Birth Stories

MrsTotty: Jackson's Birth Story

Nest Kaitlin — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 16:00:00 GMT

"I didn't think it would ever happen, but I finally got baby's head out, and he practically fell out after that..."

The beginning

I started having contractions at work on Tuesday, June 10, around 11 a.m. I wasn't really sure how to time them, or whether they were the "real" thing, but they were painful enough to send me home so I could lay down and time them like I was supposed to. I went home, and luckily DH was at home that day as well. The contractions were pretty sporadic, and anywhere from five to ten minutes apart, but my OB's office wanted me to go into Labor and Delivery to be checked anyway. I was still only one or two centimeters dilated, but I was definitely having regular contractions. Also, the nurse noticed that my blood pressure was pretty high, which isn't something that had been going on throughout my pregnancy.

Decision time

The on-call doctor came in about an hour later and started talking about my options. She decided that she wanted to monitor my blood pressure overnight and I was admitted. She also mentioned that my OB would be in in the morning to check me and decide where to go from there. I called my parents (who live about five hours away) so they could start the drive up. By this time, my contractions were between two and five minutes apart and I was really starting to feel them. The nurse brought my an Ambien to help me sleep and to "take the edge off" the pain. When I woke up the next morning, my OB checked me and I hadn't progressed at all. My contractions had all but stopped. My blood pressure however, was still way up. She gave me two options: I could either go ahead and start an induction that afternoon, or I could go home and stay on bed rest for the next two days until my next OB appointment. I would probably be readmitted at that time, (because she didn't think my blood pressure would go down on its own) and be induced then. Since it was only two days away and I was already here, we decided to go ahead with the induction then

They started Cervidil at 2 p.m. for the next 12 hours. By about 5:30 p.m. my contractions were back with a vengeance and I was in a lot of pain. Finally I was checked, but I had made absolutely no progress. I seriously felt like crying. At about 8 p.m. my nurse (who was awesome) got me some pain meds (which felt great by the way), so I would be able to sleep. They wore off in a few hours, and at about 3 a.m. I was given an epidural and was started on Pitocin. I was kinda nervous about the epidural, but it was honestly less painful than getting my IV put in, and it felt so wonderful. I immediately fell asleep.

Making some progress

At 7 a.m. the nurses woke me up for the shift change and noticed not only that my water had broken in my sleep, but also that I was between six and seven centimeters dilated. Thank Gawd, finally some progress! The epidural was great, because I was having some major contractions and wasn't in pain; but I could still feel my tummy tightening with each one, letting me know when they were coming. At just after 10:30 a.m., I was fully dilated and could tell it was time to push, because of all the pressure I was feeling. Pushing took an hour and 40 minutes, and was so tiring. My DH was great though, and got me through every push by holding both my shoulders and legs. (He describes it as trying to fold a chair in half -- he found this hilarious).

Here he comes!

I didn't think it would ever happen, but I finally got baby's head out, and he practically fell out after that. Jackson Dane was born at 12:09 p.m.! He weighed 7 lbs and 6 oz and was 20.25 inches long. He was also two-and-a-half weeks early! He hardly cried at all, and was placed on my chest, given a couple of coughs and opened his eyes to look at me. He was absolutely beautiful.

While the doctor was working on getting me all fixed up (I needed a couple of stitches, due to a minor tear), DH was busy snapping pictures and watching little Jack. I was finally able to really hold him, and then was given the chance to breastfeed. While this was going on, I started to feel a lot of pain and finally had to give Jack up because I couldn't sit up anymore -- there was so much pain in my rectum. Apparently, I had developed a nasty hemorrhoid. Lovely. I was given some pain meds to deal with that while Jack as taken to the nursery. DH went to let everyone in the waiting room know all the details. We were all kept in the hospital for just over 48 hours after that, which was great; but after more than four days there in total, we were so ready to go home.

Jack is perfect in every way. DH and I couldn't be happier, and can't believe our little man is finally here!

