Post by carolyngrace on Jun 3, 2015 2:31:01 GMT -5
Up in the night feeding him, so I finally finished this. I took notes on my phone until about 3pm, everything after that I had to remember! Here we go...
Sunday 5/31 at 39 weeks 6 days gestation...
4am - felt gush of "discharge" and put tissues in underwear. Fell back asleep. Some cramps in my sleep, but I assumed they were gas.
6am - mucusy blood on tissue and when I wiped. Knew this could be the start of something so I got up! Texted Ashley (my good friend and nurse) who confirmed that it was probably bloody show and I could be in labor, but to wait a bit and see.
7am - ate toast, relaxed. Feeling slightly crampy. Did my hair and makeup (hahaha) and gathered clothes for birth bag.
8am - woke up Jonathan, who was a bit crabby at first. He didn't get much sleep! Gathered up recycling, finished dishes, vacuumed. Cramps got more intense.
9am - Jonathan started playing me fun music while I bounced on the ball. Started timing contractions shortly after. They were about 15 minutes apart, and pretty painful. Went poop about 4 times! Called Joanna (my sister) who was with my parents, and let them know this is probably it. Texted Friends. Called the midwife center (TMC) who confirmed I should wait a while but didn't have to follow the strict 4-1-1 guidelines since my family tends to have quick labors.
11am - laid down in bed to rest and see if contractions would keep their pace. Was able to rest in between but not sleep. They were too intense when they came.
11:30 - Jonathan brought me a turkey sandwich in bed. Watched YouTube videos. Had a few contractions 6 minutes apart. Felt scared and called midwife who agreed to come check me there, but warned we may be going back home. Looking back, even though these contractions hurt a lot, and I couldn't "talk through" them, they were not as intense as the ones in more active labor, but I didn't know what to expect.
12:30 - ate icey pops, packed the car, and hit the road.
1pm - 1cm dilated, high baby, sent home.
2pm - laid in bed "resting" thinking about all the birth stories with epidurals that worked well and dreaming of actual pain free rest. I stopped timing contractions but they felt about every 6/7 minutes and really hurt.
3pm - somewhere around then I decided to take a bath. DH was still asleep. Contractions ramped up to about every 4 to 5 minutes in the bath. I got out and begin laboring on the ball, on hands in knees in the bedroom. At this point I needed to verbalize through my contractions. And they were closer to three minutes apart. DH got up and called Ashley for me, who agreed to come to the house and check me. But a few minutes later I realized I couldn't wait, and we told her to meet us at the midwife Center instead. DH called the MW, who agreed. I had contractions on the steps, in the car, and leaning against the building at the center. So much moaning in public!
4:30 - arrived at the midwife Center. It was a blur as they got me up on the bed with a birthing ball, pants off, and checked me. I was 7/8 cm! Midwife said to follow my body and push a little if it felt good. So I rocked on the ball and pushed through contractions, though very different than the pushing it took to get him out. There were LONG pauses between contractions and my midwife commented how my body was resting up to push! I said "the rests are my favorite part!" And Ashley laughed and said she never heard it put like that before. My sister arrived and came right into my bubble, though she was asked to just watch ahead of time. I said "I love you, but please go away and let Jonathan do this!!" It was one of the only times I talked during active labor. She backed off and did great from then on.
5:30 - I was complete, and arms were tired, so they suggested pushing on my side. I started there, and was screaming while pushing. Every part of my body hurt from the effort of pushing. I was scared my back would give out, and my hip pain was indescribable. The MW asked if she could help me push better (I had asked for no direction unless needed) because baby wasn't moving down. She helped me curl my body up, hold my breath, and push her fingers away. Before this, I almost blacked out twice because I was screaming out all my oxygen. It was terrifying to feel the contraction but be so light headed I couldn't push. The coaching and some oxygen helped.
My water hadn't broken yet, and I heard the midwife and Ashley say he would likely be born en caul! But soon after they said the bag was bulging ahead of the head, preventing him from crowning. I agreed to them breaking it, but then it burst on its own!
They kept saying "good job! That's it!" When I got pushing right, but I didn't feel the ring of fire yet, and after over an hour the MW said we should change positions, as I was getting exhausted. My legs were shaking uncontrollably, so she suggested sitting on the toilet, where my lower body was supported.
6:45 (ish) - The toilet felt good, and I had more pressure downward, to help push. DH stood beside me, and I heard my sister sit in the tub next to me, taking pictures.
At one point they suggested nipple stim to increase the intensity of my contractions. DH reached over and did it and I said "firmer!" But later found out he heard me say "pervert!" Lol. I wondered at the time why he didn't start doing it harder! But it helped either way, and made the urge to push stronger.
