Birth Story
I figured I'd update everyone and write what will eventually be Part I of my birth story.
I began losing my mucous plug with lots of bloody show on Monday, March 12th [39w6d]. Contractions were very mild, but around 15 minutes apart all day long. Went for a half hour walk after dinner. Around 9pm, contractions started around 5 minutes apart but were not consistent. Tried to get some sleep, and contractions got stronger and more regular around 10pm. Was up most of the night. Called the midwife around 1am. She suggested I take some Tylenol PM to help me rest in between contractions since they weren't getting stronger. I was able to sleep in between contractions from about 2am - 7am. Contractions were regular, about 5 minutes apart. My midwife appointment was at 9am. I only had one contraction on the half hour drive there - figures! I had three during the 15-20 minutes I spent with her, though, all lasting around 60 seconds. I was completely effaced and 2cm dilated. She sent me home to labor and get as much rest as possible. I slept most of the day between contractions. They've stayed at about 5 minutes apart (anywhere between 3 and 6 over the last hour or two). They're about 90 seconds to 2 minutes long, and much more painful. The midwife sounds hopeful that she'll see me tonight or tomorrow, probably in the morning. My water still hasn't broken, and I'm beginning to think that she'll NEVER be born. I'm doing well with the contractions, I'm just discouraged that I've been in labor for 22 hours and haven't been able to see a whole lot of progress. I'm ready to have this baby already!
When my water breaks or if the contractions get closer together, I'll be going in to labor at the birthing center.
written Tuesday evening
Contractions got worse on Tuesday night. Around 9:30pm we packed up and headed to the birthing center. I was only 3 cm dialated after ALL those contractions. They had me walking and squatting for an hour to see if I made progress. By 11pm I'd made it to 4cm dialated. Still not quite far enough, so they sent me home. I had a bit of a breakdown and decided to go to the hospital. Joe was so wonderful and kept reminding me why I wanted the natural birth and why it was what's right for us, so I fought through it. By 3:30am it was unbearable. I had been in active labor for 30+ hours. I made some progress while I was there. I got in and out of the birthing tub, in and out of bed, the birthing ball, I tried pretty much everything. Still no water breaking. The midwife broke my water around 11:30am, and 12:25pm I was completely dialated to 10cm. [Only 39 hours of labor!] I pushed passively through contractions for about an hour and half. The baby's head was pushing the cervix with it, so the midwife manually had to shape it over her head with contractions over about 1/2 an hour. Once that cleared, the contractions were serious and my body was pushing on its own. I began active pushing around 1:00pm. [40 hours of labor.] The midwife began to realize that Colby wasn't presenting properly. She had asked me 100 times about back labor suspecting that she was OP, but I had no back pain and her body parts that I could feel didn't make sense with that. Turns out she was OP AND her head was tilted - I'm an ass and can't remember the medical term. At 2:15pm the midwife began trying to manually rotate Colby's already-engaged head with each contraction. Something just felt wrong, like I was doing perfect pushing and not making enough progress. Jacquie and Joe both got to see her head in the canal (and told me about her black hair!!!), but I just wasn't making ANY progress. At 2:45pm the midwife said she was going to try to correct her positioning for another half hour, and then we'd have to transfer to the hospital.
I was devastated, and I pushed harder and stronger and longer than ever before. They were feeding me between contractions for energy, I was on oxygen, the midwife was so determined to get her moving... At 3:15pm, she had made progress, but not enough. I was told I would not get my birth center birth. I was still hopeful that the hospital could do SOMETHING. We left the birth center at 3:45pm and got to the hospital around 4pm. They got me into a room and immediately got checked by the on-call OB. He called for a section, and I felt like the worst possible scenario had happened. We talked about other options (like a vaccuum delivery), but he explained to me that an emergency c-section was really necessary. I felt really and truly scared, but at peace with it. I was so happy and proud that I made it that long, all natural... I knew deep in my heart that it really was completely called for and that nothing at all could have been done about it. They couldn't give me an epidural until I was ready for surgery and they were waiting on bloodwork. So I layed in a hospital bed, scared, experiencing horrible contractions, for the 45th hour.
I was led into the OR. The staff here was absolutely amazing. They pulled Colby Sophia into the world (well pushed her back up to disengage, then pulled her out) at 5:32pm.The midwife stayed with me at the hospital until after everything was over with. My baby girl was 21 inches long and 8 pounds, 10 ounces. She looks so HUGE! She's got a head full of black hair with one tiny little spot of completely white blonde hair, just like her daddy has. She is SO WONDERFUL. She sleeps so well, she rarely cries unless she's waking herself up from a bad dream, and she breastfeeds like a champ. From literally the first moment I put her to the breast, she's done great. I couldn't be happier with our beautiful baby girl.
The c-section recovery has been tougher than I expected. I haven't been walking as much as I should... I've been way too tired with days of contractions and pushing instead of sleeping. The catheter was taken out this morning. I can eat food and lose the IV and pain killer pump as soon as I pass gas. This sounds easy, but evidently it's not for me... I'm bloated and gassy and in pain and belching, but can't produce the goods. They took off the dressing a couple of hours ago. I still refuse to look at the incision... All I know is that it looks 'good' and is stapled. GROSS.
Joe's finishing up some dinner then we're walking Colby around the Mother/Child floor to help start healing. Family has been up - Joe's parents, my mom, Caitlin, my dad, and his girlfriend. Jacquie stayed for the whole thing. And my grandparents will come back by with my dad tomorrow.
