Our due date was 3/31, and we went in for our post due-date BPP at 9:30am on Monday, 4/2. Well, Nola likes to sleep in the mornings, and they could not get her to move during the BPP ultrasound. Well, this essentially gives you a failing grade (despite a strong heart rate and breathing). and they wanted to induce right away. We told the doctor we would think about it, and after calling Coral and another doula friend of ours, we started the induction at 1:30.
West Allis worked very hard with us to have a natural birth, and Dana went from 1 cm to 10 cm, but it took 16 hours on Pitocin to do this. Let me tell you all, Pitocin is just like what Coral says -- constant slamming contractions. I think they were about 1 minute apart (max) Dana felt like she never got a break. Plus, once they stick you to the monitor and IV, you are essentially tethered. The monitor just does not work - I was ready to barricade the doors. If you tried the technique other than laying there, you were going to get a visit from the nurse because they couldn't see the heartbeat for 30 seconds. However, we used a lot of the natural techniques (sitting on the ball head-to-head was probably one of the best), but we couldn't do the bath or shower, and hand an knees continued to screw up the monitor. Very frustrating.
Well, long story short, we went for the epidural around 7:30 because Dana was just in constant pain and felt like the Pitocin was just destroying the experience. However, we barely made even that. Dana was suddenly at 10 cm, and Nola was ready to come out.We had to break the water (we did consider delivering the bag, but thought that at this point, we were in good shape to break). We broke the water, and 30 minutes later, we had Nola. 8lbs, head and one arm coming out. we did have immediate skin-to-skin for actually a couple of hours (she was in really good health). She is definitely the best thing to ever happen to us!
Friday, December 13, 2013
Benefiting from Doula Support
Our birth experience was long but very well. I started having contractions Wednesday morning. I worked all day with Nicks help. I definitely needed him around to help with the kids because I didn't have the patience that I usually had. During the day my contractions were very spaced out. After all the kids were picked up I was exhausted so I went to sleep from 6-11pm. At 11 my contractions started kicking in and I had to concentrate a lot more to get through them. At about 2am my contractions were 4 minutes apart so we decided to head to the hospital. We wanted to labor as long as we could at home but the truth is we were nervous about being 35 minutes away from the hospital so we decided to go.
When we arrived out doula, Ashley, was on her way and Dr. Koch was already there because she had another lady in labor. Ashley was amazing and helped me so much. We did a ton of walking, squatting, went in the shower & tub. When I was moving my contractions were 2 minutes apart but when I rested in the tub, toilet & shower they would be anywhere from 5 to 8 minutes apart. Thursday night at 8pm Dr. Koch was giving us options (breaking my water, Pitosin, Morphine, to sleep, or go home). We weren't ready for any of those things since our due date wasn't until the 14th. I was full effaced, baby was very low but I as only 3 cm. Our doula was very helpful reminding us that we didn't need to do an of those things. The baby was doing just fine and so was I. Nick finally just asked if we could just spend the night and see how we were in the morning. We didn't' want to drive all the way home. That night my contractions were 10 minutes apart. At 6am the nurse said they were discharging us. It was very frustrating to have to leave after all of the hard work we just put in.
We spent most of Friday outside walking around our yard. My contractions were about 6 minutes apart all day and night. Saturday morning we woke up and decided that something needed to be done because I didn't know how long my body would last on lack of sleep. We called Dr. Koch at 7am and met her at the hospital at 7:45. She examined me and I was now 4cm and she believed breaking my water would get things going, so we agreed on it. She broke my water at 8:10 and I hopped into the tub. Contractions were intense and 1-2 minutes apart. it went very quickly, and before long, I had the urge to push. We got out of the tub and into the bed. We tried a bunch of different positions but the one that worked best was sitting up on the bed with legs in the air. With every contraction I pulled myself up with the bar. I pushed for an hour and a half and out came our beautiful baby girl. Pushing was my favorite part because I could finally do something with the pain of the contractions.
Our experience at the Columbia Center was amazing. We want to have all of our babies there with Dr. Koch! Coral's class definitely helped prepare us for birth. We used many techniques during labor that we leaned from the class. We really appreciate all of the knowledge and insight that helped make our birth experience a natural one.
When we arrived out doula, Ashley, was on her way and Dr. Koch was already there because she had another lady in labor. Ashley was amazing and helped me so much. We did a ton of walking, squatting, went in the shower & tub. When I was moving my contractions were 2 minutes apart but when I rested in the tub, toilet & shower they would be anywhere from 5 to 8 minutes apart. Thursday night at 8pm Dr. Koch was giving us options (breaking my water, Pitosin, Morphine, to sleep, or go home). We weren't ready for any of those things since our due date wasn't until the 14th. I was full effaced, baby was very low but I as only 3 cm. Our doula was very helpful reminding us that we didn't need to do an of those things. The baby was doing just fine and so was I. Nick finally just asked if we could just spend the night and see how we were in the morning. We didn't' want to drive all the way home. That night my contractions were 10 minutes apart. At 6am the nurse said they were discharging us. It was very frustrating to have to leave after all of the hard work we just put in.
