Your personal delivery experience- what happened

DEB52 · Oct 15, 2007

I was wondering how every ones delivery experience was. It seems like its a story that women like to share. And there can be so many different stories.

When I went into labor on 10/12/1976, I was single and a RN. (OOH) The first thing they gave me was that horrible ss enema of 1000 ml. I wouldn't wish that on anyone and I'm glad that they stopped giving them. Anyway, I was having back labor and was walking around in the room. I don't remember being monitored or having an I V. After they broke my water, I had to stay in bed.Well that didn't help the back labor. My mom wasn't in the room much but I did have a male nursing student and his instructor. I was given a dose of Demerol once. When I got to complete they let me push,like they could of stopped me.But remember the back pain, one OP head coming down the canal. So they took me to the delivery room(no LDR's back then) and sat me up for the spinal. It was the nurse ,the doctor ,the anesthesia and me in the room. My legs didn't feel like my own. So they put the salad prongs on the baby's head and guided him out. It had to be the most amazing thing in the world to me seeing the birth of my son.

After the delivery, they put me on a stretcher and I threw up. And they circumcised my son on the delivery table.

After the circumcision the doctor took my son out to meet my mother and she kissed him. The doctor was so upset because you didn't do that back then. Grandparents had to be scrubed,gowned masked and gloves before they could hold the baby. Thank goodness that all has changed!!:balloons:

kmn360 · Oct 15, 2007

I had an interesting experience, not good. I will save most the details. Let's just say I didn't have my reg. OB. The OB on call was so bad that the NR who was suppose to be off at 10p stayed until 300a after my daughter was born, well after her shift, not that others didn't try to take over. She did not leave my side, I needed her and she knew it, a thank you just never seemed to be enough for all she did.

Basically I was admited in the early afternoon, he yells at the NR's at the desk that I should not have been - oh BTW it was a Saturday - the NR on duty at the time could not believe he wanted to send me home. The final straw was he threaten to call my insurance and tell them I didn't need to be there so they wouldn't pay for my stay. I left I didn't know what to do, I had to go back to admitting resign papers, the gal there told me she hoped I lived real close to the hospital, as I couldn't even stand up straight. Got home - 15min - water broke - back to hospital, told to far in labor for any drugs. Six hours later I had my daughter who was of course - perfect!

Yep I was young back then - now - I would eat him alive!

jnrsmommy · Oct 15, 2007

Wow, this will be an interesting thread. I can't wait to hear all the stories.

I was in a military facility in Germany. We had recently moved there, so no friends, no family, newlywed, having my first kid. Can you say freaked out? I was five days overdue when I went to my check-up. Sitting in his office after the exam, he tells us that he wants to schedule an induction, be there at 0500 the next day. I didn't hear anything else after that. I know that we sat in the office for a while, and I know that hubby and he spoke, but it all sounded like how the teachers talk on the Charlie Brown cartoons. As soon as we got out of his office, I broke down in tears. I'm not ready for this, what were we thinking (dh tells me "we weren't, that's why we're in this position"..... could've done some serious bodily damage to him if I wasn't already so distraught). I cried that whole day and the rest of the night (silly me, I know).

The next morning we're at the hospital, I look like someone just died, I was soooo scared. They get me gowned, monitored, IV hooked up, and start the pit. Dh is scared of hospitals (childhood fear never resolved), so he's sitting in a corner, reading a book, doesn't talk to me. So I settle back, exhausted, trying to get some sleep, then the pain hits me again and again and again. Oh my, they told me that it was gonna hurt, but I didn't expect that. This goes on all day, then the doc decides that we will stop for the night, start again in the morning (the pit was started around 0530, here it was almost 1900). Dh left so that he could go home and sleep (again, the hospital fear... which I understand now, but then, it hurt like the dickens that he didn't stay), I got to eat, and be w/o pain for about an hour or so. Around 2200, nurse comes in and tells me that the doc wants to try the gel (forget the name of it, but I'm sure the OB nurses know what I'm talking about). Sooo, the rest of the night was torture. The nurses told me later they could set their watches to me. I was literally up every 15 min having to either urinate or throw-up.

