Reminiscing about 1st birth 8/24/16 (LONG!)

Waiting for baby #2 to arrive (edd 10/23) so figured I’d share my birth story about my first. Hoping this will be a different experience!

7am - At 40+2, my water broke, waking me up. I wasn’t having any contractions, so I wasn’t totally sure. I was confused bc it had white things in it....it almost looked like discharge from a yeast infection that was in the water. In hindsight, I think it was vernix. Since my water broke, the dr said to go in to the hospital. Took a shower, ate breakfast, and headed out around 10am. Still no contractions!

10:30am - Check into room, and we are just hanging out because I’m having no contractions. 2 cm. Decided to walk the l&d; floor. Walked around for HOURS!

8pm - I’m only at 4. Still no noticeable contractions!

8:45pm - I finally have one that stops me in my tracks. Starting to feel them. I tell me husband it’s time to order the labor pool. None of this feels real yet

10pm - Take a really hot shower while the labor pool is being set up. Very painful back contractions by this point. My hubby sneaks me some Italian bread from the meal he had delivered. My back is killing me. The abdominal pain is not bothersome. Get in the labor pool on my hands and knees, hanging over the side. Hubby pours water down my back which feels good. Nurse checks me and I’m still only at a 4.

12am - Barely any progression. Time to start talking pitocin. I want a natural delivery, but I know this plan is going out the window. I get out of the labor pool to start pitocin. The contractions are so bad from the pitocin that I’m incapable of relaxing. At this point, I start having abdominal cramping and get diarrhea. I tell my hubby my code word to get the epidural. The back labor is too excruciating and the end seems nowhere in sight.

1am - Anesthesiologist places epidural and relief is IMMEDIATE. It’s so wonderful, I’m able to nap from 2-4am. I get checked around 5am, and I’m still only 6cm. Internally, I’m worried that I’m approaching the 24 hour mark of my water breaking. I do not want a c-section!

6:30am - I’m at 8cm. The Dr comes in around 7 and says he’ll give it a while longer.

8am- I feel like I have to poop! Tons of pressure, no pain. Nurse checks and I’m complete! Time to start pushing!

I can feel the pushing contractions building and I know when I need to start pushing, but still no pain. I push for almost 3 hours when I have an overwhelming feeling that this baby is never going to come out. 2 pushes later, he’s crowning! His head comes out with cord wrapped, the dr very efficiently snips it and out he comes! I’m so exhausted that my first thought is truly, “I am NEVER doing that again.” I did not cry tears of joy. I felt so indifferent.

11:08am - Roman Alexander is born at 7lbs 4oz, 20 3/4 inches. No tearing!!

Almost immediately after the birth, I got excruciating pain in the back of my neck, base of my shoulders, and base of my head. I attributed it to the hours of pushing and the position I was in. But it didn’t let up. It got so bad that the only position that was pain-free was lying flat on my back. I cried sitting up having to feed him. I cried walking and going to the bathroom every time. I didn’t change one diaper. I couldn’t stand to watch the first bath or watch the circumcision. I was in that much pain. It took the staff 4 days to believe that I truly had a spinal headache from the epidural. Finally, one of the anesthesiologists on call believed me and performed a blood patch on the 4th day. The relief was immediate, but the psychological damage was already pretty devastating.

He was a beautiful baby but I couldn’t see it. Not for months. PPD is very scary and not something to be ignored. Don’t be scared to ask for help! He’s nearly 14months now and he is a wonderful joy.