Birth Story

So I never wrote down my birth story with Boston and I thought I should probably do that.  I think I was too traumatized out of labor to even think about it.  :)  However I am grateful I took and posted tons of pictures!  This may be the slightly watered down version of my labor story given that it's been a couple months and when I walked out of the Hospital I felt like I had been a POW being tortured all night.  A little dramatic? Maybe, but I really did feel that way.  Now, I haven't forgotten any of the details, but somehow they just don't seem quite as bad.  I actually think I can do it again some day!


So, going into labor I felt like I was uber prepared!  I had read every book there was to read, took two series of classes (eight in total), talked to every person that had, knew of, or was going to have a baby and I felt like I was ready!  I wanted to attempt a natural childbirth, but I wasn't completely sold, so I was leaving my options open.

Dane and I went into our 38 week appointment and had to get an Ultrasound because once again I was measuring small.  It turns out my fluids were extremely low.  Your fluids can measure all the way up to 25.  Measuring 5-8 is cause for concern and mine were at a 3.   So my doctor walked in the room after we got the results of the Ultrasound and told us that our baby was just fine, but we needed to keep him that way, and that meant delivering today!  We asked her a few questions and asked if it was really necessary to induce me (I really didn't want an induction for no reason) and she said, "absolutely".  So, we had no choice, we were having a baby that day!

We were actually really excited and maybe a little nervous, but mostly just really excited.  We called a few friends and some family, ate a quick lunch (not sure I actually put any of the food I made in my mouth though...I was so excited).  We vacuumed.  Dane did the dishes and I gathered my bag and my checklist of everything to bring. Before we left, we said a prayer, cried a little and Dane gave me a blessing.  Then we headed for the Hospital.  We brought a HUGE pile of stuff with us (kinda funny looking back).  I had been planning for months all of the things that I would want to have with us, so we packed food, pillows, clothes, music, laptop, DVD's, books, etc... We even stopped off at Rite aid to get Dane a Mountain Dew.  We couldn't help ourselves and told like 3 people in the store, "we're on our way to have our baby".

We arrived at the Hospital around 4 in the afternoon.  They checked us in and got me hooked up to the monitor and antibiotics because I tested positive for group B strep.  I think when I went in I was only like 40% effaced and not dilated, but I was having contractions from the moment they hooked me to the monitors.  I couldn't feel the contractions at all and had no idea I was having them, but they were happening about every 7 minutes. They gave me a light dinner and then they started a  soft induction by giving me a pill.  So far so good.  I was glad they weren't starting me on pitocin. I was hoping things would go quick because I was really claustrophobic and had a hard timing being confined to my bed.

It took 12 hours until labor started, but I did start on my own (without pitocin which was great).  The first 12 hours of not being in labor (not real labor anyway) were some of the worst.  They couldn't get a vain in my arm so they used my hand.  The Iv swelled my hand and made it too sore to move.  When they shot medicine in my IV my arm would burn like it was on fire.  They switched hands but I had the same problem with the other hand and I couldn't get up too much because they wanted me monitored the whole time.  At 4 in the morning I got up to go to the bathroom and my water broke!  I was excited because in my birthing class they said my water wouldn't likely break on it's own and I always wanted to know what that would feel like.  Needless to say I quickly got over the excitement when it felt like I was peeing myself all night long.  A little while after my water broke they checked me and I was at a two.  I could feel the contractions now.  I went a little longer and I was at a four.  I could feel the contractions even more, but they were still not bad enough for me to not be interested in them.  I thought, "wow this is what it feels like" every time I had one. 

They asked me at this point if I wanted an epidural and I wasn't sure.  I asked them if the pain would get much worse because at this point it was totally manageable and on the monitor my contractions were peaking at the very top.  The nurses said, " Don't pay any attention to the monitor...yes...it will get worse".  I think they were refraining from laughing at me.  So I opted for the epidural.  Plus they told me after the epidural they could give me a sleeping pill and I could just sleep through most my labor.

"How Wonderful!" I thought.  So they gave me the epidural and it was awful.  They kept getting too far to the left, or right and said that my spine was really tight or something, so it was hard to find the right spot.  Anyway, they had to poke me in four different places I think about a hundred times and it took around 45 minutes to get the dang thing in.  I just stared at Dane the whole time and he tried to not look at the needle.  Once the epidural kicked in I said to Dane, "ahh....I'm in Heaven...go take a nap".  We were both so excited to finally get some sleep.   They gave me my sleeping pill.  I turned on a movie and then I dozed off.  About 30 minutes later I woke up telling Dane I felt nauseous but before he could grab anything I was throwing up.  I couldn't stop throwing up for the rest of labor on and off (but mostly on).  Then I started getting the shakes (apparently that can happen with an epidural).  I couldn't stop shaking for what felt like hours, but it was probably not that long.  Then I realized that the pain of the contractions hadn't left on my left side.  I asked why I could feel the pain there and they told me that It must be a hot spot.  Sometimes the epidural won't hit everywhere.  They gave me some medicine through the IV to help the pain in the hot spot.  For whatever reason, once they put me on that medicine I felt like I couldn't swallow.  I was freaking out and crying and telling Dane over and over, "I can't swallow!".  Of course, I was swallowing, but for some reason I thought I couldn't.  The medicine wore off and i could swallow again, but i could still feel the contractions on my left side.  They told me i could just up the dose on my epidural, but I was to freaked out about not feeling my legs so i just left it alone.

Finally i was at a 9 and after a long night of praying, crying, and completely relying on Dane to stay sane I told the nurse "this baby has to get here now".  So she gave me a little pitocin and i was ready to start pushing.  Before they told me I was ready I was worried i would have no energy to push, but once I was given the go I was so pumped!  I could not wait to finally do something!  I pushed for an hour and loved every minute of it.  My epidural had worn off enough so that i could feel my legs and feel when the contractions were happening.  This was great.  Pushing was surprisingly the calmest, best part of labor for me.  We had church music playing and me, Dane and the nurses would just have quiet conversation between contractions. And then...just like that...

Boston was born!  They laid him right on my chest and I kissed him and bawled and Dane was bawling and one of the nurses was crying (which is kinda funny cause she was such a tough lady) and we welcomed our little boy into the world.


To sum up.  Most of labor was not what I expected and fairly awful.  Contractions (because I didn't get very far) were not bad at all...so next time I will let myself get further before an epidural.  Medicines were not fun at all, but pushing was awesome.  And nothing tops the moment they placed Bosty on my chest.  I have never felt anything like that and for Dane too it was the highlight of our lives thus far.  We asked each other if it topped kneeling at the alter and we decided it just added to that whole experience.   So glad Bosty is here.  So glad that even though I remember every detail of labor I can look back and think..."ya, I could probably do that a few more times".  Not that I want to, but as bad as all of that was for me, Boston is just so so much better and he is so worth it that my 24 hours in the Hospital don't seem so bad.


Well there's the story!