Madeline's birth story
Exactly 15 days ago, I woke up around 7am feeling a little crampy. It wasn't painful, and it was very faint. But I remember wondering if today would be "the day". I told Ryan about it and he didn't say anything much because for the past several days I'd had false alarms, and obviously since this was my first child, I had no clue what going into labor would really feel like.
But on this day, since I had what we figured would be my last midwife follow up before Madeline's due date on July 3rd, Ryan took the day off work (ahhhh, thank the LORD!) to accompany me to the appointment. We went to lunch at a Mediterranean place around noon, and I started feeling uncomfortable, but still believed they were only false contractions. Just a tightening in my stomach that came and went. At my appointment, the midwife checked my cervix and it was up to 5 cm from 4cm at the previous week's appointment. I told her about a bloody show and more frequent "false" contractions and she said, "I think you're having this baby tonight!". Ryan and I looked at each other like, "what?!" But really, we shouldn't have been shocked since we were within 2 days of baby's estimated due date. I'm so thankful I was very close to full term (39 weeks, 5 days).
Pat, my midwife, said to call them if my contractions were 7-10 minutes apart. At that point they were only 20-25 minutes apart so I didn't believe I'd be calling them anytime soon. Ha.
As we drove the 15 minutes back to our house, I started getting stronger and more frequent contractions, and every time I mentioned them, Ryan noted, "ummm, those seem to be a lot more close together than 7-10 minutes...are you sure you're not in labor?" Um, yeah. We arrived home, and I started timing them with this contraction app I had on my phone. I had to take a double take when I realized my contractions were now 3-5 minutes apart! Things were happening SO fast. Of course, I STILL didn't believe I could be in labor this quickly, so I tried to wait it out. Finally, I was so uncomfortable I went out to the backyard where Ryan was mowing the lawn and told him. how close my contractions were and he yelled, " Well why didn't you tell me?! Call the midwives!!"
I called Pat and told her what was happening and she said to get to the hospital within an hour and she would notify Emily, another midwife who was on call that day.
Ryan and I grabbed our packed bags, jumped in the car and made the 25 minute drive to OSU Medical Center. While we were waiting to get checked in, I reeaalllly started feeling the contractions that you hear about. And even though I insisted on an all-natural birth, at that moment I realized why so many women opt for the epidural, haha! There was a painfully long wait as there was a sign up sheet for check in. I hated to labor in front of a bunch of strangers in the waiting area, so I paced around behind a wall trying to just bear the pain. At one point, I was on the floor grimacing while doctors and residents walked by...I'm sure it was a typical scene for them.
Finally, they called my name and got me checked into triage. A nurse checked me out to make sure I was, indeed, in labor. Sure enough, I was, and at this point, I was asking everyone who walked into the exam room to "tell me again about that epidural". But when Ryan asked me if I seriously wanted it, I said, "I guess not". I did ask for Nubain, which my midwife said would take the edge off of contractions. I had to wait for the anasthesiologist to approve it, which took awhile. Finally, when they did administer it, I was disappointed to find out that it really did NOT take the edge off (maybe only for 2 seconds) and it wore off by the time they wheeled me into a delivery room (which also took awhile since that night was a busy night for them and there were no delivery rooms available right away).
This was all happening around 3-4pm. I had had my midwife check up at noon. Once in delivery and labor, it was probably around 6pm (I'm guessing), and I was pacing all around the room, laboring in the bathroom (which did feel better since I was feeling intense pressure 'down there' like I had to take the hugest bowel movement of my life!), over the bed, on my hands and knees. But nothing really was giving me relief. I finally said to everyone, "I just can't do this anymore, I don't know how I'm going to make it" and Emily asked, "Do you want me to check you again and see where we're at?". I did, and she did...and said, "You are 9 1/2 cm!!! You can keep laboring until your water breaks if you want....or we can break them for you right now and get this thing over with!"
I think I asked, "Will it hurt even more if you break my water?" and she said yes, but I'd be able to start pushing which really would give me the only relief possible.
The contractions were just so unbearable that I just said, "do it". I got on the bed, they broke my waters and immediately had me turn over on my hands and knees and Emily said to start pushing really hard when I felt the next contraction coming on. I think I pushed 3 or 4 intense pushes, with each one accompanied by an animalistic sound I never thought could come out of me. It wasn't really screaming like you see in the movies...more like growling and bearing down. This really was harder than anything I'd ever done, but I can see how making certain noises can help with physical actions. I think I did feel the "ring of fire" I'd read so much about, but I don't remember being too bothered by that as much as by the contractions and just wanting the baby out at all costs so I could be done with them. With the 3rd push, I heard the midwife and Ryan say, "I can see her head!! Keep pushing!" and with the 4th, she came out in one slippery "whooosh" Ahhhhh, instant relief!!
