I just finished reading Get Me Out: A History of Childbirth from the Garden of Eden to the Sperm Bank by Randi Hutter Epstein, M.D.
This book wasn't so much a history of birth as it was a history of the woman's reproductive health and everything it entails. I found it interesting from a historical stand point, but it didn't enhance my doula skills at all. I recommend this with reservations because there were some rather disturbing parts and it's not exactly uplifting. ;)
You can read a more thorough review here
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Sunday, March 9, 2014
Happy Birthday, DS2!
It's DS2's tenth birthday, so here is his story! This was my first attempt at a vbac and that (along with a healthy baby, of course) was my only goal. Natural birth was not on my radar at the time.
Monday, March 8th I woke up with contractions and they were regular enough and strong enough that we went to the hospital. Unfortunately, once we got there they stopped and we were sent home. My contractions never fully went away, but when DH and I were watching the Av's game they started to hurt worse. I refused to time them because I was afraid that they weren't regular, meaning nothing was happening and I was also afraid that they were regular, meaning I would get my hopes up again.
After the game I went to take a shower. I had already taken two baths that day, but I needed to wash my hair. I had a few contractions in the shower, but they weren't too bad, the water helps a lot. I got out and go online for a little bit. I broke down and timed 3 contractions - they were 6 minutes apart. DH said I should come to bed and try to sleep. I was hoping that I would just be able to sleep through them, but no luck. They were still coming every 6 minutes and a few of them I had to get out of bed and rock through. I tried a heating pad and that helped a little, but these weren't backing down.
I called the Dr and told him what was going on. I said that I had just been to the hospital and didn't want to come again if this wasn't the real thing. He said with my past c-section I should definitely come in if they were about 5 minutes apart. Another reason I was hesitant to go in was that we would have to call our friends and ask one of them to come spend the night. It was about 1:30 when DH finally convinced me that we had to go in. Some of my contractions were 3 minutes apart.
I called over to a friend's house and her husband answered (after the third try). He said he would come on over and then bring DS1 to his house in the morning. I looked in at DS1 (a few months shy of 2) before we left and he was the most angelic thing I have ever seen. We left the house about 2:00 and got to the hospital at 2:30. My contractions had slowed down to 7 minutes apart once we got in the car, but they still hurt.
The main entrance to the hospital was closed, so we had to go in through the ER. They made me get in a wheel chair and took me up to L&D. They gave us a room and put me on the monitors. The contractions were about every 6 to 7 minutes. The nurse checked me and said that I was 4cm and 70%, so I had made some progress. My contractions weren't close enough for them to admit me yet, so they made us walk for a half hour. As soon as we started walking, they would come every TWO minutes! And every other one hurt! I would have to stop and rock and DH would rub my back. I said that there was NO WAY that they were sending me home! I couldn't handle these pains for the next three days until my induction. {While in my head I knew that my best bet for a vbac was to go into labor on my own, we were concerned that I would have another big baby and thus end up with another c-section. We had decided to let the Dr break my water to start labor, but I'm glad it didn't come to that.}
We went back to the room and I was checked again. I was a little bit more effaced. My contractions once I got on the monitor slowed down to 6 minutes again. The nurse said that "real labor" wouldn't slow down. I was in a lot of pain while I was being monitored, I couldn't move, all I could do was squeeze DH's hands and cry. The nurse offered me pain meds or the tub. I chose to get in the tub because I knew that water helps it not hurt so bad. That was about 4:00.
Once I got in the tub the contractions were about every 3 to 5 minutes apart. They still hurt, but they were bearable with the hot water and I wasn't crying through them anymore. After about a half hour we decided to get out and talk to the Dr. We weren't too happy with this nurse and we wanted to see what our options were, because going home was NOT one of them!
We got out and she checked me and said, "we'll keep you." I could've kissed her! I had progressed to 5 cm and 100%. I was on the monitors again and this time my contractions didn't slow down. They hurt like hell and I was crying through them. One was so bad that I started hyperventilating when I was trying to breathe and my face got all tingly. That scared me and I was crying harder, which made it even more difficult to breathe. DH was doing all he could, rubbing my back and holding my hands.
I asked the nurse how long I had to stay in bed and she asked if I wanted my epidural - YES!!!! I had to get my IV fluids in first and they took some blood, but by 5:15 I was getting the drugs. The anesthesiologist was a very nice guy and took time to explain what was going on. He was able to do it between contractions. He did a spinal and then hooked the epi up. I had a button that I could push to add more meds if I needed them.
I felt MUCH better after the drugs and I was able to relax. I called my mom to let her know today was the day so that she could be prepared. The IV antibiotics were burning my arm and so the nurse came in and applied a hot pack. She seemed nicer now that we were actually admitted. Before she seemed annoyed with us.
At 6:10 I felt a little gush and told the nurse that I thought my water broke. She checked my pad and said that it appeared that way. We were hoping that would make my labor go even faster. I also asked for some Benadryl because the epidural made me itch like crazy!