> Read more about MrsTotty!
> Have a great birth story of your own? Email it to kstanford@theknot.com!

Snickers83: William's Birth Story

Nest Kaitlin — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 20:42:00 GMT

"I was quite the screamer...according to my father, he could hear me in the waiting room down the hall!"

Hoping for an early arrival

Being a tax accountant, I had been anxiously awaiting the birth of our son who was due on April 16, hoping to get out of a few days of the busy season if he came early. But sure enough, April 15 rolled around and still no baby boy. My husband Adam and I headed to the after-tax party around 5 p.m. on the 15th. We got so many "You're still here?" comments that I could have screamed! But I was feeling good, so I had nothing to complain about.

The beginning...

About four hours after my after tax party (great timing, huh?) I started having contractions and awoke in pain around 2 a.m. I sat up all night on the couch, counting and timing the contractions. I knew that this was the beginning (this was the morning of the 16th, my due date). I didn't wake DH, since I knew they weren't close enough to bother him with; but when he woke up on his own at 5:30, he freaked! Still, I told him to go to work and we'd go to my scheduled appointment at 9:30, since they were still about eight to ten minutes apart. At about 8 a.m., the contractions had stopped altogether! They had me do a non-stress test, and still nothing! I was so bummed. The doctor stripped my membranes and told me to go for a walk. DH and I headed to the mall and walked for about an hour and then went out to eat. We then headed home and I laid down for a nap at about 2 p.m.

At about 2:15, the contractions started again and were closer together (apparently my child did not want me rested). I took a bath and relaxed for the afternoon at home. Around 5:30, we went for a short walk and then came in to shower. As soon as I got out of the shower, my contractions starting coming every five minutes or so. After many phone calls with my sister and mom, we decided we better go in. (I was getting "yelled" at for being stubborn and was told to get my butt to the hospital!). We grabbed our suitcase and headed in. I arrived at the hospital around 6:30/7 p.m., but had to wait for about a half hour for a room. Once in the room, the doctor put my on a monitor and checked me. I was about four centimeters and 70% effaced. At my appointment that morning I was 3 cm dilated and 50% effaced. She told us to walk for another half hour and then she'd check again.

Showtime!

When we were checked again I was five or six cm and 100% effaced -- this was it! We were immediately moved to a labor room. Since I didn't want medication, I decided to jump in the whirlpool tub. Now wasn't that a sight! I laid there with a towel over me, eating a Popsicle, and doing my best to deal with the contractions. During this time, I was still smiling and so excited, and handling the contractions well. But once I got out of the tub (around 10:30 p.m., the contractions started to get stronger. When they checked me I was at eight centimeters! The doctor asked me if I wanted her to just break my water and I said sure, since it seemed to be on the verge of happening on its own. Once my water broke, the contractions started coming one after the other, and were very strong. About an hour later, I was at 10 cm and ready to push. I couldn't believe I was doing this with no epidural! I was asked if I wanted any meds around 11, and I let them give me some, but it only made me feel drunk and did nothing for the pain.

The pushing

Pushing was very difficult but well worth it in the end. I don't even remember them telling me I could push, I just started pushing because of the pressure! At one point they lost his heartbeat and I had to rotate onto my side. They found it, thank God, and things went back to normal. My mom and Adam were both with me, giving me tons of support. Adam was so incredible and tried as much as possible to help me with my breathing. Apparently, I was quite the screamer, since a few nurses came in asking if I was okay. And according to my father, he could hear me in the waiting room down the hall!

William's speedy delivery

My doctor arrived just in time and after about 40 minutes of pushing, William Kent was welcomed into the world. According to my mom, Will came out so fast that my doctor didn't even notice -- her head was turned the other way. Because of this, she wasn't able to "ease" him out of me, so I was pretty torn up. I didn't care one bit, though. He came out screaming and healthy. My mom was in the room with me and ran out to get my dad. We told him right away the name (Kent is his name) and everyone was crying! My DH was so emotional and it was such an amazing moment that I will never forget.