We spent most of Friday outside walking around our yard. My contractions were about 6 minutes apart all day and night. Saturday morning we woke up and decided that something needed to be done because I didn't know how long my body would last on lack of sleep. We called Dr. Koch at 7am and met her at the hospital at 7:45. She examined me and I was now 4cm and she believed breaking my water would get things going, so we agreed on it. She broke my water at 8:10 and I hopped into the tub. Contractions were intense and 1-2 minutes apart. it went very quickly, and before long, I had the urge to push. We got out of the tub and into the bed. We tried a bunch of different positions but the one that worked best was sitting up on the bed with legs in the air. With every contraction I pulled myself up with the bar. I pushed for an hour and a half and out came our beautiful baby girl. Pushing was my favorite part because I could finally do something with the pain of the contractions.
Our experience at the Columbia Center was amazing. We want to have all of our babies there with Dr. Koch! Coral's class definitely helped prepare us for birth. We used many techniques during labor that we leaned from the class. We really appreciate all of the knowledge and insight that helped make our birth experience a natural one.
Octavian
My water broke at 3am, luckily we had our appointment with the midwife that day. Sebastian and I stayed calm (and even went to Cheesecake Factory for lunch) prior to our appointment. During our appointment at 1pm, out midwife decided we should stay in the hospital and prepare for the birth. The labor was long, we used our skills from the class (bathtub, walking, dancing, massage and toilet sitting) but the pain was intense. I felt disconnected from the world around me during the contractions. by 1:30am we were exhausted. I was only 5 cm dilated and the contractions were 3-4 minutes apart. We all made the decision to go with an epidural and some Pitocin to help me relax and progress the labor. The anesthesiologist came in and said "so you gave up on natural childbirth" with a smirk on his face. It took him 3 pokes before he entered the epidural space.
The epidural allowed us to take a nap and gather out strength. I was given minimal doses of both the epidural and Pitocin. We had once episode of decelerations that improved with re-positioning on my knees ( yes, I was able to move my legs and bear weight on my knees). Things came down and we went back to our nap. After a nap, we decided we were ready to get busy. Sebastian started massaging my legs and feet (stimulating all the labor acupuncture points) and the contractions increased in strength and frequency. My epidural wore off, I left the pain and pressure of his head on my sacrum. I thought to myself "oh no, not again pain!!!" so I wanted another epidural bolus dose but Sebastian and our midwife convinced me that it would be easier to push without it. we started pushing at 8:30am, I felt everything and was able to focus on the pushing. Sebastian got to deliver the baby and place him on my chest. He stayed on my chest for the next 2 hours as we bonded in love.
We had a great experience. The hospital staff was amazing, we never felt rushed or pressured. Everything was on our terms (with great room service). Octavian has been a great baby!
Octavian was born to parents Eunika & Sebastian on 8/18 (due 8/30).
He weighted 6lbs 5oz and was 17 inches long.
The epidural allowed us to take a nap and gather out strength. I was given minimal doses of both the epidural and Pitocin. We had once episode of decelerations that improved with re-positioning on my knees ( yes, I was able to move my legs and bear weight on my knees). Things came down and we went back to our nap. After a nap, we decided we were ready to get busy. Sebastian started massaging my legs and feet (stimulating all the labor acupuncture points) and the contractions increased in strength and frequency. My epidural wore off, I left the pain and pressure of his head on my sacrum. I thought to myself "oh no, not again pain!!!" so I wanted another epidural bolus dose but Sebastian and our midwife convinced me that it would be easier to push without it. we started pushing at 8:30am, I felt everything and was able to focus on the pushing. Sebastian got to deliver the baby and place him on my chest. He stayed on my chest for the next 2 hours as we bonded in love.
We had a great experience. The hospital staff was amazing, we never felt rushed or pressured. Everything was on our terms (with great room service). Octavian has been a great baby!
Octavian was born to parents Eunika & Sebastian on 8/18 (due 8/30).
He weighted 6lbs 5oz and was 17 inches long.
Not Quite According To Plan - Zahra Inez
On August 28th (about 2 1/12 weeks before my due date) my friend was picking me up to go to another friend's baby shower. As I got into her car my water broke. I hadn't had any contractions or any warning that birth was nearing. I was probably a sight to see standing on the side of the road with a giant puddle forming under me... definitely much more fluid than I ever expected or imagined!! I called Michael to come home from work as I went back into the house and remembered to make sure to eat and drink lots of water. Our plan was to stay at home as long as we could before going to the hospital. So from about 3:30pm until 8pm I waited for contractions to really kick in but I wasn't feeling too comfortable and I was starting to get concerned as I wasn't feeling her move as much so we headed to the hospital and checked in at about 8:30pm.