The MW took a call just outside the door, and Ashley sat in position to catch the baby. I pushed for 10 min or so and finally felt the ring of fire. I began to think about giving up. Between exhaustion, the pain of my hips opening, and now the vaginal pain, I was done. I knew it was too late, though, so I started pushing harder. I told myself forward was the only way past the pain, and I have never wanted something so badly! I felt the head be born and heard the MW say "I have to call you back!" And run in. Then it was a blur of hands below me, and pulling me up. MW said something about his head position (posterior, which DH later said looked terrifying to see his purple face between my legs!) and they twisted him. I felt the shoulders twist and slip out, and he was born! I sat back down, eyes closed and totally "done". I though I would cry or at least look at him, but I could barely grab him when they held him up to me. Everyone helped us back to bed and I finally looked down at all his hair, and ran my hands over his body. I said "holy shit." And everyone laughed.
They cleaned him up a bit and cut the chord, and my parents got to come in and see him. Then they noticed I was still bleeding pretty good and sent everyone but DH out.
The next hour or so sucked. The placenta was hard to push out and hurt. Then I had huge blood clots and the MW had to reach way inside and pull them out. I was screaming almost worse than labor! DH was terrified. Then they had to stitch me. I didn't tear too long or deep, but it was awkward due to them twisting him out. When I still didn't stop bleeding I got an IV. Later they thought my full bladder was in the way so I got cathed (more screaming). Then some other drug had to be inserted anally to which I said "please be kidding!" It was just one thing after another until it finally slowed on its own. I was close to being transferred to the hospital.
Finally we got to bring everyone in and announce the name, weight, etc. My two nephews were there and totally in shock, and just wanted to tell me about the candy they got. Everyone else ooh'ed and awed for a bit and then around 9pm we were left alone.
Oscar latched well right away and has continued to eat well. He slept a ton that night, but DH and I were too full of adrenaline and hardly slept (huge mistake! Next time I'd ask for something to help sleep). It was wonderful looking at our baby together and processing everything that happened though! We were discharged at 7am, after 12 hours, which is the longest they keep people after birth.
TL;DR - Oscar Henry Gordon was born a day before his due date on 5/31 at 7:07 pm after about 12 hours of total labor and 1.5 pushing. He was 9lbs 1oz, 21 inches long. He was almost born en caul, and was born on the toilet!
Sunday 5/31 at 39 weeks 6 days gestation...
4am - felt gush of "discharge" and put tissues in underwear. Fell back asleep. Some cramps in my sleep, but I assumed they were gas.
6am - mucusy blood on tissue and when I wiped. Knew this could be the start of something so I got up! Texted Ashley (my good friend and nurse) who confirmed that it was probably bloody show and I could be in labor, but to wait a bit and see.
7am - ate toast, relaxed. Feeling slightly crampy. Did my hair and makeup (hahaha) and gathered clothes for birth bag.
8am - woke up Jonathan, who was a bit crabby at first. He didn't get much sleep! Gathered up recycling, finished dishes, vacuumed. Cramps got more intense.
9am - Jonathan started playing me fun music while I bounced on the ball. Started timing contractions shortly after. They were about 15 minutes apart, and pretty painful. Went poop about 4 times! Called Joanna (my sister) who was with my parents, and let them know this is probably it. Texted Friends. Called the midwife center (TMC) who confirmed I should wait a while but didn't have to follow the strict 4-1-1 guidelines since my family tends to have quick labors.
11am - laid down in bed to rest and see if contractions would keep their pace. Was able to rest in between but not sleep. They were too intense when they came.
11:30 - Jonathan brought me a turkey sandwich in bed. Watched YouTube videos. Had a few contractions 6 minutes apart. Felt scared and called midwife who agreed to come check me there, but warned we may be going back home. Looking back, even though these contractions hurt a lot, and I couldn't "talk through" them, they were not as intense as the ones in more active labor, but I didn't know what to expect.
12:30 - ate icey pops, packed the car, and hit the road.
1pm - 1cm dilated, high baby, sent home.
2pm - laid in bed "resting" thinking about all the birth stories with epidurals that worked well and dreaming of actual pain free rest. I stopped timing contractions but they felt about every 6/7 minutes and really hurt.
3pm - somewhere around then I decided to take a bath. DH was still asleep. Contractions ramped up to about every 4 to 5 minutes in the bath. I got out and begin laboring on the ball, on hands in knees in the bedroom. At this point I needed to verbalize through my contractions. And they were closer to three minutes apart. DH got up and called Ashley for me, who agreed to come to the house and check me. But a few minutes later I realized I couldn't wait, and we told her to meet us at the midwife Center instead. DH called the MW, who agreed. I had contractions on the steps, in the car, and leaning against the building at the center. So much moaning in public!
