Where Do I even begin?
I guess at the beginning…on Thursday the 28th starting around 5ish or so my back started to hurt like no other. At first I thought it was just because I was sitting on the uncomfortable kitchen chair but as it continued to hurt I realized that SOMETHING must be happening. I even tweeted that I thought something was happening.
I could be wrong and I probably am…but I think SOMETHING is happening…not necessarily IT but def a pre-IT…going to lay down…
โ Little Us Blog (@LittleUsBlog) January 29, 2010
See I know it doesn’t seem like a big deal that my back was hurting but it didn’t really hurt my entire pregnancy so the fact that it was now killing me made me wonder. I still continued with my night though. I made B and I a chicken stir fry with a ton of vegetables in a oil and lemon sauce. Mason’s last meal in my tummy ๐ OH by the way I had eggplant pizza at lunch with B’s Mom that day I KNOW someone suggested that so I think you might have been right (please remind me who said that because I completely forgot). ANYWAY I straightened up the entire kitchen cause it was looking a mess and B and I sat down to watch a movie (The Last Castle) around midnight if not later which believe it or not is common practice for us. I was pretty uncomfortable the whole time and a couple of times I even got on my hands and knees and rocked back and forth to ease some of the pain. I went to bed around 2:30 it didn’t take long at all for me to fall asleep. I had told B FYI that I thought it was going to happen the 29th or the 30th. I told my Mom the same thing!
Then I woke up at around 6:30 in the morning on my Birthday (January 29th) because I felt a gush. YUP my water broke. I got up and immediately had a contraction and it was exactly how I thought it would feel cramping in my lower stomach. I knew I was in labor. So I texted my Mom to let her know that she better start getting everyone ready. She didn’t pick up so I called my Dad and let him know what was going on. He told me to call my doctor. I was going to wait until my 11:00 appointment because I was suppose to go have a sonogram anyway. But he told me to call the doctor since my water had broken. I did and my doctor suggested I come in within an hour or two. So I woke up B and we both started doing some last minute things.
I got to the hospital at around 9:30 am and they ran a test to make sure that my water broke. It came back inconclusive the first time but the second time it came back that my water had broken. The doctor that was on call at that point was the doctor I had wanted to deliver my baby so I was really excited. Even though it looked like he might come on my birthday. They hooked me up to monitors just to make sure Mason was doing well and he was! They checked to see how dilated I was and I was only like 1 cm. I wasn’t too happy especially considering that my water had already broken.ย I knew it was only a matter of time before they would start recommending an induction. I was on the monitor a lot in the beginning to make sure he was doing okay. The contractions hurt a lot especially because I wasn’t able to move around. My parents were afraid they would miss his arrival. At some point B left to get some last minute stuff done. We had a lot planned for my birthday in order to prepare for Mason. He on the other hand had other plans.
My first nurse was Diane and she was super sweet although she couldn’t get my IV in since I had to be on antibiotics. So another nurse, Amy ended up doing it. It hurt so bad. Especially when Diane couldn’t get it in but they were all very nice. Dr. K the one who I wanted to deliver Mason was on call when I came in but she explained that at 5:00 Dr. W would be the one coming in. I was not so happy because he was literally the only doctor I haven’t met. FIGURES! I expressed that to her and she reassured me by pointing out that another Dr. in their practice choose Dr. W to deliver her children which means that she probably thought he was the best our of all of them. And he was the oldest doctor which many times also means the most experienced. Anyway when the second nurse Denise came in she asked me if I wanted to get off the monitors and walk around and I was like YES please. I had to go on the monitors for 20 minutes every hour but it was awesome to not be on the monitors for 40 minutes!