I was checked again at 8:20. This time I had a new nurse (Caroline) and another nurse that was a student and they asked if she could observe. I didn't care. Anyway, Caroline checked me and said I was a 6 and 100% effaced and that DS2 was at 0 station. She also said that there was a bulging bag of water that was cushioning my cervix from the baby's head. Apparently, my water was just leaking.
The Dr came in at 8:35 and finished breaking my water. He said the fluid was clear, so that was good. I never had an appt with this Dr, but I was very pleased with him.
At 9:03 my contractions were steady at 3 minutes apart, I could feel some pressure, but no pain. I was in heaven! I was due for more antibiotics at 9:15 and I told the nurse that I still didn't have a catheter in (opps!). She asked if the student nurse could insert it and I said, "Sure, I can't feel anything anyway. " They had to lean me back to do it and I threw up almost immediately. She said that was probably due to my blood pressure going down so they put me on my side.
My back was hurting me and I was starting to feel the contractions more so I pressed the epi button. I didn't want to do too much because I wanted to be able to push well, but I also didn't want to be in pain.
At 10:10 the nurse's checked me and I was 9 cm and +1 station. My mom showed up around this time and we were all very excited waiting for DS2 to come! I asked them to check me again at 11:25. I wasn't feeling the urge to push, but I was ready to get the show on the road! I was complete and baby was a little lower than +1. Caroline asked if we were ready to push and DH said, "YES!"
Monday, March 8th I woke up with contractions and they were regular enough and strong enough that we went to the hospital. Unfortunately, once we got there they stopped and we were sent home. My contractions never fully went away, but when DH and I were watching the Av's game they started to hurt worse. I refused to time them because I was afraid that they weren't regular, meaning nothing was happening and I was also afraid that they were regular, meaning I would get my hopes up again.
After the game I went to take a shower. I had already taken two baths that day, but I needed to wash my hair. I had a few contractions in the shower, but they weren't too bad, the water helps a lot. I got out and go online for a little bit. I broke down and timed 3 contractions - they were 6 minutes apart. DH said I should come to bed and try to sleep. I was hoping that I would just be able to sleep through them, but no luck. They were still coming every 6 minutes and a few of them I had to get out of bed and rock through. I tried a heating pad and that helped a little, but these weren't backing down.
I called the Dr and told him what was going on. I said that I had just been to the hospital and didn't want to come again if this wasn't the real thing. He said with my past c-section I should definitely come in if they were about 5 minutes apart. Another reason I was hesitant to go in was that we would have to call our friends and ask one of them to come spend the night. It was about 1:30 when DH finally convinced me that we had to go in. Some of my contractions were 3 minutes apart.
I called over to a friend's house and her husband answered (after the third try). He said he would come on over and then bring DS1 to his house in the morning. I looked in at DS1 (a few months shy of 2) before we left and he was the most angelic thing I have ever seen. We left the house about 2:00 and got to the hospital at 2:30. My contractions had slowed down to 7 minutes apart once we got in the car, but they still hurt.
The main entrance to the hospital was closed, so we had to go in through the ER. They made me get in a wheel chair and took me up to L&D. They gave us a room and put me on the monitors. The contractions were about every 6 to 7 minutes. The nurse checked me and said that I was 4cm and 70%, so I had made some progress. My contractions weren't close enough for them to admit me yet, so they made us walk for a half hour. As soon as we started walking, they would come every TWO minutes! And every other one hurt! I would have to stop and rock and DH would rub my back. I said that there was NO WAY that they were sending me home! I couldn't handle these pains for the next three days until my induction. {While in my head I knew that my best bet for a vbac was to go into labor on my own, we were concerned that I would have another big baby and thus end up with another c-section. We had decided to let the Dr break my water to start labor, but I'm glad it didn't come to that.}
We went back to the room and I was checked again. I was a little bit more effaced. My contractions once I got on the monitor slowed down to 6 minutes again. The nurse said that "real labor" wouldn't slow down. I was in a lot of pain while I was being monitored, I couldn't move, all I could do was squeeze DH's hands and cry. The nurse offered me pain meds or the tub. I chose to get in the tub because I knew that water helps it not hurt so bad. That was about 4:00.
Once I got in the tub the contractions were about every 3 to 5 minutes apart. They still hurt, but they were bearable with the hot water and I wasn't crying through them anymore. After about a half hour we decided to get out and talk to the Dr. We weren't too happy with this nurse and we wanted to see what our options were, because going home was NOT one of them!
We got out and she checked me and said, "we'll keep you." I could've kissed her! I had progressed to 5 cm and 100%. I was on the monitors again and this time my contractions didn't slow down. They hurt like hell and I was crying through them. One was so bad that I started hyperventilating when I was trying to breathe and my face got all tingly. That scared me and I was crying harder, which made it even more difficult to breathe. DH was doing all he could, rubbing my back and holding my hands.
