Or the story of how I had a 10 lb, 7 oz baby with just 2 pushes...
(it's kind of long, but it has a good ending)
Monday morning we had a doctor's appointment at 9:30 am. We got out of the door early enough to drop off Isaiah at his babysitter's house and even to stop by Starbucks on the way. The doctor checked me and said I was a "loose" 4 cm and 70% effaced. I was excited that at least those weekend contractions had done a little bit of work.
After our doctor's appointment, I suggested to D. that we go for a little walk. Since it's January, we went to the Tupelo mall. We talked for a while, walked a lot, and enjoyed each other's company, then we decided to go to lunch together. We went to
Olive Garden for soup, salad, and breadsticks, which I had been craving.
While we were eating, I started to have a few contractions. They were consistent throughout lunch at about 7-10 minutes apart. I did not get too excited at this point because I'd been having contractions on and off for about a week. But since I was 70% and 4 cm, I didn't think we should drive back to Oxford either.
As we walked, it became apparent that this might be the day. I knew for sure when I had a contraction that made me cry a little bit. D. called everyone on the list--his sister, our moms, and our families. We decided to go to The Orchard, a church in Tupelo where several of our friends work, so we could have a place to lay down and rest while we waited for the contractions to get stronger.
We walked around the church some (it's huge) and we watched a few shows on the internet although I don't remember a lot of what happened. I do remember that it's not a good idea to watch 30 Rock while in labor because laughing and contractions don't go so well together.
When the contractions started getting stronger, we left for the hospital. We could have stayed a lot longer and it would have been fine, but I was afraid it was going to go very quickly, so we went ahead.
When we arrived at the hospital, I was 5-6 cm and 90% effaced. After the first exam, we went back to the labor and delivery room. Our friend and doula, Corinne, brought our bags over from Oxford, and our big exercise ball. At this point, the contractions were very manageable.
I appreciated the hospital policies and the staff at the Tupleo hospital very much. They did not give me an IV at first, and they held the monitor up to get the baby's heart beat every 30 minutes. This made it possible for me to walk around the room as I needed to, and to go to the bathroom when I needed it. They were very cooperative and understanding of what I wanted for my labor.
As the contractions became more intense, I really liked sitting on the ball. D. played some music on his iphone, and it helped to have something else to focus on. He helped me breathe and had me look into his eyes while Corinne massaged my back. D. kept reminding me to "be under it" which was very helpful. It helped me to let the pain wash over me and not try to fight it. Fighting it, which is my first instinct, just makes it worse.
As the contractions got stronger, Corinne did the work of helping me be in good labor positions while D. continued to help me focus on relaxing through the pain. After I had been sitting through a few contractions, Corinne would ask me to stand through a few. I am so glad she was there, because it gave D. the freedom to simply be there for me. The contractions became much stronger and closer together when I stood, so I wasn't always happy with her for asking me to stand. D. was always on her side, too! She also made sure I went to the bathroom once every hour, and that I was drinking enough water.
I think it was between 7 and 7:30 pm when the contractions became so strong that I began to ask myself why I was into this natural childbirth thing. :) It's easy to forget how painful labor is. But I knew that by this time there was no turning back. I was really too far along for an epidural to do any good. This was not a time when I could verbalize any of my thoughts, of course. D. was such a help to me, especially during this time. I could not have done it without him.
After about an hour of very intense contractions, Corinne told me that I should go to the bathroom. I told her that this was not an option since walking made them even stronger than just standing. Finally, I did it. As soon as I sat on the toilet, I felt my water break. Immediately, I felt very strong pressure and the urge to push. I knew that the baby's head was crowning, so I tried to get to the bed as fast as I could. I was screaming, "I have to push! I have to push!" trying to make it clear to D. and Corinne that the baby was crowning. Those were the only words I could find to let them know what was going on.
When I finally made it to the bed, Corinne and the nurse were telling me not to push yet. I could not help myself. With one little push, D. shouted out "he's here!" and I knew the head was out. I remember giving one more push a few seconds later, and then the rest of him was out. In a few more seconds, I was holding a big, beautiful, screaming baby in my arms. I tried to nurse him, and he latched on immediately. I thought he was over 10 pounds just from looking at him, but it was about an hour before the official statistics confirmed my suspicion.
I had to have a few stitches and it took me a long time to stop shaking, but I was so relieved when it was all over and I could hold my beautiful baby again. We didn't have time to talk about a name at first because so many nurses and doctors were coming in and out of the room.
I am so grateful for my labor experience from start to finish. It was very painful, and very intense, but I think it is so amazing to learn what my body can do. The freedom to stand and walk around made a huge difference, and I think it's part of the reason I could have a 10 pound, 7 ounce baby with 2 pushes.
We are so blessed!
I am so grateful.