The recovery

Since Will did a number on me, it took my doctor about an hour and a half to sew me up. That was very uncomfortable, since I could feel every stitch. They had to put a catheter in since I ripped as badly as I did; however, they were able to take that out the next morning. We were in the hospital for two days straight. Breastfeeding was definitely a challenge, but well worth it. I think I only had one breakdown moment of crying and feeling that I just couldn't do it. Will was pretty fussy on the breast, but eventually he got the hang of things. We only had to supplement the first few days until my milk came in fully. Since I am now back at work, we are exclusively pumping. Will has gotten very used to the bottle and when I try to breastfeed he gets fussy since the milk isn't coming out fast enough. Thinks are going so well though and Will is such an amazing baby. He's sleeping through the night (five to six hours) and is handling daycare well. We are truly blessed and thank God every day for our little miracle.

> Read more about snickers83!
> Have a great birth story of your own? Email it to kstanford@theknot.com!

amclain60: Hailey's Birth Story

Nest Kaitlin — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 15:14:00 GMT

"I am so ready to do it again and I'm the biggest chicken in the world! If I can do it, anyone can..."

The beginning

I knew before I was even pregnant that the only way I was going to make it through labor was to get an epidural. I had walked around 2 cm dilated and 100% effaced for two weeks and even though my doctors were amazed that I hadn't went into labor yet, I was convinced that I was going to be overdue. I was 39 weeks exactly when I got up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom and came back to bed to feel a warm gush. I went back into the bathroom and examined my underwear when I felt another small gush. I went in and woke up my husband, who was sure that I had just peed my pants. I decided to take a shower and then see how I felt. One I got out of the shower, I still kept on feeling small gushes. Every time I moved, it trickled more! After waiting for an hour and feeling no contractions yet, I finally convinced my husband that we needed to go to the hospital.

Once I got the the hospital they called me on-call OB and he said to go ahead and start my Pitocin around 5 a.m. Even by now my contractions weren't regular. When the OB came in around 7:30 to check me, I was at 3 cm. He decided to up my Pitocin and keep it coming every 20 minutes. Around 9:30 a.m., I decided to go ahead and get the epidural. I was in pain, but it wasn't unbearable; I was mostly worried about the pain I was going to feel!

The epidural

The epidural was a breeze. It was hard staying still during contractions, but I knew relief was on the way. I could feel the pressure and knew something was in my back, but it didn't hurt. It took about 10 minutes for the epidural to take effect, but once it did I could not stop shaking. I was shaking like a mad woman! They even tried putting hot blankets on me, but nothing worked. This was around the time of the shift change, and my new nurse (who ended up being the absolute best) thought that I needed to be checked, since I hadn't been since 7:30. The doctors also had changed, and around 11 a.m. the new OB came in and saw that I was at 10 cm! I was in shock, because I had thought for sure it would be after dinnertime by the time I had this baby.

The doctor decided to go ahead and let me start pushing with the nurse, but Hailey was sideways, so I had to push on my sides for awhile. Again, I cannot tell you how much this nurse helped my husband and I -- she was so amazing, and helped keep both of us calm. At first I could not feel the contractions or know when I needed to push, so they had to tell me; but it wasn't long before I started feeling the pressure. They had turned up my Pitocin even more and my contractions still weren't following any set pattern. I wasn't feeling pain as much as I was feeling such extreme pressure. Finally, after about an hour of pushing, Hailey was beginning to crown and the doctor came in. But right after he came in, they had to come and get him for an emergency delivery!

Holding back

So for about 30 minutes I had to sit there with Hailey crowning and wasn't allowed to push.This was probably the worse part of all. I was definitely in pain now, probably just from trying to hold her in. The OB finally came back in and within a couple of minutes, she was out! They put her on my chest right away and my husband cut the cord. Hailey came out face up, which caused me to tear up instead of down, but it was still only a first degree tear. I also tore on the inside, which also required some stitches. I could feel the doctor stitching me up, but as soon as I told him, he gave me a numbing shot and I didn't feel a thing.

