TIME FOR ANOTHER BIRTH STORY! Meet Kristen at Curious Cora!
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I was delirious for a lot of my labor, or at least I felt delirious, so I’ll try to remember as much as I can!
I was due on Thanksgiving; I was really hoping we would have Cora before then or on that date. I didn’t want to see anyone looking like the Thanksgiving turkey. Plus, I was uncomfortable, tired, swollen, and in pain, so I obviously just wanted her out.
She decided to take her time, and on Monday, November 30th I started having contractions. They weren’t bad yet, just like a really bad period, but I couldn’t sleep. I told my husband we might be going to the hospital that night. He said we should try to get some sleep, but I couldn’t sleep. I sat around for awhile wondering if they were going to get stronger, I took a shower at two in the morning, and then decided I should call the doctor. He said that since I was past due I should just come into the hospital.
We got their around three in the morning, he checked me and said that I was on 1 CM dilated (ugh!), they decided not to check me in at that moment but let us have a room anyway. They couldn’t do anything for my pain since I wasn’t checked in and just told me to get some sleep, but I still couldn’t sleep! Finally, after what felt like an eternity of waiting, they finally checked me in and checked my cervix again. I think I was maybe 2 cm dilated. Thankfully, my favorite doctor that I had seen since my pregnancy would be delivering me. She told me if I hadn’t progressed around 4 PM they would induce me with Pitocin.
I was in pain at the hospital all day, and when 4 PM came around I wasn’t progressing so they gave me the inducing drugs. I thought I was in pain before, but this was much worse. They gave me some Demerol (thank goodness!) They said that Cora would probably not move much, because it gives a calming effect, but she was moving around like crazy. I felt really bad for having pain meds, but I could hardly tolerate it. I have an extremely low threshold for pain.
My husband also got a break from me squeezing his hand and telling him to shut up and just sit there! During that glorious time, we enjoyed looking at the paper that showed how strong your contractions were.
I had two doses of the Demerol and then that started not to work as the Pitocin doses went up. I think it was around 8 PM on Tuesday that I finally got an epidural. I don’t know why everyone is so scared of the epidural, I was thankful to have it. No pain could be worse than the contractions. I couldn’t even feel the epidural needle because I kept having contractions while they were putting it in. My doctor was going to break my water after that, but she didn’t have to, it broke by itself! I thought I had wet myself…Who knew there was so much amniotic fluid!?
My nurse encouraged me to lie on my side and get some sleep. I wanted to sit up, but she put me on my side anyway. Bad idea! As soon as she did that, I started getting the worst pains of my life, they sat me back up and the squeezing of my husband’s had started again. I didn’t really scream like I thought I would, just a lot of loud moaning.
Finally the epidural man came back in and was able to give me another dose. I was still having some pain, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as before. I told my nurse I was sitting up and I would sleep that way, she didn’t argue.
I finally got some sleep in, and around 5 AM the nurse checked my cervix and told me it was time to start pushing! I could feel some pain as the contractions came, so I knew when to push.
I did all the normal pushing like everyone else did, and then the doctor came in. The baby didn’t want to come out; she kept getting lower and then popping back in. Dr. Irons said something about using a vacuum. I was like “No, you are not using a vacuum; I will push this child out!”
So that’s what I did! I pushed harder than I had ever pushed in my life; I had to save my child since her heartbeat was starting to drop!
In fact, she came out after only 15 minutes of pushing (a record on the floor that day!) She didn’t cry as soon as she came out, which worried me. The cord had been around her neck and she had fluid in her lungs. I was sad that I didn’t get to hold her immediately, but I just wanted her to be safe.
I was finally able to hold her after a few minutes, and it was the best thing in the world. Giving birth is the best thing in the world. I don’t even really remember the pain and would do it again in a heartbeat! I was also happy that I got to deliver her vaginally. Everyone thought that I would have to have a C-section because I am small, but I proved them wrong!
Cora Belle was born on December 1st, 2010 at 5:38 AM. She weighed 6 lbs 9 oz and was 19 ½ inches long.
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