So here's how it went....

D's Birth Story

I had a doctor appointment on Tuesday at 8 AM. The doctor checked me, and I was still at 4 cm. We then discussed the options for days to induce. The day would have been Saturday the 29th since a new doctor would have been taking over by then, and that was when he wanted to do it. My family would be leaving the following Tuesday (2nd) so I figured if I was going to have to induce, I'd rather do it sooner than later. The doctor asked if I wanted her to strip my membranes to get things going. I really hadn't even wanted to do that, but I figured if it did help get things moving, then perhaps I could avoid inducement. So we did that. T and I ran errands around base all morning.

Around 10 my contractions started but were very minor. Around lunch time, I had some back pain and thought maybe the stripping had triggered it, but then realized that with how steady each pain was, I was actually feeling my contractions in my back. yay! So, we finished up errands and drove home.

We got home around 1 pm and T went to take a nap. I took care of some last minute emails and getting things together, since my contractions were still steady. I knew we'd be going in later. My grandma was looking very concerned every time I had a contraction. The contractions were still about 7 minutes apart at this point, so I went upstairs to try to take a nap as well. While I rested, my contractions got down to about 4 to 5 minutes apart. I couldn't sleep. So I went back downstairs, and stood/walked around through them, while talking to my mom and grandma, answering C whenever she said anything, and generally enjoying my excitement that was building up.

Finally, around 5 pm my contractions were about every 3 minutes, still minor back labor. We decided to head in so that we could stop by the Commissary and pick up some food since the hospital wouldn't have food for me. I kept getting distracted and finishing up little things around the house =) My family practically had to drag me to the car to get me going. We were finally on the road around 5:30 PM. My contractions slowed a little bit on the ride to base. We made it to the commissary after 6 PM and I had 5 contractions in the store in about 20 minutes lol. I don't know if anyone noticed, but they probably thought I was crazy. My grandma was sure I wasn't going to make it to the hospital. hehe...

So, we finally got the hospital a little before 7 PM. The doctor was already there, as it turned out to be a pretty busy night with 3 or 4 other ladies having their babies! She checked me, and I was still only 4 cm!!! She told me she would not admit me until I was in active labor (since she knew I wanted to go natural.) So, she told me to walk around for a few hours, and come back around 9 pm to be checked again. They let my family and our stuff stay in one of the monitoring rooms, and I got to walking with my mom.

My contractions while walking stayed consistent, and remained as back labor. I called a friend to ask what was best for back labor, since it took me by complete surprise. I was not expecting back labor at all, since the baby was in the right position for weeks. The walking did not seem to be productive with my contractions and it seemed to make the pain worse. My friend told me all fours was best, and a few other things to do that would help. So, we headed back to the room to eat dinner (thankfully I was able to, since I wasn't technically admitted yet) and to labor in the room.

I stayed on all fours for a bit, then wanted to just lay down in Bradley's runner's pose. That really helped me relax through the contractions that were getting stronger, but still staying mostly as back pain, but at this point I was also feeling it around the front as well. I thought for sure things were moving along nicely with the increase in intensity, but when the doctor came to check me again around 10 pm, she found I was still at 4 cm! "You've got to be kidding me!" I said. "After all this?" I felt really disappointed and like things were going to end up not going the way I wanted them to.

At this point, the doctor had the inducement conversation with me. She recommended that we not go home since we live in the further housing neighborhood. She said once things get going, that they were probably going to go fast. So, I could either allow her to break my water, or start on pitocin. Pitocin was out of the question as a first resort. So, I decided to let her break my water.

They finally admitted me, I think it was around 10:30 PM? maybe later (this was when time started to not even matter.) My contractions were getting stronger. She broke my water and within a short amount of time, my contractions were suddenly even closer and even more painful. I told T who was by me, "If this is how it's going to be until I'm 10 cm I don't think I can do it." In my head I thought I was still 4 cm. I thought labor was going to stay at this pain level for hours and hours until I reached 10 cm. I told him I was going to need pain medication.

While they were getting the medication ready I was already talking to the anesthesiologist about the epidural, since I was still feeling the pain full blast, I was seriously considering it. My laboring was hard throughout this waiting time. I suddenly got very hot and sweaty. I remember thinking, "When does this happen? I know I read it. How soon until she's ready? Hours? Minutes?" I couldn't remember. I couldn't concentrate. I couldn't relax even on my side. My back was in constant contractions, I could not relax it, I kept waiting for them to start the IV. I kept thinking, if it's going to be like this all night, I can't... I can't do this. They finally came with the narcotic for the IV, after I don't know how much time.