I asked the nurse how long I had to stay in bed and she asked if I wanted my epidural - YES!!!! I had to get my IV fluids in first and they took some blood, but by 5:15 I was getting the drugs. The anesthesiologist was a very nice guy and took time to explain what was going on. He was able to do it between contractions. He did a spinal and then hooked the epi up. I had a button that I could push to add more meds if I needed them.
I felt MUCH better after the drugs and I was able to relax. I called my mom to let her know today was the day so that she could be prepared. The IV antibiotics were burning my arm and so the nurse came in and applied a hot pack. She seemed nicer now that we were actually admitted. Before she seemed annoyed with us.
At 6:10 I felt a little gush and told the nurse that I thought my water broke. She checked my pad and said that it appeared that way. We were hoping that would make my labor go even faster. I also asked for some Benadryl because the epidural made me itch like crazy!
I was checked again at 8:20. This time I had a new nurse (Caroline) and another nurse that was a student and they asked if she could observe. I didn't care. Anyway, Caroline checked me and said I was a 6 and 100% effaced and that DS2 was at 0 station. She also said that there was a bulging bag of water that was cushioning my cervix from the baby's head. Apparently, my water was just leaking.
The Dr came in at 8:35 and finished breaking my water. He said the fluid was clear, so that was good. I never had an appt with this Dr, but I was very pleased with him.
At 9:03 my contractions were steady at 3 minutes apart, I could feel some pressure, but no pain. I was in heaven! I was due for more antibiotics at 9:15 and I told the nurse that I still didn't have a catheter in (opps!). She asked if the student nurse could insert it and I said, "Sure, I can't feel anything anyway. " They had to lean me back to do it and I threw up almost immediately. She said that was probably due to my blood pressure going down so they put me on my side.
My back was hurting me and I was starting to feel the contractions more so I pressed the epi button. I didn't want to do too much because I wanted to be able to push well, but I also didn't want to be in pain.
At 10:10 the nurse's checked me and I was 9 cm and +1 station. My mom showed up around this time and we were all very excited waiting for DS2 to come! I asked them to check me again at 11:25. I wasn't feeling the urge to push, but I was ready to get the show on the road! I was complete and baby was a little lower than +1. Caroline asked if we were ready to push and DH said, "YES!"
I started pushing at 11:30. He started descending with the first try; so we were pretty positive that he was going come out the good old-fashioned way! Mom took some action shots of me pushing (from the side). I asked for a mirror and when we could see the head, I asked if I could touch it. It was very soft and squishy I was thinking it would feel hard, like bone. DH said that it was really small and the nurse laughed and told him that that was only part of it. It didn't take long before she broke down the bed and called for the Dr and some help. I asked her what kind of help and she said for once the baby was born to clean him, etc. that nothing was wrong.
I pushed a few times with the Dr and the head came out, he actually told me that I was pushing too good and to just give him little pushes. DH asked if babies ever cry with just their heads out and the Dr told him that they couldn't because they couldn't get any air in their lungs yet, but that sometimes they squeak. I already knew that, but I had to kind of laugh inside. I gave a little push to get the shoulders out and then the Dr told me to look down and I helped place him on me. He was born at 12:21pm; I pushed for just over 45 minutes!
Dr said the cord was a little short, so he had DH cut it (which I didn't think he would) and then they put DS2 up on my chest. He was so quiet and alert, barely made a peep. I counted his fingers and toes, just to make sure. He has long slender fingers. We rubbed him off and then I tired to nurse him. Took us a while to get him to latch on, but we finally succeeded.
I studied his face and noted that he has my nose. I think he has the same lips as DS1, but other than that they don't look much alike. After a while the nurses took him to evaluate him and give him his first bath. They did all this right there in the room next to me. He weighed 7 pounds, 14 ounces and was 21 inches long. His head measured 13.25 inches - DS1's was 14, I guess .75 really does make a difference. DS2 barely peeped while they were examining him. He did cry a bit when they gave him the Vit K shot, but he calmed down really quick. He is precious and perfect.
Saturday, March 8, 2014
Recommended Reading Part 2
Another book that was on my list of approved books was The Doula Advantage: Your Complete Guide to Having an Empowered and Positive Birth with the Help of a Professional Childbirth Assistant.
This book was a MUCH smoother read than the one I previously mentioned. It still mentioned some statistics (which are pretty impressive), but they didn't dominate the book. Interspersed throughout the book were little glimpses about mother's experiences, and I enjoyed those "real life" scenarios.
While this book is aimed toward expecting parents (and I would highly recommend it to them), it is also helpful for doulas or doulas-to-be to read.
This book was a MUCH smoother read than the one I previously mentioned. It still mentioned some statistics (which are pretty impressive), but they didn't dominate the book. Interspersed throughout the book were little glimpses about mother's experiences, and I enjoyed those "real life" scenarios.
While this book is aimed toward expecting parents (and I would highly recommend it to them), it is also helpful for doulas or doulas-to-be to read.
Friday, March 7, 2014
Recommended (with reservations) Reading
The second book review I did was on Heart and Hands: A Midwife's Guide to Pregnancy and Birth. As doulas we are not allowed to do any diagnosing or medical procedures, but the book was still informative and enjoyable.
