My overdue Labor Story - LONG

This story is overdue, as being a new mommmy is a lot harder than I ever imagined! Wow! I just want to start out by saying that you have no idea how much you will love your baby once he or she is born. It hit me like a ton of bricks how much I love Ryan...more than words can describe. He is the most absolute precious thing in the world to me and I would do anything for him and anything to make him well and happy. Suffice to say we've had a few teary days (both of us) making the adjustment to mommyhood, but all the trials just make it that much more rewarding...I still have days where I feel just so stupid! Like I know nothing!! But we manage to survive and every day gets easier. I just love my son to death and can no longer imagine life without him! And also, I love my husband more than ever - our son completes us and is a part of us in ways we could never have imagined.

Anyway, as most of you know, Ryan was very very high right up until week 39 and my dr. really did not think we would be able to deliver v--inally due to his position and size...the dr. believed he was probably too big for my insides, but we decided to wait for me to go into labor and see what happened. At 39 weeks, I was not dialated, no progress at all!

So, the night before my due date, hubby gets home from work real late and we are eating dinner around 9:00 pm. And still, no contractions, no signs at all that the baby is coming. So hubby says, 'You're never going to have this baby are you?' and I reply, 'Nope, looks like I'll be pregnant forever!'....little did we know! Not 2 hours and 20 minutes later, we are both in bed - me sleeping, hubby watching TV. All of a sudden, I feel the absolute weirdest feeling I have ever had! I am laying in a pool (and I mean POOL) of water! And water is just GUSHING out of me!! So I sit straight up and look at hubby, but can't speak! He's like, 'What?' thinking he's getting in trouble for the TV or something! I'm like 'Water, my water, broke, flowing, oh my God! What do I do!'

Now, mind you in all the books it says something like less than 15% of all pregnant women actually break their water like this! Figures - believe me, if there's a statistic like that, I'm destined to be part of it!

Anyway hubby rushes to get me towels which I stick between my legs and hobble, rush to the bathroom - and the only thing I can think of doing is sit on the toilet since water is still literally pouring out of me! But I was actually feeling remarkably calm at this point, knowing that finally something was happening! So we call the dr. and he tells us that we need to go to hospital - no rush, take a shower, just be there within 2 hours and know that I am not coming back home since once the water breaks, you have to stay and be monitored for infection. So we both shower (me with stuff still running out!) and we are laughing at me stuffing 3 maxi pads into my underwear and him loading the car with beach towels for me to sit on! As we were leaving the flow of water seemed to be less, but wouldn't you know, as soon as we are in the car, pulling out of the driveway, I soak through all the pads, and the towel between my legs . The interesting part is that I am not having any contractions or feel anything except the baby moving.

Fortunately at 1:30 am there is no traffic so we fly to Winthrop and if you could see the picture we made coming in, you would die! I'm laughing thinking about it!! I'm waddling in, soaking wet all the way down my legs, trying to hold a sopping wet beach towel in place between my legs and saying how I'm so glad this is not the middle of the day!! Less people to see this ridiculous sight!! More in next message!

So anyway, they hook me up to the monitors and I am having very small ineffective contractions. To make a long story short, (too late!), the baby is still too high, I'm only dilated a centimeter and it looks like it's going to be a big baby.

From 2:00 am until 9:00 am when my dr. showed up to see me, I made no additional progress, except for more water to keep coming out. Even though I had a sonogram when I showed up at the hospital (to check fluid levels and baby's position), dr. decided to do his own. At this point I am having stronger contractions, but they are not doing anything to move this along. Sonogram showed baby has still not dropped and estimated size at 8 1/2 pounds. Dr. speaks to hubby and I about our options - start the drip and try to induce labor along, wait for what could be 10 - 12 hours and then more than likely have a c-section anyway, or just go for the c-section.

Now I know some people worry about dr's rushing c-secs...here's where I believe you have to have a dr. you trust implicitly. I trusted my dr. so much. And even though part of me wanted to have this baby the 'usual' way, I just couldn't bear the thought of stressing us both out when we had know for almost a month that I was likely going to be sectioned. Dr. explained about recovery, etc. and even went to the head of OB at Winthrop to get her opinion about doing a section. She agreed with his assessment that the section was the best thing for me and my baby. So we decided to go for it.