I was only about 4 cm dilated when we got to the hospital. I was not given an IV and only intermittent fetal monitoring per my birth plan. The hospital staff was per supportive of letting us follow our birth plan. I started feeling more pain with contractions and began using techniques learned in class. I used the whirlpool tub, the shower, aromatherapy, yoga ball, counter pressure, swaying, breathing, visualizations and I particularly liked being rubbed on the top of my knee. Turns out throughout my labor I was consistently having clusters of contractions rather than one after another. I labored like this for almost 24 hours and got to about 7 cm dilated.
By this point I was running out of energy. I was unable to keep anything down and beginning to become delirious from the pain of the clusters of contractions. At this point I asked for medications as I was no longer able to maintain calm. It was a difficult situation but I knew I needed a break and to rest for what I thought was coming. I was given Stadol and was able to finally get some rest. After about 6 hours I was checked again and was still ta 7 cm despite being able to rest and relax. It was suggested that we start Pitocin to try to get my contractions to become more regular and hopefully become more productive. After a few hours of Pitocin things still were not progressing and I was only just barely dilated to 8 cm. Zahra was not descending into the birth canal and in fact had not even dropped fully. Thankfully she was doing great on the monitors throughout the entire labor.
By this time I was feeling desperate and had a feeling that things were not going to turn out how we had imagined. The Pitocin was making me feel sick and shake and in the back of my mind a knew a C-section was where we were headed. After about 12 hours I only dilated from 7 to 8 cm and after a few excruciating internal exams I ended up getting an epidural. Michael was feeling like things were getting out of control at this point due to interventions and untimely because we saw this as preparation for a C-section. I feel confident in the fact that I ultimately made all of the decisions regarding interventions and was not pressured by any of the hospital staff. But it was still scary.
Michael and I were in the operating room for about an hour after the epidural. Right before Zahra was delivered I started feeling pain. My epidural did not full take on one side and this was probably the scariest part of the whole experience. I remember I kept saying "I don't think this is right." I started to hyperventilate and panic. I was told they couldn't give me anything until Zahra was delivered so that she would not get the medication in her system. As soon as she came out they help up a mirror and the only thing I said was that she was so small. Michael went with Zahra and brought her in to see me before they went to the nursery for an exam and a bath. The next few hours were a blur. I was given Dilaudid, a medication stronger than morphine, closed up and taken to the recovery room where my mom was waiting for me. After an hour in recovery I was finally able to get into my room and meet Zahra a little better. It took days for me to really wrap my head around out birth experience but I have really come to terms with what happened and am just thankful that we are all healthy and doing well. Michael was amazing in taking care of both of us in those first few weeks while I was recovering.
Zahra Inez was born to parents Michael and Tasha on 8/30 (due date 9/16).
She weighed 6lb 9oz and was 19 inches long.
I was only about 4 cm dilated when we got to the hospital. I was not given an IV and only intermittent fetal monitoring per my birth plan. The hospital staff was per supportive of letting us follow our birth plan. I started feeling more pain with contractions and began using techniques learned in class. I used the whirlpool tub, the shower, aromatherapy, yoga ball, counter pressure, swaying, breathing, visualizations and I particularly liked being rubbed on the top of my knee. Turns out throughout my labor I was consistently having clusters of contractions rather than one after another. I labored like this for almost 24 hours and got to about 7 cm dilated.
By this point I was running out of energy. I was unable to keep anything down and beginning to become delirious from the pain of the clusters of contractions. At this point I asked for medications as I was no longer able to maintain calm. It was a difficult situation but I knew I needed a break and to rest for what I thought was coming. I was given Stadol and was able to finally get some rest. After about 6 hours I was checked again and was still ta 7 cm despite being able to rest and relax. It was suggested that we start Pitocin to try to get my contractions to become more regular and hopefully become more productive. After a few hours of Pitocin things still were not progressing and I was only just barely dilated to 8 cm. Zahra was not descending into the birth canal and in fact had not even dropped fully. Thankfully she was doing great on the monitors throughout the entire labor.
By this time I was feeling desperate and had a feeling that things were not going to turn out how we had imagined. The Pitocin was making me feel sick and shake and in the back of my mind a knew a C-section was where we were headed. After about 12 hours I only dilated from 7 to 8 cm and after a few excruciating internal exams I ended up getting an epidural. Michael was feeling like things were getting out of control at this point due to interventions and untimely because we saw this as preparation for a C-section. I feel confident in the fact that I ultimately made all of the decisions regarding interventions and was not pressured by any of the hospital staff. But it was still scary.