They kept Maddie on the bed and said, "Look at your baby!" I got back onto my back and saw my baby for the first time and was still in shock that everything just happened, and happened fast. For the past 9-10 months I'd felt this human inside of me but couldn't see her...could only imagine her. And she was finally here in front of me. She was perfect.
They cleaned her up a bit and gave her right back for skin-to-skin time. I tried to breastfeed her and thought it was successful (in the following days, I'll have learned that this wasn't the case). In the meantime, we were all waiting for my placenta to come out. And it didn't. My midwife looked concerned for the first time and I said, "You look worried...what's wrong?". Apparently I had a retained placenta. It was buried way in there and would NOT come out. Not good. I was at risk for hemorrhaging. So they took Maddie away while what seemed like 10 people, doctors and nurses rushed in to take care of it. My midwife looked at me and said, "Okay. Your placenta does not want to come out, so I'm going to have to go in there and get it.". Something about her tone made me ask, "Is it going to hurt?" (asks the lady who just gave birth with no drugs, lol) and she made a face, "Pooosssibly" Me: "Um, more than the delivery?" Midwife, "Probably". Oh, great.
Yikes. It was worse than everything that preceded it. And they still didn't get it on the first try. So an OB had to come in and do the same thing. Four times they went in to scrape my placenta out. Finally, they got it.
Because the pushing was so intense and fast, I really don't remember experiencing a ton of pain, but I had acquired a 2nd degree tear which didn't require stiches. Of course, 2 weeks later, I'm still recovering from all of that. I'd say that the post partum stage is my least favorite, only because at the same time, you have to also take care of a newborn 24/7. So on top of all the aches and pains, I've lost a lot of sleep. I know it will pass, though.
There are some other things I need to write about, but Maddie's fussing right now, and I need to get ready to go out with my parents for lunch (they've been staying with us for the past 2 weeks helping out and it has been invaluable). No more free time with a baby :(. But I love it, and I love her so much. Wouldn't have it any other way.
But on this day, since I had what we figured would be my last midwife follow up before Madeline's due date on July 3rd, Ryan took the day off work (ahhhh, thank the LORD!) to accompany me to the appointment. We went to lunch at a Mediterranean place around noon, and I started feeling uncomfortable, but still believed they were only false contractions. Just a tightening in my stomach that came and went. At my appointment, the midwife checked my cervix and it was up to 5 cm from 4cm at the previous week's appointment. I told her about a bloody show and more frequent "false" contractions and she said, "I think you're having this baby tonight!". Ryan and I looked at each other like, "what?!" But really, we shouldn't have been shocked since we were within 2 days of baby's estimated due date. I'm so thankful I was very close to full term (39 weeks, 5 days).
Pat, my midwife, said to call them if my contractions were 7-10 minutes apart. At that point they were only 20-25 minutes apart so I didn't believe I'd be calling them anytime soon. Ha.
As we drove the 15 minutes back to our house, I started getting stronger and more frequent contractions, and every time I mentioned them, Ryan noted, "ummm, those seem to be a lot more close together than 7-10 minutes...are you sure you're not in labor?" Um, yeah. We arrived home, and I started timing them with this contraction app I had on my phone. I had to take a double take when I realized my contractions were now 3-5 minutes apart! Things were happening SO fast. Of course, I STILL didn't believe I could be in labor this quickly, so I tried to wait it out. Finally, I was so uncomfortable I went out to the backyard where Ryan was mowing the lawn and told him. how close my contractions were and he yelled, " Well why didn't you tell me?! Call the midwives!!"
I called Pat and told her what was happening and she said to get to the hospital within an hour and she would notify Emily, another midwife who was on call that day.
Ryan and I grabbed our packed bags, jumped in the car and made the 25 minute drive to OSU Medical Center. While we were waiting to get checked in, I reeaalllly started feeling the contractions that you hear about. And even though I insisted on an all-natural birth, at that moment I realized why so many women opt for the epidural, haha! There was a painfully long wait as there was a sign up sheet for check in. I hated to labor in front of a bunch of strangers in the waiting area, so I paced around behind a wall trying to just bear the pain. At one point, I was on the floor grimacing while doctors and residents walked by...I'm sure it was a typical scene for them.