0530 the next morning, I'm crying, begging dh to come to the hospital early. He gets there a little after 0600, the doc comes around shortly after and tells me that they want to start the pit again because even w/ the round of pit the day before and w/ the gel, I haven't dilated. Shortly before 0700, the pit is started, and I'm in agony yet again. I asked about pain medicine, told I didn't have any ordered, but did I want an epidural (I know a little better now, but at the time, had no kind of medical/nursing background whatsoever), and I said yes. So the nurse calls and the doc shows up to do the epidural.

A little back story here about this doc. When I had to start my weekly appts, this was the first doc that I had to see. With the military, you don't get a regular doc. I was terrified about having a lady partsl birth, and was asking him about having a c-section. He basically told me that any decisions that had to be made would be made by him, and for me not to worry about it. And, this guy was huuge, the biggest hands I have ever seen, and was not gentle in the least during the exam. So you can imagine my thrill at seeing him walking through that door to start my epidural. They get me sitting on the side of the bed, holding on to hubby (poor thing, from throwing up all night, even rinsing my mouth out, my breath was pretty bad, and I'm practically breathing in his face, he was turning all shades of green). This doc tried for almost 45 min to start the epidural, couldn't get it. Says that I don't need one anyway. They're gonna go ahead and break my water.

It wasn't quite 0900 when the break my water. I see dh sitting in the chair at the foot of the bed and he just goes all shades of green again, but doesn't say anything. I don't really remember much about what happened next. I do remember them turning me in different positions, trying to get my leg in a position that it was never meant to, then I started freaking out (I don't remember why, I just remember the feeling of overwhelming panic). They put an oxygen mask on me, said my O2 was low, bp was low, and the baby's hr was low. By this point, there's several docs and nurses in the room, talking. I don't remember any of what is said, until this female doc told me that when they broke my water, there was alot of blood, and w/ the drop in the other vitals, they needed to do an emergency c-section.

My dd was born at 1050 July 1, 1999, one week after her due date, and she was perfect. I did get a copy of our medical records some time later, but they were poor copies, and cannot see most of what is written. I get upset at times regarding the delay from when the arom was performed and when they got me into surgery (record states that it was started at 1048). Almost 2 hours of knowing that I was bleeding profusely, no exams done. Oh, and it was placental abruption.

The nursing care that I received post-partum, was mediocre at best. There was no nursery, complete rooming-in, and we were the only patients on the floor the entire time I was there (from Tues for induction until Sat when d/c). I wouldn't see a nurse for hours at a time, there was even one day that I didn't see one until almost 2200. No one came for the baby, except the doc in the morning when he did his rounds. On the night before I was to be d/c, this nurse came in and was absolutely wonderful. She talked to me, answered my 1001 questions, gave me info and names of resources, did confirm that I was breasfeeding correctly (no one showed me how, just got lucky that kiddo was a natural). Then she even washed my hair and brushed it, gave me a foot massage, a hot towel for my face, and showed me how to care for my incision. For the life of me, I cannot remember her name. I hope that she reads this and knows that to an inexperienced new mom, scared out of her mind, having the worst experience in a time when it should have been the best, she was absolutely wonderful and words cannot adequately express how grateful I am to her. When I decided to enter nursing school and even now that I've been a nurse for a few years, she is the standard that I try and reach.

Wow, I didn't realize that this was so long. I apologize for that you guys.

Elvish, BSN, DNP, RN, NP · Oct 15, 2007

I was 39 weeks pregnant with my son when I complained to the OB doc that I was really tired all the time carrying around that big belly. (Perfectly normal, right?) She said, "Let me see if I can stir anything up in there." I didn't know then (but do now) that she was stripping my membranes. I won't let anybody do that again.

My water broke the next afternoon around 1500. We went to the hospital with nary a contraction to be had but we were just following directions. I drank a strawberry/OJ smoothie on the way. As soon as we got to the hospital they put me on the monitor to see if I was doing anything -- no contractions. I wasn't feeling any, either. Doc says, "Well, we're going to start some Pit since you're not doing anything." Me: "Uh, can you give me a chance to get it started? Let me walk or something." Ok, fine. I walked. And walked. And walked. And did my own nipple stim. And walked some more. Ctx got going really strong (at least they felt strong) and every 3-5min but after 8hrs I had dilated from 1-2cm. At that point I still had no IVF or continuous EFM.