One thing that I found interesting was that the author said after a woman reaches 6 cm, they go by how much cervix is left because some women need to dilate more than 10 cm. For instance, one woman might have to dilate to 11 cm before she is complete. So if she is 8 cm she would have 3 cm left to go and would be told she was 7 cm. Another woman might only need to dilate to 8 cm to be complete so she would be told she was 8 cm (when she was really 6) since she only has 2 more cm to go.
I see how this makes sense because a midwife can't possibly know how far a woman will need to dilate to be complete in advance. I once had a nurse tell me that it was impossible to go more than 10 cm and I thought that was the stupidest thing I've ever heard. Why on earth would every woman's cervix open exactly the same amount (and who is using a ruler, anyway?!)?
I would recommend this book to birth professionals, especially childbirth educators and aspiring midwives. I'm not sure I would recommend it to expectant mothers unless, like me, they are birth junkies. ;)
One thing that I found interesting was that the author said after a woman reaches 6 cm, they go by how much cervix is left because some women need to dilate more than 10 cm. For instance, one woman might have to dilate to 11 cm before she is complete. So if she is 8 cm she would have 3 cm left to go and would be told she was 7 cm. Another woman might only need to dilate to 8 cm to be complete so she would be told she was 8 cm (when she was really 6) since she only has 2 more cm to go.
I see how this makes sense because a midwife can't possibly know how far a woman will need to dilate to be complete in advance. I once had a nurse tell me that it was impossible to go more than 10 cm and I thought that was the stupidest thing I've ever heard. Why on earth would every woman's cervix open exactly the same amount (and who is using a ruler, anyway?!)?
I would recommend this book to birth professionals, especially childbirth educators and aspiring midwives. I'm not sure I would recommend it to expectant mothers unless, like me, they are birth junkies. ;)
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Recommended Reading
One of the books that I requested from the library that wasn't on the reading list was The Midwife: A Memoir of Birth, Joy, and Hard Times. I didn't realize until I picked it up that it is a companion to the PBS series Call The Midwife. *squeal* Knowing that Nurse Jenny Lee was a real midwife made the series all the more fascinating for me (Seasons 1 and 2 are on Netflix; Season 3 airs on March 30th).
Even though I was familiar with most (if not all) of the births in the first book, I devoured it. I loved that Jenny was able to go into more detail about the history of childbirth and the practices at the time. As a self proclaimed birth junkie, this was a great fix!
As soon as I could I went to the library and got books two and three; Call the Midwife: Shadows for the Workhouse and Call the Midwife: Farewell to the East End. I was sorely disappointed that the second book contained not one birth story, but I read it quickly anyway. The third book was back to births which thrilled me. I wish that there were more books; I don't know where the stories for Season 3 are going to come from.
While I don't think these books enhanced my doula skills, they sure fed my birth obsession (and made me appreciate modern accommodations)!
Even though I was familiar with most (if not all) of the births in the first book, I devoured it. I loved that Jenny was able to go into more detail about the history of childbirth and the practices at the time. As a self proclaimed birth junkie, this was a great fix!
As soon as I could I went to the library and got books two and three; Call the Midwife: Shadows for the Workhouse and Call the Midwife: Farewell to the East End. I was sorely disappointed that the second book contained not one birth story, but I read it quickly anyway. The third book was back to births which thrilled me. I wish that there were more books; I don't know where the stories for Season 3 are going to come from.
While I don't think these books enhanced my doula skills, they sure fed my birth obsession (and made me appreciate modern accommodations)!
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Happy Birthday DS3!
In honor of my third son's 8th birthday, I am posting his birth story (sorry it's long, I like them that way. This was my second vbac; I was planning on using Hynobirthing until I could get the epidural; my sister would act as my doula.
I went to bed on the 3rd after taking a bath because of some mild contractions and a sore back. I woke up at 3:00 with a very painful (at least I thought that was pain) contraction. I thought I just had a really full bladder and that's what was causing it to hurt so much. After I went to the bathroom, I laid down and continued to get them. After about 20 minutes I went downstairs.
After about an hour and a half of contractions about 4 minutes apart I went to wake up DH. We decided to wait it out a little longer before we called anyone. At 4:45 I called my sister (D) and had her come up. DH got up and took a shower and I got a few things ready.
My sister arrived about 6:00. I had just paged the Dr and was waiting for her to call me back. I had to page the Dr again and she finally called me back about 6:45. I was in the middle of a contraction so D talked to her. She said to come in and get checked (duh). We headed down to the hospital and got there about 7:15. The nurse at L&D check-in was a little rude because the Dr hadn't called to tell them I was coming.
Nurse #1 (don't remember her name) came in to monitor me and ask all the pre-admission questions. I think the contractions were coming about 6 minutes apart. She kept me on the monitor for a while because she wasn't getting a good reactive tracing on the baby. She had me drink a bunch of apple juice and that got the baby moving and gave her what she wanted to see. When she checked me at 7:50 I was 3.5 cm, 95% and -1/-2 station.