Finally, they called my name and got me checked into triage. A nurse checked me out to make sure I was, indeed, in labor. Sure enough, I was, and at this point, I was asking everyone who walked into the exam room to "tell me again about that epidural". But when Ryan asked me if I seriously wanted it, I said, "I guess not". I did ask for Nubain, which my midwife said would take the edge off of contractions. I had to wait for the anasthesiologist to approve it, which took awhile. Finally, when they did administer it, I was disappointed to find out that it really did NOT take the edge off (maybe only for 2 seconds) and it wore off by the time they wheeled me into a delivery room (which also took awhile since that night was a busy night for them and there were no delivery rooms available right away).
This was all happening around 3-4pm. I had had my midwife check up at noon. Once in delivery and labor, it was probably around 6pm (I'm guessing), and I was pacing all around the room, laboring in the bathroom (which did feel better since I was feeling intense pressure 'down there' like I had to take the hugest bowel movement of my life!), over the bed, on my hands and knees. But nothing really was giving me relief. I finally said to everyone, "I just can't do this anymore, I don't know how I'm going to make it" and Emily asked, "Do you want me to check you again and see where we're at?". I did, and she did...and said, "You are 9 1/2 cm!!! You can keep laboring until your water breaks if you want....or we can break them for you right now and get this thing over with!"
I think I asked, "Will it hurt even more if you break my water?" and she said yes, but I'd be able to start pushing which really would give me the only relief possible.
The contractions were just so unbearable that I just said, "do it". I got on the bed, they broke my waters and immediately had me turn over on my hands and knees and Emily said to start pushing really hard when I felt the next contraction coming on. I think I pushed 3 or 4 intense pushes, with each one accompanied by an animalistic sound I never thought could come out of me. It wasn't really screaming like you see in the movies...more like growling and bearing down. This really was harder than anything I'd ever done, but I can see how making certain noises can help with physical actions. I think I did feel the "ring of fire" I'd read so much about, but I don't remember being too bothered by that as much as by the contractions and just wanting the baby out at all costs so I could be done with them. With the 3rd push, I heard the midwife and Ryan say, "I can see her head!! Keep pushing!" and with the 4th, she came out in one slippery "whooosh" Ahhhhh, instant relief!!
They kept Maddie on the bed and said, "Look at your baby!" I got back onto my back and saw my baby for the first time and was still in shock that everything just happened, and happened fast. For the past 9-10 months I'd felt this human inside of me but couldn't see her...could only imagine her. And she was finally here in front of me. She was perfect.
They cleaned her up a bit and gave her right back for skin-to-skin time. I tried to breastfeed her and thought it was successful (in the following days, I'll have learned that this wasn't the case). In the meantime, we were all waiting for my placenta to come out. And it didn't. My midwife looked concerned for the first time and I said, "You look worried...what's wrong?". Apparently I had a retained placenta. It was buried way in there and would NOT come out. Not good. I was at risk for hemorrhaging. So they took Maddie away while what seemed like 10 people, doctors and nurses rushed in to take care of it. My midwife looked at me and said, "Okay. Your placenta does not want to come out, so I'm going to have to go in there and get it.". Something about her tone made me ask, "Is it going to hurt?" (asks the lady who just gave birth with no drugs, lol) and she made a face, "Pooosssibly" Me: "Um, more than the delivery?" Midwife, "Probably". Oh, great.
Yikes. It was worse than everything that preceded it. And they still didn't get it on the first try. So an OB had to come in and do the same thing. Four times they went in to scrape my placenta out. Finally, they got it.
Because the pushing was so intense and fast, I really don't remember experiencing a ton of pain, but I had acquired a 2nd degree tear which didn't require stiches. Of course, 2 weeks later, I'm still recovering from all of that. I'd say that the post partum stage is my least favorite, only because at the same time, you have to also take care of a newborn 24/7. So on top of all the aches and pains, I've lost a lot of sleep. I know it will pass, though.
There are some other things I need to write about, but Maddie's fussing right now, and I need to get ready to go out with my parents for lunch (they've been staying with us for the past 2 weeks helping out and it has been invaluable). No more free time with a baby :(. But I love it, and I love her so much. Wouldn't have it any other way.
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