Hailey weighed 8 lbs even, was 20.5 inches long, and scored nines on her Apgar's. She is absolutely amazing and being a mom is the greatest thing in the world. My husband was truly changed by this experience and now is just amazed by women. I am so ready to do it again and I'm the biggest chicken in the world! If I can do it, anyone can!

> Read more about amclain60!
> Have a great birth story of your own? Email it to kstanford@theknot.com!

Lily225: Allison's Birth Story

Nest Kaitlin — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 21:19:00 GMT

"Both my husband and I are in love with Allison, and thankfully, her birth has only brought Andrew and I closer together..."

Right on schedule...

Allison Marie decided to show up on her due date -- Saturday, August 5, 2006! I woke up very early Saturday morning with cramping on and off in the midst of sleep, but I didn't think anything of them. Then my contractions started at about 4:30 a.m. I laid in bed for awhile before getting up to walk around. I eventually got in the shower and that felt awesome. Andrew came out in at that time and asked if I was okay and I said I thought I was having contractions. He said, "Really?"

I called the doctor at about 8 a.m. when they were about five or six minutes apart, but not that strong. She said to call back when they were a little closer together and a little stronger. No sooner did I hang up the phone that they started coming every two minutes! We started to get stuff packed up and went for a short walk. I did not want to be at the hospital longer than I needed to be and knew that I would rather walk around outside than in the hospital. While on our walk, Andrew's brother actually called to see what we were up to. I yelled at Andrew, thinking he had called him earlier and I was upset, because I didn't want to call people until we were actually checked into the hospital and staying for good!

Heading to the hospital

We only made it about a block and back on our walk because Andrew was getting nervous that we would have the baby in the living room, since my contractions were still two minutes apart. We got back and I called at about 9 a.m.; they said to come on in! We checked in at about 9:30 and got settled in and hooked up to everything. I was checked and was about 4 cm, which was up from my 3 cm that Tuesday. They hooked me up to fluids for about an hour, in hopes of spreading my contractions out. They said dehydration can cause contractions to speed up. The fluids didn't slow them down so they let me out of bed. I walked the halls, rocked in a rocking chair, and even made a few phone calls right away.

At about 1:30, the doctor on call came to check me (almost 5 cm) and broke my water -- this made everything feel about five times worse instantly. After that, things were pretty hard. The contractions were still every two minutes apart and before I was even 7 cm dilated I wanted to push. I tried different positions to help relieve the pressure -- I used a birthing ball, straddled a chair, and even got into the bath tub; but at that point it was pretty much just going to hurt no matter what. I also tried taking a bath, anxious that the warm water would relieve some pain, but the water wasn't warm enough or deep enough and I only got more uncomfortable in the small tub.

Skipping the epidural

I think it was about 2:30 or 3 p.m. when I said I wanted out of the tub (a lot of pain had set in), and took the nurse up on her offer of some drugs through my IV. I was given Nubane, which did absolutely nothing! The nurse said it was because most of what I was feeling was the pressure of the baby, since she was so low down (at almost +2 station), and that nothing would really take the pain away. So I finished without trying any more drugs -- I went into labor knowing I wanted to try to make it without an epidural. The thought of having to sit through several contractions without moving while they inserted the epidural seemed worse than just finishing without one -- so that's what I did!

My DH was so amazing the last two hours of labor. I was in so much pain, and had wanted to push so badly for awhile, but he kept me breathing (so I wouldn't hyperventilate) and focused. I would never have been able to go "drug free" had he not been such a great coach.

Mastering the push!

Around 4 p.m. I was really feeling some intense pressure, and another doctor came in to check me. He was a different doctor than the first (the first had went to the other hospital campus for a delivery and couldn't make it back in time). After checking me, he told me I was 9 cm with a little lip still. This was the really bad part: during contractions he would try to push the lip aside, with me not pushing. It was so incredibly painful that I was literally trying to push his hand away because it hurt so bad. Finally at 4:30 p.m. he told me it was gone and that I could push. It felt so good to finally be able to do that! My contractions were still two minutes apart and I only ended up pushing for 20 minutes. The first couple of pushes I was consciously trying to push out from my crotch, but soon discovered that this does nothing. You really have to push like you are going to the bathroom!

