Sebastian's Birth Story
Aug 13, 2015 19:33:09 GMT -5
Post by stuntmanmillie on Aug 13, 2015 19:33:09 GMT -5
A little back story- I was on bed rest for 6 weeks. At the start of labor, I was already 50% effaced and 1 cm dilated. The weekend before, I had been treated for pre term labor with magnesium and steroid injections for baby's lungs.
On Thursday 8/7, I was feeling constant contractions, which was normal for me, but they were a bit closer together and slightly painful. All my previous contractions had just been uncomfortable, so we went to the hospital to get monitored (for about the 7th time this pregnancy). Sure enough, I was 3cm. They admitted me for observation and by Friday morning, despite an increased does of my medication and IV fluids, I was 90% effaced, but still 3 cm.
We called our home birth midwife and she came to spend the day with us. We didn't know if this was actually labor or not. By that afternoon at about 3pm, I was still 3cm, but contractions were 4-5 minutes apart and slightly painful. With each contraction, I was on all fours because it was so much more comfortable that way. At 6pm, I was dilated to 4cm, so we knew it was happening. So I just got into labor mode. Knowing that it was inevitable this time and we had done all we could to prep for early delivery, it was kind of a relief to know this was almost over. We called our doula and birth photographer and they arrived at 7pm. At this point, I started using Hypnobabies techniques and I was in a zone for hours. The contractions were intense, but I stayed really relaxed and calm. Everyone kept saying I made it look so easy. I labored on my hands and knees, a birth ball, and standing leaning over the bed. My husband was awesome, pushing on my lower back with each contraction. Although it was an unplanned hospital birth, my labor nurse, the doctor, and of course my birth team were amazing! They let me take the IV out, we had dim lights, I wore my own clothes, and we used a portable monitor. Later, I got in the tub when things started picking up and I was vocalizing through the contractions a lot more. At that point, I started crying saying I was ready for it to be over. My doula said that because I was saying that, she knew I was getting close. At about 10pm, I was 8cm. Because I was only 34 1/2 weeks, I needed to deliver in the OR. I started involuntarily pushing so we had to get there quickly. Although there are limits to who can be in the OR, my doctor let me have my husband, doula, midwife, and birth photographer. It was awesome having them all next to me encouraging me. The next phase was awful for me. My body was starting to push, but there was still cervix left so I was pushing/laboring in the OR for about 30 minutes. The doctor broke my water and there was meconium present. Because of the risk of baby aspirating it into his lungs, I had to push on my side and back. Going through the last part of transition, on my back, in the OR, with part of my cervix left was horrid. But I was so close! Finally I got to push and baby started moving down. I was extremely loud and vocalizing through contractions. It's amazing how peaceful my body felt in between contractions and then during one, it was so insanely intense. My entire body was trembling. At first, I was using directed pushing and pushing only when I was having a contraction and I felt the urge. Then the doctor said if I pushed to her counting, baby could come in one more push. She said that for 3 pushes. So, pushing a baby out of your vagina- HOLY SHIT. I actually looked at my midwife and said "I think I'm dying". I literally screamed my baby's head out. Then I had to wait for the next contraction to push his body out. I completely freaked my husband out. He had never seen me that unhinged before. At 10:58pm, I pushed his body out and they put him on my chest. It was amazing. (I never experienced that with my first because they had to take him from me right away). The NICU team took him in the next room and my husband went with him. Then I heard him scream. He didn't need any oxygen and was doing perfectly and weighed 5 pounds 9 ounces. After he was all wrapped up, they brought him in so I could hold him for a few minutes. He went upstairs to Special Care with my husband and they got to do skin to skin. After about an hour and a half, I got to go hold him. We cuddled skin to skin for over an hour. It was incredible. He is the sweetest little dude and he's a strong little fighter.
Even though I didn't get the home birth I wanted, I got to have an unmedicated birth and be surround by the birth team that I chose. I felt so empowered to be able to do that. I can walk away from this experience knowing that even though at times I feel like my body has failed me, I had control over this part of both my son's births.
