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June 2, 2004
Hi to all. Just wanted to add this story in, since I do think it’s important to the whole child raising diary. And, it is a good reflection for me as well, since I am TTC #2. Caution: it is quite long, but a wonderful reflection of the pregnancy and the delivery day itself.
I found out I was pregnant on January 6, 1997. My first due date, according to my period schedule, was August 26. I was not quite 5 weeks along. I had just moved back to Illinois with my then-husband (we divorced when Joey was 2 ½). We had both recently gotten out of the Air Force and didn’t really have any place to go. We were in Las Vegas (yeah, there is an Air Force base out there, Nellis. I didn’t even know that!) and we really had nothing going for us. My family lived in Illinois and his in Michigan. My parents offered us a place to stay until we were able to get on our feet. We got our own place within 3 months, just down the street from mom and dad.
When I moved back home, one of the first things my mom had me do was to go down to Planned Parenthood and get on the Pill (one of the conditions for living at home was being on BC pills). Well, I kinda sorta thought I was pregnant, but I was trying to be in denial over the whole thing. I requested a pregnancy test and it came back to a big fat positive! I was in shock. In fact, I know I started crying in the doc’s office. Scott, my ex, wasn’t much help. I had to tell my mom and I just remember crying and I think she said something about figuring I was already pregnant. My younger sisters (14 and 16 at the time) were both just ecstatic about it. My older sister had stopped coming around by then, so they were happy to have another baby to spoil. My dad didn’t have much to say about the whole thing, but he wasn’t thrilled at the idea.
The next day, January 7, I started bleeding pretty heavily. I called Planned Parenthood and they told me to go to the ER. My mom met us at the hospital (she and 2 of my sisters were working there at the time). They couldn’t find the baby’s heartbeat, so they had to do an internal ultrasound. Let me tell you, that is one of the most embarrassing/weird/uncomfortable things I have ever had to do. But, fortunately, they found his 4 little heart chambers pumping steadily. They also changed my due date to September 6, and told me I was 5.9 weeks along. When I had my first doctor’s appointment, she changed it back to August 26, according to my period schedule again. After that initial scare, the rest of the pregnancy was pretty easy. I was diagnosed with a sensitive cervix, but I didn’t have to do anything special for it.
I found out on May 1st that I was having a little boy. I really wanted a girl, but I am so thrilled that I had a boy. The summer was pretty rough. I was working two jobs and saving like crazy to prepare for the baby. My ex-husband was working full time at the hospital by then (yes, almost my whole family worked there). Thank God, they put me on the insurance policy since I was already pregnant when he started working there.
As the summer progressed to late July, my MIL had a baby shower for me in Michigan. I got my doc’s okay to travel, since we were traveling 7 hours away. It was really very nice and we got pretty much everything we needed for the baby. I made the mistake of going to the Detroit Zoo while we were there and I was just miserable the entire time. I love the zoo, don’t get me wrong, but 8 months pregnant, stinky animals, and hot sun do not go well together.
I also tested borderline high for blood sugar, but never had to watch what I ate or anything special. My mom made a big deal about me eating sugar. She also went crazy when I colored my hair and when I got sick, she told me not to take anything. Finally, my dad gave me some Tylenol Cold stuff and told me if I didn’t take it, he’d force it down my throat himself. I tried to back off, quoting mom’s worries, but he told me that my birth mom (my dad remarried when I was 7 and I consider my step-mom to be my real mom) took stuff for sickness and millions of other women had and all their kids have turned out just fine. Sometimes it doesn’t always pay to listen to mom.
As my due date drew closer, I started going in for my regular check-ups every week and I was dilated to 2 centimeters for what seemed like forever (about 3 weeks total). At my appointment on Friday, August 22, my doctor said that if the baby wasn’t born over the weekend or the next couple of days, we would go ahead and induce. On the 26, Tuesday, I went to my doc’s and she said we would induce that day. Sounded great to me! So, I called my work and let them know that I’d be in the hospital that night. I was working 3rd shift at the time and had already worked the night before and I was just tired! I tried to sleep at home in the afternoon, but I was too excited knowing I was going to the hospital soon.