The doctor did have have to cut me, since things were moving so fast and he wanted to avoid a treat. Then finally, at 4:50 p.m., Allison made her grand entrance! My entire labor was only about 12 hours from start to finish, which was much shorter than I expected. She scored nines on her Apgar's and has done excellent ever since! She has been sleeping great through the night (with only one or two nursings), so that's been nice.

Breastfeeding baby

Nursing has had its ups and downs, though. For a few days she decided that she liked the right side better than the left, so when it came time for that left boob, it was all very difficult. One night I ended up pumping a bottle for her after she violently screamed for about 30 minutes. I felt like if I gave her a bottle, it would sabotage any future attempts to breastfeed. I sobbed the whole time I was pumping, and giving her a bottle (which she gulped down). That ended up being the only bottle we had to give her as we "figured out" the left boob strike issue. It has definitely gotten a lot better since then, and there are no other problems. I absolutely love nursing her -- it really is a great bonding experience. Both my husband and I are in love with Allison, and thankfully, her birth has only brought Andrew and I closer together.

> Read more about Lily225!
> Have a great birth story of your own? Email it to kstanford@theknot.com!

SNL0605: Zachary & Madeline's Birth Story

Nest Kaitlin — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 16:00:00 GMT

"I saw clear fluid trickling down my leg. I thought maybe it could be my water, but deep down I didn't actually believe it..."

The beginning

On May 7th, 2008, I woke up feeling pretty normal. I was a little tired, because I didn't sleep very well the night before, but didn't think anything of it. Around 11:30 in the morning I decided I as going to take a quick shower. I sat down to use the bathroom first and when I stood up, I saw clear fluid trickling down my leg. Honestly, I thought maybe it could be my water, but deep down I didn't actually believe it. I told Scott that it was possible I broke my water, but not to get too excited because I wasn't completely sure. After my shower I laid down in bed for about a half-hour and stood up to a soaked bottom. I called the clinic and they asked me to come in at two in the afternoon (which at this point was in about an hour).

Here come the contractions!

I no sooner walked (okay wheeled) into the clinic and painful contractions began. They quickly put me on the monitor and it was clear things had changed. The babies looked wonderful on the monitor but I was very clearly having real contractions. They did a pH test to check to see if it was truly my water and within 10 seconds she said, "You need to go directly to the hospital. Have someone bring your overnight bag, put their car seats in the car, and prepare yourself to have your babies in your arms today." None of this seemed real, it was all happening way too fast and my husband and I were in major denial and a serious state of shock.

We got to the hospital within minutes and walked in the door and they were there waiting for me. I got placed in my room and had a flood of nurses and doctors enter the room. One started and IV, one was getting the babies on the monitor, one was preparing me for surgery, and someone else put those lovely stockings on my legs. One doctor did a quick ultrasound to confirm the babies positions (both were transverse -- they were laying sideways like they were in a bunk bed) and the other doctor called anesthesia to find out what they wanted to do, since I had eaten a small lunch. It was all so surreal and happened so fast.

A speedy delivery

I walked into the hospital at 4 p.m. and was taken back to the operating room at 5 p.m. I was given a spinal to numb my body from the chest downwards and was told the incision started at 5:30 p.m. exactly. Three little minutes later (5:33) my little Zachary was born. His sister, Madeline, came into the world one tiny minute later (5:34). Madeline was a champ; she cried and pinked up immediately. Zachary on the other hand was being lazy. He needed quite a bit of stimulation to get him breathing. But after a few hours he perked up and was doing as well as Madeline.

