I love hearing other people's birth stories and I love sharing mine! My son is now 10 months old and it is all still so fresh in my mind, haha!
I had a pretty interesting labor with Hunter, my son. He tried coming at 34 weeks, before we or the doctor was comfortable letting me deliver! It all started on a night in May... I wasn't due until July 3! Anyways, I was sitting on the couch counting what I thought were contractions... but I wasn't quite sure. They were about every 4 minutes apart, but they didn't really hurt so I kind of just figured they were Braxton Hicks contractions. I had been having these braxton hicks ones for a few weeks already and they didn't really feel any different except a little pain in my lower back which made me wonder if it was the real deal. Since I was only 34 weeks I thought I better call the doctor on call and check to see if this was normal. He said come in right away. So, my husband and I went in and I was feeling kind of silly. I thought there is no way I'm really in labor because these don't hurt! To my surpise the nurse said I would probably be staying the night because my contractions were about every 2-3 minutes apart. I was super surpised and not ready for this news at all! I had no bag packed or anything! Luckily we live about 2 miles from the hospital though. Anyways, the doctor came up and checked me and I was at a 3-4 cm dialated! They weren't too pleased with this because we live in a pretty small town so they didn't have a nursery capable of handling a premie baby this early. So, they started giving me shots and all sorts of meds to try and stop contractions... nothing was helping. He wanted to come now! They finally gave me magnesium.... wow this stuff sucks. So sorry if anyone ever has to get this! Long story short, I ended up being there for 5 days! They finally sent me home when my contractions seemed to stop. They sent me home on very strict bed rest and on some pills to stop contractions. I was to take these pills for 9 days (until I reached 36 weeks) and then I could go off of them and baby was free to come! So, I tried following bed rest and when I hit 35 weeks and about 4 days I was just done and didn't follow through to well. I did keep taking my meds though. The day I went off my meds I started feeling the contractions again! At this point I was ready to get this labor and delivery over with! So, guilty, I went walking! Lets just say that night I told my husband I thought we would be headed to the hospital again. I contracted all day and night Tuesday June 5th. My husband had a soft ball game that night and I told him I could go watch and then we would head to the hospital, haha. I was pretty lucky that I didn't have very painful contractions....yet! So at about 10 p.m we headed to the hospital! The nurse looked at me like I was crazy when she said reason for being here.. I said "I'm in labor." She was probably thinking I didn't seem like I was in labor at all because I really was doing fine! I got up to my room and the nurse ticked me off right away! She goes oh hunny you are only 36 weeks so we will probably try and stop your labor again. I was like OH NO YOU ARENT! I AM HAVING THIS BABY! She said well if you are dialated past a 4-5 we will have to let you go but if not we are stopping it. I wanted to have a little party when she checked me and said I was at a 7!!!!!! WOO HOO! I labored all night and got a little sleep. The doctor came in the next morning to break my water. I was at about an 8 so was moving very slowly! I tried walking but they make you walk for 30 min then sit on monitors for 30 min so it didn't really do anything. Well a few hours went by and the nurse came in to ask about an epidural. I got nervous when they gave me an ultamatum on last chance if I wanted an epidural! I still wasn't in much pain but decided to get one just in case... BAD DECISION! They came in to do the epidural and I was one of those lucky 1 in like a thousand or so that gets a bad epidural! The Dr. who put it in put it in wrong the first time, so he saw some fluid pooling back there and had to take it out and re-do it. Then the second time he did it, he tapped into the spinal fluid and caused me to have a full on spinal instead of an epidural. The difference is how you are numbed. A spinal is what they do when you have a C-section. So needless to say I was freaking out when I was numbed up to my neck! I got so scared from this feeling of not being able to feel, swallow, or move anything! My heart rate went up to 130 and my BP went down to 80-40. I was so scared!! Since it was a "spinal" and not a normal epidural they had to just let it wear off so that I could feel my legs again in order to push in just a few hours. SO, after ALL THAT, I didn't even get to reep the benefits of having an epidural! They didn't start my bag of meds that come with the epidural because they didn't want me to get too numb again... oh well. At least I got an hour relief from contractions out of it all because they were starting to pick up and get painful!
So, after all that hustle and bustle was over it was about noon and I started feeling my contractions comin back. They got stronger and stronger and before I knew it I was at a 10 and ready to start pushin! I had a LLOOOOOOONNNNNNGGGG hour and a half of pushing and then we got to meet our precious baby boy! The pushing was so horrible though. I had no idea I would have to push for that long! I had it in my head that the pushing part only lasted a half hour or so... But it was definitely worth it when they said "it's a boy" and we got to see him for the first time and hear his beautiful cry! What a little sweetie he is too! I can't get over the love you can have for such a tiny little thing you just meet! I was so tired and exhausted I didn't have the sobbing moment when they lay him on your chest thing like I thought I would. I have never been that exhausted in my life before. I could barely even hold him on my chest he felt like he weighed a ton.. I was just super tired, haha. He was only 6 lbs and 13 oz which was actually pretty big for being 4 weeks early! My little guy stole my heart in an instant :) Although I do remember telling my nurses and doctors that " I am NEVER doing that again." haha oh the things you say when you are in pain!
Unfortunately my pain didn't stop there though. Because of my epidural complications I ended up getting a spinal head ache/back ache after all that! THIS WAS HORRIBLE! I wouldn't ever wish this sort of pain upon anyone! Laying flat is the only way to get any head releif, and the back pain never went away no matter what I did. So, I had to go to the ER on Sunday morning (2 days after I left the hospital) and get a blood patch. This is where they take blood from your arm and insert it back into your spinal cavity where the air was pocketing which caused all my pain. So, once they filled that air pocket with blood I had instant relief. This was wonderful!
I think next time I will try for no epidural as long as I get lucky with my contractions not causing much pain again!
Here is our precous newborn!
and here he is now, 10 months old!
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