Friday, January 27
around 2:45 pm I felt TERRIBLE! I had back pains, a headache, and felt nauseous. However, I did not have contractions, so I thought I was just getting sick. That would be my luck. I was only 37 weeks, so I thought I had at least a few more weeks to go. After work, I fell asleep on the couch and didn’t want to move for anything.
Saturday, January 28
I felt tired and still a bit sick, but actually felt a bit better. I did have a couple early labor signs, but I knew it could still be weeks. In fact, I did our taxes that morning.
That evening, after going to the shooting range and his various activities, Jimmy was sweet and brought me fried chicken, red beans & rice, and green beans for dinner before he headed to my brother’s house to watch a movie.
8:45 pm Kai and I went to bed.
9:00 pm: I heard what sounded like a champagne cork popping. My amazing co-worker Susan had told me that is what it sounded like when her water broke, so I up and ran to the bathroom. I didn’t quite make it before a huge gush of clear fluid. So, while standing in the bathtub, I called my OB’s nurse line. While they were shocked at the spontaneous water breaking (sans contractions), they said I should head on over to the hospital.
9:20 pm: I call Jimmy and say: “either my water just broke or I have completely lost control of my bladder.” [the lack of contractions really threw us all for a loop.]
Jimmy: “what do you need me to do.”
Me: “Come home.”
Clearly he was in shock.
9:40 pm: Jimmy grabs our bags and we leave for the hospital. Pro tip: put a trash bag and some towels on your car seat, if your water has broken. That was a lifesaver.
10:00 pm: Jimmy drops me at the hospital entrance. I calmly walk in, head to the desk, say: “excuse me, I think I’m in labor. Where do I go?” (Never got around to that hospital tour…). The security worker laughed and said “you think?” I replied: “well I think my water broke, but I’m not having any contractions, so it’s a little unclear.” Cue a completely panicked face. Poor guy. He points me to the right elevator and I head on up to labor and delivery.
10:15 pm: I get checked in to labor & delivery triage – to confirm I’m in labor. I checked-in online months prior, so there was little paperwork
10:30 pm: Jimmy finds me. A nurse confirms my water definitely broke. We walk on over to our delivery room. This part was fun. I was actively gushing amniotic fluid at this point. All over the floor. They gave me a pad, but that wasn’t containing anything. I’m sure it’s a common occurrence, but I felt terrible about making a mess. Dilation: 2 cm
Sunday, January 29
1 am: My parents and Kurt walk into our room. Kurt was great and called them to give a heads up that I might be in labor. Contractions start around this time. They’re not that bad though. I’m like, I can do this. I walk around for 30 minutes, get hooked up to the monitor for 30 minutes. Keep repeating. Looking back, the reason my contractions weren’t that bad, is because they were doing nothing.
3 am: labored for 7 hours with ZERO progress. My doctor said she’d give my body a little longer, but I might need medication to get things going, especially since my water had already broken.
6 am: It’s confirmed, I’m still 2 cm. That brought on an epidural and Pitocin. Now, I was never going to do a natural labor, I just wanted to labor naturally for a while because (some research) says an epidural can slow labor. I was all about as quick as possible. My doctor strongly urged the epidural since I was going to have to get Pitocin. This medicine results in stronger more productive contractions aka more painful quicker and for longer.
6:15 am: Pitocin started
8 am: Bennett’s heart rate started dropping after each contraction, so I had to lie still on one side with an oxygen mask. Then, after a while, I could switch to the other side, still no moving allowed, and I needed to wear the oxygen mask. Not fun. I still wonder why I couldn’t have one of those cool in your nose oxygen tubes. All joking aside, the situation was actually terrifying. My body was very slow to respond to the Pitocin, so I was slowly upped to the maximum dosage (and then some truth-be-told). I am very thankful my doctor did absolutely everything to avoid a C-Section. My doctor and nurses monitored Bennett’s heart rate VERY closely. I know there were times they all thought a C-Section would be coming. I tried to stay as calm and still as possible to keep my little man safe.
2 pm: more family arrives. My mom’s side of the family always go to births. I was at every one of my cousin’s births (except for my youngest cousin, only because they lived in OH at the time). So, we had about 15 people there, waiting to meet Bennett.
5:40 pm: I start pushing. Jimmy and I chose to be the only ones in the delivery room (apart from hospital staff of course), so everyone was in the waiting room/hallway. After a little while, my doctor decided to have me take a break for 30 minutes to let my body do more of the work.
Seriously, after all the not progressing, heart rate dropping, water breaking spontaneously, I am SO thankful for modern medicine and medical professionals. Bennett and I likely would have been the sad story Jimmy told of his wife and baby dying in childbirth. I don’t mean to be brazen, but honestly, we likely wouldn’t have survived back in the day.
6:10 pm: I started pushing again. That is not easy. Also, I could feel my contractions, so I could definitely feel all of the actual birth. It was dulled so my epidural definitely was helping, but I still could feel things.
7:10 pm: Bennett William was born. 6 lbs 10 oz. 21 inches long. 35 cm head circumference.
Unfortunately he was severely jaundiced (we have different blood types), had “waves” of swelling on his head from “birth trauma” [no, my doctor did not use a vacuum or forceps or anything else to assist in the birth.] Read more about his first month.
