Thread: April 2005 Birth Stories

Friday night, March 25th, Seth suggested that we go see a movie together since it might be the last night we are alone. So, we went to see a movie and came home. Earlier in the day we had bought a bottle of castor oil so when I got home I made a castor oil milkshake with vanilla ice cream, castor oil, and orange juice. I drank that down pretty fast and it actually wasn’t as gross as it sounds. I was tired out so we went to bed around 10:30. I woke up at 1:30 a.m. having contractions that wouldn’t let me go back to sleep. I started timing them…..they were 5 min apart. I waited for an hour and a half before having the midwife paged. By the time she called me back they were 4 min apart and really strong. She suggested that I not come in yet because the first stage of labor, especially with your first child, can last a long time. So I sat at my computer then started getting things ready to go. I knew this was it. I called the midwife back when the pain was getting unbearable. She told me to come in. We got to the hospital at 6 a.m. Saturday morning. When the midwife checked me I was only 1 ½ and 80% effaced. They were talking about sending me home!! They unhooked me from the monitors just as my mom and sister got there and told me to walk and see if that helped to move things along. I was three steps down the hall when my water broke all over the floor! I wasn’t going anywhere but back in the room!! I was having really intense contractions that I couldn’t even talk through. I kept asking for pain relief but they said I wasn’t far enough dilated for that. I asked them to check me and they kept saying that someone would be in to check but nobody ever came. My contractions were so hard that I was having a hard time with my breathing. I finally just started screaming but still nobody came. I sent my mom out to tell them I had to push. That got their attention. A nurse came in and checked me and said she felt the head and that I was ready to go. All of the sudden there were nurses and midwives everywhere getting set up. I was terrified! I had planned on doing this with an epidural! I asked for one again as they were getting ready for me to push and they told me there wasn’t time of course! Seth held one leg and my mom held the other and I started pushing. Once the babies head was half way out they told me to stop to let my skin stretch out. That was the hardest part but I’m glad I did it because I didn’t tear at all. Within 10 minutes Lily Simone had come into the world. She was born at 12:04 pm on March 26th weighing 7 lb. 8 oz and measured 20 in long. This was truly the most amazing miraculous day of my life.

The doctor had scheduled me for an ultrasound at 8am on Tuesday April 19, 2005. She was concerned with the size of the baby. The baby had been measuring 2 weeks ahead through most of my pregnancy, then at 38 weeks, 3 weeks ahead. The ultrasound technician measured the baby 3 times and every time it came up 10 pounds 11 ounces (she was quite shocked!). The ultrasound also showed that my amniotic fluid was low. The technician then went to find out if they wanted me to get admitted or if my doctor, Dr. Terri McEndree, wanted to see me first. While she was gone, I realized that I had Brig’s car seat in my truck and Tom didn’t have a seat in his car for him. So I had to run home first before getting admitted. I went home, then found out that my doctor wanted to see me in her office. We went there and she told me that I had a choice of either being induced or having a cesarean section. She was alarmed at the size of the baby, but was also concerned that my fluid was low. We talked about it and decided that the best way to go was to have a c-section. She called the hospital and they could get me into the operating room later that afternoon/early evening. She told me to go home and get my bags together and be back at the hospital around 4-5 pm. Tom, Brig and I went back home, got everything around and relaxed for awhile. The phone rang around 3:00, it was Dr. McEndree’s office. The hospital had called her wondering where I was. There was confusion between my doctor and the hospital about what time I was supposed to be there to get prepped for surgery. They then told me to get there as soon as I could.