Zachary weighed 5 pounds 9 ounces and was 18 inches long. Madeline weighed 5 pounds 6 ounces and was 19 inches long. They were both huge for 34-weekers! Apparently the average 34-week baby weighs about 4 pounds, so our little ones are not all that little. They were put under the bilirubin lights because they were both jaundiced (which is very common in premature babies). Afterward, they were both in the hospital for about a week, which wasn't as bad as we thought it'd be. They are both nursing very well now and we are so excited and pleased with that!

> Read more about SNL0605!
> Have a great birth story of your own? Email it to kstanford@theknot.com!

jlb7640: Natalie's Birth Story

Nest Kaitlin — Wed, 28 May 2008 16:00:00 GMT

"Thank goodness I live in modern times -- before c-sections, mothers and babies died during labor in situations like mine..."

The beginning

I woke up last Friday at 5 a.m. and went to the bathroom. When I got back into bed, my water broke, and I jumped out since I didn't want to ruin my mattress. (I definitely recommend keeping towels by your bed since it was an amazing amount of fluid that came out. A nurse told me it's about two liters!) I was in shock since I was only at 37 weeks and since this is my first baby I thought I would be overdue. I woke up DH and he called my midwife. She said I could labor at home until the contractions were two to three minutes apart.

Off to the hospital...

I had taken a Hypnobabies course so I used relaxation exercises to stay calm. DH even put on his CD from the course to help him stay calm. I was not feeling any contractions, just continuous light period-like cramps. We started running around the house finishing packing (which we had planned to do that Saturday). At 6 a.m. I started having contractions and they quickly build to two to three minutes apart by 7 a.m. I jumped in the shower. I even begged DH to remove my old toenail polish. (So much for that pedicure I planned for the next week!)

I put on my headphones and started listening to my Hypnobabies CD as we jumped in the car. DH stopped for donuts for the nurses. (My birth instructor suggested we do something nice for the nurses). We arrived at the hospital by 8:30 a.m. and I went to sign in. The nurse at the front desk asked if I was there for an appointment. He was surprised when I told him I was in labor since I looked so calm! We were taken back and they started monitoring me. I kept my headphones on. The nurse had to watch the monitor to tell if I was having a contraction. I just looked too peaceful! I kept telling myself every contraction is one less and brings me closer to seeing my baby. My midwife arrived and wanted to do an ultrasound to confirm the baby was still in the head down position. She had been in that position for every appointment since 30 weeks, so I was not concerned. This is why I could not believe it when the midwife told me that Natalie was now breech. Since my water had broken, there was really no time to mess with trying to turn her. She said we could try a trial labor to see if it changed, but she wanted to do an internal to check where the baby exactly was. She did the internal and tells me I am three centimeters dilated and 100% effaced, but the baby's foot was already coming down the birth canal.

A change of plans

My midwife told me we had to do a c-section. I was heart-broken. I really wanted to have a natural birth. I wanted to hold my baby as soon as she came out. I had done all this preparation to help that happen. I decided to have a spinal so the baby would be more awake for breastfeeding right after birth. My midwife is actually the midwife for my birth instructor so she knew Hypnobabies. She helped me go into hypnosis so I would not be so frightened and not be in pain while I got the spinal. Everyone was impressed by how calm I got. They brought DH in. They started working on me and told me that DD had the cord wrapped three times around her neck and was totally tangled. DD had flipped to a breech position since my one vertebrae sticks out too much. The surgeon and the midwife told me I will always need c-sections. There is just no room. Thank goodness I live in modern times -- before c-sections, mothers and babies died during labor in situations like mine (according to my surgeon).

Here comes Natalie!

After two minutes of surgery, they brought over my daughter and she opened her eyes as I talked to her. They let me give her a kiss and her and DH went to recovery to wait for me. She was alert in recovery and I was able to start breastfeeding. Recovery from the c-section has not been easy. I want to jump up and take care of my baby! Breastfeeding has been challenging, trying to find a comfortable position, but we've caught on. I am upset I will never get my natural birth, but I have a wonderful baby. The surgeon told me it is a good lesson for parenthood -- expect the unexpected.

