The Birth Story-Part One (Hours 1 through 20)

On Friday, February 11, we went out to dinner in Manchester with our friends, David and Megan. We went to this delicious Thai place. I had been feeling kinda funny all day, but was exhausted from an actual full work week (first week without snow days!) so I chalked it up to that and nothing more. Our appointment earlier that week indicated that Baby was still high (-3...floating) with no change in anything else, so I figured we'd be going a whole lot longer before seeing Baby.

We got to dinner sometime after 7 pm. We chatted, ordered and our meals came (FYI- mine was ordered spice-free! :)). I got up to go to the bathroom around 8:30 and noticed some definite changes. I was so excited to tell David, but it wasn't exactly dinner conversation. We decided to go somewhere else for dessert and I could barely contain my news until we got in the car! I was so excited!! We called our Doula on the way to the dessert place and she was super excited for the changes as well, but we all agreed it could still be another week. We ordered dessert and I started having some cramping. I actually thought I just had to go to the bathroom, as I had these cramps earlier during dinner too. DUH. At about 10:00 pm, following a big cramp, I said, "Uh, Dave, we need to go." We hugged our friends (who were SUPER excited!) and headed home. We got home and we cleaned and packed I got in the shower, now convinced I was really having contractions. By Midnight, the contractions were getting pretty regular and were very intense. We called our families to let them know, and even said, "A February 12th birthday is on the way!" Hahahaha! At about 2:00 am, the contractions were 1 minute long and 4 minutes apart. We called our Doula to confirm. Yup, she said, my body had gotten into a rhythm, and quickly! She asked us if we wanted her to come over. I didn't think she needed to at that point, but by 2:30 am, after almost vomiting through a contraction, we called her back and asked her to come over. She arrived and the three of us labored together. My contractions were SUPER strong from the moment they started and by 5:30 am, we decided to head to the hospital. Based on my contractions, we estimated me to be dilated to about a 7. I remember none of the drive to the hospital except for I thought I was going to have the Baby in the car.

We totally forgot to call our Doctor. Thank goodness for our Doula, who called us halfway to the hospital and reminded us to do that! LOL! Dave dropped me off at the emergency exit (where the Doc instructed me to go) and he and our Doula went to park the cars. I was supposed to wait for them inside, but when I got inside, there was a girl literally puking all over the floor. I immediately kept walking past her (I did NOT want that flu) and practically had to beg someone to show me where an elevator was. In hindsight, I should have just waited outside, but I also have a healthy fear of that part of Hartford in the dark. After one guy sent me the wrong way and I found myself all alone in a hallway, I yelled at the top of my lungs, "Somebody help me!!!" An irritated security guard came around the corner, clearly annoyed that he had to help me. I said, "I am pregnant and in labor and I need to get to the 6th floor." I would have assumed by my size and doubling over in pain that this would have been more obvious. His annoyed look quickly turned to panic and he sent me up the labor and delivery elevator to the 6th floor. I got off on the 6th floor, grateful to finally be someplace helpful within the hospital, and as the elevator doors closed behind me, I noticed something was very, very wrong. The lights were off and everything was shut down. There was not a soul in sight. I immediately remembered during our tour that this side of the maternity wing was shut down for remodeling. Not one to initially panic, I pushed the elevator button to come back and get me. It never did. Turns out these particular elevators are a straight shot to labor and delivery, you can't call them up again once you're on the 6th floor. I burst into tears and panic set in, all alone and in the dark and so frustrated at the lack of help from hospital personnel. I was hysterically sobbing by the time I called David, so much that he couldn't even understand me. He and our Doula had to find another security officer (I actually think it was the same guy who got me into that mess) to open up that wing and let me out. My hysteria caused my contractions to slow and labor to cease a bit, which was super frustrating, but they checked me into my room to get started. They got me all set up and the resident came in to check my progress. Nearly 10 hours of intense labor and I was only dilated to a 1. We were shocked.

We forged ahead and I labored for a total of 20 hours without meds. Dave and our Doula were awesome. We did all sorts of positions and oils and walking and tubs and managed to dilate to 4-5. It was now 5:30 pm on Saturday. I had been awake since Friday morning at 6 am and was 20 hours into labor. I could no longer manage the pain and my body wasn't budging. I did not want an epidural, but prayed about it and had much peace. Our Doula agreed that this was going to be a long road and if I was going to need to push at the end of it, I was going to need some sleep.  By the way my contractions were acting (now much closer together and much more intense even than before (which I didn't think possible)), an epidural was the only way I was getting sleep. We also thought the epidural might help dilate me and bring Baby down, since he was still floating high. The epidural came around 6 pm on Saturday. The intern (I had no idea he was an intern or I would have said NO) didn't do it right, so the other guy started it over. In the middle of that, another anesthesiologist walked into the room. I totally panicked. Why were there 3? What was wrong? Turns out they were all just interested in the small spaces between my vertebrae. LOL. David and I have never prayed so hard in all our lives and I have never cried so hard without moving in all my life. Not to mention trying not to move with each contraction. What a feat!

Our Doula was doing some research and found an article about a girl who had a very similar situation to mine. There's a condition where your body is in very hard, intense labor but the contractions aren't the right kind to dilate you effectively. This girl also had to opt for an epidural (at like 30-something hours) so we felt like we were on the right track. I had much, much peace...

** Upon review of this entry, it appears that I cried a lot, but I honestly think the only two times I cried were 1) being stuck on empty maternity floor and 2) getting epidural... they were both super scary to me. Other than that, we actually had a good time! Never a dull moment :)