I have never gone into labor on my own. I had plenty of braxton hicks contractions with all three pregnancies but never experience painful contraction after painful contraction...until now. I am happy to know my body does indeed know how to get a child out of me without medication, but disappointed that what I had attributed to pitocin was actually just how things go!
I labored in my hips with my children and figured since baby A had dropped a few weeks ago, maybe that hip pain would be reduced or gone altogether--WRONG! I don't know what I would have done in the beginning without Meagan there to offer counter pressure while I was in the bed. I really don't think I could have delivered that baby without an epidural. The entire atmosphere of the room changed from being tense and pain-ridden to be a joyful excitement about the birth.
I thank Meagan for the continued updates to my husband and our friend Catey...for now I have a wonderful timeline of how the day progressed.
4/17/11
3am It all started when I woke up in the midst of a huge contraction that tightened across my abdomen, through my back and down my legs. That was completely new and different from anything I have felt over the last few weeks. Holy cow.
4am Another contraction just like the one an hour ago. Out of bed to sort of walk around and see if this might be another morning of contractions that only manage to leave me exhausted the rest of the day.
4:20am Okay I get it, something might be happening here
4:41am Spent some time in the bathroom between that last contraction and the one that just hit. Things aren’t close together but definitely noticeable.
4:48am, 4:53am, 4:56am, 4:59am, 5:04am, 5:08am, 5:10am, 5:13am Hmmm. I would say that they are getting closer together. Time to check in with Meagan (and this is where her timeline takes over!)
5:13am - (text from Amity) Contractions. Up for a possible quick trip to L&D? They are still anywhere from 3-5 minutes and it hasn't been an hour but they hurt.
5:56am - Meagan called to say she was in the neighborhood. We head off to the hospital chatting nicely while the contractions are still coming pretty steadily.
Then my progress updates began (from Meagan to Dave & Catey):
6:46am - being admitted...
6:54am - room 165
7:19am - (to Catey) dude, you coming? cuz the baby is!
7:21am - am's a trooper... on the 20 min monitor right now. more to come. 5cm 45 min ago.
7:27am - she's doing well, iv-ed up, awaiting an epidural as patiently as one in the throes of labor can. j&m are here. keep you posted!
7:47am - epidural is on its way. she's 7cm.
8:07am - epidural is in, she's a trooper!
9:12am - still at 7cm at last check. when the dr gets here they'll probably break her water. for now, though, she's got a popsicle and seems to be enjoying the epidural!
9:29am - still 7cm, water is broken, things are progressing well, now we just wait!
10:33am - at a 9 now... doing well!
10:57am - mom & dad are suiting up, baby warmer is on, pushing starts soon! after they're all done thanking each other :-)
11:19am - pushing begins!
11:35am - baby is here! 9lbs, 12oz, 20 & 3/4 inches, 14 inch head, big, fat cheeks, 2 happy parents, and one delighted surrogate!
I think that sums up labor pretty well!
I labored in my hips with my children and figured since baby A had dropped a few weeks ago, maybe that hip pain would be reduced or gone altogether--WRONG! I don't know what I would have done in the beginning without Meagan there to offer counter pressure while I was in the bed. I really don't think I could have delivered that baby without an epidural. The entire atmosphere of the room changed from being tense and pain-ridden to be a joyful excitement about the birth.
I thank Meagan for the continued updates to my husband and our friend Catey...for now I have a wonderful timeline of how the day progressed.
4/17/11
3am It all started when I woke up in the midst of a huge contraction that tightened across my abdomen, through my back and down my legs. That was completely new and different from anything I have felt over the last few weeks. Holy cow.
4am Another contraction just like the one an hour ago. Out of bed to sort of walk around and see if this might be another morning of contractions that only manage to leave me exhausted the rest of the day.
4:20am Okay I get it, something might be happening here
4:41am Spent some time in the bathroom between that last contraction and the one that just hit. Things aren’t close together but definitely noticeable.
4:48am, 4:53am, 4:56am, 4:59am, 5:04am, 5:08am, 5:10am, 5:13am Hmmm. I would say that they are getting closer together. Time to check in with Meagan (and this is where her timeline takes over!)
5:13am - (text from Amity) Contractions. Up for a possible quick trip to L&D? They are still anywhere from 3-5 minutes and it hasn't been an hour but they hurt.
5:56am - Meagan called to say she was in the neighborhood. We head off to the hospital chatting nicely while the contractions are still coming pretty steadily.
Then my progress updates began (from Meagan to Dave & Catey):
6:46am - being admitted...
6:54am - room 165
7:19am - (to Catey) dude, you coming? cuz the baby is!
7:21am - am's a trooper... on the 20 min monitor right now. more to come. 5cm 45 min ago.
7:27am - she's doing well, iv-ed up, awaiting an epidural as patiently as one in the throes of labor can. j&m are here. keep you posted!
7:47am - epidural is on its way. she's 7cm.
8:07am - epidural is in, she's a trooper!
9:12am - still at 7cm at last check. when the dr gets here they'll probably break her water. for now, though, she's got a popsicle and seems to be enjoying the epidural!
9:29am - still 7cm, water is broken, things are progressing well, now we just wait!
10:33am - at a 9 now... doing well!
10:57am - mom & dad are suiting up, baby warmer is on, pushing starts soon! after they're all done thanking each other :-)
11:19am - pushing begins!
11:35am - baby is here! 9lbs, 12oz, 20 & 3/4 inches, 14 inch head, big, fat cheeks, 2 happy parents, and one delighted surrogate!
I think that sums up labor pretty well!
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