**Fair warning: This is not censored. It is a complete birth story as I remember it, and I talk about some icky things.**
Tuesday night after the false labor, I got the best night of sleep I had in probably a full week. No contractions (if there were any) were strong enough to keep awake, Mali slept through the night, my back wasn't having its sharp pains as usual.... it was really really nice. I woke up Wednesday morning without contractions and told Casey it was just a normal day- we had things to get done around the house, and so we did.
After Mali's morning nap, we decided to go walking and see if it sparked up labor since I was having a contraction here and there while we worked on the house. We walked around Hobby Lobby for a couple hours and headed home to put Mali down for an afternoon nap. Nothing changed as far as contractions went. Casey and I ate lunch and relaxed watching TV and I bounced around on my labor ball.
About 5:00, contractions came on very strongly. I remember them making me wince, but I honestly was trying to ignore them and not get my hopes up. After about the third or fourth wince worthy contraction, I realized they were coming pretty close together and decided to start timing them. Lo and behold they were coming 2-3 minutes apart and really steady at 40-45 seconds long. I called Evelyn, my doula, and asked her what to do. I had two major fears at this point- 1. that is was false labor again and L&D would strap me to a bed regardless and give Pitocin. And 2. that I had made a lot of progress yesterday and would end up giving birth on the side of the road or at my house. She encouraged me to keep timing at home, if I could manage the pain until I had a full hour of consistent contractions. So, I hopped in a warm bath and kept on timing. I knew at this point I needed to get mentally on top of the pain I was feeling, because if this was it I didn't have much time to "talk through" the pain.
A few minutes after 6:00, the contractions were still holding strong and staying close together. I called Evelyn back and told her we were going to head to the hospital- My OB wanted me there at 3 minutes apart. We had some friends pick-up Mali and take her to there house for the night, and Casey and I headed to the hospital!
It took three contractions to get from the car to the L&D desk. Those contractions were not fun- I was feeling the back labor set in and I desperately wanted to get back into a warm tub to relieve the pain. Of course, the nurses had to go through their normal checks and getting me settled, but once they realized I was 8cm and 90% I could feel the adrenaline pick up as the nurses began to get through my check-in process faster. The labor bed was not my friend last time, and I felt most relaxed to contract sitting on the toilet, so that's where I sat while the nurses put in my hep lock and had me sign medical forms. It had to be a hilarious sight, I'm sure with three people cramped in a little bathroom like that. :) The nurses did joke that this wasn't something they did very often and reminded me I couldn't push the baby on the toilet. No worries.
Meanwhile, while I was getting checked in, my amazing support team (Casey, Evelyn and her doula partner, Pam) were getting the labor tub set-up for me. I remember trying to watch them between contractions to try and keep my mind from getting anxious about the next contraction coming. That time getting checked in was probably the hardest part of the labor process (until delivery) because I couldn't get comfortable or focused very well to work through the pain.
I have no idea what the timeline was throughout labor. I know we were checked in at 6:30 and Naomi was born and 10:20PM. I refused to look at the time otherwise, I knew I would get discouraged watching the hours tick by and still not have a baby.
Once I was in the labor tub, I felt like I could really get into my "zone". I remember a lady coming to take labs, and I remember my nurse, Summer, putting my hep locked hand in a glove so it wouldn't get wet. I remember thinking I couldn't put my hands in the tub (I don't know if that was true or not) Reminding myself to relax my shoulders was a main focus during each contraction in the tub. Casey had put on some of the music I had loaded on the iPad, and I tuned out everyone's voices and tried to focus on the music. Unfortunately, the portable monitor for the labor tub wasn't working and I had to get out of the tub every 15 minutes to get monitored. My team would wrap me up in warm blankets and Casey would just hold me close. During those checks. I remember wanting to cry. I couldn't believe how calm and perfect Casey's hugs were at that point.
Every time I moved around the contractions hurt worse. I remember dreading hearing Summer's voice say I needed to get monitored. That was a tough mental hurdle every 15 minutes, but I knew I was so close, I had to be so close. I kept reminding myself about how close I got with Mali and how I know I could've made it. I had to stay mentally on top of the pain.