Michael and I were in the operating room for about an hour after the epidural. Right before Zahra was delivered I started feeling pain. My epidural did not full take on one side and this was probably the scariest part of the whole experience. I remember I kept saying "I don't think this is right." I started to hyperventilate and panic. I was told they couldn't give me anything until Zahra was delivered so that she would not get the medication in her system. As soon as she came out they help up a mirror and the only thing I said was that she was so small. Michael went with Zahra and brought her in to see me before they went to the nursery for an exam and a bath. The next few hours were a blur. I was given Dilaudid, a medication stronger than morphine, closed up and taken to the recovery room where my mom was waiting for me. After an hour in recovery I was finally able to get into my room and meet Zahra a little better. It took days for me to really wrap my head around out birth experience but I have really come to terms with what happened and am just thankful that we are all healthy and doing well. Michael was amazing in taking care of both of us in those first few weeks while I was recovering.
Zahra Inez was born to parents Michael and Tasha on 8/30 (due date 9/16).
She weighed 6lb 9oz and was 19 inches long.
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Hard Work Pays Off - Rhys Rex
Labor for me seemed like an eternity. My first contractions started about 10:30 p.m. on 12/18. There were uncomfortable at first, but not unbearable. I was thrilled, because it was 3 days before my due date and I was ready to meet this baby! Davis came home from work, and we decided to time the contractions because they kept on coming. They were about 15 minutes apart and lasted about 30-40 seconds. We decided to go to bed and see what happened by morning. I had a really hard time seeping because of the discomfort so I ended up not getting much rest. About 6 a.m. the next morning the contractions had gotten more intense but had still been ranging from 7-10 minutes apart and not quite lasting for a minute each time. I decided to call my midwife anyway to give her a heads up. She told me to let her know when I felt I was ready to go into the birth center. I called her back later that morning and we met at the new center in Bay View.
They recommended that I try to rest being that I hadn't gotten much sleep the night before. So, I labored there all afternoon and tried to rest but was making little progress. In fact, by about 6 p.m. my contractions had spaced out to almost every half an hour! I was so frustrated. Our midwife, Ali, had checked me and I was only about 4 cm dilated and hadn't been fully effaced yet. She tried stripping the membranes in hopes that it would help the labor process. After that, two acupuncturists who happened to be downstairs and were nice enough to come and try to "kick start" my labor once again. They put "mustard seeds" in my ears, which are just a few very small pins. These stay in place and I just pinch them to stimulate contractions. They also did a little massaging of back, hands, and feet. They didn't seem to do much, I only had contractions in the hour they were with me. Davis and I decided to bundle up and go for a walk outside. I had a few contractions during the walk but nothing that seemed promising. When we returned to the center, the midwives had suggested we go home where we could feel more comfortable until I made more progress and reassured me that we could come back at any time of the day or night. I left very defeated at this point. I hadn't slept in over 24 hours, and I wanted to meet my baby! Davis convinced me that this was the best way and that once we got home I would feel much better, and he was right, So we came home and tried for the second night to get some sleep.
This night was much worst that the first in terms of contractions. They were consistently 15 minutes apart and very, very intense. Laying on my side through a contraction was extremely painful so with every one I had to get up to my hands and knees and sometimes even stand and swing my hops. This resulted in a second night with very little or no sleep. By the time morning came, I couldn't stand it anymore and I called my midwife again. She wanted to hear me have a contraction while we were on the phone together, but of course, they would space apart again. She recommended comfort techniques to help me feel better, like taking a shower and using essential oils. These helped a little but at this point I mainly had to learn to just have patience with myself.
Davis talked me through the morning, held my hand, walked with me, and rubbed my back. He made sure I wasn't hungry or thirsty, tried to make me feel as comfortable as possible, and stopped what he was doing every time I had a contraction. I felt so supported and I don't know what I would have done without him. I, then, felt comfortable enough to relinquish control. I told myself if baby wants to come today, he will come. We had been laboring in the basement where there was more room to walk around, and we decided to come upstairs to make lunch. As soon as we got to the kitchen I started having contractions that were 4 minutes apart. We timed them for an hour and they were consistent. Davis wanted to call our midwife but I was more hesitant because I didn't want it to be another false alarm.