My parents arrived around 6ish (maybe later I had seriously lost track of time) and they weren’t even close to missing Mason’s birth. I still hadn’t seen Dr. W by like 7ish even though he had come in at 5. Things were absolutely crazy in the hospital that night apparently EVERYONE wanted to have their baby on MY birthday…HOW RUDE ๐ I must say I was impressed with how little they checked my cervix. They only checked 3 times throughout the 26 hours I spent there. Anyway when Dr. W came in he introduced himself and suggested that I be induced since it had already been 12 hours since my water broke. I declined. He was definitely not too happy about that but he respected my decision. Later in the night I decided that I needed something to ease the pain. I was completely exhausted by this point since I had only had 4 hours of sleep. It felt great to ease the pain but I was still able to feel the contractions strongly. It went in through my IV and lasted about 30min-1hr. I did one round right as I got hooked up to the monitors since it was harder to ease the pain then and then I would get up and walk around and then when they put me on the monitors again I got one more dose. It didn’t work as well the second time though.ย My contractions at this pointย were coming about every 5-6 minutes. So they weren’t progressing very well or fast enough for the doctor. Dr. W came in again to suggest getting induced and I told him no again. They (Dr. W) checked to see how dilated I was for the second time and I was only 2-3 along. Which isn’t very far at all. I was discouraged for sure. After he left my nurse Denise was all “Good for you for sticking to your guns” that made me feel better about my decision. And B was supportive the entire time. He kept telling me it was all my decision no matter what.
About an hour after the doctor came my contractions still weren’t progressing so my nurse came in and was like I have an idea nipple stimulation. ahh the magic words lol. I tweeted around this point too and that was mentioned as well as bouncing on a ball. So I sent my parents out of the room and started working on the nipple stimulation and bouncing on the birthing ball. The contractions started coming along much quicker so Dr. W didn’t bother me again for a little. Then they started slowing again so he had Denise ask me if I wanted to induce. I said no again. Denise then explained that Dr. W was going into a c-section now so I would have some more time to not feel pressured to induce. I was relieved by that. Mason was still doing well still but my contractions slowed down again and I was in a lot of pain.
Then around 11ish maybe 12 I can’t even say at this point Dr. W came in to talk to me about my options. He didn’t want to check my cervix again for risk of infection but he wanted to induce me since my contractions were still about 5 minutes apart. I asked him to let me think about it. At this point I had been in labor for soo long and I was in so much pain and I was exhausted and so scared that I would end up in a c-section anyway since I wasn’t progressing. I talked to my Mom and B and after about an hour I decided that I was just going to be induced. I decided that my odds were better with the induction than without it. But first I requested an epidural which was quite possibly the most painful part about the whole thing. By this point I was completely exhausted and I pretty much had a mini mental breakdown. I was so upset that I was getting an epidural and getting induced but at the same time I knew I needed to do it because I didn’t know how much longer I could go on. I was clutching on to my Mom and B while I got it but every time she stuck the needle in my back I flinched. I couldn’t help it. So it made it go longer and when I had a contraction during the epidural it was just awful because I had to stay completely still. It was getting so hot between me freaking out and burying myself in B and my Mom. At one point B must have looked at the needle because the nurse and my Mom were like are you okay? And he was like yea why? and they were all you look like you’re going to pass out. And my Mom was like yea maybe you should sit down so Denise came and took over. Denise had managed to calm me down at this point so the epidural was almost over. (FUNNY side story at one point the anesthesiologist said put your head in between your legs and in between tears I was like I can’t!! and everyone laughed at me and was like they meant B) Once the medicine started kicking in I felt so much better. I was even able to sleep. Which was so needed. I don’t know if I would have gotten my end result if I wouldn’t have slept.
Around 3ish Denise came to check and see how dilated I was and she said around 9ish and she was being very VERY conservative. She said I was almost ready and wanted to talk to Dr. W. She left and I feel back asleep. B and I were thrilled that it had worked and the baby was still doing well. Atย 4’oclock my new nurse Amy woke me up and and let me know that at around 4:30 I would start pushing. So I called my Mom to come back to the hospital and had her call B’s Mom. I woke up B to call his Dad. Oh and did I mention that it had been snowing since my Birthday and was still snowing when I stared pushing at around 5am? AND that it was a full moon? AND that when my Mom had me it was during a snow storm as well? Just thought I’d share those facts.
