Susan's Story.
I found out I was pregnant on friday March 9, 2001. We saw our baby
for the #1 time on thursday April 24, at 11 weeks gestation. The 22-week
ultrasound on saturday June 30 showed us that we were having a girl.
Seven weeks later, on wednesday August 22, we looked at our 29-week-old.
I had a textbook pregnancy, no worries, no complications, baby and
I were doing fine.
My due date of November 5 came and went, my midwife sent me to the
hospital for non-stress-test, ultrasound and an OB-check-up. My blood
pressure was low, my baby was sky high, I wasnt dilated, my cervix
wasnt ripe, there were no signs of labor. For the next 12 days I went
back and forth to the hospital for tests, my mandatory induction date
was set on November 19, when 42 weeks were over. I didnt want to get
induced, I did want to go natural; I wanted to avoid any risks and
didnt want any unnecessary chemicals in our bodies after taking real
good care of myself (and so of the baby) for 9 months. I really wanted
to have the baby, I tried every natural inducer in the book, had my
membranes stripped on 4 different occasions (all after 40 weeks),
but nothing worked.
Friday November 16, 2001 at night, contractions started all
by themselves. every 12 minutes, not very painful, but enough to not
let me sleep all night.
Saturday November 17, 2001 all morning and afternoon same
story, every 12 minutes. Im getting tired, but my back hurts too much
to lie down.
07.30 Pm every 8 minutes, active labor started, I have to stop doing
other things and concentrate. this is not sooo bad, I can do this.....
10.00 PM every 5 minutes, pain is intense! But manageable. the best
way for me to cope is to be standing up, and have 'daddy'rub my back,
I have all back labor.
11.45 PM husband called the midwife; she was to come to our house
to check dilation before going to the hospital, in order top avoid
going there too soon, and maybe be sent back.
Sunday November 18, 2001
00.10 AM midwife arrived at our house, checked me and Im 5 cm.!After
26 hours of labor! I could cry from pain, frustration, tiredness.
Off to the hospital, those 5 miles felt like 500 miles. I walked into
the labor and delivery room, she followed me with a wheelchair.
00.30 AM settled in in L&D room, she breaks my water; in minutes I
go to 8cm. A true avalanche of contractions start: every 30 seconds
a contraction lasting alsmot 2 minutes. Did I mention I had back labor!?
The pain I felt till 5 cm was nothing, meaningless to the pain I felt
now. I have to breathe through the contractions, one on top of the
other, no rest, no breaks! I felt the baby move down the birth canal,
and now that Im standing up again (I laid down for her to break my
water) I feel alot of pressure and alot of pain.
01.00 AM I cannot take this anymore! General anestesia is looking
good right now! Off to the shower; daddy held the shower head on my
back, I breathe through the contractions, I lost all track of time,
the only thing that mattered was doing this. I was very tempted to
get an epidural, but I knew Id be so dissapointed with myself had
I given in to painrelieve. So I didnt. Any painmeds would do nothing
at this point and would drug the baby too much. So I didnt get anything.
I was never hooked up to an IV, no fetal monitor, nothing, I was free
to move about and drink. My midwife followed me about with a doppler
to check baby's heartbeat.
02.45 AM contractions start to feel different, back to the bed: she
checked me and Im 9.5 cm.
03.15 AM 10 cm.! pushing started, after a transition that lasted almost
3 hours. Pushing felkt good, I pushed through the pain.
After the #2 push, baby's heartbeat dropped fast all of a sudden,
and didnt recuperate! Under 60 already and dropping....Im told to
stop pushing and lie on my side. Thats nearly impossible to do. the
OB got called in and checked the heartbeat, then said the baby had
to be out now! He decided to use forceps, there wasnt any time! The
foot-stirrups were put in place, I got a catheter (didnt hurt), a
4th-degree episiotomy (no anestetics,it hurt for a moment), he put
in the forceps (no anestetics either, so yes, that hurt a lot!) and
pulled our daughter into this world!
03.25 AM Gina Josefa was born! After a 42-week pregnancy and a 30-hour
labor. She was fine! 9 lbs, 20", head circ.15", Apgars 8&9, blue eyes
and a full head of dark hair. She came out screaming! Daddy cut the
cord, I delivered the placenta, the OB explained it to us, on our
request to do so. I got local anestetics for the stitches, which took
about 45 minutes. then they left us alone with coffee, cake and a
phone.
05.15 AM I took a shower.
05.45 settled in in my room, Gina went to the nursery, husband went
home.
Monday November 19, 2001
We all went home. Labor was hard and long, but it was all worth it.
Id do it again in the exact same way if I had to. I felt very dissapointed
about the forceps, but I knew there's nothing I could have done differently
to avoid it.
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My name's Susan.
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