A lady came in to ask Nurse #1 if a student could observe. She told her she was almost finished and the lady left the room. Then she asked if I minded having a student. I said I didn't care, but she was telling us how she hates them hanging around because some of them aren't even nursing students. So I said "Actually, I don't want any extra people in here." Then she blessed me. lol
Of course she couldn't just admit me and made us get out to walk. My mom had arrived by then and I put my clothes on and we went to walk around outside. It was a really nice morning. We walked around for about an hour (from 10-11). DH made a run to McDonald's while we were walking to get some breakfast for him and D. They ended up giving him twice what he ordered so I was sneaky and ate a sausage, cheese and egg mcmuffin. The apple juice I had to drink was giving me major gas pains. Those hurt more than the contractions.
I was monitored some more - this time on the birthing ball - and true to my shy uterus I wasn't having very many contractions. She checked me again and I was still at 3.5 and 95%. My cervix was more anterior which was a good sign so she "allowed" us to walk around for another hour (from 12:15-1:15). She gave Mom the assignment to keep me walking at a fast clip for an hour and Mom took that job seriously. I was SO sleepy and we had Mom on one side and D on the other dragging me all over that hospital.
I was having contractions about every two minutes. We got back to the room and she hooked me up to the monitors once again. I was having contractions, but they were back to about 6 minutes apart. I was checked again at 2:06 and was a 4 (still 95% and -1/-2), so she finally decided to admit me.
Shortly after, at 3:00, a new nurse came in. Her name was Jenna and she was GREAT. Nurse #1 was really friendly, but she didn't seem very excited about accommodating me and my birth plan. She told me I was high risk so I had to have the monitors on at all times. She told me I couldn't get my bracelets wet and that they didn't have the wireless monitors so I wouldn't be able to get in the tub once I was admitted. That was a lie because my sister used them 7 months earlier (to the day!). Anyway, Jenna was fantastic. She told me I could put my bracelets and the IV under the water. I just had to wait for them to start the IV and then I was able to get in.
Ahhhh, the water felt so good! D stayed in the bathroom and kept me company. She knew right away when I was having a contraction and would remind me to relax. I was having regular contractions, but they were manageable with the water. I had to be monitored for part of every hour. Jenna worked really hard to find the wireless monitors, but once she finally did we found out the receiver in the bathroom didn't work. She offered to switch rooms, but I decided it wasn't necessary.
I got out of the tub and was monitored on the birthing ball. My contractions were still pretty steady and I was having to focus on them. I was able to get back in the tub after about 20 minutes. We decided to get my cervix checked after I needed to be monitored again and then see what we wanted to do.
D's husband ("J" who was watching his son and our two boys) called around this time. He had taken the kids to do something he had to do for church and forgot a bottle for the baby. So he was going to stop by the hospital for D to feed him. DH went down and brought the boys up to say hi. DS1 (almost 4 at the time) ran in and asked "Is the baby here yet?" He was SO excited for the baby to be here. DS2 (5 days shy of 2) saw me and just kept giving me the hugest smiles. They stood on a stool at the side of the tub and raided my ice. DS2 accidentally dropped one in the tub and said "Ah! Ice swimming!" And that's all he did the rest of the time was drop ice in my water.
I had a couple contractions while they were there and just told them I needed quiet. D helped me relax through them. The contractions I was having in the tub the first time were very close together, but short and easy to get through. These were spaced out more but longer and more intense.
DS2 was really sad when he had to leave, but I think he got over it pretty fast. Mom and J took the kids over to her house to play for a bit and give J a little break. DH called his sister and she said she would come up and spend the night with the kids.
I got out to be monitored again at 5:55 and Dr Minton (same Dr that delivered D's baby!) checked me. I was at 5cm and 100%. It had been about 4 hours since I was last checked. I was getting tired and wanted to get the show on the road so we decided to break my water. I needed to be monitored for about 10 minutes after that to make sure the baby was fine.
I was on the birthing ball, but the contractions were so much worse. I had a hard time getting a grip on the last two before I could get back in the tub. D was SO good helping me to relax and supporting me. I decided to try one contraction in the tub and see how I did. It still hurt like hell, but it was more manageable in the tub. I knew that there was no way I would be able to survive and had the nurse get the ball rolling on the epi.
The contractions were coming fast and furious. D and DH were so good trying to keep me from losing it. I started crying and told D that I couldn't do it. I almost made her lose it, but she was right in my ear telling me to breathe and relax.
I started getting tingly and told DH I needed some oxygen. He called the nurse and she said as soon as the next contraction was over I had to get out of the tub. They worked really quickly to get me out and sit me on the side of the bed. I was in massive pain. The contractions weren't giving me much of a break. I was sitting on the edge of the bed, leaning on D and I could feel her quivering from the position she was in, but she wasn't going to give up. DH was behind me rubbing my back and holding the oxygen mask for me.
