so here goes... the obligatory labor and delivery story.
overall it was about 17 hours. the first 10 were fine. the contractions started about 2:30 in the morning and by around 5 am i knew this was gonna be the day. we stayed at home using "hypnobabies" CDs and what nots to help me relax. steve was timing every contraction like a champ...and then... whilst watching mulan i felt a contraction that was soooo...ugh.. different. and PAINFUL. i said. "steve. now is the time. we need to go the hospital STAT."
we got the hospital at 1 pm and the nurse checked me. i was a 2. A TWO! i thought for sure i was already at least a 6 or something. anyway... that was discouraging..but then only 1 hour later she checked me again and i was a 5! that gave me hope. then about 10 minutes after that the contractions started getting.. crazy painful. the worst part was that the nurse was making me stay on the hospital bed {which the whole point of hypnobabies is that if you don't have an epidural then you can move around and get off the bed to help ease the pain}. she had the monitor for the baby's heartbeat strapped to my tummy so i could only lay there on the bed writhing in pain. she kept telling me to stop moving around and then she would be able to get a good reading and take off the monitor...um. yeah. i'll just stop moving whenever my whole body is contracting in pain. dummy.
of course my sweet steve was trying to keep me on the hypnobabies mindset telling me to "relax" and putting his hand on my shoulder and a wet washcloth on my forehead. but every time a contraction came all that hypnobabies crap when out the window and i would pull away from steve's hand and throw the washcloth off my head and tell him to "stop telling me to relax."
at one point when he was trying to just be kind and helpful all i said to him was "you need gum."
although steve was THE BEST birth partner i could have asked for when it came down it, every contraction hurting more than the last. i just couldn't "go to my special place." i am amazed at people that can actually do that during childbirth.
then i got this instense contraction with a insane feeling of pressure. like i wanted to push this baby out NOW. i told steve.. please, go get the nurse. he just looked at me for a few seconds so i said "GO GET SOMEONE!" she came. checked me. still a 5. but she said we are going to move you the the labor and delivery room now.
now i am just strapped to a different bed and the contractions are getting to be more than i can stand. i just kept asking the nurse if i could get off the bed and get into the jetted tub. please. nope. she wouldn't let me. so then i told steve.. "i need the epidural. i can't do this. i don't want to do this anymore." he said okay and went to tell the nurse. he came back and said "you'll have to wait about 30 minutes but then he'll be in to give you an epidural." okay. 30 min. i could see a light at the end. but still the contractions were hellish.
finally steve told the nurse. she can't lay on this bed anymore she is going to get into the tub. the nurse replied with "well legally i have to have 10 minutes of continuous monitoring on the baby." then... the midwife was there. hurrah! and basically she told the nurse that i was getting in the tub. stat. so i did. and WOW. what a difference that made. the contractions were still agony but at least i was in a different position and i could bear down and get through them.
pretty soon with every contraction i was screaming my guts out and the midwife - who stayed the entire time - kept coaching me.. "let those yells out.. make them low. use them to push your baby down. if you feel like pushing give a little push with each contraction." seriously. the tub + the midwife telling me what i could do + plus steve's sweet face. that is how i got through.
less than an hour in the tub the midwife checked me and i was almost a 9! so then i let go of the epidural idea and got out of the tub to start pushing. for reals.
the pushing. was. hard. wow. about 3 hours of it. i will spare you all the lovely details of that. but i'm sure all the neighboring epidural ladies thought i was dying in the room next door.
steve kept saying i can see the top of her head, liz. she has so much hair! and with each push i got a little further. finally, after her head came out followed by her little shoulders the midwife looked at me and said "here she is! liz, reach down and get your baby!" i put my hands around her little body and pulled her out and onto my chest. that was the best feeling in the whole world.
and then just cuddling her and looking up at steve... and knowing she was ours. heaven.
i can't imagine anything more perfect. i love her so much. and i love steve. ohmygosh i love him. my heart grew 10 sizes that day.
and now she is already one week old. what the...how does this happen so fast?
overall it was about 17 hours. the first 10 were fine. the contractions started about 2:30 in the morning and by around 5 am i knew this was gonna be the day. we stayed at home using "hypnobabies" CDs and what nots to help me relax. steve was timing every contraction like a champ...and then... whilst watching mulan i felt a contraction that was soooo...ugh.. different. and PAINFUL. i said. "steve. now is the time. we need to go the hospital STAT."
we got the hospital at 1 pm and the nurse checked me. i was a 2. A TWO! i thought for sure i was already at least a 6 or something. anyway... that was discouraging..but then only 1 hour later she checked me again and i was a 5! that gave me hope. then about 10 minutes after that the contractions started getting.. crazy painful. the worst part was that the nurse was making me stay on the hospital bed {which the whole point of hypnobabies is that if you don't have an epidural then you can move around and get off the bed to help ease the pain}. she had the monitor for the baby's heartbeat strapped to my tummy so i could only lay there on the bed writhing in pain. she kept telling me to stop moving around and then she would be able to get a good reading and take off the monitor...um. yeah. i'll just stop moving whenever my whole body is contracting in pain. dummy.