We got to the hospital around 3:30 pm. We didn’t have anyone to watch Brig, so Tom stayed in the waiting room with him. We gave him a gift when we got there in hopes to make him feel more relaxed. We might have been able to find someone to watch him, but since Tom doesn’t do well in hospitals, he was better off not going in. I didn’t want him passing out or anything on me! They took me to my room to get me prepped. They took off my jewelry, changed my clothes, took out my contacts, gave me an IV, took blood, hooked me up to heart monitors for myself and the baby, put in a catheter….now I was really getting scared. We walked to the operating room and they had me sit on the table. I then got a spinal. I wasn’t too afraid of it, since I had an epidural with Brig. I was waiting for them to start, when I felt my back being wiped down and I about jumped off the table….the anesthesiologist was busy talking to the nurse and forgot to warn me that he was going to do that. I was so cold that it startled me! He apologized and then made sure that he kept me informed of what he was going to do next. As soon as he was done giving me the spinal, they immediately helped me lie down on the table. My legs were getting tingly and starting to get hot (which meant that it was working). They had to get me down quickly before I lost the feeling in my legs. A sheet was placed from my chest and went up, to I couldn’t see what was going on. My arms were then tied down, to prevent me from having a reflex towards my stomach while they were operating on me. I was so scared that I had tears in my eyes. The only other time I had ever been in the hospital was to have Brig. As soon as they started, I felt sick. I told the anesthesiologist and the next thing I knew I vomited. He managed to help me and keep me clean, especially since I couldn’t move except to roll my head. The queasy feeling passed and I felt so much better. I felt tugging and cramping in my abdomen as they worked to get the baby out. It didn’t hurt, but it was an uncomfortable feeling. One of the nurses held my hand through most of the surgery. She was such a sweetheart and I was so happy that she was there to give me support. Then at 6:15 pm, Dr. McEndree announced that it was a boy! All the doctors and nurses in the room were gushing over how big and adorable he was. They passed him off to the pediatrician to be checked out and cleaned up. He was screaming so loud. Dr. McEndree then leaned over the sheet, told me that I make beautiful babies and wanted to know if I was really done having babies or if I wanted to change my mind and try for a girl I laughed and told her no way…I was done! She told me that he was gorgeous. The pediatrician and nurse were then going to take him to weigh and measure him. The nurse brought him over for me to see him first. He had been screaming the entire time they were checking him. I gave him a kiss and told him that I loved him. He immediately stopped screaming when he heard my voice and I didn’t hear a peep out of him as they took him out of the room. That was all he needed, was to hear Mommy’s voice. I cried, he was beautiful. I so badly wanted to hold him, but knew I would see him soon. The doctors then started to work at giving me a tubal ligation. Tom and I had talked long and hard about whether or not we wanted more children, but decided that we were done. Going through this part of it was harder on me then the actual c-section. I was beginning to think maybe the spinal was wearing off, it hurt so bad. The anesthesiologist was wonderful at making me feel better. He kept telling me how great I was doing and they would be done soon. I started to cry. Between the pain and all the emotions that I was feeling, I couldn’t help it. At that moment I felt so alone. I so badly wished that Tom was in there with me. I laid there for what seemed like forever. During that time, a nurse came in and was going on and on about how gorgeous the baby was and how much he looked like his big brother. I couldn’t help but smile behind all my tears. I asked her how big he was and she didn’t even know. She went and found out for us, because everyone else was curious also. She came back and said that he was 9 pounds 9 ounces and 22 inches long. One big boy! The doctors finally finished up around 7:30 pm.

What an exhausting and emotional day. But our beautiful, healthy, baby boy was finally with us and we are so happy about that.

will repost soon

Here we go....
I had been having labor on and off for weeks. The Monday before I was due,I had started to get really swollen and have headaches. On Tues,I went to have my BP checked,it was high so they admited me to hospital for bloodwork and NST. Everything came out fine so we headed home.
On Thurs April 21,I had a regular checkup. I was still very swollen. My BP was very high,protein in my urine,hyperreflexes. I was developing preeclampsia,so doctor decided to induce that day at 1:00p.m.
Chaos ensued trying to get DH home from work and get in laws to our house to watch kids. They started cervidil at 1:00p.m.. It was a long day and night. Contractions never got real strong or consistent. They gave me a sleeping pill at 11:00p.m. and planned on pitocin in the morning.
Doctor came in at 9:00a.m. and checked me. I was 3cm,50%. She broke my water and the pitocin was started at 9:30a.m. Around 10:00 I was starting to feel them. By 10:30,the pain was unbearable.Contractions were every 2min,lasting 60 sec. The nurse kept checking me,but,I( wasn't changing. At 11:30a.m.,I was begging for the spinal. Doc didn't want to give it because I wasn't progressing but the nurse pushed for it and I received it at 12:30p.m. I fell asleep for an hour and at 1:30 the nurse checked me and the babies head was literally right there. The doctor got there and with 2 pushes that I honestley didn't feel,she was out.
We were so happy to see Reegan was a girl. We didn't know what we were having,but,we were both hoping for a girl.
Reegan had a "true knot" in her cord and it was truly a miracle that she was fine. I hemmoraghed a bit,but,I was already hooked up to the pitocin so they managed to get it under control very fast.
This was my 4th birth. It is so amazing and special each time.
Reegan Mae
born on Friday April 22,2005 at 1:52 p.m.
7lbs 2oz 19 1/2 in.

Matthew Ray arrived at 12:53am via emergency c-section. He weighed 6lbs. 6ozs. and was 19 1/2 inches long.

I had a dr. appt on Friday Apr. 29th for my weekly check. My blood pressure was high and I knew something was up because the nurse asked if I felt alright. The dr. came in and talked with me about how things were and then said they were going to recheck my blood pressure in a few minutes. The nurse rechecked it after 15 or so minutes and it was even higher. They put me on the NST machine to check the baby and make sure he was ok. After about 30 minutes the dr. came back and said he looked fine but he was concerned about my blood pressure. He then gave me the option to come back on Monday and be checked again or be inducted that night. I decided it would be best to go ahead and be induced.

