The Carter Family: March 2010

Just woke up from my second nap today and I think I have enough energy to write the birth story. Let’s see if I can make it… Hopefully this isn’t too detailed for anyone, sorry in advance if it is and sorry it is so long!
My original due date was March 14 but at my 36 week appointment I was already dilated to a 3 so my doctor said that she thought I might be early. I tried not to take that to heart so I wouldn’t go crazy waiting til my due date and beyond but I secretly hoped she was right.
When I woke up the morning of Friday March 5 and went to the bathroom I had a little bit of a “bloody show” and thought, “this is good but I know it could still be weeks.” Immediately after I started having contractions but still didn’t want to get my hopes up. I called my mom just to check and see what she thought and she confirmed to me that I was obviously making progress but I may not be in labor.
Before this time I had been having Braxton Hicks contractions since about 20 weeks. I even started having some more painful contractions but there was never a “start” and “stop” to them. That morning I was definitely able to recognize a start and stop but the contractions were probably 45 minutes to an hour apart.
I got a call from my cousin who wanted to stop by and bring me some baby clothes and I told her to come on over and gave her a heads up that I thought I could be in labor. She got to my house around 1:00 and during the time she was here I continued to have contractions but they were closer together, probably every half hour. We talked about whether or not I could be in labor and at first she said that I could be but I could also just be having contractions and that this could go on for days. I was bummed thinking that it could still be days before I had the baby. By the time she left around 3:00 she said she really thought I was a woman in labor based on her observation of me.
Aaron and I made a list of the things we wanted and needed to get done before the baby came and worked on that list throughout the day. We packed all the last minute items and continued to monitor the contractions. Around 5:30 I called my mom to give her the heads up that I really might be in labor so she could get ready to leave. She asked if I had been writing down my contractions and we hadn’t so she said to start. When we hung up we began keeping track of the contractions, which were about 15 minutes apart and a minute long. By 6:15 they were coming every 5 minutes and continued that way until 7:15 when we decided to leave for the hospital.
I called my mom around 6:30 to tell her how often the contractions were coming and she was surprised to hear that they seemed to be every 5 minutes. She decided to get ready and drive up here.
When we got to the hospital we were surprised to learn that it was a very busy night in labor and delivery. They immediately took me into triage to monitor my contractions and the baby. They put me in a tiny room with monitors on my stomach and left. I was getting irritated because by this time my contractions were coming every 2-3 minutes and I was in a lot of pain. I kept wondering when a doctor was going to check my progress and the nurse even got snippy with Aaron when he asked when someone would be there to check me. She said there were 4 people ahead of me. All I wanted to do at this point was get to the delivery room because I was so uncomfortable in triage. For some reason the monitor wasn’t picking up my contractions but the nurse said she could definitely tell I was contracting, but then she left! It was almost an hour later when the midwife came to check my progress. At 8:45pm I was dilated to an 8 and at a +1 station! She immediately got things going and got us moved into the delivery room.
By the time I got to the delivery room I couldn’t sit or stand still because the contractions were coming non-stop. There was nurse there that insisted on getting an IV in me but the contractions were right on top of each other so I couldn’t stand still. She finally went ahead and stuck the needle in the top of my hand but missed the vein. She dug around trying to get the vein but my contractions were making it difficult for me to stand still. She finally decided to give up the IV idea.
The midwife decided to check my progress again at about 9 o’clock and I was dilated to a 9 ½ at this point. Right after she checked me, Aaron’s mom arrived but my mom was still not there. They decided to break my water at about 9:15 and right before they did my mom arrived! It was only a few minutes after they broke my water that I started pushing.
No one could have prepared me for the pushing part. I feel like I was pretty good at the breathing through the contractions, maybe it was more like moaning, but then when I was pushing they told me not to make any noise and focus all energy into pushing. It was so uncomfortable to put my chin to my chest and pull my legs up, I feel like they should have taught that to us in our birthing class! There came a time when I decided I just couldn’t do it anymore-I was so hot and it hurt so much.
Toward the end they put an oxygen mask on me and it really bothered me. I was already so hot and uncomfortable I didn’t want this thing on my face. They said the baby needed it so I left it on but the moment he was born I tore it off. They tried to make me feel better by having me feel the baby’s head but when I felt the tip of his head I realized that he was still more inside me than out. I decided I just needed to get this baby out and pushed with all my might.
Preston came into this world all in that final push at 9:53 pm. I broke many blood vessels all around my eyes, down the side of my face and neck from pushing. I expected to have an incredible spiritual experience when he was born but I was so relieved that he was out and still in shock that I just kind of laid there. I remember thinking that they weren’t following my birth plan because they didn’t immediately put him skin to skin and they took him away to give him his shot and check everything even though I wanted to wait. I didn’t say anything because at that point I didn’t care enough. I was just so relieved it was over!
I was and am so grateful that Preston is healthy and it was incredible to lay there and hold him and realize that this was Aaron and my child. Aaron was such a great support throughout the day. My only regret was that while we were at home and I was having contractions I told him not to go all out with massaging my back because he needed to save his energy for when we were laboring at the hospital. By the time we were at the hospital there was no time for massages!
It was a truly incredible experience and I’m so glad to have this little angel in our family.