*Thank you for all your kind words, thoughts, prayers, and positive vibes as our son recovers from surgery. Hopefully this is the last bump in the road and he'll be home very soon. It's times like these that I realize I have to let go because I can't control everything. We are trying to take all this in stride and be positive. We just cannot wait to take our sweet little boy home!
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On Thursday 8/7, I was feeling constant contractions, which was normal for me, but they were a bit closer together and slightly painful. All my previous contractions had just been uncomfortable, so we went to the hospital to get monitored (for about the 7th time this pregnancy). Sure enough, I was 3cm. They admitted me for observation and by Friday morning, despite an increased does of my medication and IV fluids, I was 90% effaced, but still 3 cm.
We called our home birth midwife and she came to spend the day with us. We didn't know if this was actually labor or not. By that afternoon at about 3pm, I was still 3cm, but contractions were 4-5 minutes apart and slightly painful. With each contraction, I was on all fours because it was so much more comfortable that way. At 6pm, I was dilated to 4cm, so we knew it was happening. So I just got into labor mode. Knowing that it was inevitable this time and we had done all we could to prep for early delivery, it was kind of a relief to know this was almost over. We called our doula and birth photographer and they arrived at 7pm. At this point, I started using Hypnobabies techniques and I was in a zone for hours. The contractions were intense, but I stayed really relaxed and calm. Everyone kept saying I made it look so easy. I labored on my hands and knees, a birth ball, and standing leaning over the bed. My husband was awesome, pushing on my lower back with each contraction. Although it was an unplanned hospital birth, my labor nurse, the doctor, and of course my birth team were amazing! They let me take the IV out, we had dim lights, I wore my own clothes, and we used a portable monitor. Later, I got in the tub when things started picking up and I was vocalizing through the contractions a lot more. At that point, I started crying saying I was ready for it to be over. My doula said that because I was saying that, she knew I was getting close. At about 10pm, I was 8cm. Because I was only 34 1/2 weeks, I needed to deliver in the OR. I started involuntarily pushing so we had to get there quickly. Although there are limits to who can be in the OR, my doctor let me have my husband, doula, midwife, and birth photographer. It was awesome having them all next to me encouraging me. The next phase was awful for me. My body was starting to push, but there was still cervix left so I was pushing/laboring in the OR for about 30 minutes. The doctor broke my water and there was meconium present. Because of the risk of baby aspirating it into his lungs, I had to push on my side and back. Going through the last part of transition, on my back, in the OR, with part of my cervix left was horrid. But I was so close! Finally I got to push and baby started moving down. I was extremely loud and vocalizing through contractions. It's amazing how peaceful my body felt in between contractions and then during one, it was so insanely intense. My entire body was trembling. At first, I was using directed pushing and pushing only when I was having a contraction and I felt the urge. Then the doctor said if I pushed to her counting, baby could come in one more push. She said that for 3 pushes. So, pushing a baby out of your vagina- HOLY SHIT. I actually looked at my midwife and said "I think I'm dying". I literally screamed my baby's head out. Then I had to wait for the next contraction to push his body out. I completely freaked my husband out. He had never seen me that unhinged before. At 10:58pm, I pushed his body out and they put him on my chest. It was amazing. (I never experienced that with my first because they had to take him from me right away). The NICU team took him in the next room and my husband went with him. Then I heard him scream. He didn't need any oxygen and was doing perfectly and weighed 5 pounds 9 ounces. After he was all wrapped up, they brought him in so I could hold him for a few minutes. He went upstairs to Special Care with my husband and they got to do skin to skin. After about an hour and a half, I got to go hold him. We cuddled skin to skin for over an hour. It was incredible. He is the sweetest little dude and he's a strong little fighter.
Even though I didn't get the home birth I wanted, I got to have an unmedicated birth and be surround by the birth team that I chose. I felt so empowered to be able to do that. I can walk away from this experience knowing that even though at times I feel like my body has failed me, I had control over this part of both my son's births.
*Thank you for all your kind words, thoughts, prayers, and positive vibes as our son recovers from surgery. Hopefully this is the last bump in the road and he'll be home very soon. It's times like these that I realize I have to let go because I can't control everything. We are trying to take all this in stride and be positive. We just cannot wait to take our sweet little boy home!
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