The Birth Story

Written in January, edits/additions now in green...I was going to edit this for content, but if I wait for that to happen, it will be posted next to his college graduation story. So here is the rambling Lisa version. Cheers!

Stefan George (which turns out to be a combo of two of our family names: Stefan from Sean's Great Grandfather, and George, a family name that has passed through generations on my mother's side, my Grandmother, Georgianna had it last. )
Born Dec16 @1:31 pm
8lbs, 6 oz, 21 in.
EDD Dec. 6

After 3 nights of heavy contractions that never progressed to active labor, I went to a Doctors Appointment, and was sent to L&D for the second time (after being sent home on the first of these 3 days). The first trip in to L&D, I was put in an observation room. I was a finger tip dilated and his head wasn't engaged. They kept me there a 1/2 hour, had me walking the halls. I had been doing so much walking in our unusually warm December that I could have told them, this extra 1/2 hour wasn't going to do anything. So we head straight to the hospital, as our bags have been in the car for a while, just in case. This time, instead of being put into the observation room, I'm sent to an actual room and they start the admissions process... I'm thinking, "This is it!" and "OH MY GOD, I'm about to be a mom, "holy crap" might have been more accurate.

I tell the nurse about my past few nights, and have a contraction while on the monitor, to which she says "That one was a big one!" and I tell her that was nothing compared to what I've been going through, and that my contractions at home last up to 7 minutes. She was a bit shocked. I thought I was just being whiny after a while, turns out, I don't think I was. I remember, I couldn't even feel the contraction the nurse pointed out. The past few nights, I felt like someone was knifing me from the inside. I haven't been knifed before, but I have cut into my fingers;) I'd rather cut off one of my fingers than experience those contractions again. OK I'd rather have the pain of cutting off my finger, without actual finger loss.

I was told to walk the halls to get things going more (NO way did I actually think this was going to work, what a waste of time, could they feel me rolling my eyes at this!?), as I was only dilated 4cm. Again, I didn't contract or progress much as it was daytime. After spending a few hours there, the Dr. came in and said that I could either stay or go, but I'd be induced the next morning. I was so upset to have to go through another horrible night, I don't understand exactly why they couldn't suck it up and start the induction right then. I was actually more pissed that my hand would be stuck with IV's once again...because the travelling gypsy nurse couldn't get it right the first time...or the second, I think she got it on the third. Hosp. staff kept saying I should go home to be comfortable, get some rest, eat, turns out the only thing home offered was the opportunity to eat solids, which I didn't even want to eat. (Never has chinese take out been so unwelcome) They told me to take Benedryl to help me sleep...that was a JOKE! No way I could sleep through those contractions, and I was just waking up groggy trying to deal with the pain, confused about what was going on. SO I had no sleep for the 4th night, neither did Sean. I tried so hard to let him sleep, but honestly it really sucked dealing with all that pain alone. Again I was left to pace the house, a giant track of the living room and kitchen with places to stop and contract, like the exercise ball or the wall. The cats kept me company on the ball, I love my kitties:)

We returned to the hosp. for the induction, only I had dilated more, so they let things go on their own. Cool with me, I didn't want pitocin, hoping to go natural. SO I walked and did the ball, and rocking chair, things were kind of moving along. The Dr. came and offered to break my water (I"m so psyched that the Dr. I love of the 3 was on call!! and the nurse I had on my first visit, who was really awesome, was also my nurse, not the doofy traveling nurse from the day before), but she found it was close to breaking on it's own, so she just let me go. I also was happy they were taking things step by step, so I could decide if I wanted the epi, or whatever.

OK, the only thing I was looking forward to was using the hot tub thing. I think a bathing suit was the first thing I packed. I was hoping to spend most of my labour in it. So things are moving along at whatever pace...I didn't notice and difference between dis organized labour, actual labour, transition...why did I bother with birth classes. It was NOTHING like they said it would be like. So I was holding off on asking about the tub, since I figure I could be there a whole 24 more hours. I am finally at the point of asking the nurse "where" I am in the progression of labour, and when can we bring on the tub, and her response is...."pushing". When the heck did that happen? And I sadly lost hope for the tub. So I'm not sure when they told me about the 8-9 centimeters coming up in the next paragraph.

SO I laboured for about 6 hours, I think, when I got to 8 or 9 cm, and I asked what the next step was...to which the nurse said, "pushing, lets us know when you have the urge!" She was very excited I had gone natural thus far, and that not too many people do and she was appreciative for the experience. Then I THINK I went into transition, I didn't notice too much of a change besides the contractions were nearly impossible to deal with (like the ones I had for the past 4 nights!). She suggested I take some stadol, as I couldn't bring my self to relax and rest in between. I agreed (fun drug:-) and it really helped, at least how I felt, I feel asleep between contractions, nearly forgot I was in labour. Actually I DID forget I was in labour, completely. It was very surreal. I got to pushing, and I don' t know how long I did it for, but I was constantly changing positions, and Sean, the nurse, and the Dr. were doing all these things to get Stefan to move down more, but nothing was working. So then I was told not to push, which was MISERABLE, and nearly impossible.

The Dr. came in, I tied my legs practically behind my head (JK- but I'm flexible, and did have them jacked as far as I could to a birthing position), and tried pushing but again, nothing was happening. The baby's head wasn't fitting and his heart beat kept dropping really low, which was kind of scary. It stopped a few times...I don't know if that happens to all babies during labour, but it was enough for me to start saying in my head that we'd be doing whatever we needed to get him out OK- even if it meant a dreaded C-section...the same thing I was crying about 3 days or 2 days prior. I told Sean, they WOULD NOT cut me... She let me try to push hard a couple of times, but she was afraid that his heart beat was dropping too low. So I was went in for an emergency c-section. IT was really hectic and that thing we saw in birthing class that I thought would never happen. Luckily the heart beat came up enough that I only had a spinal, and wasn't completely under and Sean could come in with me. That whole thing was also surreal, I was in my own episode of ER!! And I was the star on the table. I pretty much remember every thing from the "We're going to have to do and emergency C-section" through Stefan's birth clear as day. Lots of adrenalin I guess! I assume it was routine. Sean sat by my head and talked to me while he tried not to watch them cut my guts open. It was by FAR the easiest part of the whole thing!

Stefan was born, and taken directly to where ever they do tests, Sean saw him from where he sat next to me, and before I went into recovery, they showed me the baby for a few seconds, then took him away for more testing due to the heart beat stuff, I think. Then I had to wait a few hours to see/hold him, which totally sucked. They finally brought him down and I breast fed, not so successfully, but we're learning:-)


Well still breast feeding...that was a long 2 months of getting it down, but it's working great now. Every time I pack the diaper bag and not have to think about bottles and reheating etc. I smile:)

The only thing I really am sad about is that I didn't get to have the baby on my chest after pushing him out. I wanted that immediate connection to him, that joy after the hardest work in my life, and I don't feel like I had that at all. In fact, if I had been able to, I would have put up much more of a stink that I waited back in our room for him forever! He was born at 1:31 and I think it was 5:00 before I got to see him. I feel like it must have been close to an hour that I just sat in the room after recovery, since we called parents, expecting them to take a hour to get there while we bonded with him. However they were coming in the door right after I got to hold him for the first time, Sean hadn't yet had the chance to hold him. The Dr's I will use again if we have another child don't do VBAC (vaginal birth after c-sec.) so while I'm happy that next time I will have a scheduled birth, 2 weeks earlier than the due date, I'm will never have that one part of the birth I've always dreamed about.