> Read more about jlb7640!
> Have a great birth story of your own? Email it to kstanford@theknot.com!

Bobbisworld: Brette's Birth Story

Nest Kaitlin — Thu, 22 May 2008 16:00:00 GMT

"During the c-section, I really didn't feel anything, not even pressure...but I was sore all over for awhile."

Brette's special delivery

Our baby girl Brette arrived on Cinco de Mayo by a planned c-section! When we found out at our 37 week appointment that our baby was breech, I wasn't a candidate for a version because of her estimated larger size and somewhat low amniotic fluid, so we planned a c-section for four days before my due date. I hoped she'd turn, and we did an ultrasound five days before and the day of the c-section, but to no avail. I also tried the various positions to get to her turn.

The hospital

I arrived at the hospital at 6:30 a.m. after not much sleep the night before. They set me up to be monitored and I was having some contractions. Baby's heart rate was good. They tried three times in three different places to put in my IV -- it hurt like Hell. Then, they put in the catheter which was awful. I couldn't believe how much it hurt; I cried out. I found out later that even though they told me they can't do the catheter in the OR after the spinal, this isn't really true and I should have stuck to my guns and requested this. We then sat around for about an hour as the OB came to walk us through the c-section procedure. I was really uncomfortable at this time with the catheter and was already asking when it would be coming out.

Prepping for surgery

They wheeled me in for my spinal at about 9 a.m. That was a piece of cake, with just a little pinch and some pressure, and then I started going numb. They laid me down and got me all covered with antiseptic and set up the paper curtain so I couldn't see anything happening. The weird thing was that they had the table at a tilt so I was at a strange angle which felt weird. Then they brought in DH to sit by my head in his scrubs. He was great; he kept showing me pictures of our dog and other things on our camera to keep my mind off the surgery. The anesthesiologist then tested my spinal by putting a cold wipe up where I could feel it by my breast, and then down further where I wasn't supposed to have feeling. I was warm, heavy, and numb from my ribs down. I didn't have any problems feeling like I couldn't get a breath or anything, which they had warned me might happen.

The delivery

During the c-section I really didn't feel anything, not even pressure. During the procedure my blood pressure was really low -- I could see the machine and at one point it was 60-something over 30-something. I asked if this was normal and they said it was within normal range, but low!

It only took about 10-15 minutes to get Brette out. She came out butt-first and she screamed for another 10 minutes! They struggled a bit to get her out because she was a little big. DH went with her to get weighed and cleaned off. She weighed 8 lbs. and 3 oz. and was 19.75 inches. It took another 45 minutes or so to sew me and clean me up. The whole thing wasn't uncomfortable, just weird; and I was really groggy. I kept closing my eyes but then forcing myself to stay awake. They then wheeled me into recovery for the next few hours. In recovery, I threw up twice and ended up needing anti-nausea meds in my IV. They said this was from my low blood pressure coming back up to normal range so quickly after the spinal. I was also started on Percoset and Motrin -- both of which I threw up. I ended up being sick, groggy, and in pain for most of the day. I held Brette a few times and tried nursing her in recovery and later in the day, but I really didn't want any other visitors. Much of the first day is a blur. Finally, they put Zofran in my IV at about 7 p.m. as I kept throwing up, and my nausea finally went away enough for me to eat two pieces of toast and keep down my pain pain meds.

A slow recovery

The first night in the hospital we only slept about four hours, but Brette seemed to be nursing well so I was okay with that. The next morning, they took out the catheter and my IV and got me out of bed to walk around on my own a little. I showered and was up and down all day! I even ate three full meals.

Going to the bathroom was interesting, and they measured all my urine and the amount of fluids I took in for the first few days. I still had some bleeding after a week postpartum, but it was like a light-to-medium period. The hardest thing about recovery was that I was sore all over for awhile, and my incision area hurt if I went too long without taking the meds. Brette is doing really well now. She's really cute and not very fussy, and she had a beautiful head -- because it wasn't all squished! (That's what the nurses kept saying, anyway. Who knows if that's true). If anyone has c-section questions, feel free to ask me!

jtownsend: Avery's Birth Story

Nest Kaitlin — Thu, 15 May 2008 15:00:00 GMT

" I couldn't believe this tiny human being was inside of me and finally here after we waited so long..."