Baby was very tachycardic, I think because I was in a strange place and was stressing out over not having dilated much. At around 2330, they finally started the Pit (rather, I finally consented to it) and since the contractions were so strong already, I got an epidural.

Finally I relaxed, and went from 2 to complete in 6 1/2 hours (with the help of the Pit, of course) and pushed for almost 2. Had a healthy little boy, 8+1. I nursed him just after delivery.

I really wanted a natural birth, and still do for any future kids. I don't regret all the interventions I had, but feel that next time around I will know more and be more empowered to speak up. And I'll know better what NOT to do too.

Good thread.

marill · Oct 15, 2007

Wow, this will be an interesting thread. My one and only personal delivery story was quite different. I was an older mom, having been an RN for several years and had worked ob for a few years. I count the day of my child's birth as one of the most wonderful days of my life. The nurses I had were familiar to me, excellent nurses, and though there were some uncomfortable moments and I ended up with an emergency csection it was "all good". My baby was (and still is) perfect at least in the eyes of his family.

The conclusions that I draw from all of this is teaching and caring. When someone spent time teaching and explaining to the young mom above a scary experience was made so much better. Most of us try hard, I think, to be the wonderful nurse to the young and inexperienced. There are many challenges for us all.

ParrotHeadRN · Oct 15, 2007

Awesome thread!

My baby will be 16 in a month, but of course, it's still as fresh as if it were yesterday.

I was 21, living with my parents; my (now ex) husband was a drunk and staying at the local VA center. My mother was an OB nurse and I was to deliver at "her" hospital and she said she didn't want my husband there. She really hated him. With good reason, of course!

It was a Thursday night, my mother was at work, and I was doing jumping jacks! I laugh at that girl now, but she was tired of being pregnant. Whether or not they had anything to do with it, I'll never know. Probably not. Eventually though, I do start having little twinges of pain, not really sure what they are but they are coming fairly regularly. I call my mother at work and she comes home. Not really a whole lot going on, just these fairly regular twinges. Well, more than twinges, but I'm still not sure if I'm really in labor. I went to the bathroom to pee and my water broke. Went out to tell my mother (the OB nurse!) and she freaks out! "OMG are you SURE?????" Then of course, I doubted myself so I went back to the bathroom and still had a steady leak, was pretty sure I wasn't still peeing. Back out to tell mom that yes, I'm sure. Went downstairs to the basement to get a towel to put in my underwear. Halfway down the stairs I had my first REAL contraction BAM!!!!! Stopped me in my tracks, bent me over double and then I completely understood what it means when people say "if you aren't sure if you're in labor, you aren't." What a difference, WOW.

All the while I'd been in touch with my husband and I wanted him there. So after mom and I were on the way to the hospital, I told her I wanted to stop and pick him up. She was PISSED, but she did. Well, turns out we picked him up at a bar!!!! Now, I was in labor, so wasn't really paying attention, but I remember him stumbling down a hill and my mother saying "he's drunk!" Such fun. At that point, my contractions were about 5 minutes apart and mom was more worried that I was going to have the baby in the car, so there wasn't too much said about my drunk husband.

Got to the hospital, mom started my IV, and actually gave me a fleets enema. (By that time I didn't care.) Somewhere in there I vomited. And I got a shot of demerol. Worst mistake ever. I don't remember where I was when I got to the hospital, but I got stuck at 3 cm's for HOURS literally after the demerol. And it didn't help with the contractions, it just made me sleep in between. When a contraction hit, I'd sit up, suffer through and then go right back to sleep. I do know that I did NOT want to be touched at all and the nurse kept telling my husband to rub my back. I was not ugly or rude at all, was really scared to death, and didn't say boo. Finally hubby told the nurse "I really don't think she wants me touching her!" and that stopped that for a while. I remember my father showing up at some point on Friday morning. I just woke up and there he was. By that time I didn't care who saw what, my modesty was completely obliterated. The day nurse on Friday at one point got me out of the bed and put me in a rocker. She then proceeded to massage my abdomen. OMG it was torture. But being the terrified little girl I was, I just gritted my teeth and suffered through it. I did not want to be touched at all. I know now that she was doing the right thing but wow, it was bad.

