It's the Hasslers!

Heath’s Birth Story

Disclaimer: Birth is messy and graphic (even more so than what they show on movies/TV), so this post may not be for everyone. I left out a lot of the details, but I couldn’t leave it all out. However, I am an open book about my birth, so if you want to know more (especially my pregnant friends) feel free to ask.

“You could be here until Wednesday you know.” My doula had met us at the hospital for our induction and wanted me to have realistic expectations of how long this labor could take.

I couldn’t believe that we were there. I had tried everything to avoid an induction. I switched doctors to give me an extra week. I thought for sure he would come before the 41 weeks. After we had our non-stress test and set the induction date, I got REALLY serious about getting the baby out. My doula scraped my membranes twice, I took black and blue cohosh, and I used the breast pump to get my body to produce oxytocin. These things just resulted in a few contractions that would then taper off. I was also walking every day, eating spicy food, etc. I am proof that unless your body is ready, you CAN NOT start labor on your own. My doula even was convinced he may be in there forever.

Even though I didn’t want to be induced, I tried to have a positive attitude about it. We spent Sunday going to church, eating out, cleaning one last time, taking a long shower, etc. We decided to watch a movie that evening and decided that “What to Expect When You’re Expecting” would be an appropriate choice!

We checked in to the hospital at midnight. After hooking me up to the monitors and putting in an IV, they inserted a cervidil. Cervidil is like a tampon that softens your cervix (but does not cause contractions). When the nurse put it in I was dialated at a 1 ½ and about 50% effaced. The plan was to then sleep until around 8 am when they would remove the cervidil and start Pitocin. However, it was impossible to sleep. The baby was so low, that it was painful to lie on one side for too long. Each time I moved positions, the nurse had to come in and adjust the monitors. I was running her ragged and I only slept a little bit.

Then at 5am, it hit! Michael says that he woke up to a moaning noise. I was definitely feeling the contractions. They were relatively strong and started coming about every 3 minutes. It was getting harder and harder to stay in bed. I was so uncomfortable.

When I checked in to the hospital I had a printed a list of the top 5 things from my birth plan (that pertained to the hospital staff). My list included: walking around during labor, intermittent monitoring when possible, holding the baby as soon as he was born, laboring in any position that was comfortable, and not offering pain medication. This list was KEY. I had a couple of copies. The nurses put one in my chart and one on the monitoring stand. So each nurse that came in the room knew that we were doing a natural birth and what was important to me.

Sometime around 6:30 the nurses came in and checked me again, since I was in pain and having strong contractions. I was now at a 3. They took out the cervidil, since I had progresses so much and tried to set up my mobile monitor. They wanted to allow me to walk around, so that I didn’t have to stay in bed. I had to be monitored constantly because of the Cervidil. At first the wireless monitor wasn’t working, but after switching the units, they were able to get me up and going. Michael and I walked a loop around the L&D unit. I had to stop often to breathe through contractions. Michael was great to remind me to relax my body, breath, and focus on making it a little further.

When I got back to the room, I sat in the rocking chair. Sitting wasn’t the most comfortable, but it was more comfortable than the bed. Around 9 am, my midwife came in to check on me. I asked her to not start the Pitocin since the Cervidil had obviously started the labor. She agreed, but said if I didn’t keep progressing, she would want to start it later. I was so happy to not have the Pitocin. I was now medication free, so they allowed me to take off my monitors. I then only had to be monitored for 15 minutes each hour.

After the midwife left, a nurse came in who had had a natural birth. She suggested I get in the shower and labor there for a while. Oh, she was a life saver!!! I wasn’t having back labor (Heath was a good baby, and turned from his posterior position), but the hot water on my back was still amazing. Once I got in the shower, Michael called the doula to tell her how things had gone. She made her way to the hospital, even though I think she thought I wasn’t really that close.

I’m not sure where this goes in the order of events, but one of the worst parts of the labor was that the contractions made me really really nauseous. I remember saying that I just wanted to throw up, and I would feel better. Well, I did, and it didn’t really make me feel better. Eventually, I took a medicine to help with the nausea, but it only worked a little.

I got out of the shower and did more walking and sitting on the birth ball. I hated it any time I had to be monitored because I had to sit still(ish). But the nurses were really nice and kept telling me how great a job I was doing. I didn’t feel like I was doing a good job. During each contraction I kept thinking I couldn’t do it anymore. My contractions were never more than 5 minutes apart. I wasn’t getting a break, and I was exhausted. I had my eyes closed for almost the whole labor because I was so tired.

