Guess what? I’m in the mood to give birth. The sooner the better. I’ve been imagining what this upcoming birth experience will be like, but obviously I’m never going to know until it happens. I hope it’s not traumatic. I hope it’s not too painful. I hope it goes quickly.
I want to invite ALL of you to share your birth experiences with me. Please? I need you, ladies! Maybe it’ll cause my body to produce a rush of hormones and it will launch me into labor. I got to thinking about this topic after I was asked the question: “What were your other deliveries like?” on Facebook last week. What a loaded question! I love the fact that each child comes into this world with his or her own birth story. I want to read your child/children’s birth stories.
It’s an experience that unites us as women & moms. It’s a pretty incredible thing that happens to our bodies, it’s a rite of passage, it’s transformative, it’s so many things.
Indulge me, please? Comment to this post and be as brief or detailed as you’d like. Blissful or traumatic? Hellish or heavenly? Easier than you expected or much more difficult? Or maybe you’ve adopted? No doubt that is a story filled with just as much emotion, anticipation, pain, joy as any delivery.
I’ll go first to get the ball rolling.
My firstborn, Jude:
That picture. Oh my. I actually contemplated fixing it in Photoshop, but honestly, I wouldn’t even know where to start. Bad complexion, worse hair, my eyes were all weird in the weeks before delivery. In one of my eyes, I had a sty-type thing that would get better and then get worse in a vicious cycle. It only went away after I delivered. I’m also a wee bit drugged. So, there you have it. I’m getting real with you.
In the weeks leading up to my due date, my blood pressure had been getting increasingly high. Three days before my actual due date, I had an OB appointment. My OB at the time wanted me to go to the hospital for a non-stress test directly after my office visit. Luckily, Josh and I lived between the office and the hospital, and even though the OB said it wasn’t necessary, we went ahead and brought our overnight bag, just in case.
We waited in a small room while I was hooked up to the non-stress test machine (I’m sure it must have a better name) for hours and hours and hours into the night. My doctor finally decided to admit me and induce labor with Cervidil that evening. I woke up the next morning with back pain which I assumed was from sleeping in the hospital bed, but duh – it was labor pains that were starting. Around 8 am or so, I was given Pitocin and my water was broken. I asked for and received drugs as I progressed to take the edge off the pain and finally, when I was far enough along in dilation (4 cm, maybe?) I was given an epidural. It was great. After the epidural, my body relaxed so much that I progressed from a 4 to 10 cms dilation in a short period of time. Around 4:30 pm that afternoon I began pushing. Jude was born at 5:10 pm. He was 7 lbs exactly.
Because of the high blood pressure, I was also on a magnesium sulfate IV drip which was miserable. I couldn’t walk or go to the bathroom by myself. I had to be on that crummy stuff (ok, it did it’s job in preventing seizure) for 24 hours after delivery. I didn’t actually get up on my own or walk around myself until we were leaving the hospital. Since it was my first baby, I didn’t realize how weird and not normal the whole thing was. I was still thrilled, though, to have my son. We didn’t know he was going to be a boy until I delivered so that was an exciting surprise. The week or so after having Jude was euphoric. We were just beside ourselves with joy, excitement, sharing him with our family and friends. It was one of the happiest times of my life.
Nursing was terribly difficult at first for me to figure out. I remember sitting in bed with Jude while he was crying and hungry, staring at each breast-feeding section of every book I had on pregnancy, delivery and infants. I read the same paragraphs over and over again trying to unlock the secret, but it was of no use. I don’t know how we eventually figured it out, but we did… it only took a week or two of fumbling and frustration.
My second born, Jett:
Luckily, perhaps, I don’t have any pictures of me immediately after delivering Jett. Here we are the following day. I wised up and took along some makeup and a blow dryer the second time around. Much better. I was also not battling high blood pressure and not drugged.
Let me set the stage: In the months leading up to Jett’s due date, I was told repeatedly (even by my OBs) that the second baby would come earlier and the delivery would probably be quicker, too. Oh yeah, and I was tending to my other baby at the time – Jude was only 12 months old. I was pretty much counting on going early. It’d only been a year since my body last did this drill, it would surely remember what to do and do it with the utmost efficiency. When my cervix was checked at my appointments leading up to that due date, I was dilated a couple of centimeters, which even more reinforced my “any moment now” mentality.
Jude was just beginning to take his first steps in that time period, too, so I was still carrying him around a lot, getting down on the floor with him, changing diapers, the whole bit. It was very physically taxing on my large bod. I began growing very frustrated with each passing day. I didn’t think I could handle it any longer.
My last OB appointment was the day before my due date, it was a Friday. I begged to be induced. I felt I was under so much stress that I had to have the baby. My OB said that if I didn’t have the baby over the weekend, we could go to the hospital Monday morning to be induced. And that’s exactly what happened.
I was put on Pitocin and my water was broken around 8:30 or so that morning of induction. The contractions soon came fast and furious and I was surprised by the strength and frequency of them. I sheepishly asked for an epidural – I say that because it wasn’t long after the Pitocin started. Luckily, I asked for it when I did because the anesthesiologist was very busy and it was 45 minutes at least before he could get to me. Again, as with Jude’s delivery, after the epidural I was relaxed and progressed crazy fast. I don’t remember exactly when I started pushing, but I remember it took longer than with Jude. And it hurt a lot more. Jett was born at 1:02 pm I think. He was quite a bit bigger than Jude at 8 lbs. 12 oz.
Nursing with Jett was a breeze. The kid latched on immediately and was very hungry most of the time. (Still is, in fact – hungry all the time, not nursing.) From the beginning, he’d nurse for 45 minutes (at least) at a time and he wouldn’t fall asleep! I remember thinking there was no way I would have enough hours in the day to feed the kid and take care of Jude, too. My milk came in before I left the hospital.
Honestly, it was a little anti-climactic bringing Jett home. I remember it being busy and chaotic at the house and not a very restful, deliriously happy time. And I don’t know why that was. Oh yeah, maybe I do. Here’s a picture of the day we brought Jett home, probably within the first few hours, even. We had a house full of people
, we were tired and Jett was already getting beat up. I can look back on these pictures and know it happened, but I don’t remember it happening. Josh remembers Jett as a very fussy baby. I don’t. A mother’s love or days of little sleep strung together into a state of other-consciousness?
