Motherhood Musings: Birth Story bébé numéro 3...
So, it's official. We are a family of 5 (10 if you count the dog,
cat, goldfish, and two hermit crabs). I welcomed a daughter in
October, so she's just over 3 months old. Man. Did that go-fast.
Leading up to her birth I wondered. Would it be like the others? How
big would she be? My older daughter was 8lbs, 11oz and my son was
9lbs, 3oz. I gained the least amount of weigh this pregnancy. I felt
the best. So, I was curious, as many pregnant are when they are
waiting for their babe to arrive, would this be similar?
Polar opposite experience.
To explain how different it was, I'll give you the short version of my
first two deliveries. Both were planned inductions due to increasing
numbers and fear of preeclampsia. My daughter's induction started 2
days after her due date and my son's started the day before his due
date. So, both times I packed. I arrived at the hospital. I checked
in. I took a 'last belly' pic. I started some meds. I lay in the bed.
I chatted with the nurses. I chatted with my husband. We hung out.
When I thought the pain was unbearable, I got an epidural. With my
oldest daughter I pushed for about an hour. With my son I pushed a few
times (I thought he was quick!)
So here I was going to my weekly check ups. All my numbers were good.
I felt good. Do I dare say I looked good? Ha. So my doctor said,
let's wait. Let's see if your body can do this. As anxious as I was, I
agreed. The anticipation was intense. Every movement had me wondering
- is this it? Am I in labor? Nothing. Now I'm getting larger. More
uncomfortable. So I went to my 40 week, 5 day check up. An induction
was scheduled for the next day. Finally! A plan was made. I love
plans.
'Eat a good dinner!' my doctor said. With my parent’s home with
the big kids, my husband and I hit a steakhouse. An iron and protein
rich meal. I'd need the energy come morning. The whole meal I felt
weird. I ate some steak and we headed home. I continued to feel weird.
I packed my bag. Laid out clothes for the big kids for the next day.
Tried to relax. I had downloaded a contraction app and tried to time
my 'weird' feelings. (But I had been doing this every night for two
weeks convinced I was going into labor at any moment.) I was able to
time a few regular pains that I assumed were contractions. They were
getting closer, but shorter. It was about 10:30. I told my husband -
let's call the doctor. Better to call now than in the middle of the
night. My doctor reminded me that they needed to get closer and
longer. He advised me to get some rest for my busy morning. My husband
was watching sports and my daughter had passed out in our bed. So I
headed to her room so I could lay still and try to 'read' my body. I
had some cramp like pains, but it wasn't too bad.
12:15am my water broke. I jumped out of bed and woke my husband. He
wanted to shower. I told him, sure! He turned the shower on and
grabbed clean clothes and within that minute I changed my mind because
all of the sudden the pain was much stronger. We need to leave. Leave
now. I grabbed a towel and my stuff and I somehow made it outside to
wait for the cab. I couldn't even stand.
Here is where it goes nutty. You know how when you are pregnant and
almost every thing you read or every person that you talk to tells you
'it's not like the movies!' It is calm. No craziness. No drama.
Well..... it was crazy. I was screaming. In less than 20 minutes it
went from mild cramping to oh-my-god-this-hurts-so-bad. We arrived at
the hospital. I was in the middle of a contraction and couldn't even
get out of the car. It ended, and I slid out. I approached the door,
had another contraction and screamed. Security guards came running
with a wheel chair and zoomed me to the elevators where one was
waiting. We get off the elevator and the nurses asked me, 'what
number baby is this?' I say '3' and they rush me into an exam room.
Again, in the middle of a contraction I cannot get into the bed and
beg for them to exam me while I stood there, hunched over the bed.
They promised to wait. It ended and I climbed onto the exam table. I
hear the nurse call out, 'she's already 8cm' and I thought - what?!?
All of the delivery rooms were full, so they rushed me to an OR. No
time for an epidural, my doctor hadn't even arrived yet, but I wanted
to push. I looked at the clock, it was 1:14am.... almost an hour
after my water broke. I held a nurses hand and started to push. I
saw stars. I screamed. But I know so many women who have done drug
free births..... I could do it. The nurse whispered to me - 'the
faster you push, the sooner it is over’... so true! So many
thoughts ran through my head. I had no idea where my husband was. I
knew he was there, but I quickly though back to my other deliveries
where we hung out and he was right there next to me. The room felt
crowded, but my eyes were closed tight. I heard my doctor arrive. I
pushed a few more times, and done - it was over, she was here! I
heard them call out 1:28.... so only 14 minutes after arriving in the
room she came. On one hand it felt like it had been hours, and on the
other hand it felt even less than the 14 minutes that it was. A few
moments later I held my baby girl. She was 8lbs, 5oz. My smallest at birth baby. She latched and my husband and I admired her. No 'last belly pics'. No chatting with the nurses. No drugs.
Yet...the end result was the same, a baby in my arms and a reminder... one may plan or visualize how they see labor however I was reminded the first lesson of being a parent is that planning is a fools game.
Post by Erica Young
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