Your personal delivery experience- what happened

2ndGoRound · Oct 17, 2007

This is a wonderful thread as I thoroughly enjoy reading all these stories. I have to apologize too since I am a pre-nursing student and am not as familiar with all the medical terminology.

I have one baby girl, now 14 months old. I was only 34 weeks along and my husband had been on my case to pack a bag, be prepared and of course I just "knew" I had plenty of time to prepare and he had no idea what he was talking about...what a worry wart! :lol2: On a Thursday I noticed I was losing some fluid, not much but enough to concern me. I called my OB who told me to monitor this development very carefully. By Saturday morning I woke up and wham, I couldn't even walk without the feeling that I was wetting on myself. I spoke to the nurse on call who told me to get to the hospital. I was still in disbelief and just knew that they would be sending me home. At 8 am in triage the nurse said "Honey, you are having contractions...don't you feel them?" I say "no, I just thought I was nervous" and burst into tears. The reason I burst into tears is because I wasn't ready. I didn't have a bag packed. The nursery wasn't 100% complete. My baby shower was exactly a week away. Was the baby ok? Was she big enough and were her lungs fully developed? The nurses were wonderful and kept me calm. The day was pleasant as my room was filled with family and friends. The doctor assured me that all should be fine and they estimated that my baby would weigh about 4½ pounds...a tiny angel. The nurse joked that her being so small might make delivery easier and I remember her saying "3 pushes, 3 pushes and she should be here"...wrong. After about 2 hours of pushing, a C-section was suggested. Again, I burst into tears. This was my first baby and for some reason I was disappointed that I couldn't "do it on my own". The nurse said, 15 more minutes and I said, I can do this! Well I couldn't...not exactly. I was wheeled into the OR to deliver since my baby was a preemie and in case an emergency C-section would have to be done. Talk about giving birth in front of a crowd! There must have been 10-12 people in there. My OB, L&D nurses, NICU, Respiratory, Anesthesiology. I am no longer shy. After a few good pushes and the help of some suction, I gave birth to a 17 inch long, 4 lb 11 oz baby girl, Kamryn, my tiny angel. We were blessed that even though she was 6 weeks early, she was in great health. She stayed in the NICU for one week learning how to suck a bottle and nurse and also dealing with jaundice but those were her only issues. The NICU nurses were absolutely fabulous!!! Though my experience was not something you may see on "A Baby Story" on TLC, it is my most special memory and my daughter is my greatest life accomplishment thus far.

Special thanks to those who work in L&D and in the NICU. The nurses in the NICU and the special care that they gave us are some of the reasons I have decided to make a complete career change and go back to school for nursing. Nurses are truly the best. :thankya:

PRESLA · Oct 17, 2007

] Hemabate expensive, nasty, but great medication.

Lisa :uhoh21:

CMCRN · Oct 17, 2007

I was 16 when I had my first, very small rural hosp. At 10 days overdue I started having contractions at 9 AM, one every hour. By 8 PM they were every 30 minutes and I was still playing cards with my sister. By 10 PM my mother decided it was time to go to the hospital, my husband was still at work. My contractions were still 10 minutes apart and the nurse said it was too early to admit but she would check my BP but she didn't have a cuff there so wanted me to walk to the Dr. offices with her which I did, in the dark, and then she couldn't find the light switch, I said oh let me I've been coming here for 9 months, as I turned the light switch on my water broke and I said I think my water broke as a pool formed at my feet and she said no it is probably just a little urination, sit here and let me check your BP. I said it feels like I'm sitting on his head. She said don't be such a baby. Finally decided to admit me, puts me in a bed and leaves. I have been in the BR in lobby because it feels like I have to have BM, no one told me about this while my mom argued with her about admitting me. I put my hand between my legs and tell my mom I can feel the head and my mom pats my hand and says yes dear it always feels like that... I think even my mom isn't listening..Nurse comes in gives me a shot I hadn't asked for and pulls back the covers to check me whelps because the head is crowning...7# 8oz at 11:55PM, Dr never made it.

2nd baby 14 years later now an L&D nurse working the PM shift. 10 days postdates 4 cm dilated, cranky, :madface: taking care of patients less dilated than me...Wake up at 6 Am to pee, note bloody show, go back to bed note ucs q 5 min wake hubby at 0615. Call girlfriend, L&D nurse, who comes over to check me at 0645, 7 CM ,to hosp, Hubby parks on 7th floor of parking garage, no elevator. I walk down and to L&D at change of shift between Nocs and days. I am 9 cm. No LDR yet so to DR. no L&D nurse has had a baby for about 10 years so , so both shifts are in the DR. 6# 5 oz Girl at 0742! 1 hour 42 minutes start to finish!Clear fluid no probs! She is now 24 years old.