Suddenly, I felt an urge to have a bowel movement so I went to the bathroom. This is where I lost my mucus plug/had bloody show. Now it was time to call our midwife! I was relieved and also a little nervous. We got to the birth center about 45 minutes later. About 30 minutes after that I got into the birth tub where I proceeded to labor for another 6 hours. The contractions were terribly painful at this point and I had become very vocal. Ali and Lynette knew that I was having back labor and probably had been for some time which probably attributed to the length of my labor. They asked me to come out of the tub, which I was not very excited about. Once I got out of the tub I had the most painful contraction of all. They got me to the bed and had me lay on my side so the baby wouldn't turn. It worked, after that the contractions were less painful. However, I had a lip on my cervix that prevented Rhys from entering the birth canal so Ali had to hold it open and told me to push with every contraction so we could get his head pas it. This was an extremely uncomfortable procedure and it seemed like it had lasted a lifetime. Once it was over, though, I was able to start pushing! I pushed for about 45 minutes to an hour and despite Rhys having his hand held up to his face on his way out, I did not have any tearing.
They placed Rhys on my chest and we got to cuddle right away. After awhile they cut the cord and did all of the necessary newborn assessments. They I got to feed my baby boy and took a shower afterwords. The midwives left about 12:30 a.m. or so and Davis, Rhys, and I made it back home about 2 a.m.!
Giving birth was the most difficult, most amazing experience. I am so thankful for the team I had to help me accomplish my goal of natural labor/delivery. Ali and Lynette were incredibly supportive and knowledgeable. They let Davis and I have our privacy, but were there whenever we needed them. They allowed us to have the intimate experience we were looking for. I am also grateful for Coral for having such a wonder facility and for offering her services so warmly. Above all, I am thankful for Davis's support. Without him, I know I never could have made it though those trying two days. Now we have a beautiful son to show for all of our hard work!
Rhys Rex was born 12/20/2012 at 10:36 pm. He weighed 7.15lb and was 21 3/4"!
They recommended that I try to rest being that I hadn't gotten much sleep the night before. So, I labored there all afternoon and tried to rest but was making little progress. In fact, by about 6 p.m. my contractions had spaced out to almost every half an hour! I was so frustrated. Our midwife, Ali, had checked me and I was only about 4 cm dilated and hadn't been fully effaced yet. She tried stripping the membranes in hopes that it would help the labor process. After that, two acupuncturists who happened to be downstairs and were nice enough to come and try to "kick start" my labor once again. They put "mustard seeds" in my ears, which are just a few very small pins. These stay in place and I just pinch them to stimulate contractions. They also did a little massaging of back, hands, and feet. They didn't seem to do much, I only had contractions in the hour they were with me. Davis and I decided to bundle up and go for a walk outside. I had a few contractions during the walk but nothing that seemed promising. When we returned to the center, the midwives had suggested we go home where we could feel more comfortable until I made more progress and reassured me that we could come back at any time of the day or night. I left very defeated at this point. I hadn't slept in over 24 hours, and I wanted to meet my baby! Davis convinced me that this was the best way and that once we got home I would feel much better, and he was right, So we came home and tried for the second night to get some sleep.
This night was much worst that the first in terms of contractions. They were consistently 15 minutes apart and very, very intense. Laying on my side through a contraction was extremely painful so with every one I had to get up to my hands and knees and sometimes even stand and swing my hops. This resulted in a second night with very little or no sleep. By the time morning came, I couldn't stand it anymore and I called my midwife again. She wanted to hear me have a contraction while we were on the phone together, but of course, they would space apart again. She recommended comfort techniques to help me feel better, like taking a shower and using essential oils. These helped a little but at this point I mainly had to learn to just have patience with myself.
Davis talked me through the morning, held my hand, walked with me, and rubbed my back. He made sure I wasn't hungry or thirsty, tried to make me feel as comfortable as possible, and stopped what he was doing every time I had a contraction. I felt so supported and I don't know what I would have done without him. I, then, felt comfortable enough to relinquish control. I told myself if baby wants to come today, he will come. We had been laboring in the basement where there was more room to walk around, and we decided to come upstairs to make lunch. As soon as we got to the kitchen I started having contractions that were 4 minutes apart. We timed them for an hour and they were consistent. Davis wanted to call our midwife but I was more hesitant because I didn't want it to be another false alarm.
Suddenly, I felt an urge to have a bowel movement so I went to the bathroom. This is where I lost my mucus plug/had bloody show. Now it was time to call our midwife! I was relieved and also a little nervous. We got to the birth center about 45 minutes later. About 30 minutes after that I got into the birth tub where I proceeded to labor for another 6 hours. The contractions were terribly painful at this point and I had become very vocal. Ali and Lynette knew that I was having back labor and probably had been for some time which probably attributed to the length of my labor. They asked me to come out of the tub, which I was not very excited about. Once I got out of the tub I had the most painful contraction of all. They got me to the bed and had me lay on my side so the baby wouldn't turn. It worked, after that the contractions were less painful. However, I had a lip on my cervix that prevented Rhys from entering the birth canal so Ali had to hold it open and told me to push with every contraction so we could get his head pas it. This was an extremely uncomfortable procedure and it seemed like it had lasted a lifetime. Once it was over, though, I was able to start pushing! I pushed for about 45 minutes to an hour and despite Rhys having his hand held up to his face on his way out, I did not have any tearing.