Around 3pm Friday I started transitioning. Sat STRAIGHT up in bed and said "I'm scared." Hubby was sober by then and was being good, surprisingly supportive. I remember mom and him exchanging snipes throughout the night. Anyway, he told me not to be scared, that it would all be okay. I'm guessing they checked me and found me fully dilated so they wheeled me to the delivery room while I was having a pushing contraction. They told me not to push and to let go of the sides of the stretcher so they could get it through the doors. DON'T PUSH??? LET GO???? Were they kidding??? Like I had any control over any of it by that point.

When they put me on the delivery table, they tried to put my legs up in stirrups. I remember saying "Oh no no no that hurts," and grabbing behind my thighs. Thank goodness no one tried to put my legs back in those stirrups, because I had my son out of there in less than 15 minutes. I know now it's McRobert's position, and I can't imagine how long it would have taken me if I'd had to stay in the stirrups. UGH.

So I pushed him out, he was fine, I was a nervous wreck because of mom and hubby. Mom made me cry because she said I was mean to my father because I was shy and wanted him to wait a minute before he came in while I was trying to nurse. The one ray of sunshine was my discharge nurse, Kate. I told her that mom was mad because hubby was there and she said "well, that doesn't matter as long as you were happy." I still remember how relieved and safe she made me feel at a time when I was not only post partum and hormonal but caught up in a dysfuctional family situation. I still love her for that.

Goodness this was a book, sorry! Again, awesome thread and I can't wait to read the rest!

allnurses Guide · Oct 15, 2007

My 1st son was born almost 25 years ago in Reno at a Catholic hospital - I had the enema, the complete shave (the period when the hair grows back was TORTURE, how do you women tolerate wax?), the pitocin, the episiotomy, the stupid useless Demerol, no epidural, etc. Healthy baby boy. Stayed 3 days for a lady partsl delivery.

My 2nd son was born 22 months later in a small town rural hospital. No enema, no shave, no pitocin, no episiotomy, still got stupid Demerol, no epidural, had to move from labor room to OR delivery room:angryfire when I was wanting to push. Healthy baby boy and left the hospital after 24 hours.

My daughter was born at the same hospital - same kind of delivery except the Demerol was given close to delivery and they had to really stimulate and give her blowby. Left the hospital in less than 24 hours.

6 years ago, had a surprise baby boy in my 40's. Decided not to deliver at this rural hospital where I now worked. Had him at a large Catholic hospital. My water broke first, for the first time ever, on it's own prior to getting to the hospital - green. I asked for an epidural when I was 2 cm (I had talked this over with my doc prior - I wanted NO MORE natural deliveries, thank you very much!). It was a good thing because we just kept getting more mec and so I ended up with an emergency cesarean. I was very glad to see my son before they whisked him off to NICU for a few hours of observation. By the time I got out of recovery and back to my room, I had him in my arms. Breastfed right away. I stayed 3 days in the hospital. I didn't mind the cesarean at all - the pain was bearable with narcs! I decided cesarean was much preferable than the pain with "natural childbirth". Of course, I made dh go get fixed when I was 4 months preggers with our surprise babe.

That first shower was heavenly. :balloons: I had a room to myself.

The one thing that I'm still embarrassed about was the doc had to give me Hemobate after delivery for bleeding and one of the side effects is you lose control of your bowels . . .which I did in recovery. Of course, I can't move and the poor nurse had to clean me up - she is my hero. :balloons:

Of course, if I had had that darn enema . . . ..

steph

Elvish, BSN, DNP, RN, NP · Oct 15, 2007

Oh Steph, I always feel so sorry for our moms that have to get Hemabate. We really don't mind cleaning up anything.

It is so interesting to see everybody's experiences!

Jo Dirt · Oct 15, 2007

At the insistence of my husband I was going to have my daughter at home in our shack in the woods with no bathroom and barely electricity and running water but the labor didn't go as planned and I ended up having her in the hospital.