I'll update with pictures as soon as I can!
I began losing my mucous plug with lots of bloody show on Monday, March 12th [39w6d]. Contractions were very mild, but around 15 minutes apart all day long. Went for a half hour walk after dinner. Around 9pm, contractions started around 5 minutes apart but were not consistent. Tried to get some sleep, and contractions got stronger and more regular around 10pm. Was up most of the night. Called the midwife around 1am. She suggested I take some Tylenol PM to help me rest in between contractions since they weren't getting stronger. I was able to sleep in between contractions from about 2am - 7am. Contractions were regular, about 5 minutes apart. My midwife appointment was at 9am. I only had one contraction on the half hour drive there - figures! I had three during the 15-20 minutes I spent with her, though, all lasting around 60 seconds. I was completely effaced and 2cm dilated. She sent me home to labor and get as much rest as possible. I slept most of the day between contractions. They've stayed at about 5 minutes apart (anywhere between 3 and 6 over the last hour or two). They're about 90 seconds to 2 minutes long, and much more painful. The midwife sounds hopeful that she'll see me tonight or tomorrow, probably in the morning. My water still hasn't broken, and I'm beginning to think that she'll NEVER be born. I'm doing well with the contractions, I'm just discouraged that I've been in labor for 22 hours and haven't been able to see a whole lot of progress. I'm ready to have this baby already!
When my water breaks or if the contractions get closer together, I'll be going in to labor at the birthing center.
written Tuesday evening
Contractions got worse on Tuesday night. Around 9:30pm we packed up and headed to the birthing center. I was only 3 cm dialated after ALL those contractions. They had me walking and squatting for an hour to see if I made progress. By 11pm I'd made it to 4cm dialated. Still not quite far enough, so they sent me home. I had a bit of a breakdown and decided to go to the hospital. Joe was so wonderful and kept reminding me why I wanted the natural birth and why it was what's right for us, so I fought through it. By 3:30am it was unbearable. I had been in active labor for 30+ hours. I made some progress while I was there. I got in and out of the birthing tub, in and out of bed, the birthing ball, I tried pretty much everything. Still no water breaking. The midwife broke my water around 11:30am, and 12:25pm I was completely dialated to 10cm. [Only 39 hours of labor!] I pushed passively through contractions for about an hour and half. The baby's head was pushing the cervix with it, so the midwife manually had to shape it over her head with contractions over about 1/2 an hour. Once that cleared, the contractions were serious and my body was pushing on its own. I began active pushing around 1:00pm. [40 hours of labor.] The midwife began to realize that Colby wasn't presenting properly. She had asked me 100 times about back labor suspecting that she was OP, but I had no back pain and her body parts that I could feel didn't make sense with that. Turns out she was OP AND her head was tilted - I'm an ass and can't remember the medical term. At 2:15pm the midwife began trying to manually rotate Colby's already-engaged head with each contraction. Something just felt wrong, like I was doing perfect pushing and not making enough progress. Jacquie and Joe both got to see her head in the canal (and told me about her black hair!!!), but I just wasn't making ANY progress. At 2:45pm the midwife said she was going to try to correct her positioning for another half hour, and then we'd have to transfer to the hospital.
I was devastated, and I pushed harder and stronger and longer than ever before. They were feeding me between contractions for energy, I was on oxygen, the midwife was so determined to get her moving... At 3:15pm, she had made progress, but not enough. I was told I would not get my birth center birth. I was still hopeful that the hospital could do SOMETHING. We left the birth center at 3:45pm and got to the hospital around 4pm. They got me into a room and immediately got checked by the on-call OB. He called for a section, and I felt like the worst possible scenario had happened. We talked about other options (like a vaccuum delivery), but he explained to me that an emergency c-section was really necessary. I felt really and truly scared, but at peace with it. I was so happy and proud that I made it that long, all natural... I knew deep in my heart that it really was completely called for and that nothing at all could have been done about it. They couldn't give me an epidural until I was ready for surgery and they were waiting on bloodwork. So I layed in a hospital bed, scared, experiencing horrible contractions, for the 45th hour.
I was led into the OR. The staff here was absolutely amazing. They pulled Colby Sophia into the world (well pushed her back up to disengage, then pulled her out) at 5:32pm.The midwife stayed with me at the hospital until after everything was over with. My baby girl was 21 inches long and 8 pounds, 10 ounces. She looks so HUGE! She's got a head full of black hair with one tiny little spot of completely white blonde hair, just like her daddy has. She is SO WONDERFUL. She sleeps so well, she rarely cries unless she's waking herself up from a bad dream, and she breastfeeds like a champ. From literally the first moment I put her to the breast, she's done great. I couldn't be happier with our beautiful baby girl.
The c-section recovery has been tougher than I expected. I haven't been walking as much as I should... I've been way too tired with days of contractions and pushing instead of sleeping. The catheter was taken out this morning. I can eat food and lose the IV and pain killer pump as soon as I pass gas. This sounds easy, but evidently it's not for me... I'm bloated and gassy and in pain and belching, but can't produce the goods. They took off the dressing a couple of hours ago. I still refuse to look at the incision... All I know is that it looks 'good' and is stapled. GROSS.
Joe's finishing up some dinner then we're walking Colby around the Mother/Child floor to help start healing. Family has been up - Joe's parents, my mom, Caitlin, my dad, and his girlfriend. Jacquie stayed for the whole thing. And my grandparents will come back by with my dad tomorrow.
I'll update with pictures as soon as I can!