Edmonds Birth Story

Edmond's Birth Story
Born: February 2, 2008
Time: 6:13 AM
Weight: 6lbs 15oz
Length: 19 inches
Apgars: 8 and 9 (Don't know how after what I saw but that is what the nurse told me.)



The story:

On the 1st I had gone to have an U/S. The entire day was smooth as pie with nothing eventful. In fact - I thought that the baby decided to stay in until week 42. That night I intended to just relax and enjoy my MIL being with us and DH being home for the weekend. At 10 pm I noticed contractions (normal since I had been laboring pretty hard for the last 4 weeks nightly.) I decided to take a shower. Well, the contractions did not let up with the shower but just got stronger and closer together. 1-2 min. apart on the dot.
Time to get the birthing ball out. I sat there in front of The Wedding Singer and timed my contractions through the movie. (All in my bedroom since I had not gotten dressed yet.) The pain increased and the contractions were steady and on time.

At 11:30 I asked DH to join me in our room to help me through some contractions. He came in and timed a few. Although they were close together he did not believe I was laboring and started flipping through channels while I was hurting worse. I wanted to strangle him!!!! We had initially decided to go in to the hospital only once my water broke since it has been past history that it broke at a 3. Well, the contractions were getting VERY difficult and I could not imagine a 20 minute car ride to the hospital if they got much stronger - so I told Nathan that we were going in NOW. He did not believe me and rolled over to sleep. I once again insisted that he help me pack our stuff and head out. I could not wait for him so I packed all our stuff in the van myself. I then asked if he was coming or if I would have to go myself. He asked where I thought we were going. HOLY I was getting more that ticked off! The guy was sleeping and did not intend to go anywhere. Suddenly he realized I was really headed out to the hospital and finally joined me.

The way to the hospital was fairly uneventful except for dealing with my steady contractions. We got in and they said I was still at a 2 but VERY soft. They asked me to walk the halls and come back in 1 hour to be checked. We did and I could not walk through a contraction. Well, DH found the nearest sofa and went to sleep while I walked. Apparently I made things look so much easier than they were. What he did not see was the tears I had through each contraction as I buried my face into my arm on the wall and worked my way breathing through each contraction and swaying. They were so painful! Finally I told him to go HOME... I could take it on my own better if I was not having him there sleeping and me getting more ticked off at him. (He really did not realize how extreme my laboring was LOL) He looked at me and it hit him that this was the real thing!!!! He then got into active labor partner and helped me into the triage again. (I had called ahead and the EVIL nurse was not on duty that night! WooHoo.... Or I might not have come in.)

Once we got in they checked me again. I was at a 3. Definite progress. The pain was becoming out of control intense and I felt Edmond shifting down and shifting down fast. I told them I could feel him descending and that it was getting worse. All the sudden the labor took on a different feeling. However my water did not break still. I had been feeling some trickling and told the nurse that but they were not sure that it was my water (I thought it was.) About 5 min. after the nurse checked me the on call dr. came in and checked me and I was at a 3.5-4cm. He said they were admitting me. The pain just got worse and I could feel baby moving down more. I would hold Nathans fingers and dig my thumbnail onto the top of his fingers. Somehow that helped me At times I would have him rub my lower back as hard as he could. My breathing became louder and louder and I was becoming quite irritable. They could not get me into a room fast enough! Once in the room I was Yelling!!!! (I have never yelled in any of the births of my children.) I did my best to focus on letting my contractions work for me instead of fighting them. I focussed on my opening up and allowing baby to move down and out. Well, they checked me - I was now 8. It had been 1 hour and I went from a 3 to an 8. At this point I had gotten on my hands and knees and was rocking and yelling for Nathan to dig into my back Harder and Harder. Finally I told him to use his fists and knuckles. The nurse would put the bp cuff on between contractions and I would throw it off me and at her during the contractions! LOL I was almost ready to tear off my cloths since they were in my way but did not want to be naked I tell you, I was out of control! I have NEVER been that out of control. My lower belly felt like it was on fire on top of that and I started to BEG for an epidural or any relief!!! I begged to GOD, DH, the Nurses.... everyone (I know... I was right there) But I could not go on with no way to gain control.

The Anesthesiologist came in and the idiot took a good 45 min. to put it in. I asked for a TRACE only... or something just to take the edge off. He fought me on all of it, but I was in so much pain. Nathan looked down at my crotch and noticed that it was opening up... I was at crowning and had been on my side. (we came in at 2am and baby was born at 6:13 am = 4 hours total with the main progression from 3-10 in 1 hour. The next 45 min. was me being held down for an epidural why... I have no idea right now. I was complete. Then the idiot gave me so much that my bp plummeted and they had to spend the next hour trying to get my bp up again... while baby was ready to come and they did nothing!!!)

Nathan went to the car and brought up the cameras once the epi was in. Dr. came in and said... let us get this baby out. 1 push and he was out... dr had begged me to slow it down but HOW when I could not feel anything due to mr. idiot!!! who chose not to listen to anything I had asked. So baby came out and they put him on my belly and Nathan cut the chord. I looked at this baby with SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much hair and saw that he was choking and needed help. I asked them to please take him and make sure he was ok. They kept insisting he was fine but I really felt he was not. Well, he wasn't. His respiratories were in the 90's to 100's and he was grunting and flaring his nostrils trying to breath. He was taken to NICU. Then I had had some gushing of blood right in the birthing. Turns out his placenta was ripping away at the edge (which may account for the fire sensation on my belly while laboring.) Edmond had come out with his face facing the left (not up or down but to the left) then it turned face down once it came out and he ended up swallowing a bunch of BLOOD that came out at that time. Causing much of his resp. problems.

The next few nights, including last night here at home, I had low grade fevers and major nausea and vertigo. The watched me closely and we were both able to come home on Monday night. I am exhausted and he is doing quite well. I feel a bit like a failure for giving in to the epidural (when I should have just asked for something to help take the edge off...) I was already complete! What was I thinking? But I have never experienced such a traumatic birth EVER... even with the twins. So all in all, I am just glad that he and I are ok and that it was a short one.

Sorry so long. If you would like to see pics feel free to go to http://www.dropshots.com/CJWilkes if you have not already.