♥ Birth Story ♥

“Boy oh boy babe, I’m having a contractions like a mad mother,” six minutes later, “Babe, I’m having another.”

This all started at 7pm on August 31, 2010. From 7pm until 9pm I was having contractions that were consistent and were 5 minutes apart. Around 9:15 I was waiting on another one and didn’t have anymore. I told Nick, “Imagine that,” I was getting all excited and hoping I’d be going into the hospital that night. Sure enough, 11 pm I started contracting again. This time they were 4 minutes apart. By 1:20am the contractions were still only 4 minutes apart but the pain was awful and I had a little bit of a flow come out. I couldn’t lie down, walk, talk, absolutely nothing made me feel better. One minute I’d be laying on the floor doubled over, the next on the toilet thinking I had to use the restroom, and the next pacing the floor, all which none helped. At 1:55am I had given up, I called the doctor and told her about the pain and the little flow. She told me it sounded like as if I had peed, and since the contractions were only 4 minutes apart I should just wait. So, I waited!

At 2:30am the contractions had got worse, they were now 3 minutes apart and the pain was 10 times worse. I never thought the pain could get or be so bad. By 3am contractions were 2-3 minutes apart. I had dialed in my parent’s phone number at least 10 times to get my moms advice, but I always hung because I didn’t want to be a bother. Finally I let the phone ring through. I told mom my symptoms, etc, and she told me to hit the road. I tried waking Nick up, literally screaming on top of my lungs, and he wouldn’t budge to wake up. I thought I would try throwing something at him to see if that worked. All this time I’m in the restroom not able to move much at all. So I looked around, it was either to throw a toilet paper roll or a bottle of shampoo. I decided to try the roll of toilet paper first. Thankfully that worked. He woke up and said, “What is it babe,” I replied, “It is time!” Nick laughed and said, “Babe I don’t get up until 4 for work, go back to bed.” I said, “NO, IT IS TIME! BABY TIME!”

The drive to Saint Elizabeth East, that normally takes 20-25 minutes, seemed to take 6 hours! Of course it didn’t take that long, but sure felt as if it had. Thank goodness the week before I had went in thinking I was in labor, because we had all the paper work filled out and signed so all they had to do was pull it out of my chart and get me a room. Once I was in the triage room, the room they check you out before you can be admitted, the nurse wanted me to leave a urine sample. As much as I wanted to, I just couldn’t, any other time I would have no problem doing so. The nurse wanted to check me out, like they have to. She said, “Yep you are ready, fully effaced, completely thinned, and dilated at 2 cm.” My contractions started to pick up, and 30 minutes later she checked me again, I was then dilated to 4 cm. They admitted me and kept telling me, “Not that much longer…” Well as time was passing the pain got worse and worse. They asked me if I wanted an epidural, and I said no. 30 seconds later I told them I was crazy for saying no, so give me that epidural.

6 hours later, around 11:30 am, Dr. Sam, my doctor, came in to check me. She said I was dilated at 6, and told the nurse to up my pitocin. As soon as Dr. Sam left the room, and the nurse increased my pitocin, the nurse had a weird look on her face. She looked at everyone in the room and said you all need to leave besides the father. No one knew what was going on. The nurse picked up her phone and said she needed help in room E1, she was starting the patient on oxygen. Connie, the nurse put me on oxygen, told me to take deep breathes while she would explain what was going on. The babies heart rate went from 136 to 60, YES 60, in less than 1 minute. She said she had to immediately stop the pitocin and make sure the baby was okay. She checked me out, said I was dilated at 6.5 and could feel the baby but wasn’t to sure I’d be able to deliver natural. She said the baby was in shock when more pitocin was added, and she’d need to keep me off the pitocin for at least 2 hours to monitor the baby. She also said she thought the baby was too big, plus the baby had a swollen head, for me to be able to push him/her out. I instantly got upset. I said I’ve carried this baby for 9 months, I am pushing him/her out, if I rip, then I rip, as long as I’m not hurting the baby then I am pushing. The nurse still didn’t know if the dr would allow me to push, so she took me off all liquids, mints, gum and etc. After being off of pitocin for 2 hours they put me back on it but started out slowly.

By 6pm I was dilating again and super fast. At 7pm Dr. Schnerre came in and checked me and she said I was dilated to 8.5 and she’d be back in a bit to check again. Not even 10 minutes later it felt as if I had to go poop. I told mom that I needed to go, and she laughed at me and said “No, I think we need to get the nurse and have them check you again.” Sure enough, I was dilated to 10 and ready to push. She called the dr and said I was fully dilated and the baby was ready. I pushed for 25 minutes, and then it was time. Dr. Schnerre came in the room at 7:25pm and her and her help got everything set up and ready to go. Since Nick and I had no idea what we were having, Dr. Schnerre was pleased to announce we had a healthy little girl. When she told us, and on top of my sister, Sarah, screaming, “It’s a girl, it’s a girl” I did not believe them. I was so convinced through this entire pregnancy that I was having a boy. I had to double check they knew what they were talking about. When Dr. Schnerre threw, or so it felt that way, Madilyn in my arms, it finally hit me, I’m a mom! Being pregnant, having a baby is and was by far the best feeling and experience I’ve ever had. The nurse quickly took Madilyn off of my chest to get her cleaned up, weighed and measured and I was so anxious to know how much she weighed. They told me if I went full term, which I did, she was only a day early, that she’d weigh at least 8-9 pounds. The nurse loudly said, 7 pounds 13 ounces and 20 inches long. I couldn’t believe it!

Other than becoming a mother to a beautiful little girl, there were two other great things that happened to me on this wonderful day. The first thing was, falling madly in love with Nick all over again. There truly is another love out there. I never thought that you could love someone so differently, but Nick and I’s love became a different love. Our love is so much stronger than it ever was. I’m so happy to have found Nick and have this wonderful family with him. The second thing was, the allowed me to watch the birth of our little girl on tv. At Saint Elizabeth they have a camera that shines down under and plays on tv so you can watch what is going on. I would have never thought in a million years that I’d want to watch the birth, or even be able to. And let me tell you, it was the best, by far the best thing I’ve ever laid my eyes on while watching tv. To see her little head coming, it made me ten times stronger to push to get her out!

September 1, 2010 was the best day I have lived! Thank you Nick, mom, dad, Sarah, and Annie for sticking by me all day and being there for me on this wonderful day.