Sunday April 13 started out like any other day. We had a doctor's appointment Friday April 18 where we were 2 cm dilated, 0 station, and 90% thinned out. Contractions were here and there, but still only Braxton Hick's, not uncomfortable at all. I had been attempting to walk every day to help the process move along a little more swiftly, bouncing on a workout ball, dancing, eating dates, considering spicy foods. But, all of these seemed unsuccessful. So, Jeremy and I decided to take things into our own hands to try and induce labor.
So, after cleaning out the laundry room, top to bottom, changing the litter box, stocking up on essentials at Costco, we made a date for some bedroom time. One hour later, labor had started and I was feeling menstrual like cramping, nothing like I had felt at any other point during my pregnancy. We tried to go to bed, attempting to get as much sleep as possible, and around 1-1:30 I was having contractions every 15 minutes.
At this point they were uncomfortable, but not unbearable. We started really timing things, and by 3:00 my contractions had grown closer together, nearly every 8 minutes apart. Contemplating when to call my parents, we decided to hold out until they were every 6 minutes apart; when they got to every 5 minutes apart my OB advised us to head down to the hospital.
I'm not exactly sure at what point Jeremy called my parents, around 3:30 or 4:00 Monday morning (our due date), but by 4:30, we were making our 35 minute journey to the hospital. I was thankful we left when we did as we avoided rush hour traffic, making the trek a little less stressful.
I was practicing my hypnobirthing, but it felt as though I couldn't concentrate enough during my contractions to relax and settle into that deep relaxation state. Between contractions it was working like a dream, and I was able to rest well before the next one came along.
We arrived at the hospital, checked in, and Jeremy wheeled me back to triage. The nurse hooked me up to the fetal monitor, the contraction monitor, checked my oxygen levels, as well as the blood pressure cuff. She proceeded to ask me a million questions, which we knew were coming. Explaining most of that was in our birth preferences, she said she still had to verbally ask us everything. Finally she checked me, and to my surprise, I was still only 2 cm dilated, and was not contracting consistently enough to be admitted.
So, they sent us home. When we asked, "How do we know when to come back?" the nurse replied, "Trust me, you'll know." ...um...okay???
So back in the car for the 35 minute drive home. At this point my parents had arrived at my grandmother's house, and we caught Jeremy's parents before they left to the hospital, explaining we were on our way home.
Within the next couple of hours, both sets of our parents headed over to our house to help support Jeremy and I during my labor. I can't put into words how grateful I am for this time with them. Jeremy's parents arrived first, and my mother-in-law stepped right into the job; rubbing my back when a contraction came, talking me through it. She offered water and food, helped Jeremy take breaks when he needed them.
At this point my contractions were gaining in intensity and I made my way to the bathtub for some relief. This worked a couple of times, but around noon my contractions were getting pretty intense and when I asked Jeremy what he though, he said, "Let's head back to the hospital, I think it's time."
So, our second trip, 35 minutes to the hospital. Somehow our parents arrived before we did, which I found amusing. Again we checked in, and made our way back to triage.
Once in triage for the second time, the nurse this time around was amazing. She gave Jeremy and I some great advice. She again hooked me up to all of the monitors, and asked me more questions. Dying of anticipation, she FINALLY checked me. "Sweetheart, you're 3 cm dilated." My face must have show it all. She immediately praised me for the progress I had made since my first visit. She explained that she had done an all natural birth and advised us to go home once again. She explained that I would most likely deliver in 7-14 hours and the longer I stayed home the more comfortable I would be, as I wouldn't have nurses constantly checking on me and I wouldn't have to be hooked up to monitors.
She asked us why we wouldn't want to go home, our only answer was of convenience. It's a half an hour each way, and being in the car during contractions was nearly unbearable. She said, "So go to the mall! You don't have to go all the way home. Walk around, it'll help." THE MALL?!?! Yeah right.
Once again, we all headed back to our house. My MIL had made some food, so I attempted to eat a little to keep up my strength. At this point we had been in labor for over 12 hours with minimal to no sleep the night before. I took a few bites, drank some juice and headed back up stairs to our bedroom, which is where I labored the majority of the time while I was at home.
My mom and my MIL right by my sides, supporting me as best they could. reminding me to relax, to breath, rubbing my back, and hydrating me. After about 45 minutes all of a sudden I felt like I had peed my pants. I exclaimed, "I THINK MY WATER BROKE!" as I rushed to the bathroom, and sure enough it had.
This was also one of the stipulations the doctors had told us to go back to the hospital if my water broke as I was Group B Strep positive and required antibiotics immediately. So at this point it's around 3:00 Monday afternoon and we headed back to the hospital for the 3rd and final time. I had heard that once your water breaks your contractions get more intense, but I can't say that I for sure experienced this. They were already very intense at that point.
One thing I feel helped, which I had learned through hypnobirthing was to breath my baby down. This was a great focus for me and helped me to relax my upper body and concentrate on my breathing. Another tip the nurse had mentioned was to wait until the peak of my contraction to close my eyes and start my breathing. At this point, I would count backwards from 20 and the most intense part of my contraction was over. This was a huge part of my labor, and really got me through some of the most intense contractions. This way you're only concentrating on 20 seconds of the contractions instead of the entire thing.
