My husband and I did everything that was expected of first time parents. He came along with me to all my doctors appointments, we asked our doctors a ton of questions, and we even took the baby education classes (lamaze). I had no fears as my due date approached and thought I was ready for the wonderful beauty of childbirth.
My daughter was due on the 25th of February, but I showed no signs of labor on that day. I went to my final doctors appointment where a midwife suggested that we ‘scrape your membranes’ to kick start labor. I thought sure why not.. cant hurt. My appointment was at 1 and I started having contractions around 5 pm. My husband and I put our bags in the car and headed up to our local grocery store so I could walk around and hopefully move things along.
When I couldnt talk through contractions anymore we headed up to the hospital around 10 pm. Once at the hospital my contractions got slower and less intense until the next morning. I opted to try some pain medicine that afternoon (the 26th) after the doctors started me on pitocin. The nubane worked for a short period of time but once it started to wear off I became sick and vomitted. I got 3 shots and threw up after each one wore off.
At this point I decided that I needed an epidural because I had horrible back labor and was in a lot of pain. The nurse anthesist came in and started prepping for the epidural. She tried to thread the line between contractions but having her poke my back on top of having severe back labor was unbearable. She missed her spot twice and informed me that she ‘hit a boney spot’ in my spine. I was in tears and wanted to scream at her, but I just cried and yelled at my husband instead. (He tried to calm me down by asking me softball trivia but I just yelled at him more.. poor guy.)
Once she got the catheter threaded they decided not to give me the full amount of medicine because my heart rate increased and my blood pressure decreased. Basically I had put myself in shock because of the pain of the epidural and contractions. I was put on oxygen and I was told that a cardiologist was going to come in and see if I needed at ct scan. I lied in bed in tears with a mask on my face still in more pain then anyone should ever experience. I kept telling the nurse that my lower body wasnt numb and I could still feel the contractions that were getting closer together.
My water was broken in hopes that the baby would move down into birthing position around 4 pm since she was still high up. I dont remember much between this point and delivering my daughter because I was in so much pain still. I was only getting 5ml an hour of pain meds and the only thing that did was allow me to sleep when I wasnt having contractions.
Finally, after being in labor over 24 hours, my doctor came in and informed me that if I wasnt able to deliver within the hour he was going to have to do a c-section. At this point I didnt care what happened but I knew I didnt want a c-section. Within 15 minutes the nurse had to get the doctor because the baby had moved down and I was ready to push.
Pushing was the icing on the cake of labor. It was my light at the end of the tunnel; I was so relieved to get to this point. Plus its the most ‘natural’ part of child birth because as my nurse put it ‘you push like your pooping, Kelley!’ I had pushed maybe 8 times and then my doctor told me to stop. What the?? Why?? Apparently the cord was wrapped around my daughters neck. So once her head was free, I stopped, they cut the cord off her neck and then pulled her the rest of the way out.
I couldnt stop crying after that. They put her on my chest and I just cried even more. I personally dont think that labor is a beautiful thing, but seeing your child for the first time is one of the best feelings in this world. She was healthy and just looked at me with the same wonderment that I was looking at her with. The first thing I told my husband was ‘she has green eyes! she has green eyes!’ (Which wasnt even true.. she has blue eyes). That was was of the only things that we said to each other because we were just both amazed at this new little life that came bounding into the world.
The doctors started to stitch my back up and the nurse had to massage my belly to try and make my uterus contract back to normal. She was pretty rough and kept apologizing. I told her that what she was doing was nothing compared to what I had just gone through. She laughed and I did for the first time that day as well.
A few interesting facts about my labor:
My daughter was not born with a cone head despite my long labor. :)))
My mom had enough time to buy a ticket, fly from Texas and still be in the room for over 6 hours before my daughter was born.
When I had my son I was given 12ml/hour with my epidural!
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melissa says
So cute and TINY! I see a lot of you in your baby.
I did a favorite feb finds and wrote about you. So if you would like to go and read it it's up!
Kelley says
Thank you so much Melissa! She does look alot like me.. silly little girl! Thank you for the write up.. I tweeted about it! Youre too sweet!!
Olga says
Touching story… it reminded me of my labor and how much I cried when I first hold my daughter in my hands! What a feeling!
Olga says
Touching story… it reminded me of my labor and how much I cried when I first hold my daughter in my hands! What a feeling!
--Amie-- says
Beautiful story!! 🙂 I agree that birthing is NOT beautiful, but there isn't an accurate description in the world for seeing your child for the first time! 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
Alicia Seeley says
Great story. She is adorable. I am your newest follower!!! I am over at
http://www.seeleyfamily5.blogspot.com!!
Kelley says
Thanks Alicia.. shes a keeper 🙂
Heading to your site now!
Rachel says
Beautiful baby and beautiful family! Inductions are never fun, but we mamas will go through a lot to not be pregnant anymore at the end! Awesome how she finally came down so you could push. Thanks for sharing!
Tricia says
You forget all of the pain once you see your baby's sweet face…and she's a cutie! Glad that your mom could make it for the delivery!
Tricia says
PS – Didn't realize before that her middle name is Ellen! 🙂
Kelley with an *E -Y* says
After all that you went through with Ryley, I am surprised you had a second baby! LOL! I also had back labor and it was not fun – worth the pain in the end though… Sometimes – ha, ha!
Jelli says
Aw! I love reading birth stories! I plan on writing mine soon, but haven't gotten around to it. Be gratefil that your nurse could massage that uterus back to size. My midwife had to stab (yes, stAb) me twice with Pitocin to get mine to contract. Thanks so much for sharing.
Miss Kitty says
I work in the hospital with the newborn babies after they are born. It always makes me cry when I do (not often) go in the labor room when the babies are actually born because it is such a wonderful and miraculous event. My 3 kids are all grown up now but I still like to think back on each labor and delivery. Thanks for sharing your story. I saw it over at “Weekend Wrapup Party” .
dangerous driving says
Cameron doesnt care, he wants to play the big man on the world stage and become a statesman like tony blair, hopefully it will be his downfall
Jill says
What an amazing birth story! I am so glad you didn't end up having to do a c-section and that she finally decided to move down. Thanks for sharing your story!
Jill
PPL training says
amezing and nice story…i am very glad to read this story..God bless you both…