The Birth Story

Ok, since Maggie is one month old today I thought I would take a moment (while she is strapped into a sling on my chest sleeping) to write about the birth. A lot of friends and family have been asking about the 41 hours of labor and I feel I am removed enough from the event now to be able to think about it! So, I guess it all started Tuesday the 22nd at my weekly midwife appointment. I was due on the 21st according to my ultrasound but the 25th by my midwife. I went in hoping she would check me and say- wow, you are going to give birth any second! But I was still only 50% effaced and maybe a fingertip dilated. But she was concerned about the fact that I had been noticing the baby was moving differently and she couldn't be sure that she was head down so she sent me for an ultrasound to see if she was breech. I went over and got the ultrasound and the baby was in the correct position but the tech noticed my amniotic fluid levels were pretty low. So, she sent me back over to the birth center and the midwife sent me to the hospital for a non-stress test and said there is a chance I would have to be induced that day and would have to have the baby in the hospital. Jay met me at the hospital and after about an hour of being hooked up to monitors they said I was fine to go home and rescheduled an ultrasound for Thursday morning to see if my fluid levels would go back up and I could be approved to birth at the birth center. So, I was a little stressed at this point but I went home and booked a massage for the next day and called work and said I would officially be starting my maternity leave. On Wednesday I went to see my prenatal massage therapist and she gave me a great massage that really helped me to relax. Apparently too much because after Jay and I ate some spicy Indian food take-out I went into labor. It started around 6 or 7 pm on Wednesday night and I thought they might be Braxton hicks at first but then they got stronger and longer and more consistent. I started to get into my hypnobirthing state with meditation and the cd's I had been "training" with. Jay and I went to bed around 10 and I tried to sleep through them but around midnight I had to get up and walk around. I used the birthing ball, got on-line, listened to music and timed the contractions. By two am they were 4 minutes apart, lasting for a minute and had been for over an hour. With the amniotic fluid level issue I thought I should call so I did and they said to come in and get checked. I woke Jay up and said, "honey, it's time!”

We arrived at the birth center around 3 am. I was checked by the on-call midwife and was only a centimeter and a half dilated but almost completely effaced. But the contractions were getting stronger- pretty painful at that point and I was starting to get this awful back pain/pressure with each one. So, they wouldn't admit us until I reached about 4 cm. dilated but their policy makes you have to go in for a Non-stress test, so we went and did that- the baby was fine- but by the time we were done with that (they had a busy night at the hospital and it took a while to get back to us) it was 6 am! So, I had had the biophysical ultrasound etc. for the low amniotic fluid thing scheduled for that morning at 8:30 am. They said, go home, we will reschedule for later in the day. ARGH! Back in the car we went- contractions on bumpy streets- FYI- are NOT fun!

At this point we get into bed and I try my damndest to sleep between contractions but they are getting pretty bad! It is the cramping but then intense back pain/pressure! I try hypnobirthing and it is tough to manage- I labor in the rocking chair- then on the birth ball with the shower beating on my back. I let Jay try and sleep at this point but know that is not happening for me.

At 11 we get the call to come in for the ultrasound. I had the WORST contractions during this. It took 45 minutes of me on my back while they looked at the baby. Good news, amniotic fluid levels are fine (so, that means we can birth at the birth center?) No- hold up- the baby failed the BPP - she isn't moving very much and doesn't look like she's practicing breathing. (Oh yeah, how would you be doing if you were laboring down a birth canal lady?)

So, my midwife checks me- yeah, I am at 3 cm. dilated! She think, well, this is progress and let's send you back to the hospital for a Non-stress test and see if the OB on call will approve me being at the birth center. We do that, keep in mind I am still having contractions every 4 minutes or so while walking through waiting rooms and in the elevators. People looked so alarmed! In the meantime my mom shows up after a two hour drive from Maine and we pass the test and are sent to the birth center.

Ok, so finally I think, I am going to get to birth where I want to... yeah, right! They check me and I am still only three- the rule is 4 cm. for admittance but since I tested positive for group B strep they had to administer penicillin every two hours so they do that and then say why don't you walk and get something to eat and come back in two hours? Ok, by this time I could barely walk through the contractions and ended up in front of the birth center hunched over like I was dying and finally the midwife on call seemed to start to get concerned (ya think!) and let me come in and get settled in bed. So, this was around dinner on Thursday night. I had now been in labor for 24 hours by this time.



So, my doula shows up, I labor for a few hours more- get checked- make it to 4 - labor a few hours more- and I mean excruciating, now they tell me, oh, the baby is facing posterior and what you are experiencing is BACK LABOR! Ok preggo ladies, if you find yourself in back labor - just get the epidural!

Oh, side note- I was still receiving burning penicillin in my arm every two hours. Add that to the fun!

Ok, so, finally it is Friday morning at 7 am and the midwife checks again and I have made it to 6 and a half - almost 7 cm. but appear to have stalled and my cervix had started swelling. Plus my water had broken at 1 am. So she he made the call to send me to the hospital to start pitocin. After a bumpy wheelchair ride of contraction fun over, I am in a hospital bed and they are laying out my options. At this point they are pretty much suggesting an epidural because I have been up for so long.

So, I say yes to the epi and the pitocin and they start the epidural- the back labor goes away- or what I could feel of it. I slept for an hour - woke up dilated to 10 cm! Ready to start pushing? This was around 2pm on Friday.

Yup- I start pushing- things are going great but then wait- it looks like the baby is having a bit of trouble coming down. Her heart rate is great though so they say keep pushing. I pushed for TWO hours!

Finally she crowns- they have a mirror in front of me so I can see- the epidural had worn off and I had them keep it that way so at this point so I could feel all the last contractions and pushes and yes, tearing but I wanted to feel it all- it motivated me to push her out. I had gone so far naturally I wanted to be able to feel this part.

So, she crowns, they have me lean forward when she is coming out and I help pull her out of me and up onto my chest. I am crying with relief and excitement and Maggie clears her own throat and starts crying - AGPAR scores- 9! We are all pretty beat at this point. I managed to have a 41 hr. labor with like 35 of it with no drugs... if I had known how it was going to end up I might have surrendered a little earlier! But it was all worth it and Jay and I are thrilled we now have a beautiful one month old little eating machine!