T told me, "Okay, they got the medicine in." *Note: they did not check my dilation at this point.* Literally two minutes later, I had a pushing contraction.

"My body's pushing," I said out loud to no one in particular. I'm not sure anyone heard or noticed. The epidural lady told me to roll over to the other side of the bed and sit up. I did, had another pushing contraction and fell back over to my side to push. I couldn't not push. "I can't stop pushing," I said again.

The epidural dr. finally went and got my doctor to ask if she wanted to check me before giving me the epidural. She came in and checked and said quickly, "Sheena, you're done. You ready to have this baby?" They must have immediately taken the medicine out, and really I should not have even had it since I was past 8 cm. *T says the medicine was in for about 10 minutes.* They helped adjust me in the bed. I didn't even bother with squatting like I had wanted to, I could tell she was coming already. "Alright, with your next contractions, push." (Like I could have not? lol)

I waited for the next one to arrive.... it took what felt like a few minutes, but I'm sure it was only a few seconds lol, and pushed. I pushed through 4 contractions, and with the last, felt a huge relief of pressure from my belly. I knew she was out. I opened my eyes and looked and saw the doctor pulling her away from me. I knew I wasn't going to get her to my stomach like I had wanted, she was completely blue and purple. She still held her out for me to cut her umbilical cord, only saying to hurry. So I didn't panic, I knew if she had given me even a few seconds to do it myself, then she felt it wasn't a dire emergency. After I cut the cord, they immediately took her to give her oxygen. She was born at 12:06 AM, technically Wednesday morning.

While they worked on her, I delivered the placenta and the doctor started taking care of me. Then apparently, something wasn't quite right, and the doctor said something like, "I'm really sorry to have to do this." I didn't realize what she was talking about, since I had been paying attention to what they were doing to the baby, not to me. Suddenly, she was all over my abdomen practically beating it. Let me tell you, that hurt like nothing I've ever felt before. She had to go inside and for lack of better words, scoop out everything that was keeping me from stopping bleeding. Apparently, if even one piece of the placenta is left in tact, the body will continue to bleed. So, this was torture. She did that, and then massaged/beat my uterus. I was also on pitocin at this point to help my uterus contract. I honestly don't know how long this took but it was torture. I was fighting her the entire time, grabbing her arm and asking her to please stop. *T just told me they didn't do this just once but several times. Every time the doctor came in to check on me.* This hurt worse than my labor! Anyway.... That is definitely an experience I wouldn't wish on anyone.

Finally, the doctor was done doing that, and she told the corpsmen to hurry and give me the baby when they had the first chance. The entire time I was fighting her, and was crying and reaching for my baby. I wanted her. They finally gave her to me, and I was so incredibly happy. I can't even describe it.

Overall, D's birth was so much harder work physically than C's had been, but the recovery was so much easier. I felt pain (that I can't even remember what it felt like) with D, but after she was born, it's true what they say and the pain just disappeared (except for the whole beat down lol). With C, I felt nothing while delivering her, but afterward, recovery was hard. My body had felt like I had been hit by an 18 wheeler, and that was even before all the drugs had worn off.

I was a little disappointed at first when I found out how fast she came after I had accepted the medicine. If I had only realized I was in transition, or had someone told me, I would have just gone through with it without medication. In my head, I thought I had the whole night to go through at that level of pain. Really, though, the doctor should have checked my dilation before giving the medication. Perhaps, it was meant to be that I received that little bit of medication to help with what was going to happen afterward, but still.... I wish I had known.

After they finally gave her to me for good, we were good. She took to breastfeeding right away. The family was ecstatic to finally meet her. C was so excited. I was so proud of C, she was there the entire time, and did really well. I'm so grateful for T's support. I was worried he was going to freak out LOL since last time I was practically smiling the entire time while pushing. I didn't know how he'd handle me feeling everything, and my reaction to it. I'm also so grateful my mom and grandma could be there. And I'm so glad I ended up not getting the epidural. I kind of wish I had gone ahead and hired the doula even though it would have been expensive for the amount of time she would have spent with me, but if I had had one, she would have known I was in transition, and I wouldn't have taken the medication.

But, then again, I think everything happened the way it was meant to. If we have another though, I know I can do it now. I know what to expect with a natural delivery. I think that was my biggest thing to get over, was not knowing. I read so many books, and watched so many birth stories, and I thought I knew, but you just don't until you are experiencing it. Overall, I am happy with my experience, and I would definitely do it again. We have another wonderful baby girl, who I am so excited to get to know and watch grow.