru each one I guess? I’m sure I sounded like a walrus at one point! So embarrassing now, but didn’t care then. See I thought “pain” would take a back seat to embarrassment…nope! The surges weren’t like a broken bone or burned skin pain. It was different. It was more of an incredible force of intensity than pain per se. It apparently made me quite strong cuz afterwards, hubby said he thought I was going to break the metal frame of the bed as I grasped on for leverage.

Then I had that need to push. Of course, not allowed cuz it would cause the cervix to swell which is not conducive to the baby coming out. Holy crap, that need to push is indescribable. I’d say it’s like a huge poo you want to shoot out but really that is incredibly not even close to the holy Hannah intensity desire force of nature to PUSH!! So, I channeled that and pushed with my lungs (my chest hurt afterwards and at first, I couldn’t quite realize why). Whoooo, they musta heard me a block away. That’s why you see some ladies yell during labor. Not cuz they’re in extreme pain (well, most might say they are)…but cuz it’s the only way to get thru that.

So I went from 3cm to 7cm in an hour and 20min. then from 7cm to 10cm (unfortunately Johan got there when I was 9.5…if only he had had a couple more red light enroute) in 15-20min. and finally, I got to push-yay! O, and it felt sooooooo good. Such a relief. Yes, to push out a baby feels good. Not like a sexy good or a Disney ride good or a massage good but more like a big poo out of me good. That little fart stayed posterior until the first push, then she turned. Little procrastinator. Then I got in trouble for not pushing “right” on the second one…they said I made too much noise and it channeled the force away. So on the third push, I got it right (according to the medical staff) and she shot out like slippery worm. There was no crowning of head, first shoulder, what what. It was was bingo bango out like trout. Ahhh. Baby on chest straight. And it was surreal. First thing I said was ‘thank you for coming out of me’ and welcome to earth. Possibly more dumb sitcom type comments but I don’t remember them all. O, I forgot to add that at 7cm, I cracked and asked for a shot of Pethidine to take the edge off cuz there was no way I could have totally got through “transition” without not pushing otherwise.

Hubby cut the cord and said I was really strong! Couldn’t believe how I shot her out. Diane was also really nice and said I was brave and a super star. Apparently, about 99% of the births there are cesar more because the women are so scared they don’t even try natural birth. If they do, they walk in the door begging for an epidural before any real surges set in. I had four stitches, laid for a bit with baby and husband. Then off for a shower and to my room. At first I had to share with a lady who had a ceasar the day before. But only for a few hours. I guess I was special cuz of the rare natural birth as the nurse moved that lady to a different room so I could have some privacy and more comfort? I got VIP treatment with the weekend staff. Monday staff, not so much but luckily I was out of there that evening.

Our baby girl is such a character and o so beautiful. Of course, we think she is but I say this as everyone else tells us she is beautiful so it must be true and not just blind parental love! She is strong, dang, she is strong. She loves to stretch her long legs way out and cross them at the ankle. She is so dang cute when alert after a full belly. Most times, she sleeps after a full belly but sometimes she is wide eyed and bushy tailed. I can’t get enough of her. We love skin to skin time. She sleeps beautifully when on me or in my arms. She is my precious little pumpkin and am loving every moment. I’m utterly and truly grateful that I was able to bear her with no problems and have a short natural birth without any problems. It is truly a miracle and I still can’t believe I did it and have a sweet baby for eternity out of it J Ps, hubby is the most amazing hands on daddy ever! Again, I’m truly blessed.