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Well, it all started at 2:00am on May 12 when I felt the first hints of true labor. We were grocery shopping at a 24-hour supermarket, and I was in the produce section. Sleep was way out of the question that night!! At 4:30am, I phoned a "Ask-A-Nurse" at a local hospital and gave her my contraction times. I did not know for sure that I was in labor. I was scared, crying, and watching the clock religiously. The pain in my back was excruciating, but I did not realize until later that I was having back labor. To make a long story short, we went to the hospital at 6:30am, May 14. I was sent home two more times after the initial visit, because I was not "progressing." So I walked, and walked, and walked, and the pain was unbearable!! I had back labor that I would never wish on my worst enemy! Finally, at 6:00pm, I was admitted to the hospital. I was admistered pitocin with the hopes of speeding things up (Ha!). I was forced to wear an oxygen mask for the fear that the baby was not getting enough, too. I kept taking the mask off to talk, and also because it was bothering me!! Then the nurses hooked up one of those nose tubes to give me oxygen . . . I didn't like that either. My poor friend, Tricia, and my husband received alot of hand squeezing and fingernail-digging, mostly exaggerated, with each contraction, because I wanted to share the pain! At 7:00am, May 15, the doctor was going to break my water in order to help with things, but then he realized that the baby was too high up. The risk for a prolapsed chord was too high. Ten minutes after he left, my water broke on its' own. In order to get me to relax and try to sleep, I was offered an epidural. By that point, I didn't care what they did! The first epidural wore off after only two hours, so another one was given with no effect whatsoever. My blood pressure went sky-high. The baby started to go into distress, so they rushed me to the operating room for a c-section. There, they gave me a spinal tap, which actually worked. I was barely awake for the delivery, especially after 44 1/2 hours of labor and 2 hours of sleep! The C-section turned out to be a blessing in disguise, however. Upon delivery, an extra lobe was found of placenta. If I would have delivered vaginally, I would have hemmoraged. I also lost alot of blood where they almost had to transfuse. I was barely awake throughout the whole operation. I shivered uncontrollably and was cold, all due to the anesthesia. I remember a bloody baby being shown to me over the drape very briefly and then whisked away. It seemed like forever for them to sew me up . . . oh, and all of that tugging and pulling of my insides! I did not get to see my daughter for several hours while I was in the recovery room. My husband brought a polaroid picture for me to see. I was more interested in getting more morphine for the pain as the anesthesia wore off. After three hours, I got to go to my room and have Sarah with us. Within an hour, though, I asked a nurse to take her to the nursery so that I could get some rest. She cried and cried, and I did not know then that she was hungry!! My milk hadn't come in, so I couldn't nurse her yet. A nurse helped me with a feeding tube to tape to my breast in order to "nurse" formula until my milk came in. I was so grateful! I felt so helpless with the pain from surgery and having to ask help to go to the bathroom. I was also starting to get depressed about what I had experienced the past several days. I had wanted a natural childbirth so bad!
To make a long story short, we went to the hospital at 6:30am, May 14. I was sent home two more times after the initial visit, because I was not "progressing." So I walked, and walked, and walked, and the pain was unbearable!! I had back labor that I would never wish on my worst enemy!
Finally, at 6:00pm, I was admitted to the hospital. I was admistered pitocin with the hopes of speeding things up (Ha!). I was forced to wear an oxygen mask for the fear that the baby was not getting enough, too. I kept taking the mask off to talk, and also because it was bothering me!! Then the nurses hooked up one of those nose tubes to give me oxygen . . . I didn't like that either. My poor friend, Tricia, and my husband received alot of hand squeezing and fingernail-digging, mostly exaggerated, with each contraction, because I wanted to share the pain! At 7:00am, May 15, the doctor was going to break my water in order to help with things, but then he realized that the baby was too high up. The risk for a prolapsed chord was too high. Ten minutes after he left, my water broke on its' own. In order to get me to relax and try to sleep, I was offered an epidural. By that point, I didn't care what they did! The first epidural wore off after only two hours, so another one was given with no effect whatsoever. My blood pressure went sky-high. The baby started to go into distress, so they rushed me to the operating room for a c-section. There, they gave me a spinal tap, which actually worked. I was barely awake for the delivery, especially after 44 1/2 hours of labor and 2 hours of sleep!
Picture at birth . . . . Is that MY child??? They change so much!!
Did you have a c-section too? If so, were you upset about it? I was REAL DEPRESSED for several months after my difficult delivery and c-section. I have just come across a great place on the web to help Moms out there who have had c-sections . . . ICAN You can find out lots of information and also meet others to share your stories with. I wish I had known about this alot sooner. I really put my husband through alot of misery with my feelings of self-hatred and failure for not delivering "naturally." Here are some great resources I have found on the internet. Pregnancy Stories: wise words from parents on the web The Nature of Nurturing: Great breastfeeding site!! 101 Reasons to Breastfeed: Breastfeeding Support! La Leche League: More Breastfeeding support! ICAN: Wonderful Support Site for VBAC and other pregnancy topics! This Birth Stories Webring site is owned by Cheryl & Sarah.Want to join the Birth Stories Webring?[Skip Prev][Prev][Next][Skip Next] [Random][Next 5] [List Sites]
Here are some great resources I have found on the internet. Pregnancy Stories: wise words from parents on the web The Nature of Nurturing: Great breastfeeding site!! 101 Reasons to Breastfeed: Breastfeeding Support! La Leche League: More Breastfeeding support! ICAN: Wonderful Support Site for VBAC and other pregnancy topics! This Birth Stories Webring site is owned by Cheryl & Sarah.Want to join the Birth Stories Webring?[Skip Prev][Prev][Next][Skip Next] [Random][Next 5] [List Sites]
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