of course my sweet steve was trying to keep me on the hypnobabies mindset telling me to "relax" and putting his hand on my shoulder and a wet washcloth on my forehead. but every time a contraction came all that hypnobabies crap when out the window and i would pull away from steve's hand and throw the washcloth off my head and tell him to "stop telling me to relax."
at one point when he was trying to just be kind and helpful all i said to him was "you need gum."
although steve was THE BEST birth partner i could have asked for when it came down it, every contraction hurting more than the last. i just couldn't "go to my special place." i am amazed at people that can actually do that during childbirth.
then i got this instense contraction with a insane feeling of pressure. like i wanted to push this baby out NOW. i told steve.. please, go get the nurse. he just looked at me for a few seconds so i said "GO GET SOMEONE!" she came. checked me. still a 5. but she said we are going to move you the the labor and delivery room now.
now i am just strapped to a different bed and the contractions are getting to be more than i can stand. i just kept asking the nurse if i could get off the bed and get into the jetted tub. please. nope. she wouldn't let me. so then i told steve.. "i need the epidural. i can't do this. i don't want to do this anymore." he said okay and went to tell the nurse. he came back and said "you'll have to wait about 30 minutes but then he'll be in to give you an epidural." okay. 30 min. i could see a light at the end. but still the contractions were hellish.
finally steve told the nurse. she can't lay on this bed anymore she is going to get into the tub. the nurse replied with "well legally i have to have 10 minutes of continuous monitoring on the baby." then... the midwife was there. hurrah! and basically she told the nurse that i was getting in the tub. stat. so i did. and WOW. what a difference that made. the contractions were still agony but at least i was in a different position and i could bear down and get through them.
pretty soon with every contraction i was screaming my guts out and the midwife - who stayed the entire time - kept coaching me.. "let those yells out.. make them low. use them to push your baby down. if you feel like pushing give a little push with each contraction." seriously. the tub + the midwife telling me what i could do + plus steve's sweet face. that is how i got through.
less than an hour in the tub the midwife checked me and i was almost a 9! so then i let go of the epidural idea and got out of the tub to start pushing. for reals.
the pushing. was. hard. wow. about 3 hours of it. i will spare you all the lovely details of that. but i'm sure all the neighboring epidural ladies thought i was dying in the room next door.
steve kept saying i can see the top of her head, liz. she has so much hair! and with each push i got a little further. finally, after her head came out followed by her little shoulders the midwife looked at me and said "here she is! liz, reach down and get your baby!" i put my hands around her little body and pulled her out and onto my chest. that was the best feeling in the whole world.
and then just cuddling her and looking up at steve... and knowing she was ours. heaven.
i can't imagine anything more perfect. i love her so much. and i love steve. ohmygosh i love him. my heart grew 10 sizes that day.
and now she is already one week old. what the...how does this happen so fast?
7 comments:
i cannot believe you had a natural birth. you are my hero. thanks for sharing your story!
Lizzie you tough little Mama!! I loved reading that post!! Not sure if you know I've had all mine "natural"- but if you ever want a completly different experience you should look into a birth center birth, or even home. Having done it all 3 ways now- hospital, home, and birth center- I would have to say that an out of hospital birth was a much more peaceful experience. I have a great midwife- great to the point that with my next baby I might travel up there every month for my checkups and delivery- and she has a birthcenter, and also does homebirths. She's actually a CNM- certified nurse midwife- the exact same kind that deliver at hospitals. Who was your midwife?
oh, Liz, way to go!!! I follow your blog every now and then and I am so glad to see little Naomi Sandra has arrived! I love her name and that you used your mom's name. It sounds as though you had a delivery nurse that wasn't on board for a natural birth. lame...it is your body and your baby and you are in charge! It is maddening she was saying all that "legal" stuff. I can't imagine laboring and laying down (without the epidural). I had to be mobile for my births and be in whatever position worked. I would love to see you sometime soon. When the little tike is older, maybe we could have you over. enjoy this precious time! love you, suzy hendrickson higginson
WOW...way to go on the whole process lizzy. Sounded painful, but you did it! I have learned that epidurals take 30 min to receive so I time them perfectly now:) Way to go for pushing through:)You're a champ girl! I need more pics!
you did awesome! i want to kick that nurse for making you stay in bed. ugh! i'm so glad your midwife came in when she did. and 3 hours of pushing... oh man. i had the same with asher. just know your next will be SO much easier! congrats, liz!
you are one tough cookie! i am so happy you were able to do it cause I know you really wanted to! update pics or I will have to come to your house....and I know you guys don't want that!;)
Yay for your birth story! Thanks for sharing. You are such a rock star for getting through that! Three hours of pushing? Seriously...So glad your midwife stood up to the nurse and got you in that tub. Naomi is so beautiful. Congratulations!!!
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