I started this blog for friends and family, but this is an entry I'm making more for myself and Delilah. This is the story of my labor and delivery and no one needs to feel compelled to read it b/c it won't be interesting to anybody else...I just want to record the story while it's still fresh in my mind.
On Saturday, April19th, Chris and I stayed up late watching a movie. He went to bed and I stayed up a little longer, reading. About 1am, I felt a contraction much stronger than the few I had previously had. I felt a second one about 7 minutes later and knew this was the day...since it was after midnight, it was technically April 20th, my dad's birthday and I became very excited that Delilah would probably arrive on his birthday. I stayed in bed for about an hour, feeling the contractions, getting excited, and talking myself out of waking Chris. I figured this was probably going to take a while, so at least one of us should get some sleep. Then I remembered that we had left the kitchen dirty when we went to bed and I just knew that I would not be able to sleep unless that kitchen was spotless. So at 2am, I cleaned our entire kitchen, washed all the tupperware that we had just purchased, finished packing the bags for the hospital, and created a new centerpiece for our dining room table (not kidding). Around 6am, I crawled back in bed, tried to read or at least relax, gave up around 7am, and then started tossing and turning just enough for Chris to wake up "on his own". He opened his eyes and I looked at him and said, "She's gonna be here soon". He smiled a big sleepy grin and rolled over to hold me. We got up, ate breakfast, read the Sunday paper, watched TV, etc. waiting for my contractions to get closer together.
They stayed around 7-10 minutes apart until I had a late lunch around 1:30. We had Whataburger b/c for some reason the absolute only thing I could imagine eating was their chicken tenders and gravy. Soon after lunch, my contractions were about 3-4 minutes apart, so we headed to Seton Medical Center and checked in around 3pm. At 3:30pm, I was checked and found I was dilated 4cm and about 70% effaced. My contractions at home had started to become pretty strong/painful, so I have to admit I was a little disappointed not to be further along. The nurse suggested we walk a bit and said they would check me again in an hour. At my next check, I was 5 cm, everybody was happy, and I was told I would have my baby before the night ended. Oh, if only that had been true. At 6pm, there was no change. At 7pm, there was no change. At 8pm, there was no change and my water still hadn't broken. And all of this "no change" while continuing to have contractions 2.5 minutes apart. What the heck?
I went into this wanting to have a natural childbirth, but always being open to the fact that there may be circumstances beyond my control. Back labor turned out to be one of those circumstances. My deep breathing and meditative techniques were working to keep the pain in my uterus manageable, but the continual seizing of my lower back was getting to be too much to bear, especially considering the 2 back surgeries I've had. So I decided to let the doctor break my water around 1am (it was now April 21st), knowing that my contractions would probably get even more painful. They did, but by 2am and 3am, I still hadn't progressed. Well, they were now saying I was a "full 5cm, almost 6cm", but I know they were just trying to make me feel better.
Around 3am, there started to be serious talk of using Pitocin to start moving things along. I knew if I got the Pit, I would need an epidural. So I asked for minute alone so Chris and I could talk things over. We agreed that getting the Pitocin and the epidural would be the right thing to do. So at about 4:30 am, I got an epidural and started the Pitocin drip. I had been awake for almost 48 hours (since I didn't sleep Saturday night), and I had labored without a single drug for 27 hours, so I didn't feel like I had "given up" or "failed" or anything like that. I did what I could, but it was time to let medicine help my body along.
At 6am, I was 6cm and 80% effaced. Hooray! (I was also completely pain free...a god send!) I managed to fall into a semblance of sleep for a couple hours and was excited when they checked me again around 10am. No change. What? What?! Now there was talk of doing a C-section to keep Delilah out of danger. Well, if you think I'm going to be awake for 48 hours, labor for 31 hours (27 of them without drugs), and then, after all that, get a C-section, you clearly do not know me. I asked for one more hour. I asked Chris to turn on my music again and to just leave me alone for a little while. (Side note about Chris: he was AMAZING during all of this. He doted on me the entire time, ran interference with nurses I didn't want to talk to, gave me pep talks when I needed them and stayed silent when I didn't. Got me a cold wash rag when I was hot and rubbed my back when I couldn't breathe. I think everybody should have a Chris when they're in labor. I literally could not have done this without him.) Back to the main thread: I curled up on my side and I swear to God, I willed my body to cooperate in that hour. I had a conversation with Delilah and told her that it would be so much better if she came out through the birth canal. I told her that I would be able to take so much better care of her if I wasn't recovering from major surgery. I told my body that this is what it was designed to do and it better get into gear.
One hour later I was 9cm and 100% effaced. One hour after that (almost 1pm) I was 10cm and 100% effaced...in other words, completely ready to have my baby.
Around 1:15pm, I started pushing. I used the breathing techniques Chris and I had learned in our birthing class instead of the pushing method recommended by the nurse and the hospital. Our method got Delilah to the point of crowning, but then I just couldn't get her to go any further. So I started to use the standard pushing techniques; they worked maybe a bit better, but left me exhausted. After about an hour and a half of pushing, I realized that I didn't have to choose and maybe I would make more progress combining the two methods. So I started doing my own hybrid version of pushing and breathing and Delilah was out about 10 minutes later, at 3:13 pm.
They immediately placed her on my chest and I will never, EVER forget the feeling of holding her warm, wriggly body in those first moments. Chris held us both and the three of us were a family for the first time. Yes, it was a long road, and yes, there was quite a bit of pain both during and after. But that's why you do it...for the chance to hold your baby in your arms, look at the man of your dreams, and know that no matter what, you're a family now.
Our precious, perfect red-headed angel was born this week on April 21 at 3:13pm!!!!! Delilah was a big, bouncing baby at 21.25 inches and 9 pounds, 3 ounces. I'm still quite overcome at the beauty and enormity of bringing our daughter into this world, so this blog will probably be light on words and heavy on pictures. We are home now, and everyone is doing well. We've got her on a semblance of a schedule (but I'm not holding my breath that it lasts), and we're all three trying to learn as much as we can, while sleeping as much as we can. Chris and I are just so in love with Lila and with each other that it's unbelieveable. Hope you enjoy the pictures below!