My doctor had this crazy idea about me going to the hospital at midnight to start the induction. I understand her reasons, but it seemed a little weird to me (she thought I’d labor all night and deliver the following afternoon, especially since this was my first baby). We got there around midnight and they had a room waiting for me and everything. There are some really nice benefits for delivering at the hospital where the insurance comes from. After I was registered in the hospital, the nurses started the Pitocin around 1:30 a.m. I was relatively pain-free until about 2:30 a.m. Then the contractions came on hard and strong. Upon arriving, I was dilated already 2-3 cm. I had not really ever had Braxton-Hicks contractions, so I really had no clue what to expect. I just know that I was in a lot of pain and I couldn’t sleep.
Scott just pretty much dozed in and out, unless the nurses were in the room. He was kind of being a big baby about the whole thing. I really don’t want to put him down or anything, but he was pretty useless throughout the entire pregnancy/labor & delivery. He actually asked me at one point if he could take a nap because he was so tired. By the way, that was around 3 or so and we only got there at midnight. I finally conceded and told him to do whatever because he wasn’t helping anyway.
Around 3:15 a.m. or so, they decided to break my water because my bag was coming out of me. I kept feeling like I had to go to the bathroom, but every time I went, nothing came out. After my bag was sticking out of me, I couldn’t get up anymore. It felt really strange and it looked kind of off-white and solid. When the resident went to break the bag, we all expected a big pop, but the water just trickled out. We were hoping that would help speed things up, even though there was no rush or anything. I’d had only been there 3 ½ hours, and only 2 of those did I even have the Pitocin in me. After the water breaking, I had to have the internal monitor, so there was no more getting up for me. That completely sucked and I was stuck only laying on my left side. If I moved, the monitor would slip, the bells would ring, and they would have to come in and reposition everything.
I was examined soon after that and I was still 3 cm, which I had been the day before at the doc’s office. That whole time I really had not made any progress with dilating, but my body was contracting like it was in the 3rd stage of labor, according to my little read-out sheet. Now, I'm not someone who loves pain or anything, but I wanted to try for a medication-free birth, but at 4:45 a.m., I just couldn't take the pain anymore, so I asked for something. The nurse was really hesitant to give me something since I had not been in labor that long and I wasn’t really dilating as much as they would have liked. But I just couldn't handle it. I later found out that I wasn't dilating because they had turned up the Pitocin so high. My body couldn't dilate because the contractions were so strong and I didn’t have a chance to recover or relax in between each one. But, I got my beloved Demerol soon after that and immediately threw up. One good thing Scott did was to hold the little puke bowl for me.
I then promptly fell asleep until 6 a.m. or so. The resident came in to check on me at that point and I was dilated to 9 centimeters! (See, my body needed to relax!). They started taking the bed apart by then and just got everything set up for the birth. By 6:15 a.m., I was at 10 and ready to push. I remember when they wheeled the little baby bed into the room and I got very excited! I knew that it would soon be over and I’d get to hold my baby.
Scott called my parents around 6:20 and the nurse called my doctor. I think the doctor was still in bed, not thinking that I’d be ready to give birth. My parents and one of my younger sisters showed up about 20 minutes later (they were both up already, getting ready for work). Finally Dr. Ali showed up, but not until 6:55 a.m. During that time, my pain level dropped by about 80%. I just wanted to push and push. I remember my dad standing there, looking at the little readout and him asking me if I was in a lot of pain. I told him I really wasn’t, but he said my contractions were just on top of each other. I don’t think they even turned the Pitocin off until after I pushed out the placenta. For those of you who have given birth, you know how hard it is not to push when you just want to push. I was feeling really energetic in my brain, but my body was another story. I felt drained and I couldn’t even lift my legs, probably as a result from the Demerol.
