From Triage to Birthing Center
...Continued....
Steve's Mom called him again and told him to high-tail it back to Duluth because the baby was coming NOW. I asked her to also call my parents and I think she might have called someone else. I have no idea. All I knew was OH MY GOD so this is labor! I was still in the 7-8 range on the pain cycle...I knew there would be more.
They asked me if I could walk (!) over to The Birthplace and I probably laughed...um, no....so they wheeled me over on a bed. I remember a nurse saying "well, I wouldn't be walking at 7cm either!" I also remember lots of people in a flurry of activity - getting the room ready, turning the baby warmer thingy on, moving me from the triage bed to the birthing bed (not fun). My contractions were strong I was beginning to worry that Steve wasn't going to make it.
I was trying to use my breathing with the help of a lovely labor & delivery nurse. My MIL was hovering near and offering support as much as she good and constantly checking the hallway for Steve. The doctors (there were two, I think one was a resident?) were buzzing around getting ready. My MIL updated me on where Steve was (close!) and I kept breathing through the contractions.
I asked about the epidural and they said they were giving me some fluids so that they could give that to me. Well, that was the last I heard about the epidural. No time. I was ready to push!
Steve wasn't there!!!!! I was freaking out - sort of - but because I was in a lot of pain I was more just in la-la land. Finally I heard feet running down the hallway - STEVE!!! This was about 1:30 or 1:45 or so. Immediately we went into pushing mode.
Pushing was WAY better than breathing through contractions. At least I had something to DO then. So way to be productive. I was trying to remember all the things I learned in my "MIND OVER LABOR" book (which I only got through half of, btw) about visual imagery and going to my "special place" and relaxing all the muscles in my body so that it could what it needed to. I was groaning & moaning. I found the only way the contractions were tolerable (when I had to stop pushing and breathe through some more due to the baby's heart rate dropping) was to moan. Steve was there holding my hand (apparently I almost broke his pinky) and offering me ice chips (refused) and probably freaking out at all the noises I was making.
Then time to push again. I felt like I *got it* - does that sound weird. Yeah, it hurt and I was scared but I felt so confident in my body that I could do this. It was an ecstatic feeling. They asked me if I wanted to feel the baby's head (no) and they kept pointing things out to Steve who was fascinated and awed by the whole experience (which I think is way cool). The pushing continued for maybe....30 minutes? Max?
Then they said - okay - we're going to have to do a little episiotomy here blah blah blah to which I was like NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO (for some reason I really didn't want one). Well, one more productive contraction and some pushes and out she came!!
I'll never forget them saying "IT'S A GIRL!" or the look on Steve's face...or how I felt when they handed her to me all pink & red and covered in vernix and wide-eyed with the cutest damn nose I'd ever seen. Mind blowing.
The rest? Well, you know - pushing out the placenta (no problemo - whew), internal exam to make sure there were no tears (there were - just a wee one) while Dahlia was being checked out - the internal exam was like bloody TORTURE. That hurt more than the pushing I think. The stitches? Eh, not a big deal (which surprised me greatly) and then being reunited with my little pink girl and my teary-eyed husband? Freaking awesome.
So by 2:15pm little miss Dahlia Marie (as of then still unnamed) entered the world - not so much with a scream but a few gurgles and squirms and leapt right into our hearts.
I have so much respect right now for the human body. In particular women who give birth! Maybe that sounds arrogant but my GOD - that experience kicks ass. Yeah, it hurt, yeah, it was scary - yeah, I don't want to do it again any time soon but holy cow - it works! It's amazing. Drugs or no drugs, vaginal or c-section the whole creating a life within your own body and then delivering it is just awe-inspiring to me. When I think back to it I can't believe I did it, I can't believe it's over and I can't believe this cutie-pie little bundle that is now running the show.
Dang.
There's so much more....obviously...and I'm sure I'll blab on forever about it and her and all that...but now I think I need to go pick her up and kiss her head all over.
Steve's Mom called him again and told him to high-tail it back to Duluth because the baby was coming NOW. I asked her to also call my parents and I think she might have called someone else. I have no idea. All I knew was OH MY GOD so this is labor! I was still in the 7-8 range on the pain cycle...I knew there would be more.
