My Second Birth Story

Erika 1 Minute Old

 

I believed when I was forewarned by my doctors, family and friends that second births would be FAST! However, I did not think it would be THAT FAST! WOW!

 

 

I woke up at 5:00 am with what I thought might be Braxton Hicks, but they were a tad bit stronger so I wasn't sure. I timed 3 of them 10 minutes apart and called my Douala at 5:30 to let her know. She said if they start becoming closer together and stronger to give her a ring again. As soon as I hung up the phone they started to become closer, so we left the house right away to drop off our toddler at his grandparents and head to the hospital.

 

When I arrived, I seemed ok. I even contemplated whether to fake more pain or not so they will take me in for sure and not send me home! When they took my registration information, I asked right there if I could sign the papers for the Epidural right away instead of having the asthesist read me a long list of warnings and waivers while I labor in pain.

 

Anyhoo, the registration lady, said no, she didn't handle that and that I would have to ask the nurse. They rolled me into the assessment room, where my Douala and mid wife came to meet me and to check how far I was along.

 

Apparently I was 5cm dilated already! Amazing ! I asked her this time, "Can you please make sure i get the epidural? It's really important to me that I get the epidural, ok?"  She said "yes of course" and left the room to make arrangements to admit me to a proper hospital room.

 

My contractions after the exam went from a scale of 3 to 8 and I started howling my "OOOOWWWW", "OOOOOOWWWWW", "EPIDURAL PLEAAAAASSEE!!" - a nurse came in and said ok, lets get her in the chair and they started to roll me to the assigned room.  She asked if she should stop during my contractions but that would mean my Epidural would be delayed, so I said "No No, just go go!"  As we were in the elevator, I started to feel the urge to push, but was afraid to let anyone know, as they might not give me my Epidural! So I howled away as they pushed me to the bed. At this point I was screaming "No, I'm pushing! I don't want to push, No!!!" 

 

I heard someone ask if I wanted Gas and I said very firmly "NO GAS, I WANT THE EPIDURAL NOW!" But ofcourse, that was not possible, as I wasn't even on the bed yet, nor got an IV  started. 

As I was climbing onto the bed, I heard "Stop pushing, I can see her eyes!!!"

 

OMG! I thought. What??? My body was on autopilot really and I didn't know how NOT to push. My Douala shouted "look at me! breath short breaths, hah hah hah hah" I used all my effort to open my eyes and look to focus on short breaths and not pushing for the life of my child, I needed to do this.  I was afraid for my baby's life, not sure why, but just was. So I did everything they told me.

 

As soon as I climbed on the bed, (on all fours), I heard, "ok, you can push now" and just like that after a couple of pushes Erika was born!  I was shocked, stunned, and thankful that we were both alive! For some reason, I doubted my body, had morbid fears of one of us dying, and fears that Erika would be born missing fingers or toes. I was afraid of the pain of not having an epidural and before I knew it I gave birth absolutely drug free!

 

She was PERFECT! I didn't even tear below! I entered the hospital at 6:45 and she was born 7:46.

7.4 Pounds and Absolutely Healthy! (see her 1 minute photo above)

 

There it is short fast sweet and miraculous! And to be very honest, it didn't hurt as bad as I thought it would.

 

 

 

So What Do Contractions Feel Like? My Birth Story

My Birth Story

After drinking the Augment Tea mentioned in my last blog, I began contractions around 4 am in the morning. These first contractions felt much like heavy period cramps which lasted for 45 seconds or so.

By 6 am, my Doula was over, to cope with me at home. I was still able to talk between each contraction, so it was an indicator to her that I was not dilated enough to go to the hospital. (4cm is the standard here).  By 7am, the midwife came to assess me and I was 3cm. After the assessment the contractions seemed stronger. I was now on my hands and knees to cope. Massages to the lower back helped throughout.   Finally by 8am, I pleaded to go to the hospital and threw on my jacket.

By the time I got to the hospital I was in active labor, pounding on the admittance table through my contractions as they look me up in their system.  While sitting in the assessment room, I begged and pleaded for the epidural, “Please can someone give me the Epidural, PLEASE!  PLEEEAAAASE!!”  The pain was intense and tears were streaming down my face.  Its hard to describe the feeling. The contractions start with a lower abdominal pain and works its way to the center of your uterus, squeezing the life out of you, literally....  The pain increases to a peak and then starts to subside. The break in between was 1 – 2 minutes,  sometimes it felt like only a few seconds and the next contraction would start again.  

They made me walk to my room, despite the fact I didn’t want to move at all. I suppose walking helped the baby drop lower in the pelvis and push against the cervix.  The walk to the Cedar room was LONG.
My eyes were completely closed the entire time, baring down on the rails on the way, screaming in the elevator and finally planted my face on the bed they assigned me. I dropped down on my knees and begged God to take the pain away! (I tend to do this often..lol).. 

Now shifting, to why the epidural was still not here yet, I started to accuse my doctor of lying to me and holding out on me so that my birth will be faster!!!  She reassured me that I would not be the person she’d hold out on and that the anaesthetist is on her way.  

Finally 11:30 am, the anaesthetist arrived with the epidural. She stood infront of me while my head was buried in my doulas shoulders and started to read the disclaimers. I said, “I don’t care, just give me the pen” and signed the damn thing.

Around 12pm,  the numbing took affect and my labour was a piece of Cake from then on. I felt NOTHING! It was great. I ate chocolate, prayed, texted my friends, all the while my contractions was getting stronger and stronger, opening up my cervix, larger and larger, and I felt NOTHINGJ

By 5:30, my doctor checked me and instructed me to push. 40 minutes later, my baby was out and on my chest staring at me in wonder and I stared back in awe and disbelief that he is really here, alive and well in my arms.  – Life is such a miracle. ! and all the pain in the world is worth it.

Here are My Two Cents:1) Get the Epidural ( it makes a huge difference )

2) Make sure to pack lots of juice boxes ( helped with pushing ) and snacks

3) Download the app "Full Term Labor" to time your contractions - It's Free!
4) Don't forget your camera and something nice for baby to wear the next day for photos

5) Remember to ask several nurses for the following items to take home with you:
    a) an extra pair of those funky sexy grandma underwear they give you
    b) nipple cream (you'll need this only if you are breasfeeding)
    c) pads (for bleeding)
    d) the Sitz Bath basin (to rinse and bath the stiched area if you have stitches)