I decided to start this process with Annie's birth story. Not only was this my most amazing birth but each time a new child enters our family I feel as though it is a new beginning. On Sunday when I left for the hospital we were a happy family of 7 when I came home, it was the birth of a new family, a family of 8.
So here is my birth story:
I woke up Sunday morning at 3ish with a large amount of bloody show and having irregular cx. I called my mw to find out what to do and how to know if it becomes real. She told me to call her back when they were all regular and less than 10 minutes apart. At that point they were irregular 10, 4,15,7,20 minutes apart so I kept busy all day with the kids playing out in the snow storm(that ended up bringing us about 10"). By 1pm they had become regularly every 15 minutes and were getting stronger so i made a nice eggplant parmigiana to keep me distracted and told Eric to clean off my vanand start shoveling. At 3ish I sat with my Jack to read to him and noticed they were about 5-7 minutes apart and I was really needing to concentrate to breath through them. I walked around for a little while and cleaned taking breaks to lean and breath through contractions. A little after 4 my mom called me to ask how it was going and advised me to call the midwife because she was sure this was it. I called Barb the mw to tell her they were all about 5-6 minutes apart and she said"you sound too comfortable to really be in labor" she went on to explain that before women go into "real labor" it isn't uncommon to have runs of real cx that don't turn into anything but if they get closer or more intense call back. SO I hung up the phone, threw it to my DH and said I cant $%^$^% do this anymore this fake labor is not nice. Call my mom tell her it isn't happening I will be induced in the middle of the week and I am not talking to anyone until then. I was, well, pissed. I decided to take a bath so they would stop and then I was going to bed. I got in the tub and had Eric turn the light off and light a candle and just cried my eyes out. After a little while I realized that I had had at least 10 cx all really strong so I yelled out to Eric how long have I been in here expecting him to say an hour and he replied a little less than 20 minutes why? So I calmly got out of the tub not knowing what to think and dressed myself. I explained to Eric about the cx, he said call the mw I refused afterall this isn't real I am going to put the eggplant in the oven and finish my chores I would take a few steps and need to lean on a wall, bureau, counter or Eric because they were so close together needless to say I never got the eggplant in the oven. It was about 5:45 when Eric looked at me and said I am calling your mom to have your sister come over so I can take you to be checked,. I freaked no this isn't real it will stop, he grabbed me by my shoulders and said "would you please just listen to your instincts, you always have the best instincts of anyone I know why are you ignoring them?" So I agreed to go get checked but I would not bring any of the kids or my bags because I was sure they would send me home. The ride to the hospital was awful the roads were icy and bumpy. By the time we got to the hospital it was about 6:45 and the nurse came in and was trying to put me on the monitor and asked where my bags were so I explained I didn't want to have to drag then with us since they were going to send me home. She laughed at me and said you are clinging to your husband and contracting every 3 minutes sweetie you aren't going home without a baby. I still didn't believe her though. Then Barb came in checked me I was 6cm so she giggled and said wow that was good timing. We called my mom to come with Dottie (the only one who wanted to come since it was so late) and my bags. I walked the halls until about 9:45 then the mw suggested the tub but checked me first I was at 7. She asked how this usually works and I just shrugged my shoulders, I always have pitocin and every labor has been the same, labor for 2-3 hours get to 5cm and deliver 20 minutes later but since this wasn't pitocin I was clueless. Dottie sat beside me rubbing my back and telling me what a wonderful job I was doing the entire time. Then I went to the tub and told Dot to stay with my mom and take a rest since we didnt know how much longer it would be. I got in the tub and within 5 minutes I felt the urge to push so they took me out and brought me to my room, I only had a small rim of cervix left so they got the room ready and I breathed through the contractions which for some reason at that point seemed so much less intense. Then I needed to push my body wouldn't wait. Dottie sat up on my right side on the bed rubbing my hair and telling me I could do it. 2 pushes later Annie Mae came into my Eric's hands, Barb had let him do the entire delivery. My eyes were so tightly clamped I didn't realize the pressure I was feeling was her being born I was panicking thinking she was stuck and let out a yelp then I heard Dottie start to loudly sob and turned to see her in my moms arms sobbing hysterically so I started yelling I am so sorry I thought I had scared her. My mom said no look and I realized my baby was here and crying and Dottie's reaction was to the beauty of her sisters birth so i began to sob. She then turned to kiss the baby and me as they put her to my chest. Dottie cut the cord all by herself and fell into my arms. The nurse yelled to Dh to get the camera.
It was the most most amazing birth I have ever had. I cant help but cry as I tell it. The midwife was crying, the labor nurse was crying, my mom & Eric too. Then as they took Annie over to the isolette to clean and weigh her the labor nurse said I have been a l&d nurse for 20 years, I have not cried at a birth for probably 10 years because it has become such a regular event, but this was incredible thank-you for sharing this with me your daughter is so special. Later that night when the mw came in to check on me she explained that she has been sick and is going through menopause her mom who is not well is now living with her and she has been really down, my daughter's reaction was the best thing she has had happen in a long time. She was eternally grateful for this experience. The next day when Dottie came with all the kids to meet Annie, she was like a celebrity all the nurses wanted to meet her and talk to her. I was never so proud of one of my children. It was a wonderful experience I am fairly certain that this will be our last baby and I feel great about ending my childbearing years on such a beautiful memory. So that is my story I am sorry I made it so long!
It was the most most amazing birth I have ever had. I cant help but cry as I tell it. The midwife was crying, the labor nurse was crying, my mom & Eric too. Then as they took Annie over to the isolette to clean and weigh her the labor nurse said I have been a l&d nurse for 20 years, I have not cried at a birth for probably 10 years because it has become such a regular event, but this was incredible thank-you for sharing this with me your daughter is so special. Later that night when the mw came in to check on me she explained that she has been sick and is going through menopause her mom who is not well is now living with her and she has been really down, my daughter's reaction was the best thing she has had happen in a long time. She was eternally grateful for this experience. The next day when Dottie came with all the kids to meet Annie, she was like a celebrity all the nurses wanted to meet her and talk to her. I was never so proud of one of my children. It was a wonderful experience I am fairly certain that this will be our last baby and I feel great about ending my childbearing years on such a beautiful memory. So that is my story I am sorry I made it so long!