Jett’s going to be a middle child. Weird!
Please contribute your story/stories in the comments section. I look forward to reading each one. Remember, this’ll launch me into labor if properly executed. No pressure!
Ok, in a nutshell, and in the interest of invoking labor – here is my story.
TWO daughters, FIFTEEN YEARS apart, ZERO epidurals. OOOWWWWWWCCCCCHHHHHHHH!! Not by choice, mind you (zero epidurals, not the daughters!) I’m an advocate for epidurals! Wish I could have experienced one or two. No breast feeding (my hats off to nursing mothers thought) – I knew it wasn’t for me. End result – one 20 year old brunette college student, one 5 year old redhead kindergartener. Worth every second of pain!!! PRICELESS!
Best of luck, Jessie….I’m anxious to read your newest birth story. I hope it’s soon!!!
Fifteen years apart! Now that is unique and you lived to tell about it! Very encouraging. There must have been a lot of changes in the world of pregnancy and delivery over that span of time. I’m finding some things are different than even 3 1/2 years ago! Thanks for sharing, Leanne. :)
Well, I’m not yet a mommy, but the husband and I plan to change that in the next several years. I will be done with a Master’s degree in business in May and my husband will be done with his teaching degree in December 2010 or so, so sometime in the following years after that. I have to admit, I will probably not be a happy pregnant lady. I have a big phobia of blood and needles, but I would like to think that will be easier for me when the time comes because it won’t just be about me anymore. Greg, my husband of 4 years, will be a fantastic dad and I look forward to seeing him in that role.
Though I don’t have a story of my own, I can relate my mom’s story of me. My mom was in labor with me for 25 hours, and I was born with my umbilical cord in a knot. I used to think that was so cool that I did “gymnastics” in my mom’s belly til I got older and realized just how lucky I was to not be born with any problems from the umbilical cord. Mom said the pregnancy and labor with me was difficult the whole time – My sister and I are 8 years apart for a reason! :)
With Gabriela(#1), it was a planned c-section…she was breech, bottom down, feet and head up. It took a while to get used to that but I was good to go when I pulled in the hospital at 5:00 in the morning on her bday! It was picture perfect! No problems and I was up walking around that same night. Recovery was a breeze! With Andre(#2), another planned c-section, things weren’t as smooth. He came early, making it an emergency c-section {which I don’t get, because it WAS planned?!} Everything was wrong! The doctor who delivered him had just woken up, I had major scar tissue from Gabs that they had to remove causing a major blood pool in my lower stomach all the way to my upper thigh. The doctor that was supposed to deliver Andre said he had never seen such a bad blood pooling. He said it looked like I was kicked by a horse! I felt like it too. I had to have a blood transfusion and the recovery after coming home was not as smooth as the first time. Over all, it made me not want to have any more babies. If it would have been as great as my first, I would have already had a third by now! Secretly(well, not now), I really wish I could have had a natural birth. I want so badly to know what it’s all like. You think I’m crazy, don’t you?
I have no birth stories yet, but when I first glanced at this page- my heart went in my throat. I saw the hospital picture and thought maybe that you had the baby and forgot to tell me.
Sara, you’re going to be a great mom! I’m excited for you to experience it when the time comes. Sounds like you’re a planner, which will translate beautifully into Momhood – especially if you also have the gift of being flexible! There is a closeness, intimacy and an unspeakable bond created between spouses when a child enters the mix and that’s a dynamic all its own to look forward to! Oh my goodness, I can’t imagine 25 hours of labor! Trust me, I don’t live my life in fear, but I can’t help but wonder if those type of complications (knotted umbilical cord, et al) await. Ultrasounds can look perfect, but delivery is an animal all it’s own. That’s the scary thing – so many things can go wrong.
Mandi, dear, I don’t think I knew all the complications you experienced with Andre. I do remember it being exciting that you went into labor before your c-section date! I don’t think you’re crazy at all for wanting to know what natural birth is like, because I do, too! I mean, I know what vaginal birth is like, but not to go into labor naturally (without being induced) – the excitement of feeling… it’s time! I think it’s very normal to want what you haven’t experienced.
In July of 2004, my son was born! His due date was July 18, but I had him on July 11. I had gone to my OB appointment earlier that week and was told that I would probably go past my due date. I was measuring at about 36 weeks in my 39th week, but the due date was correct. So, I planned a nice dinner out with my husband that weekend. I made reservations at The Melting Pot for a fun dinner date. Right before we left for the restaurant, I noticed some spotting. After a call to my doctor and since it was a very, very small amount and only occurred once, we went to dinner. Just as the uncooked meat for the fondue pot arrived I felt something. Hmmmm….did I wet myself? I told my husband that I needed to go to the restroom, that I thought I may have had a little accident. As I stood up and walked to the restroom, I realized that my water broke. We requested our check (and yes, still was charged the full amount $75 for the meal that we weren’t able to eat), and headed home to pack a bag quickly. I called my doctor from the car and she told me to head to the hospital. 20 hours later, along a few complications with me running a fever during labor….my son was born at 6 pounds 3 ounces, 18 inches long. I sobbed when I saw him for the first time. My husband cried too. All that crying must have had an effect on the doctor…she cried too.
That is a great story, Amy! Heck, it makes me want to cry, too… I’m sure it’s just because I’m hormonal right now. ;) (C’mon labor!) I love how you went ahead with your dinner plans – especially for a first time mom! I don’t want to freak out too early, go to the hospital and be sent home. That’d be the worst, especially for a third time mom. Embarrassing!
Birth stories wow talk about bringing back the memories.. Tyler my first who is now 16 and driving entered the world on January 18th, 1993. I remember laying in bed feeling Tyler jump around and heading to my next OB appointment to find out he decided he would try things sitting up instead of head down. Having a doctor from the “old school” we decided to turn him around in the office with no monitors or ultasounds. Doc successfully turned him around and he stayed head down like a good boy for the weeks to follow. The day I went into labor was interesting, I woke up Sunday morning with starting the beginning signs of labor, Todd and I went to Church and I was having contractions but they were mild and a long time apart. After Church we went home ate lunch then decided to go and mall walk to see if we could get things progressing. While we were out we decided to eat at Arby’s in Marshalltown, they still remember that I was in labor and eating and remind me of it today, ha. Todd decided to eat ONIONS not a good thing when you are suppose to be coaching your wife on how to breath, which he proceeded to do in my face!!! I think he got in big trouble for that one.. We headed home from the mall and things progressed we headed for the hospital around 9 or so and Ty was born at 3 in the morning.
