FTM's Punctual Baby

By 38 weeks I was more than over being pregnant. My pregnancy was textbook, I had no complications and for the most part up until 38 weeks I felt great. I knew I was going to have at least an 8 pounder based off of her last ultrasound and baby girl was more than content gestating away in my uterus. Due to constant back cramping, everything was getting harder to do, even drive the 20 minutes back and forth to work. I had a preeclampsia scare and decided that I would go ahead and take maternity leave and as a cop, my husband and supervisors were happier than I was 😂. 

At my 39 week appt my midwife checked and I was 1cm dilated and about 50% effaced. I got excited and proceeded to try just about every old wives tale I could think of: Raspberry Leaf Tea, Pineapple, including juice, spicy food, squats, walking, birthing ball, sex (SO MUCH SEX) to no avail. I lost my mucus plug a day after my appt but with no bloody show, I knew I could be pregnant for another 2 weeks 🙄. With every midnight bathroom break, I was hoping for a nice bloody mess to tell me labor was near and nope, nothing. 

As I approached my due date with no change, I resigned to the fact that baby girl was going to come when she wanted to and there was nothing I could do about it so on March 8th, the day before my due date, I told my husband I wanted to go out for dinner. On the way there I joking told him this'll be our last night out before our lives are flipped upside down. Oh how right I was! After an amazing dinner we came back home and settled into bed early since my 40 week appt was the next morning. I had already gone over my speech to my midwife to be induced. 

Fast forward to my 2nd bathroom break of the night around 230AM. Step down from my step stool from bed, waddle past the German Shepherd sprawled by my feet, and into the bathroom in the dark.. I plop down and hear and feel a small pop. First thought is "dern gas, now I'm going be on the toilet for 10 minutes," the next was "could that be my water?" I turn the light on after I finish and have no idea if it's my water or not because it's mixed with my pee and nothing else is coming out. So I proceed to waddle around the bathroom and a little more comes out but I write that off to my every so often incontinence. 

I hop back in the bed and realize my back is cramping as it had been for days now so I grab the heating pad and put it on my back and play solitaire on my phone. As I scoot up into the bed I feel a TINY gush of fluid. So I hop up and check the sheets which are a tad damp but I'm still not convinced. So I decide to waddle back to the bathrooms and more and more little gushes. By now I'm convinced it's my water. 

I put on a pad, fresh underwear, and some leggings and wake my husband to let him know I think my water broke. He very calmly says "so do we go now?" I laugh and say I'm going to call the midwife first, sit in the living room, and play solitaire until I feel contractions. My plan was to labor at home and give birth naturally, so she said I could stay home up to 6 hours after my water broke. I call and leave a message for the midwife (my favorite midwife happened to on call) and as soon as I hung up the phone BIG gush! I yell for my husband and tell him to bring me a towel and fast. Luckily the couch was fine and I say "ok, my water broke."

Still no real pain other than back cramps so I talk to midwife and she tells me to monitor contractions and baby's movement. If everything is good, I can come in at 7, if not go ahead and make my way to my hospital 20 minutes away. I hop in the shower and I'm on cloud nine, even decided to shave my legs and armpits ☺️

I hop out of the shower and start getting the last minute toiletries together for our bag while my husband takes our dog to MIL's house two miles away. Having contractions every 3 minutes lasting 45 seconds but I can talk and walk through them so I'm not in much pain. I now get worried because I don't want to have a baby on the side of the highway with contractions so close together so when my husband gets back I tell him through a mouth full of food that we need to go now. 

We got to the hospital around 4ish and check in. Still not in much pain and walked to triage with no issues. I favored walking and standing over sitting at this point but could carry on a conversation with ease-that is until we get to triage. The nurse tells me I have to lie down while they do these tests to confirm my water broke. I lay down and contractions are still coming every three minutes and now I'm hurting. Confirm my water is broken, and I'm dilated to a 3. She allows me to get up and as I'm about to MORE fluid😳. I apologize profusely for messing up the bed and the nurse laughs and assures me it's ok. 

Get to my room and am told I have to get back into the bed for blood draws and IV set up.. 🙄🙄My husband is helping me through contractions but I'm losing my will for no pain meds. He reminds me what my goal is and that I can do it (love that man 😘). After a few hours with contractions every 3 minutes STILL, I ask for IV pain meds. Gave me something that let me sleep for an hour or so and then the pain relief was gone but I was so drowsy I didn't feel like walking anymore. 

By now it's about 930AM and the midwife comes to check me. I tell my husband if I haven't made much progress, I'm getting the epidural and I promise him I don't blame him for me not meeting my goal of a drug free labor. Midwife checks me and I'm at 5 😑😑. Bring me that epidural please! My midwife says that may be a good idea so I can relax and get a nap because it's been 7 hours so she wants me to be prepared just in case it's 7 more. 

Anesthesiologist comes in and I've never been so happy to see a doctor in my life. He's amazing and makes sure I'm not contracting before moving to the next step. After a few it's placed perfectly and I'm relaxed. Decide to play a few games of solitaire and then take a nap. I wake up later with when I hear screams and I say without opening my eyes, "whoever is doing all that screaming needs to shut up". I then hear my stepdad in the hall that there's a lady outside and she about to give birth. I later find out (because she also had my midwife) that she drove herself to the hospital, she never made it to a room and gave birth in a wheelchair. Some awesome shit if you ask me! 

Midwife comes back to check on me and I'm a 7. By now it's 2ish and my contractions are kinda all over the place so she puts me on the lowest dose of pitocin to get them steady and regular. The 5pm Shift change comes for my midwives and my second favorite one comes in. She says she'll come check me once she makes her rounds and hopefully we'll have a baby soon. By now I'm feeling pressure but not the need to push. I'm also farting up a storm and my nurse tells me that's good, because baby is passing my colon which means she's getting ready to make her appearance.. I apologize profusely because I dinner last night was Cajun pasta and shrimp so it was rank! 😂 My nurse brings in an air fresher and everything is good. Midwife comes back about and says let's see if it's time to have a baby. Checks me and says your a 10 and there's the baby's head. Let's start pushing. My husband grabs my left leg and my mom on the right and off we go to push. She said to push like your taking a dump and I did... LITERALLY. Cajun smelling poop all over the bed and it was hilarious for everyone. I apologized once again for my dinner choice the previous night. 

Watching my baby girl crown through the mirror was AMAZING. My husband is cheering me on and would call me out when I was half assing my pushes lol. As she crowned we saw a head full of hair and I was so happy. Baby girl spins around into position as she exited like a champ and came out looking at her daddy! When her head was completely out I noticed just how huge her head once and announced that fact to everyone. My midwife did the rest of the work and out came my beautiful Alanis Marie. 

Born March 9th, 545pm, weighing 8lb 13oz, 21 inches long after 14 hours of labor. I've never loved someone so much. I joke that she's such a punctual baby, showing up on her due date and at a reasonable hour to boot 😃. 

I had a second degree tear but with the epidural I didn't feel a thing including getting stitched up. My midwife was amazing, my stitches haven't bothered me, and my recovery had been a breeze..although I have yet to look at my vagina.. Just too nervous haha

Thanks for taking the time to read my story. May it give you some encouragement as all the ones I have read have given me!