After some time, I could tell a significant increase in the pain in my back and the contractions were more painful. I started fighting the urge to move around with each contraction. I told the nurse it was hurting more and she decided to check me- still 8cm, but 100% effaced. That was a big blow mentally. I had been there a while with essentially zero progress. I quickly had to remind myself that I had a friend who went from 8cm to baby in her arms in 20 minutes. I could do this- that may be my story, too. My OB cam in shortly after that, and I remember feeling such relief to hear her voice. I was worried she wouldn't be the OB to delivery Naomi since it was so late. That was a huge encouragement having her there, too. It was time for another monitoring time, so I got out of the tub and my OB requested I get in the labor bed and let her check my progress. It hadn't been very long since my last check- maybe 3 or 4 contractions, but she said I was at 9cm, 100% effaced, and zero station. I was so happy! That centimeter came fast! Only one more to go! I started wondering how transition would feel, it was coming, and I didn't want to lose the mental battle than. I was so close.
After they monitored me for a few minutes, they said I could go back to the labor tub, but I knew I was close and didn't want to have to climb in and out of the tub again. So I stayed on the labor bed in a criss-cross position. My back pain immediately increased and Pam started using pressure points and tennis balls on my lower back to ease the pain. It was getting harder, but I knew transition had to be coming, it had to be. After awhile the back pain was starting to get me shaken up, Pam and Evelyn suggested I get in a position closer to all fours and it should relieve some of the pressure off my back and hopefully allow Naomi to turn- we were pretty certain she was facing my left hip at this point. That position didn't do much for me. I realized that I was tensing with each contraction, and was fighting an urge to push something, anything. I told my nurse that and she went and got the OB to see where we were! I can't say it was an overwhelming urge to push or even a feeling like "she's coming!", I just need to push something out whether it was urine, my water bag, or a baby. Something needed to come out.
Everything changed really fast from there, my quiet, dark labor room was filled with people and medical supplies seemingly out of nowhere. My doctor check me again- no progress, but she felt I could push through the last final centimeter, so we did.
I had a hard time through delivery. My back pain was terrible, I was uncomfortable, and by golly I wanted relief from the contractions! But I was definitely at a point of no return, this was it. Suck it up and do it time. My dream was to delivery Naomi in the caul, and here I was past zero station, fully dilated, and she was essentially stuck. My OB looked me in the eyes, and told me she knew I wanted a caul birth, but the bag was very tight, and she needed to turn Naomi. She asked if she could go ahead and break my water. I let her and the back pain was unbearable almost immediately. However, it was just three? Maybe four? contractions until Naomi was born. I remember saying before the last contraction, "Please, dear Jesus, let this be the last one." I know Evelyn heard me and offered encouragement, but I don't remember what she said.
I never thought I'd be a yeller, but I'm sure I was well heard in L&D that night. Oh well, it was worth it. :)
The immediate rush of having Naomi placed on my belly and the relief of the end of labor and delivery was amazing! I don't know how to really put it all in words. I felt very disconnected from Mali's birth due to the epidural working too well. And to have a birth experience where I was fully aware of everything was so fulfilling and just simply amazing. I was surprised my the pain I felt after Naomi's head was delivered- I forgot about the body, I guess. lol. Casey cut the cord again for Naomi as all dads are obligated to do. :) I had zero tearing and was so relieved to not have to get stitches- I had seriously been freaking out about that before labor had started. My OB getting my uterus to contract down wasn't pleasant at all. I lost quite a bit of blood at that point was given Pitocin to help get my uterus to contract down. I also was put on saline for awhile. The delivery of the placenta was really cool! I hardly felt it, but loved being able to watch it this time. I asked my OB if I could see it, and she completely nerded out on me explaining the different parts and how they worked together. It was fascinating, and I have no desire to ever see that organ again.
Naomi was 7lbs 1.9oz and 19in long. She was born at 10:20PM on March 13, 2013 after 5 and a half hours of active labor. A full pound lighter and inch shorter than her sister. But the cool thing? Mali was born at 10:20AM. Little things, eh?
Naomi nursed so well right off the bat, and I felt amazing and like I could get up and walk around no problem. It was such a different experience than my first, and I am so ever grateful for the team of people around me who helped me get there. It was perfect and something I will cherish having experienced forever.
