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Epic
By Kara
I've been planning to write this for a while now... and I have ideas for
a more fun and entertaining version, but this will do for now...
After waking up around 7:00 AM and being sure my water had sprung a slow
leak, I called our midwifery clinic and was assured I was just in very
early labor and all was well. I had an appointment scheduled for a check
up that afternoon anyway, so as long as there were no major changes,
she said they’d see me at 3. We spent the running errands and dropping
Riley off for a sleep over with his buddy Ty while I had mild and
manageable contractions. At our check up the midwife on duty found that I
was at 2 cm and she was sure Gus would be born in the next 24 hours.
We
went home and watched a movie, ate and generally hung out… all the
while my contractions were really starting to pick up. We timed them for
a few hours and while they were still manageable, they were in the
range our midwives wanted us to call and come in for… this being a VBAC
and all. So we arrived at the hospital around midnight and I was still
just 2 cm. After 12 hours of walking around, monitoring, and overall
labor icky-ness I was still only at 2 cm and declared to be in prodromal
labor (super fun topic to Google) and given a shot of morphine while
our midwife talked the OB on call into letting us go home.
We arrived home and I crashed for a few hours. JD went to get Riley and
we all settled in for the night… well - they settled in and those pesky
contractions decided to pay me another visit. I was determined not to go
back to the hospital until I was ready to push (and contemplating
giving birth in our X-terra on the way) so I spent the night laboring in
and out of the shower and on the birth ball. At about 5:00 AM, after
tearing our bathroom sink half off the wall, I finally woke JD, called a
friend to come stay with Riley until my mom could get there and we
headed back to the hospital.
At 6:40 AM I was back in a labor and delivery room with the same
wonderful nurse from hospital stay #1, Tammy, at our side, midwife Pat
reporting for duty… and dilated to… 3 cm. “You’re kidding %$#^*&!
me” I groaned. 3 cm. Wow.
SO… they started some Pit and I was up walking around, hanging out on
the birth ball, etc. trying to relax and get things GOING.
At 10:15 I was at 4. Pat broke my water so they could place an internal
monitor on Gus’s little head because I was moving a LOT and they had a
hard time keeping tabs on him as they are required to for VBACs. I got
in the shower, out of the shower and started throwing up. Great!!! I
thought, I must be at that magical point I’d heard and read about…
barfing then pushing, awesome. Wrong. At 12:25 I was only at 7 cm. But it was progress… real progress and I
could see the light at the end of the tunnel. I tried out the Jacuzzi
tub for all of 5 minutes and hated it, spent more time on the birth ball
and squat bar. At 3:00 PM I was 8 cm.
Then, Pat finally said those words, “You really need to rest, I think
you should get an epidural.” I was crushed but so thankful all at once.
I’d made it SO far, but was terrified of being to tired to push when I
needed to. At 3:40 I got an epidural and after 56 hours of labor with
only a few hours of “rest” I was about to doze off and on for a few
hours. At 4:10 PM I was still at the 8 cm from an hour, no progress. At
6:00 PM I was 9 cm and at 7:40 I was FINALLY FINALLY FINALLY ready to
push.
For the next 59 minutes, supported by my amazing husband and our beloved
midwife I pushed my heart out. When Pat finally said those words I’d
been dying to hear, “His head’s out!” I was done. Or so you’d think.
But… his shoulder got stuck. In that horrifying and unbelievable 60
seconds I pushed my hardest, an army of nurses descended to push and
shove on the outside of my belly and Pat ultimately reached in and
helped pull Gus out.
He was a blueberry, not breathing. They took him to the little table and
started giving him oxygen. His heart rate was always strong but it took
him another minute before he took his first breath. His APGARS were 2
at one minute and then 9 at 5 minutes! They brought him to me and he
latched on right away. He was so amazing and beautiful and BIG. While
Pat sewed me up, we nursed and got to do introductions to Dad. I finally
couldn’t stand it any longer and told them I had to know how much he
weighed! Pat guessed 8 ½ or 9 lbs but… drum roll… he was 10 lbs 2.2
oz!!!
He is a miracle. I am stronger than I ever thought I could be. It was an
insane 60 + hour ride, but I wouldn’t change it or him for anything.
Do I wish for a slightly shorter version of his labor for next time (and
a slightly smaller baby), sure… but we are quite a team, Gus Gus and I.
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Did you have your baby with the Peace Health midwives?
We would love to hear your story too!
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