Oh, Hi! Labor & Delivery Story

Hey there!

So this is going to be a longer, wordier post...but this is the real deal path to my labor and delivery.  This being our first baby, I had no idea what to expect for myself, regardless of how many stories I read or Youtube videos I watched...so I thought I'd add my story to the online convo in hopes that it will give some other first time mommies a little reassurance and hope for their first delivery!

I journaled from the beginning of August until the baby came, because as most mommies to be are, I was very anxious to meet my bundle of joy after being pregnant for what seemed like FOREVER!  

bump progression, 6 weeks to 36 weeks

beach bump, 36 weeks

 Don't get me wrong, I loved being pregnant.  I was very, very lucky...no morning sickness, no major complications, I was able to workout until month 7, and really overall just had a fabulous pregnancy!

However, by the time July rolled around, the extra weight was starting to take a toll on me for sure, and knowing that my July 21st due date was looming, and that technically if she was born at 38 weeks she would be fine...let's just say I was ready to go.

This post is in chronological order, and just straight journaled, so completely authentic and real about exactly what was going on at that moment.  I'm going to talk about breast milk, bathroom issues....etc., so this post is really intended for LADIES EYES ONLY.

I was induced at 40 weeks and 4 days, just because I was past due date.  Believe me, I tried everything to naturally induce....pineapple, kiwi, eggplant parmesan, walking....dancing....squatting....you get  the picture.  NONE of it worked.

I hope you enjoy, and maybe find some solace or answers as to what REALLY to expect!

7/6/2016

Went to the hair salon to get my roots touched up one last time.

While my stylist was taking photos after we were done, she pointed out that my stomach was contracting and relaxing, and that's how I knew I was having my first real Braxton Hicks moment. I thought it was just the baby moving in a weird way....but nope!

Once I knew what it was like (not painful, just like a small amount of tightening) I noticed them a few more times through the evening, and even had one while sitting on the couch at home where my stomach got so tight it was almost cone shaped, held for a good 60 seconds, and then released.

Again- not painful at all, just made my stomach feel slightly tight. If my hair stylist hadn't pointed it out, I probably still wouldn't think I was having them!

Also, I read that at 38 weeks (which is tomorrow) I would probably be leaking colostrum, or be able

To express a little if I squeezed my areola. So ... I squeezed one, and f*ing colostrum came out!

Holy crapola. I'm really about to have a baby.

7/20/2016

Still have had pain free Braxton hicks tightening on and off for the past two weeks - but no real contractions, no mucus plug loss... Nothing. 

The only thing that had started happening was that I felt a lot of pressure in my Britney area... And she just felt LOWER.

During the doctor appointment today, my doc told me that I was dilated to 1cm, and that she could feel the baby's head during the cervical check!

My due date is tomorrow, so we are patiently waiting for something to happen...

BUT if she doesn't show up before Sunday were going in to be induced Sunday evening!

7/24/2016

10am - I think I lost my mucus plug!

We waited all day for the hospital to call us... Supposed to be called by 5pm... But we didn't have a call by 4:30, so I called the hospital.  Turns out my doctor had not sent my info over to be put on the schedule - so we have to wait for them to call ... 

40 weeks and 4 days

7/25/2016

2:55 am- They finally called us! Oh my gawd! Checked in to hospital and waiting for our nurse to take us to our room!!! Super excited, but also have not gone #2 today so crossing my fingers I can have a nice quiet one before my epidural .... 

no idea what we were in for yet....just happy to be in our room!

7am - Started Pitocin drip at level 2! I had been having some contractions during the early morning, but still nothing painful.  Had to confirm with the nurse that they were actual contractions!  Kind of felt like just tightening and a little pinching.

They moved the drip to a 4 and then the contractions picked up and got more and more intense over the next couple hours. 

At 4pm the nurse checked me and I was STILL just 1cm so they decided to do an overnight dose of Cervadil.  The process of getting the Cervadil inserted was AWFUL! Plus I had a contraction while she was doing it, so that was tons of fun.

Before the Cervadil I was able to take a shower (hallelujah!) and eat dinner (yesssss).  While on the Pitocin you can't eat at all...try that while 40 weeks and 4 days preggo!

day 2 of induction...about to begin 12 hours of contractions without pain relief...

After Cervadil started, the contractions got waaaay more intense to the point where I was squeezing my husbands hand and crying through several. 

The only pain medication available to me since I was not dilated enough was Morphine, which crosses the placenta and can carry the risk of slowing baby's heart rate so I reaaallly did not want to do that. They also offered Ambien to sleep, but again, didn't want to introduce any new or not completely necessary drugs.