We arrived at the hospital around 7pm and they got me admitted and a million questions answered. The dr. came in around 8:15 and inserted the cytotec to soften my cervix. I started feeling alot of pressure and began to have small contractions. Around 9:30 Matthew's heartrate dropped for a few minutes and went back up. DH had to run home and get some papers he had forgotten. The nurse came in around 10:00 to fill out some more paperwork and his heart rate dropped again while she was in there and I had to have oxygen. My blood pressure continued to be high and I had to lay on my side. The nurse called the dr. in and he thought it was possibly me that was having a few problems. They went ahead and put a lead on his head to make sure. Matthew's heartrate kept fluctuating and around 11:30 my DH got back to the hospital. At midnight the dr. came back and checked on me. I was having a lot stronger contractions and instead of giving me more cytotec we decided to start pitocin. Matthew decided after about 10-20 minutes of the pit drip that he didn't like it and he wasn't going to cooperate any longer. His heart rate dropped again and stayed down for a bit. The dr. came in and checked me and I was only dilated to 4cm and they weren't sure what was wrong with him. We decided at that time he needed to be delivered so they rolled me to the OR. His heart rate picked back up and I got an epi and they started the c-section at 12:45. DH didn't get to be in the room for delivery because they forgot him outside be he came in right after Matthew was delivered. I was stiched up and they brought him to me before going to the nursery. I got to see him again in recovery. Not what I had expected, but in the end I got a healthy baby boy.

Hi everybody, thought it was finally time I post my birth story from April '05. Owen Michael was born April 28th, 2005 at 7:02 pm. He weighed 7lbs.5ozs. and was 20 inches long. I add some pictures when I get them off my brother's computer, which is what we were using at the time. It's cut and pasted from a somewhat longer version on my current birth board May '07.


My prenatal care went great and at my 39 week appointment I was 3 cm dilated and 100% effaced. I had been slowly progressing for about three weeks so I agreed to go for a scheduled induction. I was horribly uncomfortable by then and ready for a baby. I went in at 8 in the morning and the doc broke my water, gave me a small dose of cytotec orally and had me go walk around outside for an hour. We did this twice (cytotec, walking). Next we decided to check in next door. There were about 8 of us actually with friends and family members. Not much was happening so we decided to walk a couple blocks and go to lunch at Blimpie. About an hour after we got back, my contractions got a little painful and very regular. So that's when we started to pay attention to them, it was about 1:00pm. By this time my nurse had suggested pitocin twice and I had said no, twice. I spent the next few hours laughing and talking through contrax and when they got more painful I tried out the tub for a while. I was checked at about 4:00 and was found to be 6 cm. I thought I had a long time to go still. At six o'clock I started to feel REALLY bad. All I could do was lay on my side and breath through the pain. I could not talk and the last thing I wanted to do was move. This is when I started considering being transferred to the hospital so I could get an epi. I never said it out loud but I thought about it. But I just told myself to get through one at a time. Then the nurse made me move to a different position and that really did help. Just moving around was the best thing that I could do to deal with the pain. It turns out that what I was experiencing was transition. I should have know but all I thought was....is it going to get worse?!
Half an hour later I was ready to push. My nurse (who acted much more like a doula than any nurse) told me that I still had a bit of cervix left and to try not to push. HA! There was no stopping me, I HAD to start pushing. So she had me do a couple practice pushing to see how I would do. After that she called the doctor and said you'd better get over here now. Pushing was such a relief for me because I could no longer feel the pain of the contractions. It was just REALLY hard work. I was semi-reclined and had lots of people coaching me to count for ten seconds and take a quick breath in between. When he was just about ready to come out, the nurse checked his heartbeat and it was dangerously low (I think about 50bpm) I looked at her in panic and she just said "It's gonna be okay, let's get this baby out" I really needed her encouragement right then. I pushed for 30 minutes total and my baby boy was out. His head came out fine but his shoulders came out very quickly and I tore pretty badly. I had no idea though because I didn't feel a thing. They put baby right on my chest and wiped him off there. I will always remember my first thought: "That's not mine, it can't be!" It was 7:02pm.
He was too beautiful, I just couldn't believe he was really mine. It was very surreal. I had to ask the doctor after a few minutes "is it all out?" Yes, he said. That was when the pain set in. They wrapped the baby and passed him around while I was being stitched up. The endorphins were gone and I was shaking with the pain. The doc didn't give me quite enough lydocaine and that last stitch I felt completely and even told him "that's enough, no more."
They finally gave me a horse-pill sized ibuprofen and that helped after a few minutes. I was still completely thrilled with my new boy and holding him the whole time. I got many visitors then (probably 20.) I didn't mind, I wanted to show off my new boy. Half of them came while I was breastfeeding for the first time. Most of them were DH's friends and I had no modesty. I didn't care and I guess DH didn't either.
Soon after, everyone had gone home but my two best friends who had been my support team through labor. I got in the tub and it felt so good. the three of us sat in the bathroom and went through the whole thing again. It's one of my favorite parts of my birth. After a while everyone was gone and the nurse gave us the last of our parenting paperwork and a few last pointers and we went home at about midnight.