When Tyler was 6 1/2 months old we found out that we were expecting again, did you know that it is a wives tale that you can’t get pregnant when you are nursing. Not sure that I believed that but sure didn’t take any precautions to prevent another one. Wow were we young. But we were excited to have another addition to our family and weren’t concerned with having them close together. This pregnancy just like the first the baby decided to go breech but this time they wanted to put my in the hospital to turn him around. They wanted to give me drugs to relax me so they could try and turn him. Then they thought I could go into labor, so they would give me pitocin to speed things along. I did not like the sound of that, then realized how things could have gone differently with Tyler since we didn’t check to make sure the cord was not wrapped around his neck from the flips he performed. We planned a c-section, which I have to say was a lot easier than delievering Tyler, I felt like I was hit by a mac truck after him. Trevor was born at 8:09am and we were very excited to learn that we had two boys that were going to be great buds growing up. Which they are, sometimes I have to remind them that there are other young men they can be friends with not just each other. It is such a blessing to have children that enjoy each others company and have a good time together.
After the boys were 2 and 3 we were involved in a Bible study, “Growing kids Gods way” they had a section in the book about teaching baby’s sign language, which I thought was waay cool and wanted to try it. This is a book that I highly recomend for new mothers called “Baby wise” which really helps understand these new creatures God has given us.
Since I always said I was having 3 boys and having gone through the Bible study I was very excited to have another baby. I finally got the news that We were expecting number 3, I believe it was during basketball season and Todd was coaching that we found out. Jesse were you playing for Todd at that time? The third pregnancy went as planned and since he decided to stay head down the whole pregnancy I was able to go Vbac. It was amazing how the drugs had improved in 4 years!!! Marshalltown didn’t do epidurals with the first pregnancy just something to take the edge off. I had an ITN which doesn’t numb you like the epidural but completely relaxes you. I went from 4 to 10 in an hour and had to push before the doctor was notified to come in. So needless to say boy number 3, Tucker came into this world with the nurse delivering him. I believe a new policy was adapted after that, NO ONE is to have an ITN shot and not checked 20 minutes later. Opps, oh well, we were in good hands. With not fighting the urge to push like i did first time around this was by far the best delievery of all of my children.
We are so blessed to have 3 boys, yes the testoterone level is quite high at times but they fight and get over it in 20 minutes not days later. I probably don’t thank God enough for how much he has blessed us to raise three young Godly men but he has and I am very thankful for them all.
Best of luck to you Jess going into delivery number 3, you are a great mom and have a wonderful family! Glad you are going to be in the 3 boy club, it is soooo much fun!
Jessie-Your comment about being sent home from the hospital as a 3rd time mom is EXACTLY what happened to me with Ryder. We shall discuss at our upcoming TS date, it’s best told in person. But for now let’s talk about my first birthing experience.
Baby #1-Was in labor a very long time 20+ hours, most of which was spent at home because the contractions were stalling out,didn’t really hurt, and my water hadn’t broke. Finally after like 13 hours of contractions and playing cards at home with my hubby, the contractions started to get a little closer together so the doctor told us to head into the hospital. There he broke my water and started me on Pitocin. I had planned all along on having drugs but by the time the contractions really started to hurt and I asked for the epidural I was told it was too late, baby was stressed from so many hours of labor. BABY? What about me?!? Motherhood Lesson #1-forget about the word ME. By that point, it hurt so bad that I was BEGGING for a C-section and saying things like “I just need you to get this baby out of me before I die.” Drama queen, yes? Long story short, I labored approximately 25 hours and delivered a beautiful baby girl WITH NO DRUGS. I still wear that badge of honor proudly and anytime I get hurt doing something trivial I repeat the mantra to myself “I had a baby NO DRUGS I am a tough cookie.” Added bonus was that we didn’t know what we were having so the reactions and emotions we felt when the doctor announced that it was a girl will forever be ingrained in my memory. Strangely enough, all this happened on my due date so I was sure I would be one of the few women in history to have a baby on the actual due date. Wrong! I looked up at the clock and it was just after 1:00 in the morning, so she missed the due date by an hour. And that’s how she’s been ever since, dances to the beat of her own drum. :)
I’m not gonna lie, natural birth hurt like a son of a gun, no matter the amount of lamaze techniques, deep breathing, and other tricks of the trade we tried. (Sidenote: given my extensive research and experimentation with lamaze i’ve determined that it only serves as a distraction and serves no other actual purpose.) I still haven’t forgotten the pain of that delivery, like so many say mothers do, but it didn’t stop me from doing it again since the reward was so great. Although with baby #2 I asked the doctor to put on my chart in month 4 that I wanted an epidural as soon as possible during labor. Just wanted to be prepared. Luckily, babies #2 & #3 were totally different experiences that didn’t hurt NEAR as bad. And something about giving birth each time kinda made me feel like a rock star. It still amazes me. But I would also like to know what God was thinking when he put our anatomy together. Did he look at the girl parts and say, “oh yeah we can definitely get a baby’s head to fit through this?” Things I will ask in heaven someday for sure. :)
Interesting topic! :) With my #1, my contractions started late Sunday/early Monday morning (a few days before my due date) and didn’t stop til I had the boy at 8:30 on Thursday evening. A little ridiculous. I was sent home 3 times and on the 4th was finally dilated to a 5 so I got to stay. I got an epidural which slowed things down and then pushed for 3 hours. They kept telling me I was doing a good job, but seriously it was practically embarassing. 3 hours? Couldn’t feel a thing though, which I realize now was probably the problem….:)
#2. Contractions started Sunday afternoon (a few days after my due date) and had her by 7:30 Monday morning. Much faster! I walked around the hospital until about 4:00 am, and then got my epidural. I could actually feel things going on a bit (though nothing like natural!) and it helped with pushing so much. Two times and she was out. We were so shocked with how quickly it went we were in a state of crying/laughing for about 5 minutes.
Hope this 3rd one for you is nice and smooth and that you don’t have to be induced.
It was nice to finally meet you the other day!
