My birth story

It all started Saturday night 2/14. I awoke with painful contractions abut every 8 mins n the middle of the night. I had been having BH for weeks, but these actually hurt. I called DH at work aroung 5 am and told him not to go to the gym that morning, to come home just in case. He was so excited and nervous when he got home at 7 am that he immediately did 2 loads of laundry and mopped the floors- just in case our little guy was coming. That Sunday we went to the new Time Warner building to walk around and try and get things moving along. By mid day the contractions had petered out.

Again Sunday night I awoke with even more painful contractions about every 8 mins. I got up, walked around the apartment and read. The contractions spaced out but didn't go away. Again on Monday we tried to walk this baby into the world and went to the Garden State Plaza in NJ this time. We walked for 3 hours in the mall and the contractions started to get closed together. By the time we got home they were 6 mins apart and hurt like hell. I had to stop and breath deeply with each one.

We figured this was it so we made a nice dinner and started packing. In the middle of dinner I felt something leaking from me. I went to the bathroom and passed a huge mucous plug. Like 10 mins later my water broke. That was 7:30 pm. I called the OB who told me to take my time coming in as long as I was still comfortable. Kevin and I both showered then around 10:30 we walked over to the hospital.

The resident on call was actually a friend of mine which was very comforting. SHe checked me and I was only 1 cm but 90% effaced and the head was +1. After she checked me the baby had a huge heart rate deceleration to 60 beats per minute and that began the stress of the next 20 hours!

I was contracting about every 5 mins then and was very very uncomfortable. At 2:30 am I got an epidural. I was still only 1 cm but I needed some sleep (hadn't slept in 3 nights by that point). I was afraid it was too early for an epidural but the resident felt that it would relax me and actually get things moving along. The epidural was absolutely amazing! THe best thing I ever did. I still felt the contractions as a tightening but they didn't hurt. I was able to move my legs the whole time.

Throughout the night the baby's heart kept decelerating and the residents would run in, put me on my side, put on the oxygen, etc. They figured the cord was around the little guy's neck. At 6 am I was still 1 cm but at 8 am I was 4-5 cm. WIth that exam I had another huge decel and they put an internal heart rate monitor on the baby's head. I progressed slowly but steadily throughout the day. I was contracting really well on my own/ My OB stopped in to see me and told me we had to watch the clock since my water had broken at 7:30 pm on Monday I really needed to deliver by 7:30 pm that day (Tuesday).

The epidural ran out twice during the day and I needed to be 'refilled'. Boy did the pain come back with a vengance when that happened. At 5 pm I was 8 cm so they decided to give me a little pitocin just to speed things up. I started pushing at 5:48. The first hour was easy actually. I still had energy and could feel my own contractions coming on so I knew when to push. It was hard to coordinate the pushing - hold your legs, don't push with the legs, curl at the waist, push in your bottom, etc...

My OB was amazing. She was so encouraging- as was the labor and delivery nurse. And Kevin was great - so loving and patient and in tune with me. The last half hour of pushing was hell. Once the baby's head is in the vagina, the epidural doesn't really get that pain. My OB was trying to stretch me and pulling at the baby at the same time. I ended up needing an episiotomy - the whole time the OB was laughing that I shouldn't have married a man with such a big head.

I was trying to psych myself up with each push but I was starting to get very tired. THe baby's heart kept dropping throughout. They were afraid they may have had to use the vacuum at one point. Finally I got the little guy out and as I looked down at the OB's face I knew something was wrong. The cord was around Connor's neck twice! Quickly they cut it and whisked him away. I was just hysterical crying at that point with relief and pain and worry. Connor turned out the be perfectly fine but did he give us a big scare!

I didn't get to see the little guy for about 15 mins. Kevin took a picture of him with the digital camera and brought it over to me to see what he looked like. Finally Kevin carried him over to me and I was just in awe. What a little peanut! But 8 lbs! No one could believe it, especially not me.

And that is the story of how Connor came to be.

WOW - what a beautiful story! And how scary with Conner's cord - thank goodness all was OK.

Thank you for sharing. As I progress down the pregnancy road it is great to hear about other's experiences!

Wow, it sounds like it was a long journey...that perhaps I should have skipped for now! Just kidding!

I am glad everything worked out for you and Connor is SO beautiful! I can't believe he was 8 lbs...I would have never, in a million years, have guess with how you carried! I'm jealous!

What a great story!!! I am glad you and your little guy were okay!

thats a wonderful storey - with a very happy ending

What a great story !

You were such a trooper throughout it all.

Congrats again on your baby boy!

wow - thanks for sharing! How scary about the umbicial cord - that happened to my mom too when she was delivering me.

I'm definitely getting an epidural....did you notice any of the side effects afterwards? Bad headaches, backaches, etc?

Congratulations to you and DH!!!

Thank you for sharing!

Once that head is on it's way out... Boy do I know what you meant about the epidural not killing the pain!

Thanks for sharing!!!

Damien had the cord around his neck too but they did a c-section.

It's scary how they wisk they away like that

Damien was 8lbs even too

Oh wow, how beautiful. You are such a trooper ... I can't imagine being in labor for 20 hours.

Congratulations and welcome to little (if you can call 8 pounds little ) Connor!!!


But ...Yikes.

what a wonderful story. thank you so much for posting!!