I Went to my OB appointment Monday morning, 10/4/99. She checked cervix and said "almost 5" and also stripped my membranes, which is separating the amniotic bag from the cervix. She also made an appointment to induce me on Wednesday, 10/6/99, since I was so uncomfortable with swelling and my legs hurting.
About an hour later after my appointment, I was feeling really yucky. We stopped for lunch about 15 minutes from home. I'd bearly started eating when I just couldn't sit still; I felt really restless. I told Jonathan we should hurry up and go and I was sorry we didn't get to eat much. I called labor and delivery and they said the usual: I could come in and get checked if I wanted, but they'd probably just make me walk around. (I knew I knew my body better than them and that they can't tell you anything over the phone.) So, in we went to the hospital to get checked and ended up staying. After a little bit of monitoring, the contractions were 2 minutes apart and I was 5 cm and 80%.
Around 2 p.m., I was in my room and got checked again: 6 cm and just chatting and not feeling much at all! They broke my water at 4:00 and things started up really fast. Pretty soon I was in transition. I didn't get an epidural, but I did get a one-time "spinal" that lasted only about 20 minutes. Then I was 10 cm and started to push. (While they were putting the spinal in, I had to sit still and not make any noise. The baby's head was decending and I wanted to push! I kept saying "I can't!!" (sit still and not push). Around 6, the spinal had worn off I was pushing. After 20 minutes the baby was out. The nurse delivered her; the doctor ran in just as the feet came out. LOL More details later-- 8 lbs 5 oz. 20 inches. Nataleigh Alexandra Thomson Gardner. Breastfeeding from the second they put her on me like a champ! I'm recovering very well and feel almost normal. (Almost.) My epidural with Nathan didn't hurt my back. The spinal this time didn't hurt either-- but that's comparing it to my going from 8-10 cm while bent way over sitting on the side of the bed feeling the baby's head pressing down, wanting to push as they were putting it in! They told me not to push obviously then, but as soon as they had that in, they checked me and said I was at 10 so I could push whenever. The man putting it in was putting the antiseptic on my back and saying something about, "I'm putting antiseptic on your back and then..." I quickly said back, "Whatever. Just do it!!" LOL The difference was night and day from before the spinal and after. I just sat and rested a while in bed. I said something about how my legs felt warm-- like I was sitting by a fire. LOL They thought that was funny. A nurse said, "You're at 10, but you can take a nap now, if you want." I said, "A nap?" and laughed. I decided to get on with the game and sat up and started to push. The spinal had basically worn off by then, too. As soon as I did, my body kept it going and I didn't even lay back between pushes-- I had one arm over my sister's shoulder and the other over Jonathan's-- and just pushed maybe every 30 seconds. They asked if I was sure it was with contractions and I said yes, they were right on top of each other. They say I only pushed about 8 times and she was out. I felt her head stretching me sideways and at my bottom and thought that was neat! Jonathan says once her head started coming, it didn't slep back, but kept coming out. It was my mom who pushed the nurse button and said, "Uh, the head is out...Can we have a doctor?" Then a whole bunch of people came running! We had the nurse, but she'd only assisted with a birth in nursing school once. They told me to stop pushing because the cord was around the neck. They cut it and the next push, the baby slid out. (That was probably the best part! That was my favorite part with Nathan's birth, too.) The nurse caught the baby. Her cord was around her neck pretty tight. My sister took a picture as she came out, but ran out of the room because she noticed she wasn't breathing. The nurse cut the cord... the doctor came running in like he was sliding to home base after the feet were out... a whole team of neonatologists were in the room and giving her oxygen by her face and tapping her chest, etc. She had some fluid in her lungs and although her heart rate was perfect, she wasn't breathing well at all. They fixed that up while the doctor was chatting with me and delivering the placenta. He was pretty funny. He was so happy I asked to see the placenta. LOL He showed me both sides and explained what did what. I told him I had to now learn to change a girl's diaper and he said something about not having to change the gauze from the circ of a boy. "I never did that because we didn't have Nathan circumcised," I told him. His response was a happy one and he said, "Oh, good! We only do that here as a courtesy..." He said I only had a superficial tear and gave me about 4 stitches after given a local. Jennifer A.W.G. - 04:58pm Oct 6, 1999 EDT (#2162 of 2162) Mom to Nathan 10/13/97 and #2 due 10/9/99 Backing up in my story, now... Once they broke my water around 4 or 4:30, I started immediately having strong contractions. So much for sitting there chatting at 6 cm! LOL Jonathan had gone to the car to switch car seats with my sister's husband for Nathan, while Beckie (my sister) helped spray the water on my front and then back alternatively in the shower. I wanted to stay in there forever. I joked I'd stay until I used up all the hot water at the hospital, but the nurse came in and said, "About 5 or 10 more minutes and then..." I can't remember what she said. I think something about getting back in bed. (This whole time I hadn't had an IV-- just a heparin lock in case I needed one if I got an epidural. I did end up getting one though for just fluids.) When they broke my water, it gushed. I was in bed, but it GUSHED! The nurse said it would feel like I was peeing my pants, but that's not what it felt like. It was warm, yes, but it definately didn't feel like peeing. It kept coming and coming! They changed the pads under me once at least. Jonathan says as Nataleigh came out, there was a big gush, too! Transition was, I guess, "par for the course". I had been just in the bathroom for some reason and told them, "I think this is transition... I feel sick, and woozy..." Like they needed that anouncement! LOL But I guess I just had to tell them how I was feeling. Not long after that is when they gave me the spinal. I'd signed for an epidural, but they said there really wasn't time for it, but I could have it if I wanted-- it would slow things up. I decided a spinal would be good, although I'd never had one. (Read above about being bent over for its insertion, etc. and follow below...) As I was bent over, my leg as shaking uncontrolably, I was was moaning a lot-- really sounding pretty darn bad, but as I told my sister, its more like a release, than if the pain made it that bad. Another nurse ran in because she heard me from the hall, as a matter of fact, and stood at my side and calmly told me to "Relax. Take deep breaths. You'll hyperventilate if you keep breathing like that." I followed her advice. Sometimes you just need reminded of the obvious! As I said, the head was pressing down and they told me not to push, but I said I couldn't help it-- the baby was doing it, not me! Turns out that as I was getting the spinal, I'd gone from 8-10 cm and that is why. See above for more story. I'm pooped! Sorry its out of order, but hey-- at least I got some more of it typed out.