Mindy, so many things surprised me about your stories. One, Todd eating onions! That is soooo funny! Two, that your two older boys flipped! I just assumed that once head down, always head down. I’m surprised your first doc could manipulate him back head-down, I haven’t heard of that happening much. It sounds incredibly painful! Also, Vbacs are pretty rare, too. Sounds like you got to experience it all between your 3 babies!
PP, I can’t wait to hear the story of you being sent home. I’m assuming you weren’t very happy! And I’m probably going to laugh! It’s cool that the way things turned out, you got to experience a 100% natural childbirth, although you might not have felt that way at the time. Interesting though, that you didn’t want to go all-natural for the other two! :) I’m also in agreement that lamaze is a crock. Ok, we only went to the one-day quick childbirth class rather than the weeks of classes, but breathing techniques didn’t help me. I think everyone deals with pain in a different way. Before I got any drugs, I just wanted silence. I didn’t want to hear anyone or any music (we’d made a birth day playlist on our ipod). When I opened my mouth, I wanted Josh to insert an ice cube. That was all I required.
Abby, same here! I was really glad to finally meet you although I wish we would have more talk time. Too much to ask with a room full of running kids? Perhaps! You poor thing… I can’t believe how long you were in labor with Henry! I would have been so sad & frustrated to have been sent home 3 times! That’s just cruel. They could have pretended you were ready and kept you there to make you feel better. Although, a good 3-4 days in the hospital doesn’t sound like a picnic either. And what a nice surprise with Harper. You were both probably geared up for a long wait and a lot of pushing. Your reaction was so sweet. Sounds perfect! Thanks for sharing!
I’ve been having contractions all day, guys! Maybe this is working… brain send “start labor” chemicals! It’s just Braxton Hicks nonsense, but it’s been pretty constant. I hope that means I’m gearing up.
TMI, everybody.
Jessie, I have to go back 30 years. Lamaze classes were encouraged. It was fun because we had some really humorous people in our class and the class was taught by Mrs. Stork. I am NOT kidding! She introduced herself and we all started laughing but that was her name, Joanne Stork. And by the way, after Ruth was born I smashed my middle finger and used the Lamaze method to control pain as I drove myself to the local clinic.
So here goes….Rachel was born around 12:30 AM December 24. 1978…the doctor had put her due date on Christmas day but we couldn’t wait! That afternoon I helped Ivan vaccinate 40 pound pigs. He always thought pregnant bellies were great pig supports when he worked pigs! I wasn’t feeling the best around 6:30 at supper time. Around 10 o’clock I thought we better get going to the hospital since it was an hour drive! Rachel was born 1 1/2 hours after I got there! I just remember the delivery table was hard and very uncomfortable! We used the Lamaze method and no drugs! The doctor had to use forceps but everything went okay except right after delivery I went into shock! Ivan left around 2 that morning and we had a few very restful days. Everyone had Christmas parties so we had very few visitors. My family from Iowa came a week later!
Mark was born on July 4!!!! We had planned a fireworks party for that day! Why a pregnant lady would do that is beyond me!! We rescheduled it for two weeks later.
I remember all week I thought I had labor pains. I was in a beauty shop and was wondering if I should be getting my hair cut at that time. Anyway, I woke up around 5:30 AM and told Ivan we needed to get going. He told me to go back to sleep!!!! Then he asked if he could at least get some chores done before we left! I told him to hurry up!
Mark was born at 10:30 AM and weighed a bit over 8#. So again only 5 hours of labor and half of them were at home! The hospital had a new birthing chair. Much nicer than a delivery table!
Ruth’s birth was the most exciting! January 4, 1986! That afternoon I had a doctor’s appointment and was told it would be at least a week before the baby would be born. I drove home on icy roads. We were still doctoring at Parkston which was 45 miles away! Early evening it started snowing hard. I remember looking out the front door and saying, “I am sure glad this baby won’t be born tonight!” At 2:30AM I woke up. I told Ivan to get going and he went with the tractor to clear a path on our snow-filled roads. I had Rachel and Mark and their clothes ready as they were going to be dropped off at a cousin’s house. We left in a hurry!
At 5:10AM (only 3 hours after I woke up) Ruth was born. When we dropped Rachel and Mark off, our cousin’s husband, Arnie, decided he better follow us. The snow storm was really bad. We went through pretty big snow drifts. I got to the hospital only a short hour before Ruth was born.
I used the Lamaze method again which for me was terrific. Pain was anticipated but with this method you always knew the length of time of contractions.
However, it was really good that we got to the hospital with Ruth. She was born blue!
The doctor had to clear out her nasal cavities and twice after she was born she stopped breathing. She didn’t want to breathe through her nose which was clogged with mucus! We are so thankful to the Lord that we got through those snow drifts and she was not born in the car! That might have been very sad! I do not think we would have known how to get her to breathe!
You are in our thoughts and prayers and we anxious to see you and your little one soon!
Aunt Lois
Hi Jessie – Hope these stories are helping!!
Sarah – Seemed pretty routine until I went in to the hospital after having mild contractions for a few hours. Only when I was admitted did I find out I had toxemia – My blood pressure at one point was 200/140. They weren’t very happy with that so started me on all kinds of meds – like you – I didn’t like that at all. I was pretty doped up so hardly remember her being born – and then I was put into a private room and told I had to keep it dark and quiet – no visitors – no baby! for 48 hours. Finally after a shift change, the nurse said she would break the rules and bring me the baby because I was getting so upset about not seeing her. Went well after that.
With Jason, I had back labor – had a crabby old nurse who had to be at least 75! She insisted that because my contractions were very inconsistent and I was attached to a monitor, I had to stay flat on my back – Again, a shift change saved the day – the next nurse said that I was free to do what I wanted – if the monitor went off, they could turn it off for awhile. Went much better and much quicker once I got off my back – Lesson learned: YOU are the one in charge – Speak up and (within reason) do what you want!!! Wish I would have done that a lot earlier.
