It is so exciting to me that I can share my birth story with my friends. Personally, I didn't have any friends who had babies who I could go to for help. Shockingly, neither mine or B's moms were much help. Mom's are supposed to be able to help with everything! Now I'm going to type out my story here so I can remember it and so that others can take from it what they will.
1. Pregnancy
How did I know? Well there was the obvious sign: lack of the monthly curse. But I'd been late before. The thing that really tipped me off was suddenly my bippity boppities became bazingbazongas! And those new big boobs HURT. Oh my stars, did they hurt. It was painful to wear even a loose t-shirt. We took two tests to confirm, and sure enough I was pregnant. It was so surreal, finding out. I didn't really know what to think or what to do. I wanted to tell EVERYONE, but that was not an option yet. And it was nice having such an amazing secret for a while.
I was sick for about 3 and a half months. It was pretty bad - I lost 20lbs, but fortunately I had some extra padding to begin with so I didn't become dangerously thin or anything. When I was finally able to eat again it was such a relief. Poutines and Buffalo Wings and Twix Bars! That's what I craved. Yes, I had to pee 24/7. And then some. I was going constantly. It's so nice now not having to tinkle every 5 seconds.
I slept a lot. Like, A LOT. I recommend that to anyone pregnant. Sleep as much as you possibly can. It's good for you and the baby, and honestly it just feels good. Keep in shape too. I'm in way better shape now than I was before I got preggers.
2. Labour
Started at 4am on Thursday the 12th. I woke up with a strange pressure in my abdomen. Unlike anything I'd ever felt before. It didn't hurt and it wasn't uncomfortable yet, but I knew that maybe this was something special. I woke B and we timed these odd pressures and they were roughly 7-12 minutes apart. We had a doctor appointment at 10:30 that morning so we weren't too worried about calling him or rushing off to the hospital. I wasn't in pain and I was 2 weeks before my due date. We didn't end up falling asleep again, unfortunately.
Doc said it was likely Braxton Hicks, but sent us to the hospital to do a non stress test. They hooked me up for about an hour and a bit. The contractions were fairly irregular so I was sent home. They didn't check to see if I was dilated, and in hindsight I think they probably should have. I would not have been far AT ALL, but it may have given us a better idea of what was going on. Maybe? I don't know. It doesn't matter now.
We went home and i managed to have a nap through the contractions which by that time, around 2 in the afternoon) were starting to increase in pressure. By this time the pressure was moving from strictly my abdomen to in my lower back. I'd read about back labour but never imagined I'd experience it. Because it was back labour, I was unsure if the contractions were even really contractions. There was no good description of back labour and my stomach was not visibly contracting like the internet told me it would. By 6pm I was really feeling uncomfortable. I couldn't sit, I couldn't stand and I couldn't lay down. I ended up on my side on the futon with a heating pad on my back. Heat definitely helped repress the discomfort. I wasn't in pain yet, but the pressure was increasing pretty quickly.
We tried to go to bed that night but I could not sleep. From midnight to about two we timed the contractions which ranged from 4-9 minutes. At two I made the decision that we should go to the hospital. When I got up out of bed a contraction hit me. I crawled out of the bedroom. The contractions would occur when I was laying down, but whenever I stood up they hit me instantly whether it was time for another one or not. I had to crawl out of the house though I was able to make it to the car walking.
3. Hospital
A security guard met us at the door and then was so kind and wheeled me up to our floor. His own wife was expecting in a couple months (wonder what she had?)We went for another non stress test and though the contractions weren't close enough together (and still irregular) they allowed us to just stay in that room. B attempted to sleep on a cot while I attempted to ignore the contractions up on the bed. Now they were painful. Each one would hit me and I'd grip the blankets in my hands and arch my back and stretch or twist my legs. Around 6am a nurse came in to check my dilation and I think I was at 5cm. I don't remember now (I was kinda distracted). My water hadn't broken but I'd passed a nasty mucus plug. GOSH that was disgusting. They definitely don't mention that in the movies. Oh! I also had to throw up at one point. Thankfully a family friend had warned me about that one.
4. Delivery
I hobbled to the delivery room where I got to have a bath. It was not relaxing but it was only the second bath of my entire pregnancy. Yeah. To you who are reading this: Take baths and take them often. You will not regret it. Bathing while pregnant is so darn nice. Make sure you have a husband near by to help you out of the tub though! I was not up to the task of hauling my rounded body outta that tub. I was given Demerol just before my bath but it did nothing other than make me sleepy. Once out of the tub I was able to catch sleep between contractions but obviously it wasn't restful or long enough. They checked my dilation again and I think I was at 8 or 9. It had happened FAST. The nurse couldn't believe it. She and the other nurses started prepping the room pretty quickly and helped me through the contractions. It was so painful and uncomfortable and they kept telling me to breathe but I didn't wanna. I just wanted to hold my breath til the pain went away.
Around 9am they called the doctor, and he made it just in time. The nurse gave me the gas to breathe in and while it didn't help with the pain, it made me completely loopy. I tried to tell B something about the labour and completely forgot to open my mouth. So he just heard mumbling. He was an excellent water boy, by the way. Whenever I was thirsty I just turned my head to him and opened my mouth and stuck out my tongue and within seconds there was a straw in my mouth. My water had to be broken at some point, but I don't remember it happening. Also, pooping on the delivery bed? Yeah that's definitely a real thing.
I pushed for 20 minutes. That wasn't too bad (not as bad as I thought, anyway). The bad part was the nurse stretching me open. THAT SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING!! I pushed pushed pushed. The worse part of pushing was when G's head was almost out but not quite and then I would push and her head would come out a little but then would go back in when the contraction ended. As I pushed the nurse was constantly telling me to pull my legs to my body but I couldn't! It was impossible. In the end she had to pull one and B had to pull the other. Thanks to their assistance though, G was born and the contractions stopped instantly. What. A. Relief. (Placenta delivery was nasty...I won't talk about that unless asked)
5. BABY!
G was born! 6lbs 1oz. She didn't cry at all. One little squeal when the nurse coaxed her to. She was pale pale pale, but healthy! Her head wasn't too misshapen and she was honestly the cleanest infant I'd ever seen. Typically when you see babies born they are completely nasty and goopy and just gross but she had hardly anything on her. She wasn't red and blotchy either. Just beautiful! While the nurses cleaned and wrapped her I turned to B and asked, "What the HECK did I just do?!?!?" They put her in my arms and I looked at her and she was perfect and I loved her.
And that's the story of G's birth. Questions about anything and everything related to the topic of pregnancy and labour and delivery are welcome!
Here's to hoping I never write about something this gross again. Cheers!
Photo by vanwalk:photography www.vanwalkphotography.com
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