Having the oxygen mask there helped me to concentrate on breathing deep and calmed me down ... for a few seconds. I pretty much went primal. One contraction I started doing deep moans. I could hear DH trying to comfort and shush me, but I wasn't in control. The next one I started rocking back and forth. D and DH were trying to get me to relax and I had to squeak out "I need to rock!" There was no break, I kept starting to cry out, but D did really good about getting me to attempt to breathe. Then I started pushing through the pain. I said "I'm pushing and I don't care if it's okay."
At some point Jenna had me sign the epi consent forms and my handwriting was insane. The pushing and oxygen kept me still enough for the epi. D was supporting me and DH was right next to her giving me his hand to squeeze.
Seemed like the epi took forever to place. I have no clue the time frame of how long it took from tub to epi. They got it in and after a couple contraction it started to kick in a little and they laid me back. Jenna gave me a few minutes to collect myself and then she put the catheter in and I had her check me. Figured I would be a 7 or something. All I had was an anterior lip. (it turns out I got the epidural at about 7:20, so it was only an hour and 20 minutes from AROM at 5cm to complete and 0 station)
Mom arrived and I tried to get some rest before pushing. I was so exhausted. I threw up and must've kinked my back somehow because it was really bothering me. I wanted to start pushing and get it over with, but the Dr had an emergency so I had to wait about 20 minutes. We took guesses to the baby's "stats": I guessed right about 7 lb and 20-20.5 inches; DH 7'10 and 20 inches; Mom 7'4 and 19.5 inches; D 7'4 and 21 inches.
The epi wasn't as strong as my others; I could still wiggle my feet and feel pressure with the contraction. Found out later that my pulse was really high and the drug Dr gave me less than normal. I was pushing with the contractions anyway because there was a butt in my ribs that was bothering me.
Jenna and the Dr came up and we did a couple practice pushes about 8:45. Jenna was really great about my birthplan. She told the Dr how I wanted to help bring the baby up, wait for the cord, cut the cord, etc. She talked to me about the pitocin after the delivery and explained why it was a good idea. My concern was the fact that I wasn't supposed to have it because of the c-section, but both her and the Dr said that once my uterus wasn't extended it wasn't an issue. I had Mom on one side and DH on the other with D taking video.
The Dr was really funny. He said "you call that a push? Your sister pushed much better than that." I was also commenting on the view I had in the mirror and he told me to quit playing or he was going to take it away. My contractions slowed down a bit as soon as I started pushing, of course. I think I only pushed for 5 or 6 of them.
After his head and shoulders came out, I was able to reach down and help pull him onto my belly. He felt SO tiny! We rubbed him a little bit and suctioned him and then they clamped the cord. DH didn't really care if he cut it, so I did it. It was a really odd sensation.
Daddy called seconds after DS3 was born and got to hear his first little cat-like cries.
I held him and we ooh'd and awe'd over him for a little bit. Then we had him weighed because we were all curious. I was sure he was about 7 pounds. I couldn't believe he was 7.5!
They brought him right back and I asked DH if he wanted to hold his baby. "Yes!" He was passed between the three of them while I was FINALLY able to eat something.
Dr and Baby
The Dr and all the nurses left the room for a while and we had time to just play with the baby. We decided on a name and after I ate we gave him the chance to nurse and he latched right on and went to town!
The nurse came back to do the vit K shot, eye drops and bath. That's also when she measured his head and length. She said he was perfect, but of course I knew that.
I have wished many times that I would've had the nurse check me before I got the epidural because I was so very close to being done! However, my mom wasn't there and most likely would've missed the birth and my sister might not have had a chance to grab the camera. So it all worked out. ;)
My other birth stories can be read here (DS1), here (DS2), and here (DS4)
I went to bed on the 3rd after taking a bath because of some mild contractions and a sore back. I woke up at 3:00 with a very painful (at least I thought that was pain) contraction. I thought I just had a really full bladder and that's what was causing it to hurt so much. After I went to the bathroom, I laid down and continued to get them. After about 20 minutes I went downstairs.
After about an hour and a half of contractions about 4 minutes apart I went to wake up DH. We decided to wait it out a little longer before we called anyone. At 4:45 I called my sister (D) and had her come up. DH got up and took a shower and I got a few things ready.
My sister arrived about 6:00. I had just paged the Dr and was waiting for her to call me back. I had to page the Dr again and she finally called me back about 6:45. I was in the middle of a contraction so D talked to her. She said to come in and get checked (duh). We headed down to the hospital and got there about 7:15. The nurse at L&D check-in was a little rude because the Dr hadn't called to tell them I was coming.
Nurse #1 (don't remember her name) came in to monitor me and ask all the pre-admission questions. I think the contractions were coming about 6 minutes apart. She kept me on the monitor for a while because she wasn't getting a good reactive tracing on the baby. She had me drink a bunch of apple juice and that got the baby moving and gave her what she wanted to see. When she checked me at 7:50 I was 3.5 cm, 95% and -1/-2 station.
