Memories from a first time delivery

When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. - John 16:21



I was past my due date, not by too much but for a first-time, full-time working mama it was WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY too far past. It was Thursday and I had been timing contractions all the live long day. I was finding simple jobs that I could just sit and work by myself in the little work room and listen to Pandora while I timed contractions.



They were on and off all day long, between 10 minutes and 5 minutes apart. They felt more like the regular braxton hix contractions that I had been having since September so I didn't think too much about it besides that fact that I. was. over. due. I wanted to be done with work, I wanted to be done with pregnant.

Pregnancy treated me well for the most part. Besides a little nausea in the beginning and having my movement restricted by a large belly out front I had no problems. A little swelling here and there and 40 pounds of extra weight on me but the pregnancy was easy. I just wanted to be done though.

The end of the day came and as I left work, drove by the stop light that turned to the hospital I considered going in. But. I was DETERMINED NOT to be that first-time mom. I was going to wait for as long as possible.

I was TERRIFIED of going in and having them send me right back home.

I just went home on my own.

Ate dinner like normal. Fell asleep on the couch while Andrew and our roommate played Halo.

I woke up incredibly uncomfortable and decided to take a bath. The contractions were feeling a little tighter but still strangely spaced out. I called the nurses in the OB and she gave me a few things to try and she said she'd have a room ready for me just in case.

After my bath I felt better, contractions were still irregular but my back was hurting.

I told Andrew I was going to bed. It was 10 pm.

Now that I think about it, Andrew was dancing around the house all uptight-like for him. He's usually a really laid-back, easy-going, nothing upsets him or makes him anxious kind of a guy. He knew. He always knows. He is better in tuned with me than I am when it comes to my pregnancies...what a guy!

So I laid down and fell asleep, he kept playing Xbox downstairs.

Shortly after he had come up for the night I got up to go to the bathroom. The contractions were still going in strange intervals.

I went in, finished my business, stood up and said, "Andrew, I think my water just broke."

He threw into high gear (he had actually already been gathering things to pack up our Blazer) and threw everything in the car. I called the hospital to let them know that we were headed in.

We jumped in and headed out of town for the 30 minute drive to the hospital. We got about 5 minutes down the road and as I was on the phone with my mom, my contractions were getting worse. I suddenly HAD to have some water so Andrew whipped the car around, drove 10 minutes back the other way, pulled into the gas station and I was going to scream at him because he was trying to turn around and I could not figure out what he was doing - all I wanted was a DANG water bottle!!!

He was backing in so he could run in, run out and pull out efficiently! What a guy! He was clearly thinking more clearly than I. Ha!

So, off we went, on our way to the hospital. The roads were pretty rough between home and the hospital, not to mention the train track that we had to cross. I just wanted him to drive faster - he says he was up to 70.

He was timing contractions on our way in and when we got to the hospital he gave them the right information. They let me go right up to the OB, I took the stairs instead of the elevator, Andrew came up after with our bags and goodies.

They put me on the bed to measure everything and we learned that I was already at an 8!!!

So they watched me for just a bit, my midwife was being contacted and I was sooooooo uncomfortable. They began filling the bath tub for me just in case I wanted to sit in that and as soon as I got in, I was ready to push.

They had begun filling up the water birth tub as soon as they heard that I was coming in but I couldn't get in until the midwife arrived.

The nurse coached me to moan whenever I felt the contractions to put of pushing for a while.

My midwife made it just in time, I climbed into the birthing tub and tried to figure out how my body worked, what felt the best and the most comfortable (if you can use that term) way to push.

I ended up on my hands and knees and when the contractions would come, I would put my mouth in the water and breathe out. The bubbles were in a way, therapeutic. Poor Andrew wanted to do anything he could but at the season that we were in, I couldn't have him touching me. I just wanted everyone quiet and I wanted the pain to be over. I wanted this baby out.

We had chosen not to find out what we were having and we were so excited for the surprise.

After not too long, I was ready to do the last push and she had me turn over so that I was in more of a sitting position to deliver, easier for her to catch our first baby.

One last push.

Ploop.

Whoosh.


There was a baby on my chest.

Whoa. That's all I remember. Whoa.

They had me climb out of the tub and onto the bed so they could check everything out, cut the umbilical cord and deliver the placenta.

Our sweet Bennett was born on October 12, 2010 and we were first-time parents.


He was perfect. 21.5 inches, 6 pounds, 12 ounces. He was wonderful.


I ended up staying in the hospital for the maximum amount because a friend told me to take advantage of it! I shouldn't have. There was a nurse that totally stressed me out and there was no reason for me to stay. I had just a couple of minimal tears. One they sewed, the other(s) they left because they were so minimal. It would have been better for me to just go home as soon as possible.

But that's hindsight now.

He is going to be 6 this year already...Where does the time go?


What is your birth story?

11 comments

  1. Oh man! When this happens to me. I WILL NEVER forget it! It will be in INSANE experience for sure! Kind of terrifying too! LOL!

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  2. Aw, Kayla, you did SO WELL!! Especially for a first time mom! It seems like a lot of women head into the hospital too soon and a lot of complicating factors arise because of that. Birth stories are easily one of my favorite blog posts to read. I have read so many of them over the years! I always learn something new. I am hoping that reading all these first-hand accounts will help me be better prepared when I have a baby for the first time (fingers crossed). :-)

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  3. I can assure you it IS insane!!! And every single time will be completely different! :)

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  4. Thank you Bethany!!! I was more afraid of being sent home than birthing on the floor...haha! I have heard a lot of stories like that too. Or the Drs wanting to induce before the due date comes up and then baby has to be rushed to a bigger hospital or what not. I wanted to be in charge and I guess it worked out pretty well for me that time. ;) It's good to be educated. I think the biggest thing that I want mamas to know before they go in is that THEY decide what to get and what not to. Yes, your Dr has good things to say, but you need to have a firm idea of whether or not you want to use meds, you also should be open to your plan changing - it's never the way we think it will go. :) It should help you!!! :)

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  5. Even though I'm not a mom, I love to hear women talk about the birth of their children!

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  6. I always did too. It's just so fascinating to hear about all of the different experiences!

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  7. <3
    I just saw this.
    That is a darling photo of our first grand baby at almost 6 years old.
    :)

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  8. Haha! Thanks mom, I love that one of him. :)

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  9. […] Andrew called, he was bored at work and wanted to check in. Remember the other day when I mentioned that he’s in tuned to me better than I am? […]

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  10. I love reading birth stories!! So you had a half water birth? :-) That so cool!! I wish our hospital here would allow water births...they were working really hard on getting them approved and then some crazy study came out that had some skewed info so they scrapped the waterbirth tubs. :-( Here is the birth story of my youngest. http://survivingtoddlerhood.com/2015/10/23/2vbac-baby-andrews-birth-story-a-successful-2vbac/

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    1. It was a whole water birth, I just didn't get pictures in the tub. She had me move out of the water after a minute or two of holding him, skin to skin, in the water. :) I'm hoping to be able to do another for baby four, but we'll see how that goes. My original two hospitals did the same thing, so frustrating. So fun, I'll check it out! <3

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