Baby Girl's Almost Natural Birth Story
I had always known that I wanted to have my kids naturally, meaning no epidural. For one reason, I hate needles, but the more I read about epidurals, the more I did not want a catheter or have the numbness for such an extended period after delivery. I had also had several friends that had issues with their epidural, but then there were just as many that had success. Some close friends of ours that was due exactly 7 weeks before I had decided to use a doula, a birthing coach, during delivery. We discussed it and decided it was something we wanted too. We met with her 3, maybe 4 times before delivery. It was great prep work in understanding what we wanted out of the birthing experience and what to expect, such as handling pain and when to make the decision to use pain medications. I think it really helped my husband too in being more prepared about the intensity of the situation. I told my co-workers on Wednesday, January 11 that if it snowed that night, because it was in the forecast, that I would not be in the next day. My job was half an hour from my home and our hospital and I was 39 weeks 3 days. They joked that I would probably be in labor the next day since the snowstorm was coming. I laughed at them. I went to church group that night after work and drove through Dairy Queen and had a snickers blizzard (survival mode I tell ya) and went home. I felt like it was any other day. I had also had a doctors appointment that day and was still only dilated to 1 cm and maybe 50-75% effaced.
My water broke at 1:30 am on Thursday, January 12th, right after it started snowing (and right after my husband had come to bed; he was catching up on work.). Hmm, guess the guys were right. I was not in any pain and we made it to the hospital around 3 am with snow falling fairly steady. I was not contracting and I was not dilating. I tried a few natural methods to start contractions, and they did start to become somewhat regular, but still not hard enough to dilate past 3 cm. It was discouraging and stressful. The nurse was pushing pitocin and an epidural; she meant well, but it just was not what I was comfortable with at that time. My blood sugar was not holding steady and of course you cannot eat during labor in the hospital. I alternated Popsicles and chicken broth every half hour for the majority of the labor. I asked my husband if the broth had protein and he said yes, but he lied. He told me after delivery there was zero protein in that broth, but that lie certainly helped me at the time. Mind over matter, right?
By around 4-5 pm on Thursday, the 12th, my doctor had to leave and it was none other than Dr. T on call that night, the doctor that confirmed my PCOS and given me the advice of the paleo diet. Even though I wanted to have an all natural birth, he recommended pitocin to try to avoid a c-section. I figured, if Dr. T says it's time to intervene then it probably is. I believe pitocin was started somewhere around 6 pm. They were able to keep the dose low (apparently there is a 2, 4 and 6 setting and most people need the 6, but I only went to 4 - whatever the units are I am unsure, this is all we remember). At this point, I was exhausted, hungry and a little scared. But I was dilating and that is what mattered. Around 7/8 pm I asked for IV pain medications. I wanted to make sure I had enough strength to get through pushing.
I was able to labor in almost any position I wanted. I had Group B Strep so I was attached to an IV every four hours to receive the antibiotics, but I had a great deal of mobility in my room. Once the pitocin was started and the contractions were about a minute apart, I was the most comfortable in bed. I remember being in pain, but looking back, it did not seem that bad. I remember praying a lot and just knowing the end result would be so worth it. My doula was there, but she was seven months pregnant at the time and was having some pain herself. My husband, on the other hand, was AMAZING! He was there the entire time holding my hand, rubbing my back, making the broth and offering encouragement and positive support. One thing I do remember is him being there and making me feel like it was all going to be ok.
They turned the IV pain meds off around 11 pm and at some point the pitocin was turned off too and I was contracting on my own. I started pushing at 11:30, which honestly was the BEST part. For me, (all women have different experiences) pushing was a relief from the pain of contractions. Without an epidural, I felt everything, which meant I felt the incredible urge to push even when the doctors said to wait. I only pushed a few times even though it took almost half an hour. Although at some point, the doctor had to untangle the cord from her, they called it double vested. It was not around her neck, but across her chest.