They asked me if I could walk (!) over to The Birthplace and I probably laughed...um, no....so they wheeled me over on a bed. I remember a nurse saying "well, I wouldn't be walking at 7cm either!" I also remember lots of people in a flurry of activity - getting the room ready, turning the baby warmer thingy on, moving me from the triage bed to the birthing bed (not fun). My contractions were strong I was beginning to worry that Steve wasn't going to make it.
I was trying to use my breathing with the help of a lovely labor & delivery nurse. My MIL was hovering near and offering support as much as she good and constantly checking the hallway for Steve. The doctors (there were two, I think one was a resident?) were buzzing around getting ready. My MIL updated me on where Steve was (close!) and I kept breathing through the contractions.
I asked about the epidural and they said they were giving me some fluids so that they could give that to me. Well, that was the last I heard about the epidural. No time. I was ready to push!
Steve wasn't there!!!!! I was freaking out - sort of - but because I was in a lot of pain I was more just in la-la land. Finally I heard feet running down the hallway - STEVE!!! This was about 1:30 or 1:45 or so. Immediately we went into pushing mode.
Pushing was WAY better than breathing through contractions. At least I had something to DO then. So way to be productive. I was trying to remember all the things I learned in my "MIND OVER LABOR" book (which I only got through half of, btw) about visual imagery and going to my "special place" and relaxing all the muscles in my body so that it could what it needed to. I was groaning & moaning. I found the only way the contractions were tolerable (when I had to stop pushing and breathe through some more due to the baby's heart rate dropping) was to moan. Steve was there holding my hand (apparently I almost broke his pinky) and offering me ice chips (refused) and probably freaking out at all the noises I was making.
Then time to push again. I felt like I *got it* - does that sound weird. Yeah, it hurt and I was scared but I felt so confident in my body that I could do this. It was an ecstatic feeling. They asked me if I wanted to feel the baby's head (no) and they kept pointing things out to Steve who was fascinated and awed by the whole experience (which I think is way cool). The pushing continued for maybe....30 minutes? Max?
Then they said - okay - we're going to have to do a little episiotomy here blah blah blah to which I was like NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO (for some reason I really didn't want one). Well, one more productive contraction and some pushes and out she came!!
I'll never forget them saying "IT'S A GIRL!" or the look on Steve's face...or how I felt when they handed her to me all pink & red and covered in vernix and wide-eyed with the cutest damn nose I'd ever seen. Mind blowing.
The rest? Well, you know - pushing out the placenta (no problemo - whew), internal exam to make sure there were no tears (there were - just a wee one) while Dahlia was being checked out - the internal exam was like bloody TORTURE. That hurt more than the pushing I think. The stitches? Eh, not a big deal (which surprised me greatly) and then being reunited with my little pink girl and my teary-eyed husband? Freaking awesome.
So by 2:15pm little miss Dahlia Marie (as of then still unnamed) entered the world - not so much with a scream but a few gurgles and squirms and leapt right into our hearts.
I have so much respect right now for the human body. In particular women who give birth! Maybe that sounds arrogant but my GOD - that experience kicks ass. Yeah, it hurt, yeah, it was scary - yeah, I don't want to do it again any time soon but holy cow - it works! It's amazing. Drugs or no drugs, vaginal or c-section the whole creating a life within your own body and then delivering it is just awe-inspiring to me. When I think back to it I can't believe I did it, I can't believe it's over and I can't believe this cutie-pie little bundle that is now running the show.
Dang.
There's so much more....obviously...and I'm sure I'll blab on forever about it and her and all that...but now I think I need to go pick her up and kiss her head all over.
Comments
Congrats on the beautiful addition to your family and seriously, you are awesome!
You are amazing - doing all of that without drugs & without Steve for the most part.
I can't wait for more pictures of Miss Dahlia - she DOES have the cutest nose!
I've said it about eight million times but I am so happy and excited for you and Steve! And I agree with Nanette - you do have a pretty kick ass birthing story :)
I can't wait to see Dahlia again in just over a week! :)
(and if it's possible my biological clock is now in thunder mode...)
way to go mama carrie. you rock. give ms. d a big welcome to the world from her pal ms. c.
No drugs? you're a trooper.
Lovely name (especially the middle one!)
-laura
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