Disclaimer: This post details my birthing experience. Read at your own risk.
It all started on Friday, May 30, when I began to lose my mucous plug. I was so excited because usually this is a sign that baby will be here really soon! Well, this wasn't the case for me. I continued to lose more and more everyday until Friday, June 6, when it became bloody - now I know why they call it a "bloody show". June 6 was the day after my due date and I was so anxious for Gretchen to get here. I had really spicy curry for lunch and that must have done it because when I got home from work, my contractions started. They were about 10-20 minutes apart and closer during the night. I didn't sleep well at all because they were waking me up every few minutes.
Saturday morning my contractions slowed down a little more to 10-20 minutes apart. I knew I had some time so Dave and I went to see a movie to get my mind off of them (we saw Blended which was so funny!) Every so often during the movie I would squeeze Dave's hand while I was having a bad contraction. Then during the night my contractions were 5-6 minutes apart - again I didn't really sleep because I was being woken up every couple of minutes.
By Sunday morning I wasn't quite convinced I was actually in labor. My contractions were still very irregular but more painful than any Braxton Hicks contractions I ever experienced. Dave and I decided not to go to church because I was in pain every few minutes. We had the missionaries come over to give us both blessings - Dave was getting sick and I was getting ready to have a baby. Dave's parents also came over in the afternoon to bring us some food. By then my contractions were consistently 5-6 minutes apart and lasting for a minute. I knew this had to be it - I would soon be having a baby.
I made it through the day okay using my relaxation techniques and decided around midnight that I needed to get in the bathtub because my contractions were getting really painful. We called my mom a 2am to come over. Her and Dave took shifts pouring water over my belly while I was in the tub. I got out few times to try and get some sleep and to go to the bathroom (I had diarrhea which is another sign baby is coming soon). We left the tub full though because I knew I would be back in multiple times before we would be leaving. Obviously I was unable to sleep so I tried to distract myself by getting on Facebook and surfing the web on my phone. Then at 5am my contractions were 3-4 minutes apart lasting for a minute and had been that way for 2 hours. It was time to call my midwife and head to the birthing center. My midwife (who was talking to my mom because I couldn't talk) told me that I needed to eat something and call her back in about an hour to see how things were going. My mom made pancakes while Dave helped me get dressed and packed the car. About 15 minutes later though, my contractions were now 1-2 minutes apart so we called the midwife back because things seem to be progressing quite quickly. She told us to leave our house right then and she would meet us at the birthing center. Before we left my mom tried to make me eat, I had no appetite and could barely take two bites. Before we left I started crying! I was scared...I knew this was it and that the next time I was at home I would be a mother.
The car ride to the birthing center was horrific! Every bump hurt so bad, but I was determined...I knew I could do it because all the books say that when your contractions are this close together it is a matter of hours. We got to the birthing center and I got checked. This was the most discouraging part of my day...I was 2 cm dilated! This was only 1/2 a cm more than I was before I went into labor and I had been in labor for 3 days! The midwife told us that Baby G was completely sunny side up! She said that my contractions were trying to flip her over and that my body wouldn't start to dilate until she started to flip over. She said these contractions are usually more painful too. They told us to go home, take a Benadryl and try to get some sleep (I had barely slept since Friday). After resting they wanted me to do the
Miles Circut which would help flip her and to check back in a couple of hours. Well we got home and I took a Benadryl and laid down. That did not help at all! At this point my contractions were 1-2 minutes apart and some overlapping each other. I was in so much pain and so discouraged (the midwife said it would most likely be 12 more hours to a couple more days!). Since I couldn't sleep I tried the Miles Circut. With Dave's help I was able to slowly get into the first position and stayed there for about 10 seconds because it intensified the pain...seriously 100 times worse than it was not in the position. I couldn't take it any more. At this point I was so exhausted, so tired, I hadn't eaten, and I knew it would be several more hours. I needed sleep or else I would not have enough energy to push her out. I pretty much lost hope and decided to go to the hospital for some pain relief so I could relax and rest.
Before we could go to the hospital we had to stop back at the birthing center - I don't exactly remember why. Again, the car ride was awful! To make matters worse, on the way there, traffic was backed up because there was a car up in flames on the freeway. I almost had Dave drive in the shoulder because I was in so much pain.
