I went into labor at 1:08 am on Sunday morning, June 5th, and Elizabeth Grace was born at 5:57 am. Things went great! I was already at 8 before the Epidural started working. I didn't know that it would go so fast or I would have just gone natural. I got to pull her out! She was out in 2 contractions! When I started to push, I looked in the mirror and she was right there at the opening! After I pushed her shoulders out, I reached down between my legs and pulled her out to my stomach, where she stayed for at least 5 minutes before they whisked her away to get checked. It was awesome!!! I am on cloud nine.
Here's my birth story:
October 9, 2004, my 5th Anniversary. I don’t feel so well. I think that I am pregnant and I share that with my husband. What a present! I don’t think that I could have planned it any better. It isn’t a total surprise, however! We have been trying. I was recently put on Clomid and Prometrium. I have a problem with my luteal phase being too short. We have decided to keep it a secret for a little while.
October 12, 2004 my Doctor’s Appt. I have an ultrasound. Everything looks good. Baby due June 15, 2005.
October 19, 2004, we decide to tell our Parents. I can’t hide the morning sickness. I took a picture of our 17-month-old son with him wearing an “I am the Big Brother” shirt and email both sets of Parents. To my surprise, they only respond to “how cute he is.” They didn’t even read his shirt! So, we have to tell them. Oh, well!
January 20, 2005, my second ultrasound. Everything looks good. It is a girl!
March 17, 2005, the Glucose Test. It was borderline. Doctor wants me to do the 3-hour test! Oh! I was hoping I wouldn’t have to do this again! I have gained 12 pounds since January. Of course, I lost 15 pounds from October to December.
March 22, 2005, the 3 hour test comes back abnormal. I have Gestational Diabetes. I have to meet with a Dietician on Friday.
March 25, 2005, I meet with the Dietician. I have to totally change my diet! I can only have so many carbohydrates per meal. A major cut back on desserts, fruit, pasta, bread, cereal, and believe it or not certain vegetables like corn and peas. The Doctor wants to induce me at 39 weeks due to the diabetes.
May 31, 2005, I have only gained 4 pounds in my 3rd trimester. It is a combination of my low carb diet, prenatal yoga and the exercise I get with my now 2-year-old son. Good news! I am 1 cm dilated and baby is at -1 station. The Doctor wants me to meet the Doctor on call this coming weekend and do a Fetal Non-Stress Test on Friday. I go ahead and set up my appointment at St. Joseph East for my induction. It is scheduled for the following Wednesday, June 8, 2005.
June 3, 2005, The Non-Stress Test looks good. The Doctor asks me if I have felt any contractions. “No, just the basic Braxton Hicks. I have a lot of low back pain and menstrual cramping.” She informs me that I am having contractions. She can see them on the printout from the non-stress test. So she decides to check me and see how I am coming along. 3- 4 cm dilated and 80% effaced. Hmm! Well, she tells me she might see me this weekend in the Hospital. How exciting!
June 4, 2005 10:45 am. I go on to Prenatal Yoga. I figure it can only help me, one way or another. After class, I feel good. I have a feeling that I am going to have this baby without being induced. I decide that today is a day for walking! I get home and take my son for a walk in his wagon. After dinner, we go to Garden Ridge and walk down EVERY aisle. Oh my! By the time I left there, I was leaning on the shopping cart. Still, no major pain! I go to bed that night and fall asleep around 11:40 pm.
June 5, 2005 1:08 am. I wake up to a “gush.” I think my water has broken. I rushed to the bathroom. Oh, NO! It is bright red blood. O.K. I am scared. I call the Labor and Delivery Department at St. Joseph East. The very sweet and CALM nurse tells me everything is fine. I should come on in and she will call my Doctor for me. Well, I have to drive myself because my 2 year old is sleeping and I can’t leave him alone. I certainly don’t want to wake him. I am not hurting so that is my decision. When I get to the Hospital and get situated, I will call my Parents and tell them to come over so that my Husband can come to the Hospital.
June 5, 2005 1:26 am. The nurse checks me I am 5cm dilated and 90% effaced. My water has not broken. She put in my IV and took some blood, which took about 10 minutes. She checked me again and I was 6 – 7 cm dilated. I am just starting to feel some pain. The nurse calls the Anesthesiologist.
June 5, 2005 2:15 am. My Husband and Father arrive. I am getting my Epidural. I had such a long and painful labor with my son that I didn’t want to go through that again! I was in labor for 22 hours. I felt the burning and tearing while I pushed my son out. I pushed him out in 28 minutes, which is pretty fast for your firstborn.
June 5, 2005 2:20 am. The Nurse checks me again. I am 8cm and 95% effaced. Well, it shouldn’t be long now.
June 5, 2005 2:30 am. The Doctor arrives and breaks my water. The Epidural is working well!
June 5, 2005 3:30 am. I have dilated to 9cm.
June 5, 2005 4:00 am. I am at 10cm!!! But, my cervix hasn’t completely effaced. There is still the rim. Tick, Tock!!! Tick, Tock!!!
June 5, 2005 5:10 am. The cervix has thinned some. There is just the lip left.
June 5, 2005 5:25 am. The lip is still there. The Doctor tries to move it out of the way with her fingers. It didn’t work. She decides that I need a little Pitocin.
June 5, 2005 5:30 am. The Nurse tells me to lie on my left side for 15 minutes and then she’ll help me switch to my right side for 15 minutes.
June 5, 2005 5:40 am. I know that it has only been 10 minutes, but I feel some major pressure! I call the nurse to have her check. The mirror is already in place. When she pulls the cover off, I see my baby’s head in the mirror! I knew it!!!! She tells me to hold on and pant until she gets the doctor.
Here we go! I push out my baby girl in 2 contractions. The umbilical cord is wrapped around the baby’s neck and she is “sunny side up,” so my Husband doesn’t get to cut the cord! He is disappointed. The Doctor cuts the umbilical cord and suctions her nose and mouth and then I reach down between my legs and pull her out and bring her onto my stomach. I kept my baby on my belly for at least 5 minutes. The Pediatric Nurse told me that she had to have her now to wrap her up and check her out. Her APGAR test after 5 minutes was 9 out of 10. She had blue hands and blue feet. My beautiful baby, Elizabeth Grace, weighs 6 lbs and 15 ounces and is 20 inches long with a full head of hair!
The Doctor shows me my Placenta. She tells me that I stalled because my baby was in the Posterior Position. The bright red blood was due to Placental Abruption. The Placenta tore away from the uterine wall, probably as the baby dropped. The cord was around her neck so the cord was shorter. Also, I had what they call Placenta Previa. This is when the Placenta is low. It didn’t cover my cervix (if it had, I would have had a Cesarean). Mine was luckily over to the side.
Well, I can’t say that this Pregnancy didn’t have its ups and downs. Whatever problem that I faced was all worth it in the end! As I look into my baby girl’s eyes, my heart is filled with what one could only explain as a “Mother’s Love.”