I caved at 2am, the pain was just too unreal! I have the nurse check me and I was dilated to a 2, still not enough for epidural but I had to do something because the contractions were way too intense for me to do anything but cry and breathe through them.

At 4am still having contractions but a slight bit less painful...then they were back full force, and at 5am I started a contraction that went on for a good 15 minutes and I had soooo much pressure downstairs I thought I was going to go to the bathroom all over the place. 

I called the nurse after screaming in pain for those 15 minutes, she pulled the Cervidil and I was at 4cm, then 10 minutes later at 7!

After about 30 minutes I got my epidural, which was beyond easy, and within 20 minutes contractions were almost completely gone.

I had them flip me over after 30 minutes so the medicine could work on that side.

Then at 8:15 they checked me again and I was fully dilated but at 0 position, so waiting until 9:30 and then we will start pushing!!!

At about 10am, the nurses asked me to do a trial push, to see how the baby would react to the pushing/contraction combo.

I hoisted my legs up by my head, and they told me to take a deep breath, hold it in, lean forward like I was trying to crunch, and push for 10 seconds.

After the trial push, it took the baby longer than expected for her heartrate to re-normalize, which meant that she was not responding well to the pushing.  

The nurses called the doctor in, and after reviewing the situation, the doctor strapped an oxygen mask on to me and explained my options:

1. We could attempt to move forward and push her out, but we could only try 3-4 pushes, and if she wasn't out, we would have to go to a C-Section.  Also, this method would require assistance from the "vacuum" to ensure the maximum chance of getting the baby to make her appearance.
2. Straight to C-Section.

After all my research, I knew that the last thing I wanted to be recovering from after a new baby was a C-Section.  I made up my mind that I would get her out, and hoped that my workouts throughout almost my full pregnancy had prepared my stamina enough to make it happen.

I told the doctor that we wanted to try to push, and we started...

1st push, I leaned forward, grabbed my knees, inhaled deep, and crunched / pushed.  The doctor seemed to think I made a good amount of progress, so we went for another.

2nd push, deep breath, crunch, push again.  I heard the doctor saying that she was getting closer, and that she almost had her head out....ohmygoodness it was working!!

3rd push,  breathe, crunch, push HARD.... Doctor said she was almost all the way out, and we needed one more push!  My husband is cheering me on from above the non-existent sheet we had relied on for privacy, and I knew I had to get this last push going!

4th push, I feel the pressure subside, and hear a cry from our little girl!  She was out! And then there she was, being placed on my chest, all warm and snuggly and new.

My husband started crying, my tears happened, and we looked at this new life we created and couldn't believe how lucky we were.  

The actual delivery process was the easiest part of the whole ordeal.  THANK GOD for epidurals.  I swear, I have NO IDEA how anyone could handle that naturally!

After checking her out, making sure she was healthy and good to go, the doctors let us do skin to skin for about an hour, which was the most magical hour of my entire life.

Blair !

Born 7/26/2016

11:09 AM

8lbs 4 oz.

21 inches

ABOUT THE CONCERNS I HAD PRE-DELIVERY:

• I was terrified of going #2 on the table and my husband never being able to look at me the same way....I have NO IDEA if it happened, but I don't think it did, I never saw them jump in to wipe anything away, or act like they were doing any clean up of that nature.  HONESTLY, and I know you don' t believe me, but if it had happened, I would not have cared at all....all you care about is getting that baby out safely.
• I had read that delivering the placenta was worse than the baby....I NEVER felt it happen.  I literally had NO IDEA it was going on until my doctor announced that the placenta had been delivered.
• I had NIGHTMARES about tearing.  Like, literal nightmares.  I ended up with only a 1st degree small tear, and this kid was 8lbs 4oz.  I had brought supplies to make warm compresses to help things relax and stretch, but we never had a chance to use them and honestly, my recovery has been incredibly easy.  After the first four days....I feel like I'm almost back to normal.  I DID make "Pad Sicles", which I think REALLY helped my lady parts heal super fast....(I'll post about how to make those for sure!)
• I thought for sure that after delivery I would be non-stop bleeding all over the place and terrified of having visitors and for sure ruining whatever I was wearing.  NOPE.  I mean, it was definitely a flow, but with the supplies the hospital provided (ice pack pads and maxi pads with disposable undies) it was no big deal.  I was able to lounge around and receive company PLUS put my own clothes on and never had one incident.  Hallelujah!

I'll be posting a recovery / 1 week update over the weekend, as well as what I used in my hospital bag!  Comment or shoot an email if you have specific questions, and I will be HAPPY to answer!!!

xoxo-A