4:30 - arrived at the midwife Center. It was a blur as they got me up on the bed with a birthing ball, pants off, and checked me. I was 7/8 cm! Midwife said to follow my body and push a little if it felt good. So I rocked on the ball and pushed through contractions, though very different than the pushing it took to get him out. There were LONG pauses between contractions and my midwife commented how my body was resting up to push! I said "the rests are my favorite part!" And Ashley laughed and said she never heard it put like that before. My sister arrived and came right into my bubble, though she was asked to just watch ahead of time. I said "I love you, but please go away and let Jonathan do this!!" It was one of the only times I talked during active labor. She backed off and did great from then on.
5:30 - I was complete, and arms were tired, so they suggested pushing on my side. I started there, and was screaming while pushing. Every part of my body hurt from the effort of pushing. I was scared my back would give out, and my hip pain was indescribable. The MW asked if she could help me push better (I had asked for no direction unless needed) because baby wasn't moving down. She helped me curl my body up, hold my breath, and push her fingers away. Before this, I almost blacked out twice because I was screaming out all my oxygen. It was terrifying to feel the contraction but be so light headed I couldn't push. The coaching and some oxygen helped.
My water hadn't broken yet, and I heard the midwife and Ashley say he would likely be born en caul! But soon after they said the bag was bulging ahead of the head, preventing him from crowning. I agreed to them breaking it, but then it burst on its own!
They kept saying "good job! That's it!" When I got pushing right, but I didn't feel the ring of fire yet, and after over an hour the MW said we should change positions, as I was getting exhausted. My legs were shaking uncontrollably, so she suggested sitting on the toilet, where my lower body was supported.
6:45 (ish) - The toilet felt good, and I had more pressure downward, to help push. DH stood beside me, and I heard my sister sit in the tub next to me, taking pictures.
At one point they suggested nipple stim to increase the intensity of my contractions. DH reached over and did it and I said "firmer!" But later found out he heard me say "pervert!" Lol. I wondered at the time why he didn't start doing it harder! But it helped either way, and made the urge to push stronger.
The MW took a call just outside the door, and Ashley sat in position to catch the baby. I pushed for 10 min or so and finally felt the ring of fire. I began to think about giving up. Between exhaustion, the pain of my hips opening, and now the vaginal pain, I was done. I knew it was too late, though, so I started pushing harder. I told myself forward was the only way past the pain, and I have never wanted something so badly! I felt the head be born and heard the MW say "I have to call you back!" And run in. Then it was a blur of hands below me, and pulling me up. MW said something about his head position (posterior, which DH later said looked terrifying to see his purple face between my legs!) and they twisted him. I felt the shoulders twist and slip out, and he was born! I sat back down, eyes closed and totally "done". I though I would cry or at least look at him, but I could barely grab him when they held him up to me. Everyone helped us back to bed and I finally looked down at all his hair, and ran my hands over his body. I said "holy shit." And everyone laughed.
They cleaned him up a bit and cut the chord, and my parents got to come in and see him. Then they noticed I was still bleeding pretty good and sent everyone but DH out.
The next hour or so sucked. The placenta was hard to push out and hurt. Then I had huge blood clots and the MW had to reach way inside and pull them out. I was screaming almost worse than labor! DH was terrified. Then they had to stitch me. I didn't tear too long or deep, but it was awkward due to them twisting him out. When I still didn't stop bleeding I got an IV. Later they thought my full bladder was in the way so I got cathed (more screaming). Then some other drug had to be inserted anally to which I said "please be kidding!" It was just one thing after another until it finally slowed on its own. I was close to being transferred to the hospital.
Finally we got to bring everyone in and announce the name, weight, etc. My two nephews were there and totally in shock, and just wanted to tell me about the candy they got. Everyone else ooh'ed and awed for a bit and then around 9pm we were left alone.
Oscar latched well right away and has continued to eat well. He slept a ton that night, but DH and I were too full of adrenaline and hardly slept (huge mistake! Next time I'd ask for something to help sleep). It was wonderful looking at our baby together and processing everything that happened though! We were discharged at 7am, after 12 hours, which is the longest they keep people after birth.
TL;DR - Oscar Henry Gordon was born a day before his due date on 5/31 at 7:07 pm after about 12 hours of total labor and 1.5 pushing. He was 9lbs 1oz, 21 inches long. He was almost born en caul, and was born on the toilet!
