Graham's Birth Story

I woke up at 5am and had one of the signs of pending labor, bloody show, followed by some intermittent contractions when I went back to bed. I couldn’t sleep knowing that today was likely the day. I got up, made breakfast (eggs and potatoes), started the dishwasher, and took a hot bath. Gwen woke up and joined my in the bath which was really sweet. We then got ready to go to preschool. Once there I wondered if it too ambitious of me, but once I started walking around a little more I felt better. I went to use the bathroom and a group of mothers asked me if I was going to have the baby in there. After preschool I had my scheduled 40 week appointment at 12pm. I was 4cm and 50% effaced. Gwen and I went home and took our daily afternoon nap. When we woke up (3:15pm) I was turning the TV on for her and my water broke. I called Spencer, Mother In Law (who has a 2 hour drive), and a few others who offered to watch Gwen to give them a heads up. Spencer, Gwen, and I then went out to an early dinner of Hot and Sour Soup and Egg Fried Rice (I may have had a few bites of Spencer's orange chicken). Our friend Malia met us there and took Gwen home with her so I could labor at home without having to worry about Gwen. Once home I felt like lying down and had a horrible headache. My contractions had become regular at the restaurant (about 6 minutes apart- but very mild). Now they petered out. Spencer suggested we walk, and I agreed I could meander about the backyard (I was sooooo tired!). It felt good to be outside. Mother in Law arrived, Sister in Law arrived, and not much was happening. Spencer and I went for a walk around the block, I decided I wanted some unfiltered apple juice so we walked to the store and did a mini shopping trip. I continued walking, and was feeling really good. I decided I needed a labor project and wanted to make cookies. Gwen came home with Malia and Farkas and everyone hung our waiting for my contractions to become more regular. Malia helped me make cookies (soft Ginger, with a few dusted in sugar/cayenne pepper for the boys, and in case I needed something spicy), and then granola (which Brynden had to finish toasting for me). I started to feel really tired and had to sit down and a strong contraction hit me (about 9:30pm). I went to lie down in the bedroom. These were very intense contractions and I decided it was time to call Labor and Delivery. I told the nurse I was in labor and she said I sounded too cheerful to be in labor. In the car ride over I had a few of these intense contractions (couldn’t talk through them very well), but I remarked that we probably nailed the timing- I was able to labor at home as long as possible without hitting transition. We also noted that it was 10:30pm and unlikely, though still possible baby would make it on his due date. By the time we got out of the car I couldn’t walk through the contractions very well, and they were close enough together that I was glad we were there. I was horrified when the admitting nurse told me to wait in the lobby while they admitted another Mom- seriously. I felt a bit nauseous and knew I was on the edge. Through the admitting process, I felt worse and worse, hot/cold sweats, a little lightheaded, nauseous, pressure like I had to go to the bathroom, plus contractions. And then they send me to a teeny weenie room- I was too much in labor to comment about anything except notifying everyone I was going to use the bathroom, but there was no way this is where I was going to give birth. It was triage, something I didn’t experience with Gwen. The OB checked me and I was 6 centimeters. They wanted to monitor baby and contractions before officially admitting me (SERIOUSLY!). They finally decided I was indeed in labor, and were convinced my water had broken (I told them it broke at 9pm, just in case labor did stall). I could barely walk to my room, but did not want to sit down in a wheel chair because of the pressure I was feeling. Once in my birthing suite, I started to feel a little more confident and comfortable with the situation. They insisted on a Non Stress Test before letting me have a wireless fetal monitor so I had to get in bed and lie down for another 10 minutes. They also were insistent I have a hep-lock so IV drugs could be administered in case I bled out. This was not likely to happen, but because the OB who delivered Gwen charted my “excessive bleeding" as a hemorrhage, there was no point in trying to argue with these people, and I couldn’t anyway- the contractions were too intense. The IV was put in at 10:30pm (they wrote the time on it). All of a sudden everyone but Spencer were gone- Mother In Law who is with us to see the birth is moving the cars, my nurse has left to get supplies or whatever, and some random guy is setting up a “birthing table” (birthing supplies on a tray for the OB I think). I start having crazy contractions that make me writhe off the bed. I feel a lot of pressure (I had mentioned before I felt a lot of pressure). Then my body starts convulsively pushing, and I can’t stop it. No staff but this random guy is in the room, I am screaming, and thinking Spencer is going to have to catch the baby. I reach down and sure enough, I can feel his head. My nurse appears and I tell her I am trying not to push but the baby is coming. She checks me and says I am 10 cm. It doesn’t mater how many centimeters I am, this baby is coming out, NOW. The OB shows up (one I hadn’t met yet, a Resident, and the third one to see me- I swear they grabbed whoever was in the hall), and she is trying to get me to scoot down on the bed, and get my legs up in stirrups…. I can hardly keep my body on the bed, let alone reposition. I feel baby’s head start to crown, I push and it comes out, I push and his body wriggles out at 11:41. ELEVEN minutes from when they gave me the IV. They set him on my chest and let the cord finish pulsing before clamping it (this makes me happy). Spencer gets to cut the cord. I nurse Graham. He poops on me, and then pees on me. It is awesome. The placenta comes out and we tell them we want to take it home with us. They look at us sideways and agree but tell us there is a release form to sign. The OB sews up a small second-degree tear (likely the same area Gwen tore), and there is no excessive bleeding or hemorrhage. Even so, they make me keep the IV in until 10:30am the next day. This experience was so different than my first, it really caught me off guard. I have to admit, while my past Kaiser experiences were great, I was a little disappointed in them this time. What really matters is I have an amazing beautiful, sweet, and so far easygoing little guy; and hopefully a fast delivery equals a quick recovery.