Little Bear Arrives

If you want to know all about my labor, read this. If you don't, don't read this. Just look at this picture and go about your business.

I think I initially need to give this background information. At my appointment on April 29, my OB and I had a long talk about what mine and baby's options were for dealing with the GBS. I told her all of my anxieties about baby having to get IV antibiotics and how disappointed I was that I didn't think I'd be able to spare him from that. My OB gave me an option I hadn't considered- induction. She said that I could come in, get the antibiotics, then she would break my water and hopefully I would go into labor. I was pretty tempted. I loved the scheduled aspect but I was very uncertain about not listening to my body since it had done it's job so well before. Ultimately, after talking to Joe, we decided not to go that direction. Both of us were anxious that she might break my water and nothing would happen.

On May 3 I was on my third "walk the baby out" excursion when I thought I felt a gush. When my labor started with Z, I had small leaking of amniotic fluid before my water actually broke, so I thought that was what was happening. I had been having irregular contractions for two days, so it seemed likely that could have happened. After a call to the hospital, we decided to go get it checked out. 

After monitoring my contractions for a bit, checking me to see my progress, and testing for fluid, we determined the following: I was almost 4 cm, contractions were slowly increasing, but my water was intact. I was planning to leave but then the on call OB called to say he thought I should stay, get the first IV of penicillin and try to kick start labor with all the tricks they have. We decided to go with that and not leave without a baby. Joe took Z to the blessed Robinsons, who I can never thank enough for their care of Z. It was such a relief to me to get updates that he was doing okay and to know he was safe and sound.

I got the first IV of penicillin and spent the next 7 hours walking the halls, pacing my room, bouncing on a ball, aromatherapy with clary sage and lavender essential oils, and some other things to try to get labor going. I was progressing, but slowly, really, really slowly. At 9 we decided that I would have the OB break my water after I got my second dose of penicillin. Baby would be completely protected now. 

At 10:15 PM the on call OB came and broke my water. That's when things got real. The next hour contractions increased in intensity a lot and I started to need help from Joe to cope with the pain. The one thing that really helped during that stage was Joe pressing really hard on my lower back. I spent most of the time pacing, kneeling on the floor during the contractions, and just wandering around the room. I was really glad I had that option at this hospital and such a nice, large room to wander around in. After that hour my nurse checked my progress: 1 cm. I wanted to cry. I thought I would be much further along and when the nurse tried to reassure me by saying that 1 cm per hour was normal, I didn't feel very reassured. She asked me if I still wanted to try to go without pain meds and I said yes.

The next 45 minutes my contractions intensified and eventually there was no break in between. I'm really glad Joe didn't videotape this birth because I didn't stay as calm as I did during Z's birth. It... was not pretty. Joe was amazing the whole time and I really don't think I could have done it without him. I was starting to get scared. With the 1 cm per hour idea in my head I didn't think I could deal with that kind of pain for another 4 hours.

About that time my nurse asked if she could monitor baby and I said no because I couldn't bear the thought of getting in that bed. She asked if she could monitor with a handheld doppler and I said no again. (Apparently being in pain makes me really obstinate). I was feeling really helpless and not sure what to do.

I started thinking about asking for pain meds when a wave of nonstop contractions hit me. I was standing up, holding onto Joe for support and suddenly I could tell the baby was ready to come. Through the next contraction I "bore down" and knew baby was in place. I told the nurse I felt like I needed to push and she was shocked. She said she'd need to check me so I got onto the bed and as soon as I did I had to push. There was no way I could resist the urge. When she checked me, baby was crowning and she hastily called the OB. The man literally ran from the on call room and burst in just in time to tell me I just needed one push and baby would be born. I told him there was no way I could do that and then I did it. 

Best. Feeling. Ever! 

There is really nothing that can describe the way it feels to have all that intensity and pain suddenly stop and the next moment you have your baby in your arms. One minute, he wasn't there and then he just arrives like a glorious, yuck-covered miracle. I was shaking all over, but my nurse was great and helped me get off the top of my gown and put Bear (I think that's what I'll call A on the blog because "A" could be a word and get confusing.) on me for skin to skin and early nursing. It was really amazing. I had wanted that with Z but since he had rapid breathing and had aspirated meconium, I wasn't able to. 

Bear stayed there with me while I was stitched up and all of the other delightful post-birth fun. When they were ready to do his apgar and such, he went to Joe and my nurse took me to soak in a whirlpool tub with lavender essential oils. It was AMAZING! It made me feel so much better. I was shaking all over and felt really cold, just like I had after giving birth to Z and this was the perfect solution to that. I felt really cared for by the whole team there. 

All in all, I couldn't have planned this better. I was able to get the penicillin myself and spare Bear that extra pain and discomfort, as well as avoid having to have a longer hospital stay. I was pretty surprised, initially, that basically my OB's plan for me had happened when she wasn't even there to orchestrate it. Or, so I thought. When she came to check me and send me home she told me that she'd been on the phone with the on call doctor, guiding the whole thing. Best OB ever? Yes. And she'd been right, it all worked out. That last hour of labor made me want to die a little bit, but at least it was only an hour.

Thus, our little Bear entered the world. Lucky world.