We got to the birthing center and told them I wanted to transfer to the hospital. She asked if I wanted her to check to see where I was at before we left and I said no, I just wanted to get to the hospital for some pain killers. At this point, I did not feel any relief between contractions: in fact, it felt like I was having one giant long contraction that never ended. We finally got to the hospital and went up to triage. I was slowly trying to walk (in hindsight I don't know why anyone didn't offer me a wheelchair). We got into the elevator and when we got to our floor I was in the peak of a really bad contraction and could not get out of the elevator. Dave went to check me in but they needed my signature on something. Apparently the nurse who was checking us in scolded him for leaving me in the elevator. He told her to relax because my mom was with me. When I finally got off the elevator and was standing about 15 feet away from where I needed to sign ad the nurse told me to come over to her in which I promptly yelled at her and told her I couldn't walk. Finally, I signed and then it was a waiting game which was the worst part. I got into a room where they gave me Fetanyl which did absolutely NOTHING! They said it would take the edge off the contractions but they might as well have not given me anything (I'm still debating whether or not they actually did). By this point it was a few hours later and they checked me again - I was 4 cm dilated. They gave me an IV which I didn't want and started hooking me up to these machines which I also didn't want. I also had a blood pressure cuff that hurt super bad (nothing compared to the contractions) but by the end of my hospital stay I had a huge rash on my arm which took three weeks to go away. Although I was being hooked up to these machines I didn't care because I knew an epidural was coming.
I finally made it up to my room and the anesthesiologist came in. My nurse - who was practically a dinosaur - told me to sit up and put my legs on this chair and hunch over. Apparently I wasn't doing it fast enough for her liking and she kept telling me that I had to move which was when I started getting angry and told her I was trying. Finally, I got an epidural and it was instant relief. I thought my lower body would go numb, but it didn't. I could still feel both of my legs, I just didn't feel any pain. After the pain was gone, I looked up and said, "that was the best $2,500 I've ever spent" (yes, that is how much an epidural costs.). My friend Alyssa, who is a nurse, came in to visit shortly after that. She helped move me into a position that would flip the baby over and I quickly fell asleep.
I don't know how many hours later, but I woke up feeling like I had to push. I was shaking so bad and I had no idea why. They said that it was normal because my body was still acting as it would have without the epidural, I just couldn't feel it. The midwife came in to check me and I was 9 cm dilated and my water was bulging. She then broke my water (which felt good because it was so warm) and then I got flipped over to my other side and fell back asleep. An hour later, I woke up again because I could feel the baby coming down.
The midwife came back and it was time to start pushing. No one told me when to push because I could feel the pressure of each contraction so I knew. It was hard to push though because I could feel the initial push, but it was hard to tell if I was still pushing after that. About half hour later they said I had a temperature over 100 degrees and the midwife said that the baby might have to go to the NICU because that is an indication that I might have an infection. At that point something clicked and I had to get her out ASAP because I did not want her to go to the NICU. I started pushing super hard and she became visible. They brought me a mirror so I could watch - that only lasted a few minutes because I was starting to see myself tare. I had them take the mirror away. In a few more pushes her head was out (I reached down to feel and it took me by surprise because I didn't realize how far her head was out).
Then Dave put some gloves on and in a few more pushes he received her and put her right on my belly. Overall, it only took an hour to push her out. I tried to pull her up, but everyone quickly told me not to pull too far because she was still attached to the umbilical cord.
At this point the whole 9.5 months seemed like a dream. Was I really pregnant? Did I really just have a baby? I only got to hold Gretchen for about 30 minutes and then they had to take her down to the NICU and I couldn't go. I was devastated and started to cry. They told me that I would probably be able to go down and see her in an hour.
I was planning on keeping my placenta and encapsulating it, but because of a possible infection they had to test it and wouldn't let me keep it. I had also lost a ton of blood and my blood pressure was really low. They told me to rest. In an hour they woke me up and said Gretchen had low blood sugar and they either had to give her formula or an IV. I told them neither and that I wanted to go down and nurse her. My nurses then wheeled me to the bathroom and said I had to pee before I could go to the NICU and see Gretchen. I sat down on the toilet and started throwing up. I couldn't go to the bathroom, but said I was good enough to go down stairs. They helped me stand back up so I could get in the wheel chair and go down to see her. After I stood up the next thing I knew I was sitting on my hospital bed. I had passed out.