While we waited for the OR to open up, my contractions started getting much stronger (although NOTHING like what I would imagine they would be) and I HIGHLY commend all of you who have gone through this with no pain meds!!

I could give all the details about the c-sec, but if anyone wants to know, just FM me. I think it is good to be prepared for it, just in case you need one. Well, I got into the OR at 10:05 am and at 10:29 on his due date Ryan William appeared! His daddy got to see him emerge from my stomach, and his daddy is the one who told me it was a boy! He weighed in at a hefty 8 pounds 15 ounces and was 21 1/2 inches long. He was in great shape - just very congested, which is common for c-sec babies - we still fight the congestion, but it's getting better.

My recovery from the section took a few weeks, but it was not as bad as I thought it would be. All that matters is that Ryan is here and healthy, and I am healthy and o.k. My incision is tiny and healing up nicely...6 week checkup next week!

Part of me does feel that I 'missed' something not delivering the usual way, but in the end, none of that matters when you hold that beautiful baby in your arms!! For future babies I now have the option of scheduling a c-sec at 39 weeks rather than going into labor - although I will be allowed to try labor...a decision I definitely don't have to make today!

Anyway, I wish all of you who are coming up on their due dates much luck and quick deliveries and healthy babies. And for those of you who will still be pregnant for a while, enjoy every second, because once the baby is born, you seem to forget so quickly what it is like to have this precious child inside of you!!

And if someone could explain to me how the Resizer works, I will post some pics of Ryan!!!

What's funny is that a lot of the birth stories recently have started w/the water breaking first. It's so uncommon, yet look how many we have. I have to say, this was one of my biggest fears while in late pregnancy - water breaking in our new bed...ugh, I can't imagine what you were feeling.

I too, am waiting anxiously to hear the rest!!

great uplifting birth story!
i am glad mommy and baby are fine and doing well.
i was thinking of getting a waterproof mattress pad for my bed just in case. My SIL's water broke on their couch- yuck. They had to get a new couch because she refused to move as the water was pouring out.

Lee your story is wonderful. I got teary when your DH told you it was a boy... my FH did the same for me (It's a girl) and its something I will always remember no matter how much morphine was running through my system.

Congrats on your healthy little, or shall I say big, boy!

Your love for you baby shines through in your words

That was a great, uplifting story.

Congratulations to you, hubby and welcome Ryan

What a great story!!!! Thank you sooo much for sharing. Can't wait to see pics of Ryan. Happy you 2 are fine.

OMG I just read this and was scared - exactly how much water comes out??

congrats on the new baby!!

I've got chills ... Congratulations. I'm so happy to hear you, Ryan and DH are all well and enjoying your new addition.

WOW ! what a great story!

For those worrying about their water breaking, I got those medical pad that they use in hospital beds. I put his under my fitted sheet during the last month of my preg.
WE spent a lot of money on our mattress and didnt want to ruin it!

and we had about 6 white towels in the car ...handy..in case my water broke on the way to the hospital.

In my case it didnt break until 1/2 way thru labor..and I was the only one who knew it broke! I guess cuz J was 2 weeks late there wasnt a TON of fluid.

Thanks for sharing your personal experience! I learned a couple of things when the time comes up for us to expand our family. Congratulations again!

what a great story! Congrats to you and DH! Can't wait to see some pics of Ryan

Wow!!!! I'm glad I put the waterproof pad down on my bed and in my new car already!!! Ya never know!!

Not only were you among 15% of women whose water breaks on its own, you're also among the 5% of women who deliver on their EDD!! How cool is that!?

We want pics!! We want pics!!



P.S. I responded to your FM!! Thanks, Lee!!

What a wonderful story I am LOL at you walking into the hospital with the wet towel

Enjoy your wonderful baby

Thank you for sharing such a beautiful story!

It really brighten up this miserable, dreary day

Best wishes and congrats to you and DH! Welcome to the world Ryan!!