With Joel, I was working part time at the nursery school – went in on Monday morning to drop Sarah off at kindergarten and dropped Jason at preschool – picked up bookwork, and then went with Marv to my doctor’s appointment – this was on my due date. The doctor said I seemed really ready, so why didn’t I just go over to the hospital – they would break my water and see what happened but we could think about it if we wanted – we went to Burger King – Marv ate and I didn’t, just in case – and we finally decided to go and get admitted about 12:30. They broke my water and things started happening very quickly and he was born at 2:00. Piece of cake compared to the other two. One thing to be prepared for – it seemed pretty anticlimatic compared to the other two – I went home the next day – Wednesday morning went back to nursery school with the baby to bring back the paperwork and payroll I had done – completely freaked out the people I had seen when super pregnant less than 48 hours earlier! My mom and dad flew up on Thursday, and since they were there anyway, decided to have Joel baptized that Sunday. Again, surprised some people (our prayer chain wasn’t working well at that point) who didn’t even know I had the baby – had seen me at church the Sunday before, and was there having Joel baptized the next Sunday. That was pushing it though We had about 16 people over for lunch after church – I really wiped out after that. My advice – don’t be so tough as I tried to be – you’ve just had a baby – take advantage of people babying you as much as you can!!
Can’t wait to hear your news!! Hope it goes as well for you as Joel’s was for me!!!
Hey Jessie! I had good experiences with my kids. Garrett came on his due date (very rare) and from when my water broke to his arrival…12 hours. Not bad, I had a 4th degree tear (ask any OB nurse, they will explain it, not really a blog conversation) with him but I survived and eventually had another baby. I did have drugs because I’m a big baby about pain. Which reminds me about how I want to cry about the pain with my hang nail.
With Makayla I had a scheduled c-section (because of my 4th degree tear) and she was out with in 15 minutes. So I got to experience 2 types of birth. Alot of people I have talked to about having both types, liked one better than the other where I didn’t mind both. Every birth and stories are different, but its fun to tell and talk about your experiences.
This goes along with Josh’s TMI comment.
Jess and I have started a budding youth program in our church during the last year. The only place that we can meet happens to be a small group meeting room, which has two rocking chairs hidden behind dividers for nursing mothers in attendance during service. This usually posts no complications to our youth group…until yesterday. Two mothers came back to nurse their infants, and decided they wanted to share their birth stories. Stories which lasted over 30 minutes. Stories in great detail.Unfortunately due to the confined space and volume of their voices, their stories were overheard by two teenage girls. Those poor girls may never have children now.
Jess and I felt that there may have been a better place to share stories. But what do I know? Correct me if I’m wrong. Please.
I’m loving all the comments! Thanks, everyone!
Will, you are definitely not wrong. There is a time and place to be sure. I’d go even further to say that one should never, ever tell the truth of pregnancy and delivery to a teenage girl, unless it is for the purposes of birth control. :)
How exciting jessie.. the time is getting closer.. and reading all the comments i’m sure is really putting it all into perspective for you…
here goes mine..
my due date was 7-7-04. the day came and went so i went back to the dr on 7-13-04 for a checkup. side note..my actual OBGYN that saw me for the first 39 weeks of pregnancy, thought it would be a good time the beginning of july to go to canada for a month!! so she referred me to a dr in the neighboring town which was 60 minutes away. i met with him for the first time on 7-7-04 and then again on 7-13-04. appt went well, said i was a little dialated, and that it would be happening any time. i was very content being pregnant, never once wanting to be induced or wishing it was all over (i think i knew that once that baby was here, my life was forever gonna be changed, and i wasn’t quite ready for that!! and frankly, somedays i still don’t think i am :) ) so left the dr around 4pm. my husband actually took me to this appointment. my vehicle was in the shop from having been in a hail storm 3 weeks prior in which i sat in my vehicle with softball sized hail hitting and shattering my windows. if that wasn’t gonna put me into labor, i don’t know what was. so we headed out for dinner and then back home the 60 miles. we got home around 10pm. my water broke around 11pm, called hospital and they told me to come back. packed my bag (not quite sure why i was waiting til the last minute to do that) rode 60 miles in a BUMPY pickup truck with no extended cab so no way to recline seat with contractions 3-4 minutes apart. LONGEST trip of my life. checked into ER around midnight. MAJOR back labor that wouldn’t go away until they finally found the dr to give the epidural at 3am. (there was no breathing or anything that was gonna take that pain away.. and to this day, i still have pain in my hip from the nerve he was pressing against) started pushing at 4am. 7am still no baby so went in for c section. we didn’t know what we were having so i’ll never forget when they said ‘its a boy’!! just nothing like that feeling. so at 7:14 on 7/14/04 our little boy was born.
#2 i decided to go with a scheduled c section, but told only my inlaws, as they were watching son #1. so 11/23/07, the day after thanksgiving, we went in for our scheduled c section and our little girl was born at 7:52am. (i’m so glad we had the csection as her head measured BIG and there is no way i would have been able to have her naturally if i couldn’t with her brother who was normal sized). we didn’t find out this time what we were having either, and when they said it was a girl, i had to ask ‘are you sure?’ as i really thought it was gonna be another boy. my family wasn’t too happy with me. they didn’t know about the scheduled c section, so when i called and told them that i had a little girl,their day of black friday shopping was cut short! and then i wouldn’t tell the name til they got to the hospital. i didn’t tell them as i didn’t want them worrying about me all morning and figured they could atleast get a little shopping in!!
Jessie.. i can’t wait to hear the news that your 3rd little boy is here.. AND to hear what name you all have chosen. praying for a smooth and uneventful labor and delivery
Hey Jessie – Here we go:
Ian was a week late so they brought me in for induction. When I entered the hospital Friday morning at 8:00am I was exactly 1 cm dilated. They started me on penicillan because apparently I’ve just been walking around all my life with Strep B! I was having contractions all day but didn’t feel anything. Finally that evening they gave me pitocin when I wasn’t really progressing at all (duh, Ian was not ready to be born and the U of I forced him out). The pitocin hit hard and fast. Faster than any human body should be able to endure. I was in much, much, much pain so asked for an epidural. Somewhere in there they broke my water, too. It’s hard to remember now! It took several attempts to get the IV in for the epidural and Dylan actually went to the bathroom and prayed to Jesus over the toilet that he wouldn’t throw up! Once I got the epidural they figured out that Ian was sunny-side-up so they had me do the “Texas roll” to try to get him to turn over (he never did, he came out that way). All of my contractions were in my back so I never realized I had been having contractions all week!