Dave called me and said they were giving Gretchen an IV and the midwife told me I had to rest more. In another hour they woke me up to try to go down again. I sat up in bed and my ears were ringing and I was super dizzy. I still had very low blood pressure and told them I didn't think I would be able to get up. I went back to sleep and they said that if my blood pressure didn't go up soon I would have to get a transfusion. In a few more hours they came back and I finally was able to push through my fatigue and get in the wheel chair. I was also able to go to the bathroom.
I got down to the NICU and Gretty had an IV and was hooked up to a few machines. It was awful - but not a bad as it could have been. Being in the NICU was really sad. I got to hold her and cuddle her only for about an hour before I had to go back upstairs. I made sure that Dave stayed with her because I didn't want her to be alone.
The next morning after I ate some food, my blood pressure went up a little bit. They said I didn't have to get a transfusion. My mom came back and helped me shower and I went back down to the NICU. At rounds, Gretchen's doctor told us that we were going to have to give her formula because my milk hadn't come in yet and that her blood sugar was still low. I said no and she asked me what I had against formula. I told her I just didn't want to use it and she said, "well it could take your milk up to 5 days to come in which means that she will probably have to stay here hooked up to an IV for another week before you can go home." I was so upset that they weren't giving us options. I nursed Gretchen all day and her blood sugar continued to go up. By the end of the day she was fine. I am so glad that I didn't let her doctor bully me into giving her formula. Almost every nurse or doctor who came into her room asked me if I had a C-Section because her head was so perfectly round - I guess I just have a wide pelvis. At this point we were just waiting for tests to come back to see if either of us had an infection.
Both Gretchen and I stayed another day as patients because I still wasn't doing well and we were still waiting for her test results. Dave hated being in the hospital and wanted to go home so bad. The next day I got discharged and her tests came back negative so we got to go home!
My whole "birthing" experience lasted six days, but I can say even though her and I went through a lot, her birth day was the most special day of my life and I will never forget it.
- These are without a doubt THE best burp cloths. They are crazy absorbent and long enough to drape over your shoulder. No they aren't the cutest, but they do the job better than any other. Not to mention, they are very inexpensive.
- I love those diapers! So many people told us that our baby probably wouldn't fit into newborn clothes or diapers, but Gretchen was (and still is) tiny! I love that they have a cutout for the belly button so you don't have to fold it down before the umbilical cord stump falls off.
- This is a savior when starting to breastfeed. It is annoying to use, but your nipples will thank you as it helps maintain the integrity of your skin and protects you if you have a "chomper" and "jaw clencher" like me. Make sure to talk with your lactation consultant to get the right size and learn how to use it properly as it can affect your milk supply. 
- I must say if I didn't have one of these, I would be so buff from holding up an eight pound baby for half an hour 8-12 times a day to feed. It is nice not having to get millions of pillows to prop up your arms and the baby. Just wrap this around your waist, and wah lah, arm rest and baby rest in one.
- Most people don't know that one of the perks of Obamacare (maybe the only perk) is that most insurances cover a breast pump 100%. Talk to your doctor or midwife to get a prescription and get a breast pump for FREE!
- Chapstick for your nipples (also works great as actual chapstick).
- Even if your nipples aren't leaking milk, the Lanolin cream will stain your bra if you don't have them. They are also soft and protect you from harsh fabrics during the "toughening up" faze.
- I now get why everyone raves over these pricey blankets - they really are the best especially for a summer baby. They are big enough to wrap your little one into a tight tight tight burrito and thin enough to not feel like you are overheating them during those hot summer nights in a house with no air conditioning. Not to mention, the fabric is super soft!
- This was my birthday splurge present. I am obsessed with this diaper bag. It is stylish and big enough for all of my things. Who am I kidding, all of Gretchen's things...it is really her purse that I carry around for her and has a little extra space for my wallet, phone, and sometimes my keys.
- This is the best. It is super portable and great for toting around to our family's houses. We also use it as a bassinet because it vibrates and she sleeps better in this than the Pack 'N Play.
. It stays warm and she doesn't slip around on it which is perfect because newborn babies, when wet, are slippery little buggers.
