Sex: Female
Date of Birth: 8/7/14
Original Due Date: 8/13/14
Weeks Pregnant: 39 weeks 1 day
Baby's Weight: 8lbs 6oz
Baby's Length: 20"
I thought my water broke at 5am on the 5th but when I spoke with the doctor & told him it was a small amount of fluid, he seemed convinced that it was not amniotic fluid. On the 6th I had a similar leak again in the morning so I informed my doctor about it at the weekly doctor appointment at 9:15am. At this point he seemed more convinced that it might be my water & he sent me down the hall to have an amniosure test. The test confirmed I was leaking amniotic fluid and I was admitted to labor & delivery at 11:30am. I was on antibiotics from there on out (6 rounds) because my water had been leaking for so long. I've heard that many doctors will do c-sections if the water has been broken for over 24 hours to prevent the risk of infection and I was very relieved to find out that my doctor was not of that mindset. I wanted as natural and unmedicated of a birth as possible.
I wasn't progressing on my own & was only dilated to a fingertip so pitocin was started at 1pm. I was not excited about the pitocin because I know that it tends to intensify contractions and lead to epidurals or other medical interventions but I understood the doctor's concern about wanting to get labor underway since my water had broken and I wasn't progressing. I started having painful contractions around 4pm, a few hours after the pitocin was started, but I could breathe through the contractions & distract myself between contractions. By 10pm my contractions were off the charts but I was not any more dilated and my labor was not progressing. I was in a significant amount of pain & was using different techniques such as the birthing ball, trying different positions, trying to breathe with hubby, but nothing was helping to get my mind off the intense contractions.
When midnight hit, 12 hours after being admitted, my contractions were very intense, coming with no breaks for rest in between contractions, and I was in the worst pain in my life. I knew childbirth would be painful but I did not expect to be in such intense pain for such a long period of time with NO progress towards delivery. When the doctor confirmed I was still at a fingertip dilated despite hours of painful contractions, I finally asked for an epidural. I was exhausted, in pain, and concerned that I'd be unable to push if I had to endure the pain for much longer. Thankfully, I received the epidural almost immediately after asking for it. My pain was fully relieved minutes later & I slept from 12:30-3am. I was checked at 3am and was dilated to 3 with a bulging bag. I was finally making progress towards meeting my little one!! I slept again 3:15-4:20 then at 4:45am began feeling lots of pressure and was dilated to 5 & bulging. By 6:35 I was pressing the epi button with no relief & was dilated to a 7. The pain was bad but not unbearable. The nurses offered me narcotic/IV pain meds but I didn't need that.
By 9am the urge to push was increasing & I was dilated to 9. I told the nurse I needed to push at 9 but she said my body wasn't ready. I held out until 10am, feeling the urge to push the entire hour, when I finally told the nurse I couldn't resist the urge to push any more. I began pushing with just the nurse & no doctor. After a few pushes, she could see baby's head and was alternating between calling the doctor & being ready to catch my baby because I was a "good pusher". When I was told the doctor was almost there I managed to stop pushing for three contractions. My sisters were in the room for the delivery and at this point they both were telling me they could see baby's head/hair. After the doctor arrived I pushed about four more times and baby Alessandra was born at 10:50am. I heard her cry & saw her flailing arms & immediately felt relief from the entire birth process.
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