They placed Rhys on my chest and we got to cuddle right away. After awhile they cut the cord and did all of the necessary newborn assessments. They I got to feed my baby boy and took a shower afterwords. The midwives left about 12:30 a.m. or so and Davis, Rhys, and I made it back home about 2 a.m.!
Giving birth was the most difficult, most amazing experience. I am so thankful for the team I had to help me accomplish my goal of natural labor/delivery. Ali and Lynette were incredibly supportive and knowledgeable. They let Davis and I have our privacy, but were there whenever we needed them. They allowed us to have the intimate experience we were looking for. I am also grateful for Coral for having such a wonder facility and for offering her services so warmly. Above all, I am thankful for Davis's support. Without him, I know I never could have made it though those trying two days. Now we have a beautiful son to show for all of our hard work!
Rhys Rex was born 12/20/2012 at 10:36 pm. He weighed 7.15lb and was 21 3/4"!
Adam Richard
On Tuesday, the day before my due date, I visited my midwife. I was 1.5 cm dilated, and my cervix was soft (I had been taking evening primrose oil), though not effaced, and Adam was in a -2 station. My midwife stripped my membranes that morning. I had been seeing my acupuncturist for about one week prior, and I visited him again on Wednesday (my due date), to see if we could get labor started.
That night I began to feel some cramping, ad at about 3:45 am on Thursday morning, I got up to go to the bathroom, and I lost my mucus plug. I went back to bed and woke up a couple hours later; contractions had begun. Being anywhere from 7 - 10 minutes apart, I was able to sleep in between the contraction until about 8:00 am. At this point, Tony began to "officially" keep track of the contractions. He also tried to get me to eat and/or drink something, but anything I ate or drank just came right back up - this was the case no matter what I tried (cereal, juice, etc). I ended up consistently vomiting throughout the morning and early afternoon. I also ended up burping at the end of each contraction - an easy way for Tony to track the contractions' endings!
While at home, I used various positions, from leaning on the kitchen counter and bathroom sink to kneeling over the couch or sitting on the toilet. Around 1 pm, the contractions were coming closer together, and I decided to get into the shower. The shower felt great and really helped in managing the pain. By the time I got out of the shower, my contractions had been consistently 3 minutes apart for about an hour, and Tony and I decided we should get going to the hospital. As I was getting dressed, my water suddenly broke - a large gush, and we knew for sure we had to get on the road.
Tony swears he wasn't speeding too much on our trip downtown, but I'm not so certain... Sitting in the car was extremely uncomfortable, and the pain was excruciating - I can't imagine what people in the cars we passed must have been thinking in in cars we passed must have been thinking if they glanced over at me! We made it to Aurora Sinai in record time and were whisked back into OB triage after just filling out a short form; it was about 2:45 pm at this point. The midwife on staff at that time checked me, and I was 6.5 cm dilated. Tony and I were excited to be so far along, but I remember thinking that I wasn't sure I could handle the remaining 3.5 cm without pain medication - the contractions were so intense, and I was surprisingly vocal in trying to manage them.
We were quickly taken up to labor & delivery, and after kneeling over the back of the bed for about 45 minutes, the midwife on call checked me again. I was 9.5 cm and really feeling the pressure to push. The midwife didn't want me to push against the remaining .5 cm of my cervix, for fear hat it would swell up, so she had me start to push while she used her finger to push the remaining .5 cm out of the way. This worked beautifully, and I was now at 10 cm. I initially began pushing while on my hands and knees, but we found hat using the side-lying position was much more effective. I pushed for about an hour, with the support of Tony, the RN on staff, and the midwife. The midwife did a lot of perineal massage while I pushed, in an effort to avoid excess tearing, which was great - I ended up with only a small first-degree tear that occurred with the last push, just as Adam cam out (he had a huge head!).
As soon as Adam was born, the midwife placed him on my chest. Tony and I were amazed to finally meet our son! I delivered the placenta shortly thereafter with just one push, but the midwife was concerned that I was excessively bleeding, so I received a shot of Pitocin in my thigh to encourage the hemorrhaging process. Tony was able to cut the umbilical cord after it stopped pulsing, and while the midwife was stitching me up, we were able to bond as a family. The hospital staff was amazing, and we weren't moved to the postpartum until over 2 hours after Adam's birth.