At 12:01 am on Friday, January 13th, Dr. T delivered our amazing baby girl. He was truly heaven sent that night. He talked me through every aspect during delivery, from the episiotomy to letting my husband cut the umbilical cord. It was such a high when they laid her on my chest. From the beginning, she was lifting her head, wide eyed and alert, and she hasn't stopped since. I had an amazing experience and would not have changed a single thing. I believe everything happens for a reason and I am truly thankful for a safe delivery and healthy baby. Thanks for letting me share my story with you. I had just read Ina May's Guide to Natural Childbirth on the night my water broke. It was such as great reminder of why I wanted to go natural and to focus on the end goal.
My water broke at 1:30 am on Thursday, January 12th, right after it started snowing (and right after my husband had come to bed; he was catching up on work.). Hmm, guess the guys were right. I was not in any pain and we made it to the hospital around 3 am with snow falling fairly steady. I was not contracting and I was not dilating. I tried a few natural methods to start contractions, and they did start to become somewhat regular, but still not hard enough to dilate past 3 cm. It was discouraging and stressful. The nurse was pushing pitocin and an epidural; she meant well, but it just was not what I was comfortable with at that time. My blood sugar was not holding steady and of course you cannot eat during labor in the hospital. I alternated Popsicles and chicken broth every half hour for the majority of the labor. I asked my husband if the broth had protein and he said yes, but he lied. He told me after delivery there was zero protein in that broth, but that lie certainly helped me at the time. Mind over matter, right?
By around 4-5 pm on Thursday, the 12th, my doctor had to leave and it was none other than Dr. T on call that night, the doctor that confirmed my PCOS and given me the advice of the paleo diet. Even though I wanted to have an all natural birth, he recommended pitocin to try to avoid a c-section. I figured, if Dr. T says it's time to intervene then it probably is. I believe pitocin was started somewhere around 6 pm. They were able to keep the dose low (apparently there is a 2, 4 and 6 setting and most people need the 6, but I only went to 4 - whatever the units are I am unsure, this is all we remember). At this point, I was exhausted, hungry and a little scared. But I was dilating and that is what mattered. Around 7/8 pm I asked for IV pain medications. I wanted to make sure I had enough strength to get through pushing.
I was able to labor in almost any position I wanted. I had Group B Strep so I was attached to an IV every four hours to receive the antibiotics, but I had a great deal of mobility in my room. Once the pitocin was started and the contractions were about a minute apart, I was the most comfortable in bed. I remember being in pain, but looking back, it did not seem that bad. I remember praying a lot and just knowing the end result would be so worth it. My doula was there, but she was seven months pregnant at the time and was having some pain herself. My husband, on the other hand, was AMAZING! He was there the entire time holding my hand, rubbing my back, making the broth and offering encouragement and positive support. One thing I do remember is him being there and making me feel like it was all going to be ok.
They turned the IV pain meds off around 11 pm and at some point the pitocin was turned off too and I was contracting on my own. I started pushing at 11:30, which honestly was the BEST part. For me, (all women have different experiences) pushing was a relief from the pain of contractions. Without an epidural, I felt everything, which meant I felt the incredible urge to push even when the doctors said to wait. I only pushed a few times even though it took almost half an hour. Although at some point, the doctor had to untangle the cord from her, they called it double vested. It was not around her neck, but across her chest.
At 12:01 am on Friday, January 13th, Dr. T delivered our amazing baby girl. He was truly heaven sent that night. He talked me through every aspect during delivery, from the episiotomy to letting my husband cut the umbilical cord. It was such a high when they laid her on my chest. From the beginning, she was lifting her head, wide eyed and alert, and she hasn't stopped since. I had an amazing experience and would not have changed a single thing. I believe everything happens for a reason and I am truly thankful for a safe delivery and healthy baby. Thanks for letting me share my story with you. I had just read Ina May's Guide to Natural Childbirth on the night my water broke. It was such as great reminder of why I wanted to go natural and to focus on the end goal.