A long-awaited gift

My husband and I tried for years (unsuccessfully) to get pregnant, and after a few rounds of fertility treatments, surgeries, and other measures, we finally got pregnant via In Vitro Fertilization. I went through nine months of the pregnancy just in awe that I was finally carrying a child!

Going for the induction

I was actually induced on our daughter's due date, April 10th. My doctor suggested this date since I was nervous about being overdue. I was rather against induction at first, except that I really was miserable and finally said, "Let's go for it." My plan was completely opposite than what ended up happening -- I had planned for a natural birth, to labor at home as long as possible, and to then go to the hospital. Oh well! I went in on the morning of the 10th, and they started me on Pitocin around 8:30 a.m. At about 10 a.m., the doctor broke my water and things really got going from there. I've never experienced a natural birth, so I'm not sure what contractions feel like with that, but I will tell you that I have a pretty high pain tolerance and the Pitocin paired with having my water broken was sheer horror. I could hardly breathe through my contractions and just about ripped by DH's hands off! (He complained after the birth that he thought he might need a splint for a couple of fingers... I didn't find that funny).

Struggling with the pain

It's really unlike me to cry out in pain or to ask for help, but I ended up semi-panicking and begging my husband to please help me. He was so upset because he couldn't do anything except advocate for me. We asked the nurse for the epidural and she said great, but that I had to get two bags of fluid through my I.V. first. I almost died; I really could not wait. It's like being on fire, and having someone say, "You'll have to wait an hour, and then I'll spray you with the hose." But I had no choice and they started me on the fluids.

Halfway through the first bag, I was in agony and told my husband again that I could take this anymore, and he ran out to the nurses station and made it happen. I love him! They cheated on the bags of fluid and the anesthesiologist came in right away and administered the epidural (which I don't really remember since I was using all my power not to move with my contractions). The epidural was obviously not as bad as my contractions, since I have very little memory of it!

Close call

After the epidural, I was finally much more comfortable, so my husband and parents went to the cafeteria at my urging to have some lunch. It was 12:30. Half-an-hour later, the nurse noticed I was making faces with each contraction and asked if I was okay. I said, "Yeah, but I'm feeling them again...not as bad as before, but I'm definitely feeling them." She quickly checked me and said my daughters head was right there! At this point I immediately thought that my husband and parents would miss the birth, so I called DH, but he had turned his phone off. My father, thank goodness, had his on and I told him to come up right away, since they were prepping me for delivery. As soon as the nurse finished checking me, I was amazed at the assembly line of people setting up for the birth -- it gets pretty crazy towards the end!

Delivering baby

I began pushing around 1:30 p.m and finally delivered Avery Jane at 2:13 p.m.! I had a small tear which a small stitch took care of, and a very good recovery. It was a great induction and I was so surprised. She was not able to be placed on my tummy after birth, since her cord was wrapped tightly around her neck. The doctor couldn't unwrap it from her neck and had to cut it off. Because of this, my husband wasn't able to cut the cord, but it wasn't a big deal; our daughter's well-being was a bigger priority.

It felt like an eternity before I was able to hold my daughter, but as I watched them clean her and suction her, she looked so beautiful. I couldn't believe that this tiny human being was inside of me and finally here after we waited so long for her.

Looking back

The biggest surprises about giving birth? Inductions can go well; my husband is even more amazing than I never knew; nurses see births every day, so your pain is something they see all the time -- don't expect them to jump when you say you can't take it anymore! I was really scared that being induced would lead to a c-section, but everything worked out wonderfully. I hope for anyone getting induced, it turns out as great as mind did. And take my advice: get the epidural a little earlier than you think you need it!