Throughout the entire day, Tony played such a key role in helping me get through each contraction, from squeezing my hips to reminding me to breathe to offering encouragement. I honestly wouldn't have been able to follow through on our natural birth plan without him by my side. I am also grateful to the midwife and th RN who assisted me in Adam's delivery - the two of them never left the room during my labor, and they were very helpful and accommodating
Adam Richard was born at 4:52 pm on Tuesday, January 10th, weighing 7lbs 8oz and measuring 20 inches long!
That night I began to feel some cramping, ad at about 3:45 am on Thursday morning, I got up to go to the bathroom, and I lost my mucus plug. I went back to bed and woke up a couple hours later; contractions had begun. Being anywhere from 7 - 10 minutes apart, I was able to sleep in between the contraction until about 8:00 am. At this point, Tony began to "officially" keep track of the contractions. He also tried to get me to eat and/or drink something, but anything I ate or drank just came right back up - this was the case no matter what I tried (cereal, juice, etc). I ended up consistently vomiting throughout the morning and early afternoon. I also ended up burping at the end of each contraction - an easy way for Tony to track the contractions' endings!
While at home, I used various positions, from leaning on the kitchen counter and bathroom sink to kneeling over the couch or sitting on the toilet. Around 1 pm, the contractions were coming closer together, and I decided to get into the shower. The shower felt great and really helped in managing the pain. By the time I got out of the shower, my contractions had been consistently 3 minutes apart for about an hour, and Tony and I decided we should get going to the hospital. As I was getting dressed, my water suddenly broke - a large gush, and we knew for sure we had to get on the road.
Tony swears he wasn't speeding too much on our trip downtown, but I'm not so certain... Sitting in the car was extremely uncomfortable, and the pain was excruciating - I can't imagine what people in the cars we passed must have been thinking in in cars we passed must have been thinking if they glanced over at me! We made it to Aurora Sinai in record time and were whisked back into OB triage after just filling out a short form; it was about 2:45 pm at this point. The midwife on staff at that time checked me, and I was 6.5 cm dilated. Tony and I were excited to be so far along, but I remember thinking that I wasn't sure I could handle the remaining 3.5 cm without pain medication - the contractions were so intense, and I was surprisingly vocal in trying to manage them.
We were quickly taken up to labor & delivery, and after kneeling over the back of the bed for about 45 minutes, the midwife on call checked me again. I was 9.5 cm and really feeling the pressure to push. The midwife didn't want me to push against the remaining .5 cm of my cervix, for fear hat it would swell up, so she had me start to push while she used her finger to push the remaining .5 cm out of the way. This worked beautifully, and I was now at 10 cm. I initially began pushing while on my hands and knees, but we found hat using the side-lying position was much more effective. I pushed for about an hour, with the support of Tony, the RN on staff, and the midwife. The midwife did a lot of perineal massage while I pushed, in an effort to avoid excess tearing, which was great - I ended up with only a small first-degree tear that occurred with the last push, just as Adam cam out (he had a huge head!).
As soon as Adam was born, the midwife placed him on my chest. Tony and I were amazed to finally meet our son! I delivered the placenta shortly thereafter with just one push, but the midwife was concerned that I was excessively bleeding, so I received a shot of Pitocin in my thigh to encourage the hemorrhaging process. Tony was able to cut the umbilical cord after it stopped pulsing, and while the midwife was stitching me up, we were able to bond as a family. The hospital staff was amazing, and we weren't moved to the postpartum until over 2 hours after Adam's birth.
Throughout the entire day, Tony played such a key role in helping me get through each contraction, from squeezing my hips to reminding me to breathe to offering encouragement. I honestly wouldn't have been able to follow through on our natural birth plan without him by my side. I am also grateful to the midwife and th RN who assisted me in Adam's delivery - the two of them never left the room during my labor, and they were very helpful and accommodating
Adam Richard was born at 4:52 pm on Tuesday, January 10th, weighing 7lbs 8oz and measuring 20 inches long!
Saturday, December 7, 2013
Darling Baby Colette
We went into labor on Friday, November 1st around 3:30 in the morning. The day went pretty smoothly, we took a walk, I tried to nap, and generally we just laid low. Our midwife came over around 4:00 when contractions were about 5 minutes apart. She helped Steve get the tub ready and laid our her supplies. Contractions didn't really start until around 6:30, at that point I found the exercise ball was helpful, using it to support myself while on hands and knees.I got into the tub around 7:00 but ended up only spending about 30 minutes in there because it was too warm, but it did help with the transition. I'm not going to lie, transition sucks, but it goes by quickly. And honestly, the only time I thought to myself, "why the hell am I doing this at home without the juice?" was earlier in the day when I had time to think about it. Steve was really great, reminding me to breath and generally just being a silent support. I was very grateful to be at home where I felt comfortable and secure. My midwife, Deb was wonderful, explaining each step and really acting as a guide through the whole process. I ended up pushing for around 45 minutes and hour daughter Colette Amelia was born at 9:39 pm. She weighted 7lb 2oz and was 19"long. She managed to pee on me twice within her first hour of life and is completely amazing.
