This Week's Question is:
Birth Story

For all the drama that surrounded both of their conception, I actually had very normal and wonderful birth experiences. I was very luck.

With Kayla, I worked full time up until a week before my due date. I had always wondered, 'how will I know'. A gf of mine told me she knew when she could no longer sleep through the contractions. Kayla was due on a Sunday. On Wednesday night, I was having a lot of contractions. Around 10pm, I decided to go to sleep. I woke up a couple hours later from the contractions and although they were not excessively painful, I could not sleep. They made it to 5 minutes apart for an hour through pacing, etc. My doc told me to go to the hospital (mind you I was 3 cm dilated and 80% effaced at my last check-up and they had stripped my membranes earlier that day). But at the hospital I was still only 3 cm and my contractions, although steady enough, they were not strong enough. I was given 2 heavy duty sleeping pills and sent home. J and I slept that day. That afternoon we went walking everywhere as my contractions were exactly the same, every 5 minutes but not too painful. That night, I was in bed at 9pm, decided to get up and pee then try to go to sleep. As I got out of bed, my water broke. So back to the hospital we went. This time they kept me, obviously. I was given my wonderful epidural right away per my request and they then gave me pitocin b/c my contractions had not strengthened even with my water breaking and my cervix was staying steady at 3cm. I had gotten to the hospital at around 10pm and Kayla made her debut at 4:48am on Friday (2 days shy of her due date) after almost 2 hours of pushing. Actually at the end, I threw up (all over my poor Mother) and that is what gave her that added push. The doctor almost didn't catch her b/c they weren't expecting it. J, my Mom and I got to spend the first hour of her life in the L&D room holding her and getting acquainted before they took her up to the nursery to be weighed. So in total she was 30 hours of labor, but luckily most of it was at home and very low on the pain scale - more annoying than anything. :) Kayla was 8lb, 3oz and 19 3/4" long.

Alysa was due on a Monday, although b/c my OB would not listen when I told them the exact date I ovulated, they put her due date a week before, so according to them, she was a week late, but I know she was actually due a week after that. I was actually scheduled to be induced on the upcoming Tuesday (1 day after her actual due date). We had some drama b/c my Mom was going to not attend Alysa's birth so she could watch Kayla. But the week before she found out a coworker had Hep A (the one you can get through casual contact and curable). But our Ped wanted my Mom nowhere near the kids b/c it has a 2 month incubation period. So, we had to scramble. Our babysitter was put on call, but the only day she could NOT watch Kayla was Saturday. From that moment on, I knew she would be born on Saturday. Luckily I was able to put my best friend on call. Sure enough, Friday night, my contractions got stronger and close together. My doc wanted me to wait a bit longer so I went to sleep. I was able to sleep but woke up at 4:30am. They were 5 minutes apart and getting pretty strong - I could no longer talk through them by around 5:30. I refused to wake up Kayla unless I absolutely had to. When she woke up, we were able to drop her off at her babysitter's just long enough for J to drop me off at the hospital. He then went back, brought Kayla home and waited for my gf. At the hospital my docs were changing shifts, so the nurse was trying to wait on my epidural for me to be seen b/c I was only 2-3cm dilated and the doc had to decide if they were keeping me. Let's say I was in enough pain that I wasn't leaving. But b/c there was another Mom there in need of more assistance, it took a while. So the nurse made the decision to give me the IV fluids I needed for an epidural and I ended up with my epidural b4 my doc came in. So by the time J got back to me, I was pain-free. They also gave me pitocin to speed things up a bit. Around noon time, even though my epidural was a continuous drip, I needed a boost as the contractions were getting painful again. With this, I lost ALL feeling in my legs and could not move at all. The nurse knew at this point I was ready but we were waiting on my doc to finish a c-section. When she came in, Alysa took 1 1/5 pushes and she was born at exactly 1:00pm. Again, we got that 1st hour with her. Alysa was 7lb, 2oz and 19 3/4" long. Alysa was also 2 days shy of her true due date.

I tore with both girls and needed stitches, but believe me when I say, it was painful for 3 days and then I was fine - no pain. Amazing how fast it healed.

With both girls, I was so lucky to have the birth experience I had hoped for. Once I was in labor with Kayla any fears of childbirth were gone. I am thrilled I was able to deliver vaginally with both of them. More importantly, I would have missed out on the special hour with them immediately after birth had I needed a c-section with either of them. That hour was so special to me. But of course, the most important thing is the healthy baby and I would have done what I needed to.

Kayla




Alysa