The Birth Story of Ellen Grace

We had fun shopping. I figured the walking would be good because a friend said that walking could help to get labor going. I still didn’t really think I was going to have Ellen any time soon, but I knew that I sure felt strange.

That night I decided that I needed to iron a bunch of shirts for my husband, and I think I even ironed some baby tee shirts--nesting instinct, I guess!! I was annoyed when the electricity went out before I could finish. Well, I went to bed because I couldn’t do much else. I could not sleep very well. I felt strange down where my baby was at, and I kept having to go to the bathroom. What was going on?? I felt relieved when the electricity came back on, so I could finish ironing!!

The electricity went out again. I still could not sleep. Was this labor? The lights came on again. I didn’t want to disturb my husband, because he had to go to work early the next morning. I finally knew the strange feelings I was having were contractions and decided to time them. I took a bath. I had read that if your contractions grow weaker when you are taking a bath, it’s not real labor, but if they grow stronger, then it’s a sign of true labor. They definitely did not get weaker. It really, really hurt. I had not known it would hurt so much. I tried breathing. I did the quick breathing, because it hurt so much. I didn’t know the meaning of pain yet!! I decided to wake my husband. He had heard me draw the water for the bath, and he then knew why I had taken a bath at 2:00 in the morning!

It was about 4:30 in the morning when my hubby drove us to the hospital. They put the fetal monitor on me, and of course the contractions had slowed down. They were 4-6 min apart. I walked around the hospital for a while. I threw up this yucky empty stomach yellow stuff. Whenever I went to the bathroom the contractions got stronger--and more painful. I don’t know how people can stand the pain of laboring sitting on a toilet. But I can see why it would speed things up! The nurse thought they might send me home!! But she wanted to wait until the doctor had a chance to look at me. He finally examined me at 7:30 pm, and I was only 2 cm dilated! He decided to break my water and said, "You are going to have this baby today, one way or another." I asked him if I could have an epidural. I had wanted to have my baby naturally, but it hurt soooo bad. He said yes. I had told the nurse of my desire to have it naturally, so she said that if I had the epidural too soon, my labor could slow down. She thought I should wait a while.

So I went in the hot tub. Oh, wonderful hot tub. I could not have made it without one. It was like a bathtub with nice warm, warm water and jet streams. I laid in the bathtub with no clothes on. The hot tub was in a little bathroom, so it got really warm in there. My husband stayed in there with me. I tried to totally relax. I had started the proper slow breathing, and my husband was wonderful and breathed with me. As time went by, I started the quicker breathing. Oh, it hurt! My husband was a great help at not letting me panic. It hurts more when you panic!! Finally, I felt I had to go to the bathroom-–good thing too, because my husband later told me he was starting to hyperventilate! I sat on the toilet and thought, wait, maybe I really don’t have to go to the bathroom. I had been told that when you feel like you have to go, well, number two, then that is it. You’re into the last part of labor. Well, I quickly ran to the bed and gush, a whole bunch of wet stuff came out.

The nurse came in at that time because she thought she had better check my progress. She saw me and said, "I gave you towels." --I was naked at this time!! I didn’t care! I hurt too much to care if I had those towels or not! The nurse put a gown over me. When she checked me I was dilated to 8 cm. I felt like pushing. She said I could push a little bit, but not too hard yet. She called the doctor. The nurse fixed the bed--lifted the head of the bed up, fixed the things I was supposed to put my feet on, put the bars for me to hold onto up. The doctor came quickly, and I was ready. I pushed and then all of a sudden I remember not having the urge anymore. I asked the nurse, when do I push? She said when you feel like it. Then she told me to push! I felt a great burning down in my perineum. But for me that didn’t hurt as bad as the contractions--although, to my husband I sure sounded like it did! I was pretty noisy when I was pushing!! Ellen came out in good time--I pushed for about 15 minutes.

My husband said he looked down there and saw her head before it came out and was afraid something was wrong with her!! It looked blue, and it didn’t look human. Then I pushed, and she came out more, and then I pushed again and a baby came out! A white baby, not blue! She cried almost immediately. They put a hat on her, and then they put her on me and put a warm blanked over both of us. She was born at 10:38 am--so she was born approximatly three hours after the doctor broke my water!

The nurse gave me a shot of pitocin to slow down my bleeding. And the doctor stitched up my tear. Soon after, the nurse and I were alone, and she asked me if I wanted to nurse Ellen. She showed me how to do it while I was lying on my side. It worked really well and Ellen latched right on! It was soooo neat!

So I got to have a natural childbirth!! I am thrilled about how it went. It hurt much more than I thought it would, but the key is to relax and to think about how there will be an end to the pain!! And you'll then have your baby!! The pain was well worth it. I plan to do it naturally again. Only this time I will try to be more prepared! I might even try a homebirth some day!!

***Note: I had a home waterbirth on 12/16/98. Read Calvin's Birthstory.