Finally it was time to push at around 7:00pm Saturday night (remember how I went in on Friday at 8:00am?). I pushed and pushed and pushed (and Dylan counted and counted). Finally after about 3 1/2 hours of pushing they asked me if I wanted to use the vaccuum, c-section, or the forceps. We quickly chose vaccuum. There were already a ton of people in the room and when I said vaccuum the number of nurses seemed to double. I had a couple of good pushes and out he came! They determined while I was in labor that he had meconium (sp?) so they had a team of pediatricians ready when he was born. Dylan likes to say that Ian was the 15th person in the room when he was born (and it’s true!). If you count the hour I was getting stitched up (3rd degree tear) I was in labor for 40 hours straight!
After that we had to stay an extra day in the hospital because since I was on antibiotics when he was born, he had to be on antibiotics for 36 hours after birth.
There you have it! I hope your delivery is uneventful and that your baby is born QUICKLY!
So here are all 3 of my birth experiences.
8 years ago I gave birth to my first, Victoriah. My special Mothers Day present! I was in my second year of MCC and teachers and students were wondering if I would finish, but I did and later was told all of the nursing students were watching me at graduation in case I went into labor!!! That following Friday we stayed at my parent’s house for some reason. I woke up in the night feeling a little wet, but thought maybe I didn’t make it to the bathroom in time. So we went home and rested and I read my “What to Expect…” book to see what it said about your water breaking. I guess I was expecting one BIG gush of fluid. When I got off the bed I felt a “little” gush. So we decided to go to the hospital. All the way to Newton, where I would deliver, I was wondering, but every bump or laugh I would gush a little more. At the hospital they did the little test and my amniotic fluid was in fact leaking. I was going to have the baby. Labor was long and I had terrible back labor and my contractions were coupling two at a time. Finally they gave me pitocin and an epidural. Victoriah was born on Mothers Day morning at around 6 am after over an hour of pushing. She was born sunny side up, hence the back labor and coupling contractions. My husband and mom were in on the birth. The poor little girl had a very squished nose. We all though she would need surgery to fix it but the doctor assured us it would go back to normal and it did eventually.
23 months later I gave birth to Elijah my second. We wanted to go closer to home for the birth so we went to Grinnell. I found out at my routine ultrasound that I was having another girl. One night when I was 37 week I started having some pain in my side and just didn’t fell well for a couple days. 2 nights later I slept really well and that morning I was getting ready to go to my aunt’s baby shower, but I started contracting so I went to the hospital. I was contracting and 3 cm. They kept me. I labored all day and into the night with this side pain continuing. They gave me a drug similar to an epidural but very different. I felt everything except my FEET! Wow that helps! Anyway, that pressure and pain did help me push the baby out a lot faster than with Victoriah and I delivered at 12:55 am. My husband, mom and mother-in-law were in on the birth. Unfortunately the baby was having trouble breathing so they took the baby over to a table in my room to work on right away. We were very scared but commenting on how cute she was and how much hair she had. Well, about 5 minutes after the baby was born, a nurse said “We have a boy here” HUH! What did you say? I almost fell off the bed in shock. Yes, we had a beautiful baby BOY, but he was 3 ½ weeks early and his lungs were not developed yet. So, just hours after he was born, an ambulance came and took him to Blank at Methodist. Very hard to let him go, but they did let me hold him before he left. They gave me a sleeping pill and I was able to sleep. They let me check out of the hospital the following morning just 8 hours after delivering. I guess you don’t know what to expect having a preemie like that. It was especially hard with a 7 pound preemie. But, he was a very sick little boy. He had over a dozen cords hooked up to him. He was taken off the ventilator and most of the machines on Easter Sunday, 1 week after he was born and we were able to all hold him. FINALLY! That was the hardest part. I just wanted to hold him to let him know it was going to be okay. It was a super emotional experience but God taught me a lot through the whole thing. We spent 2 long, scary weeks in the NICI but they were Awesome there and of course we had the story to tell. Although I must admit it was rather like I was missing my baby Alexiah, a strange feeling! Later we found out I had an abrupt hemorrhage in my placenta which might have caused the early labor and problems for the baby. I am so thankful for how the whole thing worked out and that we now have a healthy, energetic little boy who will be starting Kindergarten this fall!
After what we experience with Elijah, we decided to go to Methodist hospital for our 3rd child so we would be close to the NICU at Blank if needed. Everything went smoothly until my sister’s birthday when I was 29 weeks pregnant. I started with very strong, regular contractions. I didn’t tell anyone all day until we got to the restaurant to eat and I started crying. I think I was more scared than anything. We did not know what to do, so I went to the hospital in Marshalltown. I was contracting regularly. I was scared but not dilating yet. Of course we had had a sick baby before, so we didn’t want to go though that again! So, they stopped the contractions, but they started again, so they stopped them again, and they restated so they stopped them again. I got shots of steroids to develop the baby’s lungs. I spent the night at the hospital. Finally by the next morning the contractions stopped and I got send home. My doctor put me on medicine to relax my uterus and put me on bed rest. It was hard to do with my other 2 kids but they were older so they helped and our church ladies brought supper every night! So, when I was taken off the bed rest at 35 weeks and then the medicine at 36 weeks I was expecting to go into labor! Didn’t happen. But oh did I have the contractions and false labor. I spent one night in the hospital thinking I was in labor only to get sent home the following morning. By that point I was so frustrated with all of the false labor. Terrible. I think by 37 weeks my doctor felt sorry for me and scheduled to induce me at 39 weeks. So on 7-7-07 I went into the hospital and was induced. Terrible back labor again, Epidural was nice and finally got me relaxed enough to progress super fast. I think that was the problem all along, I just need to relax. My husband, mom, dad, sister, mother-in-law and sister-in-law were all in on the birth. It was a big party, so much fun! With 2 pushes he was out, beautiful and perfect. A much more enjoyable hospital stay and birth experience!
Can’t wait to hear about your 3rd birth experience. It is hard to believe you are almost there!
