I went into labor on Saturday December 12th at 11pm. I remember feeling period like cramps a couple days before and they got a little more intense Saturday evening, I thought nothing of it and just thought it was normal "body preparing for birth pains" and that they would eventually subside.
Around 11pm I started to time them and realized I was getting the pains and tightening every 5-7 minutes recognizing these as not just Braxton Hicks contractions, but possibly the “real deal” I woke my husband (Robert) up from his sleep, and he said to wait it out a bit longer. I rolled outta bed and had a long hot bath and came downstairs to continue timing contractions and also to call my mom (who lives in Massachusetts) and let her know what was happening so she could be on stand by and to get prepared to leave for her 7 hour drive.
Around 2:30am on Sunday December 13th the contractions picked up to every 5 minutes and doubled in intensity. I decided to wake Robert up again and told him we should head over to Labor & Delivery because I was certain I was gonna have this baby sometime that day (the 12th...but, little did I know the amount of hours to come...)With reluctance Robert finally got dressed and we left with Hunter (our dog) and dropped him off at my in laws house on the way to the hospital.
When we got to the hospital they could clearly see the amount of pain I was in and didn't make me wait for the triage nurse, instead I went right up to the hospital bed for them to check me. They said I was dilated 2 cm and I was pretty thinned out, they said I would be having this baby soon, but because this would be my first birth it could take a while and there was no sense going through early labor at the hospital when I could be home until it gets closer and my contractions are between 3-4 minutes apart. I was agitated because I didn’t want to get sent home again.... We got back home around 4am and I stayed in the living room using my breathing techniques to get through each contraction.
Robert had to leave for work at 9am and he said to call his cell as soon as I felt the contractions getting closer together. I called him at noon because I couldn't stand it anymore and the contractions were between 3-5 minutes apart.
When he came to pick me up we decided to do a bit more labouring at his parents house (which is on the way to the hospital) just for fear that we would be sent home once again. We stayed there until 2:30 and the pain was intense. When we arrived at the hospital they checked me and I was 4 cm dilated and they decided to go ahead and admit me.
At this point my mom was still about 3 hours away so I was nervous she wouldn’t make it in time since I picked her to be my coach and really wanted her love and support through it all. They wanted to know if I wanted something to take the edge off of the contractions, and I said “yes” in desperation and got a dose of morphine. I thought well maybe just this little bit of morphine is alright and I will skip out on the epidural........
During labor I kept going from my hospital bed to the bathroom to have a shower and Robert would hose me down and take off my socks and hospital gown and put them back on about 20 times. Something sweet he said that I will never forget as he was hosing me down in the shower was " I am watering my two roses". (My middle name is Rose and our baby girl's middle name is Rose as well.)
Finally my mom shows up around 5:30 and at this point I believe I was still around 5cm and my water had not broken yet. They decide to break my water and when they did the contractions that were already pretty wild started getting considerably crazier. At this point I decided to get another dose of the morphine that was worn off already. I looked like the exorcist and through my contractions I would make these loud breathing noises as I rocked my head back and forth from side to side pretty violently like I was possessed the motion and pattern helped me through the pain.
Around 9pm I was stuck at 9cm and wasn’t progressing further but had this overwhelming sensation to PUSH the baby out! Doctor kept saying try to fight the urge but if it just happens then that is the bodies way of taking over to help you dilate that last centimeter. I couldn't’t stop it so in the middle of my breathing I could feel myself bearing down and my whole body was going into convolutions and the pain mixed with the morphine was causing my eyes to roll in the back of my head so I couldn't see straight!
The doctor then comes in around 12am on December 14th and says “you aren’t progressing any to get to the last centimeter so we are going to have to administer pitocin through an IV to try and intensify and speed up your contractions even more, and with that you will have to get the epidural, or we will have to do a c-section.” So that was that..... I ended up having to get the epidural after all, at 9cm dilated!! I basically felt that I did go all natural because I got so far without it. But, once I got the epidural it was such a relief! I could actually nap! My body was so relieved. After the pitocin kicked in things started to go pretty fast and furious. At 12:30am they checked and I was 10 cm dilated FINALLY!!!!
When I felt the pressure they wanted me to pull my legs up and start pushing. The problem was I definitely felt the pressure but found it hard to know what to push towards (hard to explain but I am sure you can imagine.) Anyways, I pushed and pushed with all of my might and she just wasn’t coming out! After 2 hours of pushing they mentioned something about using a VAC to suction her out, I didn’t want that so I found the strength somewhere within to push harder than before.... Her head kept crowning but she would then slide back in, the doctor eventually maintained a good enough grip on her as I continued to push. They were really good because they would say stop, hold, small pushes or big pushes so it would direct me to prevent any tears!
After 2 and a half hours of pushing and 27 hours later she came out and I was so overjoyed. My eyes were so swollen from pushing that I couldn't see the little girl I just gave birth to! It was so sad, I felt like Rocky! They placed her on my chest, I was squeezing her so tightly since I couldn't see her the nurse said “ I have never seen a women squeeze her baby so tightly” lol.
STELLA ROSE WINDSOR
BORN DEC. 14 2009
8LBS. 4 OZ.
21 1/2 INCHES LONG
& GORGEOUS!!
*Picture shows her right when she was born, saying "Heyyy look at all the room I have out here!!"
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