Fifteen months later I had my son in our shack in the woods with a midwife.

Nearly three years later I had my daughter at the hospital with an epidural.

Six years later I had my son at the hospital with an epidural.

allnurses Guide · Oct 15, 2007

Oh Steph, I always feel so sorry for our moms that have to get Hemabate. We really don't mind cleaning up anything.
It is so interesting to see everybody's experiences!

Another reason she is my hero is they allowed my mother-in-law and my husband to come into recovery (wow, I think my #2 son and daughter were there too but I can't remember . .weird).

So, we are chatting and I smell this "sewer gas" smell . . you know how some pipes will back up and send that smell into your house. The nurse told me and my family that the hospital was working on that problem . . . she was lying to save face for me but I didn't know until my family left and she told me I'd been incontinent. :uhoh3:

steph

RNLaborNurse4U · Oct 15, 2007

My first was almost 18 years ago, when I was 15 yrs old. I went in to the hospital, thinking "wow, this isn't too bad". I was 2cm and was sent home, in early labor. Went back in about 10 hours later, still 2cm. They gave me something to sleep overnight. I kept contracting every 5 minutes. Around 2am, I called out for the nurse. I can't remember how far dilated I was at this point. I got a shot of demerol, got an enema and was shaved. (UGH) Around 6am I was 10 cm and started pushing. I pushed for just over 2 hrs before my daughter was born. I distinctly remember feeling her shoulders deliver - wowsers! I think I may have had a pudendal block too, as well as an episiotomy. 6# 5 oz baby girl. I also got very sick about an hour after delivery - temp shot up to 104. I thought I was going to die when my priest showed up to bless me. Never knew what happened, but I was on antibiotics for several days while in the hospital. Looking back, it may have been chorio, but my daughter was never sick, nor was my water broken for very long (it was broken when I was 9.5 cms). Couldn't get the hang of breastfeeding, and never got any help in the hospital to try and nurse, so I quickly switched to bottles.

Baby #2 was 3 years later --- went in with contractions coming irregularly. I thought I would be sent home. I was 4cm on arrival. They broke my water - I was 42 weeks - and it was meconium. I asked for an enema because of feeling tons of rectal pressure - turned out, he was direct OP. I had horrible back pain and rectal pain during contractions and between contractions. I was on continuous monitoring b/c of the mec and him having one decel. I hated being hooked to that darn monitor. I was also shaved again. Talk about major itching when that grows back!! This labor was faster - just under 8 hours (first baby was total of 32 hrs labor, mostly early labor). I involuntarily started pushing around 7-8 cms. Oh, I also got a shot of something for pain around 4-5 cms, can't remember what I got. I begged for more 45 minutes later when I quickly had gone to 7cm, but it was too soon for more drugs. I pushed for about an hour, while a couple different doctors tried to manually turn him anterior while he was inside me. OMG that hurt worse than ANYTHING I have ever felt! He ended up rotating around as I crowned. I started to tear along my old epis, so they cut me the rest of the way. He had a nuchal x1, and no mec below the cords. 7 lb 5 oz. Biggest baby for me. Breastfed 4 months.

My last baby - started contracting in the evening. I ignored it, since it was routine for me to contract every night for a few hours. Only these didn't go away. But they didn't hurt either. So I went to bed. Got up around 5am to stronger contractions, but they were irregular. Got a shower around 7am, where they came every 2 min and very strong. Called the midwife, went in to the L&D unit around 9am. I was 6cm on admit, bulging membranes. Got in the shower, did that for a bit, felt pushy in the shower. I progressed 1cm at each check. 7cm before shower, 8cm after shower. Laid on my side in bed - lip. I finally allowed the midwife to break my water, and my daughter was born 5 minutes later, with one great big push. No IV this time, only intermittent monitoring, no shave or enema. :-) This was also recent, in 2003. No pain meds either, which was my goal. No epis, no lacs. A nice natural birth. I went home after 24 hrs - would have gone home right after placenta if I was allowed to. I actually wish I had done a homebirth with this last baby. Oh yeah, she was 6# 9 oz and breastfed for 13 months.