You Really Do Forget...Labor Pains!

On Sept. 18, 2008, I went through the most physically demanding experience I have ever gone through...labor and delivery! Eventhough it was hard, it is so true what mothers say, you do forget all about the pain as soon as you hold your little one. So, I wanted to write about my labor and delivery experience while it is still fresh in my memory.

After surviving Hurricane Ike, Thursday morning, Sept. 18 came. We still did not have electricity, so my Mom, Jacob, and I woke up at 4:00 am, used flashlights to get ready, and made our way to the hospital to be induced at 5:30 am. The nurse took me back to the observation room, because the labor and delivery rooms were full. She started my IV and Pitocin drip. I was still 2 cm dialated and 80% effaced. So, we waited for the Pitocin to kick in.

My doctor came by around 8:00, she checked me and I was already 4 cm dialated and 90% effaced. I was thrilled! I was moving right along and still wasn't feeling any pain! The doctor said she could break my membranes and I said "No!" I wanted to deliver Levi without an epidural and I knew that once the doctor breaks your water, the pain increases. I asked my doctor if we could hold off since I was progressing nicely on my own. She said, "No problem. Are you sure you don't want an epidural?" I went in to the hospital knowing that the epidural was there if I needed it, but why would I take it if I wasn't in any pain?

My doctor left, and Jacob and I continued to wait. We wanted to get into a room, but they were still full. I could feel that the contractions were getting stronger, but they still didn't really hurt. I have had painful menstral cramps for as long as I can remember, and these labor pains felt just like horrible menstrul cramps....uncomfortable, but manageable.

It was now around 11:00, and I thought for sure I was dialated to at least 6 or 7 cm. The nurse checked me, and I had only progressed to 5 cm, still 90 % effaced. I was a little discouraged because I thought I would have progressed more. My mom reminded me that labor is a process and my body is doing exactly what it is supposed to do.It was now getting closer to 1:00, and we still didn't have a room. I was upset because many of our family members were at the hospital, but they couldn't come back and visit us because I wasn't in a room yet. There were other women in this observation room with me, separated by curtains, and one even delivered her baby there. All of a sudden I heard a baby cry, and a nurse shout, "We're delivering NOW!" It was quite exciting, but I starting getting worried that I would have to deliver in this room too!

My doctor came back again, and now I was 6 cm dialated and 100% effaced, and they had a room for me!!! She asked if I was ready for her to break my water, and I declined again. I knew my body was progressing, and I had the contractions under control, so I didn't want to disturb the process. She also asked again, "Are you sure you aren't experiencing any pain? You can still have the epidural." I was still doing just fine, so declined the epidural.

They wheeled me back to our room, and I finally got to see all the family that was there to support us. We visited for a while, and I could tell that the contractions were getting stronger. I started feeling a little nauseated from the pain, but it was still bearable. I knew that the pain would only get worse, and I knew if I wanted any kind of pain medicine through the IV, I had to take it before it was too close to delivery. So, I asked the nurse if I could have something for the nausea and pain. She said that she could give me something, but it probably wouldn't last long enough to get me through the delivery. I decided to take it, and would deal with the delivery pain when we got to that point.

The pain medicine, whatever it was, was awesome! It knocked me out, allowing me to get some sleep while my body kept progressing on its own. I could still feel the contractions while I slept, so I knew they must be intense if I could feel them through sleep and pain medicine. Notice the pictures of my cm progression stops at 6 cm?

Well, while I was knocked out from the pain medicine, my water broke at 8.5 cm and it was go time! I could feel everything and my body was trying to push on its own. I knew I couldn't push yet, so I had to start using the breathing techniques we learned from class. To prevent your body from pushing, you have to blow out of your mouth. Jacob was right there coaching me through it. By this time, all the pain medicine had worn off. Yes, it hurt, but the pain was manageable, you just have to stay mentally in control and do all the breathing that we had practiced. Poor Jacob's hand. I squeezed it so hard, and I HAD to hold it through my contractions. He even had to go to the bathroom, but I said please hurry and go while I wasn't I having a contraction. He quickly went to the bathroom, and was back in time for me to torture his hand for the next contraction...I really couldn't have done this without him right by my side.

Finally at 5:30, I was 10 cm dialated and the doctor said, "Okay, at the next contration, I want you to push, hold it for 10 seconds, then do it again...three times in a row." I was so happy that I could start pushing, and just like my mom had told me, "It really doesn't hurt anymore once you can start pushing." So, I start pushing. There was a big digital clock on the wall in front of me, so I knew it was 5:30. I kept pushing, and the doctor kept saying, "You're almost there...I can see the head...he has dark hair." But, I was not almost there. I looked at the clock and it now read 6:30." Man, I was tired and ready for Levi to come out.

I was so affraid I was going to be one of those pregnant women you see on T.V. who is screaming at her husband uncontrolably and yelling at the nurse to give her drugs. I was actually pretty calm and collected. I was even apologizing to the doctor that it was taking so long. Of course she said, "You are doing great...keep going."

Finally, at 7:21, I'm in the middle of pushing, and I hear the doctor say, "Open your eyes, Mary, look!" I opened my eyes, and I never will forget seeing our beautiful baby boy for the first time. Yes, he was all messy and bloody, but he was the most beautiful baby I had seen. She laid him on my tummy while Jacob cut the cord. They took him over to the side of the room to get him cleaned up while the doctor sewed me up. Yes, I did have an episiodomy (sp?), but that didn't hurt at all! When I heard Levi weighed 8 lbs. 7 oz., I thought, "No wonder it took me 2 hours to get that big boy out!"

Once we were all cleaned up, all of our family came in to see our precious baby. Everyone was so excited. I was excited, but SO EXHAUSTED and HUNGRY!!!! One of the nurses heard me talking while I was in labor about how I wanted a turkey sandwhich and a coke ( I gave these up while I was pregnant). So, she personally went and got me a sandwhich and coke from the "staff only" cafeteria...room service was closed by now. I thought that was really sweet!

We had about 15 minutes with Levi, then they had to take him to the NICU. I ate, then went down to breastfeed. Then I came back to the room and took a shower..oh that felt so good! I went to bed and when I woke up the next morning, every (and I mean every) muscle in my body hurt from pushing! I thought, "That was the hardest thing I have ever done." I immediately went to the NICU to look at our sweet baby. That was Friday, and it wasn't until Saturday that I got to hold him for feedings. I quickly forgot about the pain and exhaustion from labor....it was all worth it, and I would do it the exact same way in a heartbeat!

You all know the rest of the story. We ended up being discharged on Sunday, and then that quickly became the new hardest thing I have ever had to do...leave our baby in the hospital! One week, one day later, we were able to bring our baby home...then we felt complete! He is three weeks old now, and I love every minute of taking care of him.