A lady came in to ask Nurse #1 if a student could observe. She told her she was almost finished and the lady left the room. Then she asked if I minded having a student. I said I didn't care, but she was telling us how she hates them hanging around because some of them aren't even nursing students. So I said "Actually, I don't want any extra people in here." Then she blessed me. lol
Of course she couldn't just admit me and made us get out to walk. My mom had arrived by then and I put my clothes on and we went to walk around outside. It was a really nice morning. We walked around for about an hour (from 10-11). DH made a run to McDonald's while we were walking to get some breakfast for him and D. They ended up giving him twice what he ordered so I was sneaky and ate a sausage, cheese and egg mcmuffin. The apple juice I had to drink was giving me major gas pains. Those hurt more than the contractions.
I was monitored some more - this time on the birthing ball - and true to my shy uterus I wasn't having very many contractions. She checked me again and I was still at 3.5 and 95%. My cervix was more anterior which was a good sign so she "allowed" us to walk around for another hour (from 12:15-1:15). She gave Mom the assignment to keep me walking at a fast clip for an hour and Mom took that job seriously. I was SO sleepy and we had Mom on one side and D on the other dragging me all over that hospital.
I was having contractions about every two minutes. We got back to the room and she hooked me up to the monitors once again. I was having contractions, but they were back to about 6 minutes apart. I was checked again at 2:06 and was a 4 (still 95% and -1/-2), so she finally decided to admit me.Shortly after, at 3:00, a new nurse came in. Her name was Jenna and she was GREAT. Nurse #1 was really friendly, but she didn't seem very excited about accommodating me and my birth plan. She told me I was high risk so I had to have the monitors on at all times. She told me I couldn't get my bracelets wet and that they didn't have the wireless monitors so I wouldn't be able to get in the tub once I was admitted. That was a lie because my sister used them 7 months earlier (to the day!). Anyway, Jenna was fantastic. She told me I could put my bracelets and the IV under the water. I just had to wait for them to start the IV and then I was able to get in.
Ahhhh, the water felt so good! D stayed in the bathroom and kept me company. She knew right away when I was having a contraction and would remind me to relax. I was having regular contractions, but they were manageable with the water. I had to be monitored for part of every hour. Jenna worked really hard to find the wireless monitors, but once she finally did we found out the receiver in the bathroom didn't work. She offered to switch rooms, but I decided it wasn't necessary.
I got out of the tub and was monitored on the birthing ball. My contractions were still pretty steady and I was having to focus on them. I was able to get back in the tub after about 20 minutes. We decided to get my cervix checked after I needed to be monitored again and then see what we wanted to do.
D's husband ("J" who was watching his son and our two boys) called around this time. He had taken the kids to do something he had to do for church and forgot a bottle for the baby. So he was going to stop by the hospital for D to feed him. DH went down and brought the boys up to say hi. DS1 (almost 4 at the time) ran in and asked "Is the baby here yet?" He was SO excited for the baby to be here. DS2 (5 days shy of 2) saw me and just kept giving me the hugest smiles. They stood on a stool at the side of the tub and raided my ice. DS2 accidentally dropped one in the tub and said "Ah! Ice swimming!" And that's all he did the rest of the time was drop ice in my water.
I had a couple contractions while they were there and just told them I needed quiet. D helped me relax through them. The contractions I was having in the tub the first time were very close together, but short and easy to get through. These were spaced out more but longer and more intense.
DS2 was really sad when he had to leave, but I think he got over it pretty fast. Mom and J took the kids over to her house to play for a bit and give J a little break. DH called his sister and she said she would come up and spend the night with the kids.
I got out to be monitored again at 5:55 and Dr Minton (same Dr that delivered D's baby!) checked me. I was at 5cm and 100%. It had been about 4 hours since I was last checked. I was getting tired and wanted to get the show on the road so we decided to break my water. I needed to be monitored for about 10 minutes after that to make sure the baby was fine.
I was on the birthing ball, but the contractions were so much worse. I had a hard time getting a grip on the last two before I could get back in the tub. D was SO good helping me to relax and supporting me. I decided to try one contraction in the tub and see how I did. It still hurt like hell, but it was more manageable in the tub. I knew that there was no way I would be able to survive and had the nurse get the ball rolling on the epi.
The contractions were coming fast and furious. D and DH were so good trying to keep me from losing it. I started crying and told D that I couldn't do it. I almost made her lose it, but she was right in my ear telling me to breathe and relax.
I started getting tingly and told DH I needed some oxygen. He called the nurse and she said as soon as the next contraction was over I had to get out of the tub. They worked really quickly to get me out and sit me on the side of the bed. I was in massive pain. The contractions weren't giving me much of a break. I was sitting on the edge of the bed, leaning on D and I could feel her quivering from the position she was in, but she wasn't going to give up. DH was behind me rubbing my back and holding the oxygen mask for me.