When the doctor finally came in, she got gowned up, grabbed her little stool, and popped a squat between my legs. My sister Carey (16), stood over her shoulder and just watched in awe over the whole thing (Carey is now in nursing school and will be delivering my next baby at home if all goes well). By then, I was half sitting up/half laying down, with my legs being supported by one nurse and Scott. I remember seeing a needle heading between my legs at one point and being told I would feel a slight sting. Yeah, did I ever! I got 3 shots on each side of me and then I really never felt any pain down there. I was told to go ahead and push, and did I ever! I pushed with all my might and then told to stop for a minute. Nope, wasn’t happening. I didn’t mean to keep pushing, but I couldn’t help it. Joseph came flying out of me and my mom later told me that Dr. Ali almost dropped him since he flew out of me. He was all head and an itty bitty body. I also later found out that she gave me a 4th degree cut (I found out from Carey). That’s the reason he came out so fast.
My son was born at 7:05 a.m., about 10 minutes after Dr. Ali got there. Joey was grayish white and not crying. I had to ask her if I could even see him before they whisked him off to get him breathing and to pink up. The doctor cut the cord, delivered the placenta (which was a hard ball, I was expecting a deflated balloon), sewed me up and left. I remember my legs shaking really bad at that point and she seemed to be getting irritated that I was not holding my legs apart enough in the stirrups so she could sew me up. I think I may have gotten a congrats from her, but she took off since she had to go to her regular practice. She even forgot to sign the birth certificate and had to do it the next day.
Joseph started breathing in just a few moments after the nurses rubbed him a bit and warmed him up. He came out so fast that the fluid wasn't pushed out of his lungs like it is during a normal delivery time. My mom was standing with the nurses at that point and as soon as he started to cry, she joyfully announced “He’s got dimples!” First words from grandma! My dad just kind of stood back (he was in the delivery room the entire time) and he came to me after Joey was born and told me how proud he was of me. My dad never ever cries and he was all teary-eyed and of course I started crying too. I really don’t remember much about Scott being there, but I’m sure we shared a kiss and a congrats to one another. My youngest sister, Sara, had to go to school because she had a math test that day she couldn’t miss, so she missed the birth. But, school doesn’t start until 7:45 and she would have totally been able to make it to school on time. Oh well. That’s why there is a next time. My oldest sister, Renee, didn’t even know I was in the hospital at the time. She worked there too, but this was during one of her “non-medicated” phases and she was just so depressed all the time and she still wasn’t talking to mom and dad.
Joseph Scott was born August 27, 1997, at 7:05 a.m. Weight: 7 pounds, 1 1/2 ounces. Height: 21 1/4 inches. He had mild jaundice, which cleared up within 3 days, and had the problem with the fluid in his lungs, but was very healthy. They gave him some sugar water and kept him sleeping on his side. We stayed in the hospital until Friday afternoon. I felt like a million bucks after he was born and I breast fed him in the hospital. I had a breast reduction in 1995 and he had a hard time latching on due to lack of having a strong sucking reflex. I had to stop breast feeding after one month because he was still underweight. He had not even gained his birth weight back yet and only weighed 6 lbs, 12 oz. I also had to go back to work after 3 weeks because we needed the money. My milk supply was great, though. In fact, I’ve never even dried up. I’ve been on and off BC pills and Depo, but I still leak out of my right side. Go figure.
Overall, I had a great birth experience, but I felt that I was not able to be in control over my birth because my doctor was very nice, but just very "medical," and not "personal.” I wasn't able to get up and move around, I had to have the internal monitors, I wasn't told about the strength of the contractions with the Pitocin, and I had to wait so long for the doctor to show up. The resident could have delivered me and everything would have been fine. Looking back, there was no need for me to be cut so far and to have my labor induced at all. I could have waited until September 6 and still had a normal sized baby. For these reasons, I am going to try and have a home birth. My sister will be there and my husband (soon!) is an EMT and former firefighter. I know I’m in good hands. And, the hospital is less than 15 minutes away if there is an emergency.
Well, I thank you for sticking through this. I have always enjoyed reading other people’s birth stories and I hope this has been interesting for you. Have a great day!
Much love and prayers to all those TTC,
Rachel, Joey and TTC #2
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