So, once again, we check in, head back to triage and I was finally admitted. They hooked me up to all the monitors and started my IV. The nurse was the same one who had given me the tips during our last trip to the hospital, and she did comment that she felt I was much more confident and controlled during my contractions since the last time I had come it. At this point I got very sick, the nurse told us this was very common during transition times of labor, hormones will increase causing vomiting. It was terrible, but didn't last too long thankfully. Soon after, they transferred us to our delivery room.
For the next couple of hours, the 6 of us were in the delivery room, with Jeremy and my mom once again stepping up to the plate and guiding me through each contraction. At one point, they were getting so intense and painful that after each one I was having to us my essential oils, specifically peppermint to aide with the nausea. I was checked around 5/5:30 Monday afternoon and I had progressed to 6 cm. Within the next hour, the contractions were becoming more unbearable.
My mom and Jeremy were great at communicating with me. The let me know when the contraction was starting, when it was starting to peak, and when the break was coming up. Within this hour I was getting hardly any break though. They were the most intense I had delt with, then they would go down to a medium one immediately, then to a smaller contraction, and then right back up to another intense one. I was maybe getting a minute break in between these long stretches. I was exhausted. I had been laboring since 11:00 the night night before. We were approaching 19 hours of labor and I
So the nurse checked me around 6:00 PM Monday April 14. Still 6 cm. No change in that hour. I couldn't do it anymore. I was done, I was defeated. Jeremy and I had a plan for when this time would come, because we knew it would. He would talk me down, calm me, explain that we just have to concentrate on one contraction at a time. I could do it just one more time. "Let's get through one more," he said. "I know you can do it, you're strong."
The next one came, and went. Even more intense then the last, and I needed relief. I needed a rest, a break, some time to regroup. I begged for the epidural. Within 30 minutes I was a completely different person. I was happy, talking to my family, feeling nothing, resting, regrouping, and eventually sleeping.
My nurse advised things would probably start to move a little more quickly now that I had the epidural. My body would be able to completely relax and do it's job in moving the baby down. Sure enough within the next hour I progressed to 7 cm, then 8 cm in the next, and by 10:30 PM I was at 9 cm. Things were looking good! No C-section here, I was going to be able to do this!.
At 11:30 PM Monday April 14, the nurse came to check me again. I was so anxious. If things continued the way they had been, I should be at 10 CM and ready to start pushing. If I was lucky, I would only push for a half an hour and deliver this baby on her due date. "I'm ready," I thought, let's get this baby here!
To my surprise, I was still 9 CM, not any sign of being close to 10 CM. I continued to rest during this time, with the nurse or resident coming in every hour to check me. Still 9 CM at 12:30 AM Tuesday....1:30 AM still 9 CM... 2:30 AM 9 CM. Things were not looking good for a vaginal delivery.
The resident thought the baby was possibly stuck in the birth canal, unable to descend any lower. At this point Pitocin was administered because my contractions had decreased in strength and frequency. My cervix thinned a little, but I was still at 9 CM at 5:00 AM Tuesday morning.
The resident came in and asked how we felt about a C-Section. We commented that we knew it could be a possibility as my mother had a C-Section with my brother and I. "But, can't we increase the Pitocin for a couple more hours to see if it will work?" I asked.
She replied that we could, that she had a C-Section scheduled and if we were going that route we'd have to wait a couple of hours anyway. So they increase the Pitocin, stopped all food intake only allowing me ice chips (remember I have been in labor now for 30 hours and was STARVING!) and attempted positioning me in a number of new and different position.
The nurse came in and checked me around 5:30 and said that I had started to thin out again, and she thought I would be able to deliver vaginally! And when I asked for food, she said she would contact my doctor personally to get the okay. 10 minutes later I had Jell-o and juice!!! I was on cloud nine!
At around 6:00 the new nurse came on shift. She discussed with the other nurse where I was and within minutes I was checked one last time and told, "Okay, with the next contraction I want you to try and push."
WHAT?! Hold on, a couple hours ago I was basically being wheeled in for a C-section. Now I'm dilated 10 CM and ready to push?!?! I was in shock, the reality of what was about to happen had not settled in.
Our families left the room so just Jeremy and I could experience the miracle that was about to happen. I started pushing at 6:30 AM Monday April 15. Things moved quickly from this point on, Many doctors, residents, nurses and baby nurses filled the room. Endless counts to ten, praising for being a good pusher, "GO GO GO!" I had an amazing team in front of me, guiding and coaching me through it all.
The doctor said the baby was coming in transverse (sideways) and had turned "sunny side up." This is where the baby is facing up towards my belly instead of facing down at my spine. This is a more difficult type of delivery as the head doesn't fit as well into the birthing canal. Luckily with a few pushes, and some coaxing from the doctor, she was able to turn the baby the right way.
After two hours of pushing, Charlotte Rose Rials was born at 8:35 AM Tuesday April 15. When she came out I though I saw that she was a girl, but I exclaimed, "Let me see what it is!" to make sure, as I was the one who was going to announce the gender of the baby. "It's a girl," I cried! A girl. I turned to Jeremy, tears streaming down my face, him with tears in his eyes, "We have a baby girl."
For the next hour and a half it was just the three of us, getting to know each other, infatuated with our daughter.
33 and a half hours of labor, 2 hours of pushing, on the verge of a C-Section. It all seemed like a dream once I was holding her in my arms.
Welcome to the world our beautiful Charlotte Rose.
