Natural Birth Story

Thursday, January 27

I had my OB appointment at noon and was still 4cm and even lower so my OB stripped my membrane. I have to admit it felt really weird. It didn’t hurt or anything…It just felt like I had heavy menstrual cramps. My OB said it should get things started since I was already so close to the due date. I was still not convinced considering what happened the last visit. My weight was at 134lbs (I gained a total of 30 lbs!) and baby Marcus’ heartbeat was around 152 bpm. After the appointment, I decided to go for a walk at the dog park with hubby and Rocko to help speed up the process.
Last big belly pic taken that Thurs night. My 1st and 2nd week postpartum pics…

Friday, January 28

3:45 – 4:00am
Woke up to go to the loo…
I felt different. Felt menstrual cramps and lower back pain.
Noticed what looked to be a bloody show on the toilet paper.
My thoughts, “Hmmm…could this be it? Could this be “D” day? Nah…”

5:30am
Still awake and could not fall back asleep!
Lower back was really bothering me and still felt the menstrual cramps. Not painful.
Decided to wake hubby up to go to the hospital.
Still not quite sure if it was for real or just false labour.
Asked hubby to call his mom. She told us to go over so she could count the contractions with me before deciding whether or not I needed to go to the hospital.
Still not totally convinced I was in labour but decided to go…better safe than sorry.

6:00am
The whole ride to Kitchener I started to feel contractions about every 5 mins.
No pain, but I knew they had to be contractions because it was coming every 5 mins.
It takes about 30 mins to get to his parents house in Kitchener.
They live about 5-10 mins away from the hospital.
My MIL counted my contractions with me…again it came every 5 to 5.5 mins.
She told me I better head to the hospital.

7:10am
To the hospital we went and super excited to become new parents.

Grand River Hospital, Kitchener

7:30am
Hooked up to monitor baby’s heartbeat, contractions and movements.
Contractions still every 5 to 5.5 mins but baby’s heartbeat was constant (no distress and probably just sleeping) so the nurse said I would probably be sent home.
As soon as she said that I thought, “Are you flipping serious? No way am I going back home again!” Good thing the OB (Dr. Raby) came to check my cervix because I was already 5 to 6 cm dilated! Hooray!
The nurse was really surprised and told me people are usually contracting every 2 to 3 mins by 5 to 6 cm.
Still no pain so I was in a good mood.

9:00am
Around this time we moved into our own private room.
My nurse Amy, was surprised I was in such a good mood for being in labour.
I wasn’t in pain (yet) so i was happy and excited about meeting our little one.
I was doing so well that hubby decided to go and grab our hospital bag from the car.
While hubby was gone, Dr. Raby came in and asked if I wanted her to break my water.
I remembered my sister telling me they broke her water at 4 to 5 cm because its supposed to help speed up the process so I said, “Sure, why not?” I should have waited…
If I could do it all over again I would have waited for my water to break on its own because I might have gotten further along with less painful contractions.
By the time hubby got back, I was already singing a different tune…
My lower back was killing me and worst of all I had to take a #2!
So I did (I’m glad I did it then and not while pushing!) and while I was in the washroom I had 3 contractions that were getting stronger, longer and closer together!

After my #2 break I started to feel nauseous.
I tried standing and bending over a chair but I could no longer stand up.
I didn’t end up puking but I had to lie down to help with the nausea.
Everything was a blur after that.
It started to get so bad I wanted my mom. lol.
My plan was to just have hubby and the nurse in the room with me but I ended up asking my hubby to get his mom. I’m so glad she was able to be there with us.
She works at the hospital and was able to come and be with us right away.

10:00 to 11:00 am
Nurse Amy asked me on a scale of 1 to 10 how painful my contractions were.
I think I said 8 even though it already felt like a 10.
I couldn’t rate it a 10 because I knew I was nowhere near the end.
Dr. Raby came and checked my cervix and said I was 7 to 8 cm.
Still trying my best to breathe thru the contractions…
Started to think maybe I should have gotten the epidural!
I was sweating like crazy and kept feeling a cold cloth on my forehead.
I must have been so dehydrated because ice chips never tasted so good.

12:00pm
Still only around 8 cm but I swear I already had the urge to push!
No screams from me but I was definitely moaning thru my contractions.
Contractions definitely a 10 at this point…excruciating pain…
It was so hard to breathe thru the contractions!
I kept saying, “I don’t want another baby!”
Slipping out the “F” word every once in awhile too.
I seriously wanted to cry but there were no tears left because I was sweating so much!
I kept passing out in between contractions.
Every time I looked at the clock an hour would fly by but felt like I was going nowhere.

2:00 to 3:00pm
I finally got to 10 cm!
The pain could no longer be measured…
I was so ready for it to be over!

3:30 to 5:48pm
Started pushing around 3pm.
Hubby, MIL and nurse were very motivating and kept telling me I was doing so good.
I felt like they were lying to me just to keep me going.
Still passing out in between contractions/push.
I was exhausted. Dehydrated and exhausted.
I kept thinking, “When will this be over? How will I ever get this thing out of me? What if I just can’t do this?”
And then somewhere in between my pushing phase, Nurse Amy told me that Dr. Raby had an emergency C-section so I had to control and slow down my pushing.
These thoughts ran through my head, “WTF??!!! Are you “F”ing serious??!! How the “F” am I supposed to do that? I just want this baby out of me!”
Well…in the end it didn’t matter how light or strong I was pushing because baby Marcus was NOT coming out!
URGH!

Dr. Raby finally came to see me and I think she even left again and came back.
Everything was such a blur.
I just remember her telling me that I was starting to tear.
I kept pushing some more and started to feel the RING OF FIRE!!!
Dr. Raby asked me if I wanted to feel my baby’s head and I just blurted out, “No, no, I just want it to be over!”
I kept pushing and still no baby.
Dr. Raby finally told me that she had to cut me or I would tear. BAD.
I think at this point my hubby started to cry because he felt so bad for me.
I can recall Dr. Raby and the nurse telling him that I will be ok. My poor hubby.
I heard my MIL’s voice telling me that I will be ok and that its the best thing for me…
So I agreed.
I have always been afraid of having an episiotomy…but by that point I just wanted the baby out of me.
The cut was nothing compared to the pain I was already feeling.
A few more pushes after the cut and his head came out…
but then his shoulders were stuck…GREAT…
A few more pushes from me and kicks from him and he finally came out!
And then I heard, “It’s a Boy!”
Hubby cried and my MIL cried but I didn’t end up crying. Is that weird?
Hubby cut the cord and then Baby Marcus was put on my chest.
Nurse Amy kept telling me I did so well and that if someone were to just walk into the room during my labour, they would have thought I had an epidural.
Baby Marcus was also a trooper. His heart rate was constant the whole time.

Baby Marcus was taken away to be measured and cleaned up.
Then we had some skin to skin time and he latched like a pro!
After almost 12 hours of labour I was STARVING.
I specifically wanted beef bibimbap but my MIL couldn’t find the restaurant so I ended up with McDonald’s (McChicken and fries) instead.

Baby Marcus
Friday, January 28, 2011
@ 5:48pm
weighing 8lbs
and 20 3/4 inches long

We’re finally parents and now our little family feels complete.
Our Little Sunshine is perfect in every way.
We are so lucky to have been chosen to be his mommy and daddy.
Welcome to this crazy world Marcus.

Yean
mrsjulius.blogspot.com

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