My Birth Story

For all my soon to be first time mamas out there, ye be warned- this was MY experience, with MY body and I don't want anyone getting freaked out, or on the flip side, maybe too relaxed. I didn't know what to expect from childbirth, as I had never done it before (duh) so I read tons of birth stories and literally NONE of them were what I experienced. Which is fine! Let me share how my sweet daughter finally came into the world.

And I mean finally. These days they induce you at 41 weeks if labor hasn't naturally started already. That was me. All you mamas know how you feel the last few weeks! You're HUGE, your feet hurt, you can't really eat more than a few peas at a time because your stomach is so squished. "Uncomfortable" doesn't even cover it. That was me! That's everyone I've talked to. People told me lots of sentences that started with "Because you're...." fill in the blank. Because I was short, I might deliver early, because the baby was so low, contractions would start at any time, because this was my first baby, I would probably deliver just a couple days after 40 weeks.... and it went on and on. People trying to be encouraging, and it was lovely! But 39 weeks came, then 40, and midway through that week we saw my OB and he said "Alright, if nothing starts to happen by Friday, we'll induce you." So guess what?? The induction process began Thursday night!

Thursday night around 5, I was admitted at the hospital for a couple hours and they insert what is called a "cervical catheter". It's a tube with two little balloons about an inch apart on it. They stick it up there and one balloon sits on the top of your cervix and the other sits just below it, and they fill them with water and together they put pressure on the opening of the cervix. The hope is that you will dilate to at least four cm and with that, your body will start contractions. I went home with like three tubes just hanging out.... they taped them to my leg. (peeing with those hanging out of my downstairs was REAL WEIRD) 

The cervical catheter did the work it was supposed to though, and by the next morning I was having light contractions every 10-20 minutes and I was dilated to four cm. Friday morning at 7 AM my husband I were at the hospital in labor and delivery. I was hooked up to an IV drip, starting me on 2 ml of Pitocin in order to induce more intense contractions. Every 30 minutes the sweet nurses up'd the amount of Pitocin to increase contractions. Pitocin is synthetic Oxytocin, which is naturally secreted in your body to start childbirth. Natural contractions are their own hurtle, like you're using a muscle way past the "tired, sore muscle" stage, but I would say that contractions on P. are like really horrible, intense muscle cramps. After a few doses of the P. I was having a contraction every 3-6 minutes. (Oh at some point they also broke my water.... that was gross) From 7 AM to 12 PM I breathed through them- not dilating past a four- and tried the Nitrous Oxide. N2O is the most natural pain management you can do (its laughing gas), and you can't "overdose" on it. I didn't really feel like it took the edge off of the pain, but it made me care a little less about the pain. There was no laughing involved. I did that for a couple hours, and then just needed to level up. Fentynal was my  next hero. I did that for a couple hours but by 4 PM I was EXHAUSTED. See, I really hadn't gotten any quality sleep Thursday night from contractions starting, so by 4 PM Friday afternoon, I was a little bit out of my mind. Oh, and I had been at a four this whole entire time. I was having what the nurses told me were "unproductive" contractions. Cool. 

This mama voted for the epidural! Woo! The nurse explained to my husband (I was already sold) that it would probably let me get some rest, and relax, and that being able to just rest, I would probably start to dilate more. Boom. Got it. Several people asked me if it hurt when they administered it- an anesthesiologist pokes a needle into your spine and leaves a tube in there to administer the drugs- and the answer is a swift no. They do it while you're having a contraction, and lots of things that are painful are NOTHING compared to labor contractions. All I felt was a pop, and then the drugs started in my body like water would flow down your body in the shower. I blessedly started to have zero feeling in my mid-section and then my hips and then both my legs. I took a glorious deep breath and actually laughed because I felt sooo much better. I loved getting that Epidural. I took a nap, I got to eat food, I had a bladder catheter inserted so I never had to pee- it was great. I felt okay enough to have some family members come in and chat for a few minutes, but the best part is that by 11 PM I had fully dilated to a 10!!!!! 

They had me start pushing for about 45 minutes, but baby was at a slant still so I took a break, breathed her down during the contractions (I could feel them slightly, but no pain, just the physical contraction) so by 1 AM on Saturday baby was fully in position. I pushed and pushed and pushed and PUSHED and my sweet babe was born at 2:58 AM, and she was a girl!!! (We had kept the gender a surprise for us, and everyone else.) She weighed 8 lbs 5 oz, and her head was 14 cm. I had one little tear, but other that I was fine! It felt like years before they finally put her tiny body on my chest but when they did, I was absolutely weeping. Weeping from finally being done and from being so so tired, and so so joyful. What an emotional experience. Words don't do the feelings justice- your heart is not your heart anymore, every motive and decision will be completely different from now on, and you will nurture and protect this little human even if it costs you your own life.

I didn't know that after you give birth (at least for me), every muscle in your body is fatigued and you're a little bit in shock and so you shake and shiver like you're very cold. You are just extremely exhausted. I think I had about five or six heated, weighted blankets on me to help by body calm down. I finally got something to eat and my husband and I were enraptured. Our daughter held our complete, undivided attention and she was only ever awake enough to nurse. We were in our own bed Sunday evening, and thus began life with a newborn!

She is currently taking a nap next to me on the couch as I type this, and while bigger and chubbier, your babies forever are you little babies.

Thanks for reading! Feel free to leave any questions in the comments section.

This was taken by my mother in law maybe an hour after she was born!

For those who wonder, she looks exactly like her daddy, especially when they sleep. :)

<3

:)