So I started pushing at around 5ish. B jumped up and was like you guys almost started without me, he didn’t even remember me waking him up. That’s how tired he was! We were all exhausted. So I pushed for about 2 1/2 hours when Dr. W came back in to discuss my options. See little Mason was responding very well the entire time. His heartbeat was great. BUT I hadn’t made as much progress as I should have. Amy said I was pushing “the right way” but Mason wasn’t getting passed my pelvic bone…All that pushing and not enough progress. My Mom and B were there with me the whole time helping hold my legs etc. Thank God they were because by the end up it I couldn’t even hold my own legs up. I was so tired. And they were both so supportive. B and my Mom were giving me support every chance they could and B kept making sure I was drinking water and getting me a damp cloth to put on my forehead. They both did an amazing job.
So my options were these 1) Get a c-section 2) rest for a half hour and push again 3) Push and try using the vacuum. Option 1 was not even a choice. Option 2 wasn’t a choice either because there was no way I couldn’t push. No matter how tired I was. So I choose three. They set me up and in the mean time I continued to push. And I made progress on my own. I think the idea of having a c-section after all that pushing motivated me like no other. Dr. W informed me that I had 5 contractions to do this otherwise I had to go into a c-section. I was NOT going to let that happen. So I did it. It was the only time I actually screamed out right when he came out completely. Otherwise I had my eyes closed and was fairly quite the whole time. B kept telling me “I was only kidding about the Scientology silence thing and you can speak etc”.
It was the most amazing feeling in the world when Mason finally made his grand entrance. It’s like this HUGE relief to finally be over to know that here he is. That’s all I kept telling myself okay just a couple more pushes and he’ll be here. It’s crazy how “flat” your stomach gets right away.
It was so emotional B was crying and my Mom was just this proud Grandma, which is so crazy to say. She was taking pictures and admiring him and B was staying by my side trying to comfort me. I told him to go see his son and he was the first one to hold him. He was beautiful! Oh and B actually cut the cord. I knew he would but at the same time he was nervous to do it at first and thought he would get queasy. He didn’t though. When they put Mason on my chest it was so surreal. He was actually here. This little (well actually not so little) guy came out of me. B and I made him. And it’s almost incomprehensible.
In the end I’m glad how everything went. Would I have liked to progressed further without being induced or having an epidural yea who wouldn’t. But at the same time it all worked out. And what I’ve come to realize is doing it with or without drugs doesn’t make you a Mom or more of a woman. My Mom and B had to remind me of that several times. I love my little guy and apparently he’s already a good listener. He did EXACTLY what his Mama wanted, I went into labor on my Birthday, had him on the 30th and was able to deliver him vaginally and he was healthy. What more could a girl ask for? And as far as having a Doctor I had never met before I think it worked out for the best. I think his experience was on my side. I think that other doctors may have pushed harder. And if I had another baby I would want him to deliver that one too.
I still can’t believe that I did it and that it’s all over. But it is. And I couldn’t be happier because Mason is here and he’s healthy and he’s the love of my life. I can’t wait to watch him grow but I can because I just love the little boy he is now.
Thanks if you managed to read this all…Let me know if you have any questions, I’d be more than happy to answer.
Sarahhh says
i read it all… its beautiful Christa!! im so happy for you and crazy excited to meet Mason.. Congratulations cuzzo and tell Bly i said the same. I love you!
Jayme says
It's an amazing feeling, isn't it?
Sarah says
I love reading birth stories. I too pushed for 2 hours, and we had to use a vaccum to get Caleb out.
Caro says
You just made me cry ๐
Frugal Vicki says
There is absolutely no feeling like it in the entire world….and your life has just changed forever. Treasure these moments….too soon they become a little toddler terror!
Chari says
Great job Mama!
My doctor had me scared from the start that if I wasn't induced I would end up with a c-section. I was already exhausted from being in labor 2 days at home. I ended up letting them break my water then waited a couple of hours. After no progression I let them put me on pit, and I didn't get my epi until after I had gone through a bag of pit. I loved my epi!
You are right, all that matters is a healthy baby no matter how they get here ๐
Chari says
Great job Mama!
My doctor had me scared from the start that if I wasn't induced I would end up with a c-section. I was already exhausted from being in labor 2 days at home. I ended up letting them break my water then waited a couple of hours. After no progression I let them put me on pit, and I didn't get my epi until after I had gone through a bag of pit. I loved my epi!
You are right, all that matters is a healthy baby no matter how they get here ๐