Having the oxygen mask there helped me to concentrate on breathing deep and calmed me down ... for a few seconds. I pretty much went primal. One contraction I started doing deep moans. I could hear DH trying to comfort and shush me, but I wasn't in control. The next one I started rocking back and forth. D and DH were trying to get me to relax and I had to squeak out "I need to rock!" There was no break, I kept starting to cry out, but D did really good about getting me to attempt to breathe. Then I started pushing through the pain. I said "I'm pushing and I don't care if it's okay."
At some point Jenna had me sign the epi consent forms and my handwriting was insane. The pushing and oxygen kept me still enough for the epi. D was supporting me and DH was right next to her giving me his hand to squeeze.
Seemed like the epi took forever to place. I have no clue the time frame of how long it took from tub to epi. They got it in and after a couple contraction it started to kick in a little and they laid me back. Jenna gave me a few minutes to collect myself and then she put the catheter in and I had her check me. Figured I would be a 7 or something. All I had was an anterior lip. (it turns out I got the epidural at about 7:20, so it was only an hour and 20 minutes from AROM at 5cm to complete and 0 station)
Mom arrived and I tried to get some rest before pushing. I was so exhausted. I threw up and must've kinked my back somehow because it was really bothering me. I wanted to start pushing and get it over with, but the Dr had an emergency so I had to wait about 20 minutes. We took guesses to the baby's "stats": I guessed right about 7 lb and 20-20.5 inches; DH 7'10 and 20 inches; Mom 7'4 and 19.5 inches; D 7'4 and 21 inches.
The epi wasn't as strong as my others; I could still wiggle my feet and feel pressure with the contraction. Found out later that my pulse was really high and the drug Dr gave me less than normal. I was pushing with the contractions anyway because there was a butt in my ribs that was bothering me.
Jenna and the Dr came up and we did a couple practice pushes about 8:45. Jenna was really great about my birthplan. She told the Dr how I wanted to help bring the baby up, wait for the cord, cut the cord, etc. She talked to me about the pitocin after the delivery and explained why it was a good idea. My concern was the fact that I wasn't supposed to have it because of the c-section, but both her and the Dr said that once my uterus wasn't extended it wasn't an issue. I had Mom on one side and DH on the other with D taking video.
The Dr was really funny. He said "you call that a push? Your sister pushed much better than that." I was also commenting on the view I had in the mirror and he told me to quit playing or he was going to take it away. My contractions slowed down a bit as soon as I started pushing, of course. I think I only pushed for 5 or 6 of them.
After his head and shoulders came out, I was able to reach down and help pull him onto my belly. He felt SO tiny! We rubbed him a little bit and suctioned him and then they clamped the cord. DH didn't really care if he cut it, so I did it. It was a really odd sensation.
Daddy called seconds after DS3 was born and got to hear his first little cat-like cries.
I held him and we ooh'd and awe'd over him for a little bit. Then we had him weighed because we were all curious. I was sure he was about 7 pounds. I couldn't believe he was 7.5!
They brought him right back and I asked DH if he wanted to hold his baby. "Yes!" He was passed between the three of them while I was FINALLY able to eat something.
I was so tired. So very tired.
Dr and Baby
The Dr and all the nurses left the room for a while and we had time to just play with the baby. We decided on a name and after I ate we gave him the chance to nurse and he latched right on and went to town!
The nurse came back to do the vit K shot, eye drops and bath. That's also when she measured his head and length. She said he was perfect, but of course I knew that.
I have wished many times that I would've had the nurse check me before I got the epidural because I was so very close to being done! However, my mom wasn't there and most likely would've missed the birth and my sister might not have had a chance to grab the camera. So it all worked out. ;)
My other birth stories can be read here (DS1), here (DS2), and here (DS4)
Monday, March 3, 2014
(Not So) Recommended Reading
As part of my certification, I needed to read 3 books off of CBI's required reading list. (As a side note, if I go on to take another one of CBI's courses, my communication assignment and test scores will be transferred, but I will need to read additional books. No sweat) I had already read many of the books on the list and own a few, but in order for the books to count they needed to be read after the course started. Which was fine, because I was going to read a bunch of books anyway.
I requested pretty much every book on birth from the library and dove right in. I've read many already, below are a couple that I don't recommend (stay tuned for books I *do* recommend)
I requested pretty much every book on birth from the library and dove right in. I've read many already, below are a couple that I don't recommend (stay tuned for books I *do* recommend)
- The first book was Child Birth (Opposing Viewpoints). It irritated me from the very beginning because no matter what the authors opinion was they had data (and a personal experience, of course) to back it up. The biggest thing I learned from that book is that you can find "evidence" to back up ANY claim you have! When I was about 3 chapters in I looked at the approved list and noticed this book wasn't on it, so I put it in the pile to return without a second glance!
- I did one of my book reviews on The Doula Book: How a Trained Labor Companion Can Help You Have a Shorter, Easier, and Healthier Birth. It was okay, I helped me to see just how valuable doulas are, but there were so many studies that I found it hard to drudge through them. Had I not read another book along the same vein that I liked better, I would've encouraged others to read this
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