While it isn't really part of our "birth story" I do want to take a moment and mention breast feeding. It's hard, sometimes it seems totally impossible, it will make you cry your eyes out and there will be days when you feel like all you did was nurse. But keep at it, ask for help, see a lactation consultant if you aren't getting the hang of it (I wish we had gone in sooner). It will get better; everyone will tell you this and you will want to punch them in the mouth, but trust that advice. It took us to weeks to figure it out and now it's less like work and more a chance to bond with each other. <3 p="">
While it isn't really part of our "birth story" I do want to take a moment and mention breast feeding. It's hard, sometimes it seems totally impossible, it will make you cry your eyes out and there will be days when you feel like all you did was nurse. But keep at it, ask for help, see a lactation consultant if you aren't getting the hang of it (I wish we had gone in sooner). It will get better; everyone will tell you this and you will want to punch them in the mouth, but trust that advice. It took us to weeks to figure it out and now it's less like work and more a chance to bond with each other. <3 p="">
Owen The September Baby Extraordinaire!
He was going to be an October baby. My due date was October 6th. This entire pregnancy, I believed that the baby would be born on or around my mother's birthday, October 5th. So, when contractions started in the early morning hours of Wednesday, September 25th, I dismissed them as Braxton Hicks or nothing at all. I went to work as usual, go there at 7:30 a.m., and taught art-on-a-"cart" up and down stairs to my students. The contractions continued. I hadn't even mentioned anything about having contractions to my husband that morning, so convinced was I that it was false labor. Now, it was after 9 a.m., and the contractions still weren't going away. I decided it was time to start writing down how often they were occurring and quickly realized they came EVERY TEN MINUTES, like clockwork! At this time, I texted my husband and let him know. He texted back immediately, that he was coming to pick me up and get us to the hospital. I said "No, no, it's not necessary. I'm sure it's nothing." I also texted my dula who said to let her know if the contractions get "longer, stronger, and closer together." I told my husband that he did not have to leave work, and that I would just call the OB nurse, see what she says, and then let him know. The OB nurse suggested that we touch base in an hour to see how I was doing.
Shortly thereafter, I had bloody show. I let my dula know this and she said that if it was red, that for sure meant labor, but mine was brown, which my dula said was a good sign and could mean that I was in labor, or could mean that I would be going into labor in the next couple of days. I voted for the later, and continued teaching art - up and down stairs, schlepping art supplies, and talking about Vincent Van Gogh. When an hour had passed. I called the OB nurse and let her know that I had bloody show. She said that I should come in to see Dr. Wasserman. I asked if it would be possible to see Dr. Wasserman after work, and she said that today was his short day and that if I didn't want to leave work that I should just go directly to Labor and Delivery after I got done with work. Well, the contractions continued, and continued to get "longer, stronger, and closer together." Now with every contraction, I had to stop what I was doing and really breath into the contraction... I really did non want to give birth in front of my students. I realized that maybe it was time to go... no more teaching art... and get to the hospital!
It was 2 p.m. when I left work, 2:20 p.m. by the time we got to the hospital, and 2:30 p.m. by the time they got me into the lasts room - with a tub! - YAY! - at Columbia St. Mary's. The nurse checked me - I was already at 7 cm. She said there was no time to fill the tub. She then asked me if I wanted drugs. Before answering the nurse, I asked my dula, "Will the pain get much worse?" My dula said "Yes, but you can handle it." I told the nurse, "No thank you" to the drugs. Then I immediately regretted my decision. It got really intense. The nurse called Dr. Wasserman and said that he had to come to the hospital now. My screams went from mildly crazy pain screams to SUPER CRAZY PRIMAL WOMAN screams. I quickly learned why the "Ring of Fire" was called the "Ring of Fire". The nurse said that I needed to stop screaming and start breathing into each contraction. Dr. Wasserman had arrived, and told me to start pushing. I told Dr. Wasserman, "NO!!" But then, quickly realized that if I was going to get that baby out, and put and end to the ring of fire that was the only way to go. So, I took Dr. Wasserman's wise advice, and PUSHED!
Twenty minutes and 3-4 contractions later HE WAS HERE!! On my chest, looking up at me. Perfect. Beautiful. My little September baby! He wanted to arrive today! He entered the world at 3:44 p.m. Fastest birth in my experience (since my first baby was 28 hours of labor). I am SO thankful to have had the support of my husband and my dula - my friend and female advocate who believed in me. If not for my dula, I would have not been so brave to have given birth without drugs. This was the birth experience I wanted, and would not change a thing!! Welcome to the world, Owen!
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