Sarah’s Birth Story
March 24, 2011
Hubby and I finally turned our pre-admission forms into the hospital today. We needed to get them in before I went into labor. Coincidentally, I felt Braxton Hicks contractions today for the first time. I am 35 weeks pregnant.
I have been sick the past few days with a head cold so I went to bed early. I woke up around 10:30 p.m. to wet clothes. I figured my fever had broken. I quickly changed my clothes and got back into bed. Within minutes, I felt a slow trickle of water and my clothes getting wet again. I woke hubby up to, “I think my water just broke!” Jumping up, he said, “It’s not time!” I said I knew that, but went on to explain what had been happening to me the last few minutes. He suggested we call the nurse line at Kaiser. The nurse suggested we come in immediately since I was only 35 weeks along. I gathered my pregnancy bag along with a few last-minute items I hadn’t put in the bag yet, and in our pajamas we headed to the hospital.
We were pancaking that something was wrong.
We quickly got to the hospital and parked. Hubby was frantic and he decided I needed a wheelchair. I told him it wasn’t necessary and got out of the car. As I got out out of the car I realized my pajama pants were soaking wet, I decided I did want one after all! We checked in and they took us to our room. A midwife examined me and confirmed that my water had broken but I had not begun to dilate. My cervix needed to be softened before dilation/labor would begin so I was given a vaginal insert of Cervidil to help jump start the process. I went to sleep, but woke up several times during the night since my water was still leaking.
March 25, 2011
My in laws came to the hospital in the morning and hubby went back home to shower and go to work. We didn’t expect that I would be in the hospital over four weeks before my due date and hubby had client appointments already set for the day. Since I had not even begun to dilate, we agreed that it would be “safe” for him to keep his scheduled appointments.
After 12 hours with the Cervidil insert, the doctor examined me. With great surprise, he looked up at the nurse and me and said, “Where is it?” The Cervidil insert was gone! I was pretty annoyed when he explained that I must have peed it out during one of my many visits to the bathroom during the night. After one of my visits to the bathroom, I actually mentioned to the nurse that I noticed something “odd,” and she assured me it must have been the passage of my “mucus plug” which is an indication that labor should begin soon. Had the doctor shown me the Cervidil before he inserted it 12 hours earlier, I would have known it wasn’t the mucus plug, but rather the Cervidil falling out before it had done its job. He inserted a new Cervidil, showing it to me first this time, and thus began ANOTHER 12-hour wait.
Since it was approaching Friday evening, hubby and my FIL left the hospital to buy some food for a Shabbat dinner. When they returned, the four of us had a nice “mini” Shabbat dinner.
It had been a long day for me and I was very tired. Sleep was difficult for me due to the head cold and frequent bathroom visits. To help, I was given some morphine as a sleep-aid. Hubby stayed the night while my in laws stayed at our place.
March 26, 2011
When I woke up Saturday morning, I was only three centimeters dilated. Hubby and my MIL switched so that hubby could go home to take a quick shower and change clothes. Since my water broke naturally, the doctor decided to give me Pitocin to help get me into active labor.
I was in a lot of pain and decided it was time for an epidural. Getting the epidural was the hardest part of my labor and delivery.
They started the epidural process. I started shaking and was breathing heavily. I was scared, in pain, alone (no one was allowed in while it was administered), and my cold was getting worse. The doctor and nurses asked me to take deep breaths to relax my body, but my nose was very stuffy from crying and I just couldn’t stop shaking. Finally with the epidural in I felt a moment of relief. 30 minutes later and in a lot of pain, I called the nurse. She let me know I was able to increase the strength of the continuous epidural drip by pressing a button on the machine. The nurse came in to check on me after my allotted amount was exhausted. Since I was still in tremendous pain, the anesthesiologist administered a booster to give me relief and enable me to use my energy to push out Baby K.
After a short while, the midwife came in to examine me. I was 10 centimeters and ready to push! I had my MIL call hubby as Baby K was going to be born anytime between one more push and one hour. The midwife quickly set up a contraption for me to rest my legs on and get me prepared for the actual delivery of Baby K.
As hubby raced over I tried not to push, but my body just wanted to push. After 10 minutes of small pushes with my MIL and midwife, Baby K’s head began showing. Hubby finally arrived and I started to really push. Twenty minutes later, at 11:51 am, Baby K was born. They asked me if I wanted to take Baby K out, but I said no. Hubby was then asked to announce the gender of Baby K. With tears in his eyes, I looked over at him as he announced what I had been waiting to hear for 9 months, “It’s a girl!”
With tears in my eyes, I was at ease. I just birthed a healthy baby girl. I took some deep breaths while hubby cut the chord.
The midwife placed our baby girl on my chest and left us alone for a few minutes. Then the midwife and nurse returned. The nurse weighed, measured Baby K and administered routine newborn tests.
I couldn’t stop starring at her. I was so worried that I had to give birth 4 weeks early and that there would be health complications, but nope, my baby girl was simply ready to come out into the world.
Baby K was born Saturday, March 26, 2011, at 11:51 a.m.
5 pounds 15 ounces and 19.25 inches
Our first (clean) family picture!
Thank you g-d for this beautiful blessing! Baby K was later named Sarah.
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