Amy! I had no idea about your births and all you went through – I’m so glad you shared with us! Incredible that your second girl was a boy… and you didn’t find out until about 5 minutes later! And how scary for you to let go and have to let him make his first trip without you. I can’t even imagine the anxiety you must have been feeling – really, just all the emotions bundled into that day. And your third got a really cool birthday… after lots of surprises. How about those church ladies? Shout out to the church ladies out there, aren’t they wonderful? What a beautiful way to show love – through food! I think it’s neat that so many of your family members were there for the party. I’m trying to imagine my own dad in my delivery room… and my mind just won’t go there! Ha ha! Rod is way more enlightened… obviously! :)
Hey Jessie, sorry I’m a day late. Love reading the stories. Like you, mine are 1 year and 6 days apart, not planned at least not my planning. Allie was 13 days late, born January 18th, 1991. I kept going in with headaches at 4 days overdue, 8 days overdue and they kept sending me home. Finally I had an appointment at 11 days overdue and I was dilated to a 1, yea, my body doesn’t go into labor. The doctor told me he would check me, but that he couldn’t break my water. All at once, he winked at me and then said, oops, I accidently broke your water, that was at 3:00 in the afternoon on Wednesday, I had her at 1:10 a.m on Friday. After pitocin and hours of labor and pushing, they finally decided to do a c-section. I had told them i probably wouldn’t deliver on my own, I have a tipped pelvis (sorry any guys reading this) and my babies have big heads, they didn’t believe me. She probably would have been born 2 days earlier had they listened. Anyway, she had some complications, had to have surgery at 4 days old, a colostomy and then had it reversed at 7 months old. Needless to say it was a long year. In the mean time when Allie was 3 months old I got pregnant with Hilary. I was 4 days overdue with her and they just went ahead and scheduled a c-section. I went in on her due date and I hadn’t dilated at all, not effaced, nothing, so they just told me they were too busy and to call back everyday until they had an opening for me since they knew I wouldn’t go into labor on my own, I was fine with that. So I called in Friday morning and they scheduled me at 3:30, Hilary was born at 4:04 p.m January 24, 1992, piece of cake, I was up and walking 4 hours later. I was right across the hall from the ice cream so I got myself up and got me an ice cream bar and then went down and visited the nurses at the nurses station, they about crapped their pants, they were like “hi barb, wait, didn’t you just have a baby like 4 hours ago you shouldn’t be able to be up walking around and then they just died laughing when I told them I had already helped myself to an ice cream bar. They are like do you want to see your baby, I’m like no you can keep her, this is more fun talking to you, she’s my second, I will have 18 years with her, oh, yea, you can feed her whenever you have time. They said they liked laid back moms like me and hated to see me go home. I stopped at 2, got my tubes tied immediately after Hilary was born and have never really regretted it, now I am just a year away from being an empty nester. It just flies by Jess, so enjoy!!
Barb, you make me laugh! I’m glad you can identify with me having 2 so close together. Thanks for sharing! :)
1st born: I went to my last appointment 2 days before I was due. I had been fully effaced and two centimeters dialated since the previous appointment (where I was told I most likely would give birth within a few days). Just as I was getting ready to ask, the doctor informed me that we could induce at any point that I felt like it and he was on duty the next morning. Sean didn’t like the idea of inducing, but I was all done. Eden had been kicking my ribs trying to get out for 3 months, and I was ready to get the show on the road. So, we got to the hospital around 9 AM, by the time we were all checked in & hooked up to pitocin it was about 11 AM. I remember just sitting there watching The Cosby Show. My water broke on its own about 12:30. About 30 minutes later the nurse caught me covering my face in pain. She asked if I was ready for my epidural, and I said I was still too scared of the big needle in my back, so she offered to give me something in my IV. I’m still not sure what they put in there, but all it did was make me too tired to feel like I could deal with the pain. So, I went ahead and asked for the epidural. It was magnificent. A little too magnificent. A few minutes after the anesthesiologist left the room, my legs started to shake. I asked my sister in law if that was the drugs or if I was transitioning. She said it wasn’t the drugs and called the nurse in. The nurse checked & I had jumped right up to 10 cm. They got me all ready to push. Sean held one leg (which was funny, because he had decided beforehand that he was staying north of the equator, but the nurse didn’t ask – she told), and my sister in law held the other. So, the nurse told me what to do…a few times…and I looked at her and said “is that it?” She said “no” and told me they were turning off the epidural for a little while. I took a nap and woke up when the pressure started to build. I called them all back in, and started pushing Eden out with all my might in terrible fear that the epidural would completely wear off before I had that little body out of my bloated one. Forty-five minutes later at 4:45 pm Eden appeared in all her glory, and I was thrilled that I had finished before all of the drugs were out of my system. =)
2nd born: I went to work the morning of my 38 week appointment and then went home to get Sean and Eden so they could go with me since the doctor was going to check my progress (we would have left Eden with a sitter but it seemed silly, since the doctor was usually in the room for about 2.3 minutes before bolting to his next appointment). I waited impatiently for Sean to hurry up and come outside with Eden, but just before I got home Eden found the Armor All under the kitchen sink & sprayed it all over the linoleum floor. After falling three times, Sean got it as cleaned up as possible and came outside to meet me in the car. We drove the two miles to the doctor’s office with the knowledge that the doctor couldn’t tell me anything that wouldn’t allow me to at least come home and pack a bag – or so I thought. The doctor started to check me, and I realized his hand had been in there for a while, and it felt like he was in up to his elbow. He apologized, laughed, and said “Well, this doesn’t happen very often. You’re 8 cm dialated. You’re going to have a baby”. My husband didn’t quite catch on at first. He thought we just got to go home and wait for the baby. The doctor had to inform him that we needed to go across the street to the hospital NOW. I started laughing, and my doctor told me that I wasn’t supposed to be laughing at 8 cm. He called over to let the maternity ward know we were on our way, and we got to the car as fast as possible. I told my husband to drive carefully, because I knew that if my water did break before I got there my chances of getting an epidural would fly out the window (even though I know outside pressure has nothing to do with it!). We made a few calls as fast as we could moving our car to the other side of the street. I called my sister in law, and she jumped right into action. Sean called his mom and step-dad, and they started making the 30 minute drive to our house. Thank goodness my sister in law’s mom was a nurse on duty at the hospital, so she was able to come over, leave her youngest son with her mom for a few minutes, grab Eden, and then go back to our place to get me a few things (since I hadn’t gathered a darn thing), and left her son with Eden as soon as our in-laws got to our place. The nurses and doctor on call were hilarious. They said “it’s not that we don’t trust your doctor, but we won’t believe it until we check you for ourselves.” They confirmed it, and I had three nurses surrounding me instantly taking care of things as quickly as possible so I could have my epidural. I wasn’t in any pain, but I knew what was coming! For anyone that is afraid of that needle and wants to wait for the pain to get the drugs, trust me, it really isn’t bad at all. After all of that running around, and the re-appearance of my sister in law, we were ready for Sage to just pop right out. But she decided to wait until after the doctor broke my water. This epidural was different, I could still feel things at first. I informed the nurse after she checked me that it still felt like her hand was still up there. She cringed and said the anesthesiologist would be right back. =) I still could feel tingling but I never felt any pain. I am not sure which epidural was better – the one with Eden where I couldn’t feel a darn thing or the one with Sage where I had to have a second dose but I could still kind of tell what I was pushing. Anyway, when it was finally time, after 25 minutes of pushing, Sage joined the world at 8:08 PM.
