The birth story

So, birth was HARD! Wonder why that surprised me so much. I had major back labor which I guess hurts more than no back labor? Not that I have anything to compare it to. Regardless, it really hurt. It went so quickly in the beginning that they kept telling me it was going to be over before an epidural would really help, or that the epidural would make pushing too hard to do.

I woke up that morning about 7am and thought I was feeling something, but then I thought the same thing the last three days, and then found it go away after I pooped. This time I kept feeling things, so I told Amazing Daddy to check in with me after taking The Boy to school. By 8am I knew I was having contractions so I called Amy (our doula) and let her know it was starting. My parents had arrived the night before so I spent the next hour working in the nursery with my mom. I was bending down to pick something up about 9am and felt a gush as my water broke. Up to that point I'd been having contractions about every five minutes that were 30 seconds or so long. After my water broke they got more intense and were about every 3 or 4 minutes. We called the doctor and they told us to head on in. From then on it was Game On!

The 30 minute ride to the hospital was hell! I went from wanting to do this without an epidural to wanting one as soon as we got there. AD thought I was going to tear the "oh shit" handle right off the car.

We got to the hospital about 10 am and my contractions were about 3 minutes apart by then. I thought for sure the baby was going to pop out any second. They checked me and I was only at 1.5 cm and I was like "you have to be fucking kidding me, does that mean I can't get the epidural yet?" To get the epidural they had to start an IV which took a while b/c they had to get the IV team. And then I started throwing up (nasty). So they checked me again and I was at 6 cm. They moved me from triage to L & D and within another hour I was at 9 cm. I think this was about 1pm or so. I was moving so fast that they figured I was going to have him within the next hour. Then I stalled out at 9cms for about two hours.

After the first hour that I stayed at 9 we decided the epidural would be useful, so they got the anesthesiologist up right away. Love the epidural! I still had a pocket of pain in my groin that never went away, and I could feel massive pressure, but it was much better than the constant contractions one on top of each other. About 3:30 the doctor said I was ready to push. So I pushed and I pushed and I pushed...etc. etc. Apparently I wasn't doing a very good job at moving him down the birth canal. I never actually crowned.

The baby started to show signs of distress and his heart rate wasn't bouncing back after the contractions so they decided to try a vacuum delivery. The vacuum popped off his head though, so then they went to the forceps. Which required an episiotomy. I was all, do what you have to do, just get him the fuck out of there!

AD told me later that the doctor told him after that he really thought they were going to have to do an emergency c section on me. Glad I didn't know that then. Apparently I was quite nice to everyone and didn't yell except at the end when I did some loud grunting as I pushed. And yes, I pooped a little bit too. And I knew I was doing it...ugh.

It's funny. I went in to it all very concerned that my ass would be hanging out for everyone to see. By the time we got to the hospital I was so uncomfortable that I really didn't care at all who saw what part of me. Oh, and having the doula there was great! AD did great too, but I really needed both of them there. I highly recommend using a doula.

I ended up with sulcus tears inside my vagina from the forceps and of course the episiotomy. And oh lord, the hemorrhoids. I thought they were bad before! Thank god for Percocet and Vicodin. I was definitely not prepared for how much it was going to hurt after I gave birth, and for how long.

If I was going to do it again I would definitely give serious thought to a c-section. Thank god my labor only really lasted eight hours!

We were back in the hospital for 24 hours Thursday night (thanksgiving) to treat his jaundice with the lights. That was a little concerning and they had us giving him some formula then b/c it apparently helps pull the billirubin out better. I pumped during that time to get my milk to come in, and when it did, wow! The Ladies were huge! They seemed to be working for him b/c he was back to his birth weight at his first doctors appointment, almost a week ahead of schedule.