I didn’t want to be checked often, because I didn’t want to hear that I hadn’t progressed. Also, getting checked involved me lying on my back and it hurt! Eventually I was checked and they told me I was at a 6 (or maybe it was a 7) and 80% effaced. The nurses and doula told me it wouldn’t be long now. I then became obsessed with the clock and how long “not long” would be.

I got back in the shower and stayed there for another hour or so. They called the midwife and had her come to the hospital. I thought, “if they are calling the midwife, it has to be soon.” Around this time they also started heating the baby bed and getting things ready for him. These were all encouraging signs, we were going to have this baby!

However, I started to feel that it was taking a long time. I kept asking how much longer. I wanted to know in minutes and hours. I told them I couldn’t do this for several more hours, I wanted it to end NOW! I may or may not have accused my doula of lying to me about how quick this was going.

The midwife came in and listened to me labor through a few contractions. I started feeling the pressure to push, but for some reason no one really believed me. After a few minutes my midwife said she was going to go back to the office. (My thoughts) “WHAT?? I thought I was almost there…she can’t go back to the office. That means I have more than an hour left.” Ok, they weren’t just thoughts, I said this out loud to her. They asked me if I wanted her to break my water, and I said no. I wanted to keep with my minimal intervention plan. But she did check me.

She said, “Well there is a reason you want to push. It’s time to push.”

My response, “So you’re not going back to the office?”

“No, you win.” (This is about as humorous as labor gets.)

I was so happy in that moment. Then it was replaced with anxiety. I was afraid I would be one of those women who have to push for over an hour. I knew I just couldn’t take it. My doula reminded me to just concentrate on right now.

I got out of the bed and began pushing with the contractions. I would hold on to the side of the bed and squat down during a contraction. Michael would support one leg and my doula the other. At the end of the contraction I would stand back up and lean over the bed. This seemed to work pretty well and honestly pushes felt better than the pain contractions. I pushed like this for a while, until my midwife said she didn’t think she would be able to lie on her back and catch the baby. I knew I couldn’t push on my back in the traditional way, so my doula suggested the birthing bar.

Apparently they don’t use the bar often, because there was a big debate on how to put it in. Once they got it in, I crawled into the bed and got on my knees. I would lean into the bar during my pushes. After several more pushes I could feel him crowning. They asked if I wanted to touch him, but I knew I couldn’t move from my position. In between pushes I kept saying I wanted it to be over and that I couldn’t do it anymore. The nurses kept saying, “You ARE doing it!” I finally felt the ring of fire and out his head came, straight onto the bed, then the rest of him. Michael said he came out and opened his eyes right away, even before he cried.

After he was out, I was able to lay down and hold him. They cleaned him off, checked his Apgar, etc all while he was on my chest. It was a great distraction to what was going in other parts of my body. I had a very small tear and needed a little stitching. The doula said it was hardly noticeable. (Yay for not getting an episiotomy!) Eventually they had to take him away to weigh and measure him, but then gave him back to me. He wouldn’t leave my side until that night, which was the beginning of our rough patch. (More on that later.)

I could not have asked for a better labor and birth. When we went to the hospital I was disappointed that God had not answered my prayers to labor at home. However, he knew what he was doing and it turned out just as it needed to.

I cannot say enough about how great Michael, Michelle (my doula), Mary (my midwife), and the nurses of the hospital were. They worked really hard to allow me to birth the way I thought was best for my body and Heath. They never once asked me if I wanted medication and continued to encourage me all the way.

Now that it’s been almost 2 weeks, I have forgotten most of the pain. My recovery has been amazing and I’ve already lost 20 lbs. I have only taken Motrin for pain. I have been able to spend my time taking care of Heath and learning to be a mom.

It's 2 am and Heath and I are hanging out on the couch wide awake. I am starting to feel like I have a days and nights mixed up baby, or one that just doesn't sleep a lot. Since he was so late, I feel like I missed out on some newborn things.... like him sleeping all of the time.

However, I actually love this time. Sure I'm tired, but this is what I waited for. I wanted to be sleep deprived staying up at all hours in breast milk/pee stained clothes. I wanted to be half asleep and walking around the house in the middle of the night to console a crying little one. I love these things because they are proof that I'm a mom.

My parents are visiting and they are so nice to offer to stay up with him while I sleep (unless its feeding time), I just can't give this time up. Now in a few months, I may happily take them up on the offer, but right now I am enjoying learning to be a mom. (Instead they are helping by cooking, cleaning, etc)

Everyone says that I need to enjoy this time because it goes quickly. I definitely believe that. Heath is already 11 days old and I feel like I just had him yesterday, so I'm trying to enjoy and soak up every little moment. Every little 2 am moment.