It was probably a combination of Cleetus's limited space inside my stretched-to-the-limit belly and the excitement of a Steeler's Monday Night Football victory that prompted our baby to make an early arrival!
On September 30th, early tuesday morning - at 3:45 am, I got up for about the tenth time that night to pee, and when I laid back down in bed, I felt like I peed my pants a little bit. So - I thought I had officially lost all control of my bladder! I rolled over to get up and clean up and change - felt a little more liquid...and this time I thought "I don't think I peed..." About 15 minutes later, I had come to the conclusion that I was definitely leaking amniotic fluid. So, at 4am, I woke up Matt with the infamous words, "Matt...I think I'm leaking amniotic fluid..." I wasn't in labor or having contractions or anything, but my doctor had said to go to the hospital if there was any fluid. Thinking that we would probably go to the hospital and have them send me back home until I went into labor - Matt showered and got dressed for work, and we headed to the hospital around 5am. At this point, my water was really leaking - and I was feeling totally gross!
We got to the hospital and checked into triage - they got me all hooked up to the heart rate and blood pressure monitors, and then everyone disappeared. About an hour later, a doctor finally came in & told us "sorry for the wait - there was some confusion about whether or not I was actually at the hospital." Good thing I wasn't in labor!!! At this point, two different residents came in and examined me - I was 2cm dilated and like 50% effaced. They took me off all the monitors and Matt & I wondered around the hospital for an hour and half to see if my labor would start/progress. We went and checked out the courtyard & got some breakfast in the cafeteria (which was pretty weak - the cafeteria in the med school is so much better!). Around 8 or so, I started having contractions - but they were only like 10-15sec long and 15-20min apart, and very mild. I almost didn't notice them. The morning continued like this, and around 10am the hospital checked me into labor and delivery - Matt was definitely not going to work that day! :)
Before checking me into labor and delivery - they had to take some blood samples and put an IV in my hand - this proved to be a very traumatic experience for me!! I almost passed out, and almost broke Matt's hand I squeezed it so hard. I hate giving blood - and that darn IV HURT!!!! Even after it was all done and taped down - it still ached. My wrist is still bruised from it, two weeks later.
At noon, my doctor, Dr. Dahr, arrived to check on me. I was about 4cm dilated now - but not as much progress as Dr. Dahr wanted to see. Since she knew I wanted to go all natural, she told us that she would be back at 4 pm - 12 hours after my water broke - and if my labor hadn't progressed on its own, they would have to start pitocin because they don't want to go more then 24 hours after the water breaks until the baby is born due to increased risks of infection. Dr. Dahr reminded me that if I wanted to have the baby the "Magee Hospital" way - with pitocin & an epidural, I'd have the baby in 4 hours - but I stubbornly stuck by my desire for an all natural birth. Anyway - this must have been the motivation my uterus needed, because after Dr. Dahr left - my contractions took off! They were almost continuous, I'd only get like a minute or two break between contractions, and they were several minutes long. The pain was all in my back - and it just felt like a really strong back ache (at this point, the IV was still bothering me more than the contractions).
I worked through the contractions - using the relaxing breathing techniques that we learned in the birthing class, and Matt was being super supportive. I spent some time on my knees using the birthing ball for support. I also spend a while in the shower, with the hot water hitting my lower back - that helped sooo much! The labor and delivery suite was pretty cold (although I didn't feel it all - my body was working!), and poor Matt in his work clothes was so cold. I felt really bad for him when I was in the shower and he was trying to help me - but was getting all wet!
Around 2pm - the other doctors checked me - and I was about 7cm dilated. They called Dr. Dahr and told her she better come back to the hospital. They told me it was my last chance to get the epidural - and I passed, figuring I had made it that far, I could make it to the end. About 20 minutes later, the contractions were finally strong enough to make me stop noticing the pain from the IV in my wrist! I did announce 1 time to Matt that maybe I needed the epidural...but, it never came to fruition because the baby was way to anxious to come out!
Around this time, I just stopped really noticing or caring about anything, and just had to focus completely on the work my body was doing. The baby's heart rate dropped a little at this time, and a couple nurses came in and put me on my side and gave me oxygen and hooked up my IV to a bag of fluid. Dr. Dahr arrived at the hospital, and between her & the residents & the nurses - there must have been like 8 people around me. Amazingly - I just didn't care. I was transitioning at this time, and contractions were sooo intense. They hurt - but not that bad - what made them really difficult to get through was fighting the urge to push. I was not quite dilated all the way - but my uterus was trying to hard to push - it was every ounce of concentration and coaching from Matt and the nurses for me to just breath through the contractions. Luckily, there were only a few contractions like this - and the doctors announced it was time for me to start pushing!
After about 15-20 minutes of pushing - and I was pushing with such gusto I popped a blood vessel in my eye - our baby BOY was born at 3:45pm!! And just like that - all the contractions subsided & I could breath again! I did have some minor tearing, and gladly let Dr. Dahr give me a local before getting stitches.
I survived my all natural childbirth, and I'm really happy I did. I was quite sore and swollen for several days afterwards - and had to sit on a little donut pillow, but, other than that, I was pain free (except for the stupid IV which they wouldn't take out until the next day!). With in an hour and a half of giving birth, I was already standing up and holding our new son (who would not get his name until almost 2 days later...). It was an amazing experience, and I was so glad that Matt was there through it all with me - it is really a powerful bonding experience.
And - for the record - "my" method of childbirth beat the "Magee" method...I only took 3hours and 45minutes!!! ;-p