Thanks, Jessie, for letting me share these terribly long stories! It brought back a lot of memories! I actually dreamt last night that you had your baby. Best of luck to you and your family!
God bless you, Brandy, for dreaming about me having the baby! :) Oh my gosh, I don’t know what I would have done if when the doctor checked me I was at an 8 and didn’t know it! You must have been distracted. Luckily you didn’t try to rush in the house, pack a bag and slip on the Armor All-ed floor – I was waiting for that! :) That is quite a story. Thanks so much for sharing! I love it!
OK, you know my story but let me refresh you. The story of my delivery of my now 5-year-old son includes
a glimpse into what I so “fondly” refer to my as “my finest moment”. I think textbooks and birthing coaches may refer to it as “transition”. “My finest moment” involves near-nakedness while undergoing an epidural while bawling my eyes out and puking on myself. About 10 minutes later (after epidural completed), I could have hosted a party in my room and tended to all of my guest’s needs – and I will say, for the most part – I did. I’m pro-epidural!
hi jessie-i have enjoyed all the comments, and your pictures of your progression. i would like to tell you of our 1st daughter’s birth, which of course, is your mother. i was at our home, and gpa was hunting, or something. gpa’s sister mary ann happened to be visiting and i had been kind of having a backache. she questioned me about it, and it progressively got worse. nothing else was going on-no labor pains, etc.. it was 3 weeks before my due date, so figured it was just carrying around your mother that made my back hurt. about noon, they all thought i’d better get to the dr, and they called gpa and he met us at the clinic. i truly was in labor-so they put me in the hospital and by 6 something that evening, our daughter had arrived. i might tell you-at that time, everyone and his dog(not really) could come in and out and visit you while you were in labor. i had a wonderful nurse that comforted me and taught me how to breathe, etc. sometime that late afternoon, grandma doris and grandpa vernon had come to the hospital, and i remember when their 1st grandchild was born, and they wheeled me to my room, the first people i saw, other than gpa chuck, was my dad and mom, and i said to them “we got our denise!” of course, we didn’t know the sex of the baby before hand and it was a wonderful moment when we found out. she weighed 7lb 1 oz and 19″ long. she had lots of black hair. the only problem was that she didn’t want to eat-just wanted to sleep. they seemed concerned-when they would bring her in for me to feed(bottle baby)all she would do would be to sleep and they would flick the bottom of her feet to wake her up. in those days, you stayed in the hospital for at least 5 days(at least my dr kept you that long). so at the 5th day, she wasn’t ready to come home yet, and they let me stay another day, just in case we could take her home then. but to no avail. they ended up feeding her with a tube to her stomach at least 3 times during that time. well,needless to say, we went home without her. i felt so empty and sad that i couldn’t bring her home. but the happiest day-3 weeks later (on her real due-date)-we got to bring her home!! by then she was almost sleeping through the night..and i was stronger and ready for her. gpa was so great-keeping me “up” during that time. well, when her brother, david came along, he was drinking his bottle while in the hospital and wanting more!! they were a good pair growing up(16 mo apart)and with the help of GG (my mom) we got along fine. then 7 years later, our darla was born and that was our family. now, i can’t believe we are having great-grandchildren!! we have been so blessed and now our family is growing and even more blessed. we have such a close-fun family and i am so thankful for each and every one of them! so just wanted to share with you the birth of your mother and now you are sharing all the wonderful moments of you and your little family. God bless all of you! love you, gma bev
Jorja! Thanks for commenting – yes, of course I remember your “finest moment”. :) Makes me laugh to think about you telling it to me the first time. How I didn’t let that deter me is still a mystery! :)
And G’ma Bev, I’m so glad you took the time to comment about my mother’s birth! It’s crazy to think about her being in the hospital for so long and you having to go home without her at first. She was a pretty good size for being 3 weeks early, too. It’s sweet that after 50 years, you can still remember what you said to your mom & dad! Yes, God has blessed us with a wonderful family – I’m so thankful. Glad we can add to it, too!
a post script to my long letter: as you know, your mother was our valentine baby…gpa gave me a box of valentine candy that day, and i gave him his daughter! fair trade??
Hello! I haven’t done this sort of posting yet, but here goes. We have a pretty recent story as our little guy was born in June. I’m a teacher and was VERY antsy to get him here, so I tried all of the tricks of the trade. I ate spicy food and got a pedicure, I swear that did it! It was 11:00 sunday night my husband claims I yelled something in my dreams about a bear clawing me. My water had broken. Dusty ran around crazily getting ready to go and we were off to Methodist Hospital. I was not dialated at all (weird) so we waited it out.
I couldn’t sleep because of the anticipation and Dusty couldn’t sleep because of the horrible pull out bed. To shorten the story up, I dialted the next day at the rate of 1 cm per two hours! We had a variety of family keeping us company after the epidural at noon. Around 8:30 I was to a 10 and was ready to rock and roll.
Now, let me preface the birthing experience with the fact that we opted out of going to the classes. Maybe not our best decision ever, but we made it through. Luckily for me, the sweet nurse who had cared for us all day went off duty and the bossy nurse came on duty. She was the main factor that got us through. Twenty contractions later, baby Jase arrived. 8 lb .08 oz 21 inches long. His cord was wrapped around his head, so Dusty didn’t get to cut the cord.
It was certainly a traumatic experience, but worth every one of the 1437 minutes we spent in the hospital waiting for him to come! Jessie, I can’t wait to hear about your new little one. Hope he shows up soon for your sake. Remember..I swear by the pedicure.
:*~ I am very thankful to this topic because it really gives great information *`’