I always take the teenagers in L&D

psalm, RN · Oct 17, 2007

Thanks for this thread! I feel part of a sisterhood after sharing and reading our birth stories.

mitchsmom · Oct 17, 2007

With my first, at 38+0 wks I started having menstrual-type cramps in the morning. I called the MD when they were 5 mins apart (that evening) as instructed. Went to the hospital, nitrazined positive for scant leaking I was having, was at 1 or 2cms. Walked the halls. Broke (rest of) water a little later, immediately couldn't take the pain, got epidural, rested & had 6lb 8oz baby at 6am after 30 min. pushing (I pushed like the devil after the nurse said they'd turn off the epidural if I didn't push well- I was petrified at the thought!!). Probably about 20 hours total.

Second baby, at 38+0 wks started having menstrual-type cramps around bed time. Was mostly able to sleep though the night. A little stronger in morning, called dh to not dilly-dally coming home from night shift. Went to hospital, was 5cm. Walked the halls. Got in bath (heavenly!). Wanted to go unmedicated but nurse scared me that 'if I didn't get the epidural now, I might lose my chance if I wanted it later' (I was doing great, too.) Got out of bath, got epidural, had 8lb. baby at 11am after probably 15mins. pushing.

Third baby, at 37+0 wks had been having contractions, some pretty close together, since the teen weeks so it wasn't as clear cut as the others. Plus, I wanted to stay home as long as possible. Was contracting a lot in the evening, walked a lot of laps around my kitchen, slept on and off until about 4am when the pain picked up. Went to hospital (remember I was 5cm when I got to hospital second time & still coping really well). This time: 1cm. LOL. Walked halls a long time. Tried bath but I think I missed the bath window this time and I just couldn't get comfortable there this time. Listened to music I'd brought. Back massage. Intermittent monitoring/ cervical checks were very uncomfortable because I had to lie in the bed. SOOO much better up and around!!!! I can really say I doubt I could have done it unmedicated if I was strapped to the monitors/bed the whole time (like we make women do where I work . I went through a bag of tricks to get through. When one didn't work I'd switch to something else. Next, I sat on birth ball on floor at foot of bed with dh on bed facing me. I would bury my head in his chest/abdomen during contractions and moan at this point. Next time to check me I crawled up the bed and got a huge irresistable urge to push when I was halfway up the bed, nurse did a quick check as I was still on hands and knees and she was like "oh yeah, it's time". (Nowadays I realize the baby was probably right there). I had not let MD break my water and now she was like "the baby will come right out if you let me break it"... not that I could argue at this point. She ruptured it and he pretty much flew down (with the huge irresistable pushes). Head came right on out but he was shoulder dystocia'd (which I don't even think would have happened without the last minute rupture), I could tell MD was serious when she said "DON'T push!" (.. man do I believe it when our girls say "I can't help it!!"... that was probably one of the hardest things in my life to try not to push at that moment). They did McRoberts/ suprapubic pressure - I felt him come out from the pubic bone with the maneuver and right on out. He was really bruised (they thought he was blue/ needed resuscitation at first) but fine. 7lbs 12oz.

I feel like all of my births were pretty good and uncomplicated (even though dystocia can be a nightmare). I really don't remember my nurses with the first, the labor was through the night and they mostly left us alone which was nice. I loved my nurse with the second (even with the epidural scare tactic), so much that I went back to the same hospital just so I could have her again :) :heartbeat Each of those birth days are kind of like the kids themselves, the best and hardest things ever at the same time. :heartbeat :heartbeat :heartbeat

mstigerlily · Nov 23, 2007

First time I was 34 weeks pg and a young single mom, backache on and off all day. At 5pm my waterbag exploded at the tail end of my Dev Psych class. I sat there till the bell rang then hobbled to the bathroom, then to the Student Health, which was just closing. By some act of God a retired OB was there who told me I'd never make it home, sent me to a local hospital where I met my "new" doctor. New doc placed me in Trendelenberg position, cathed me so I "didn't have to get up to pee", promised he'd be back and if I were to deliver anyway, I'd get my epidural, then left to do an emergency c-section. An hour later I was crowning (sans epidural) so I flew down the hall, shook hands (between my legs) with yet another doctor who delivered my daughter. Never really had much pain until the last 30 minutes or so. They kept telling me I was contracting and I kept saying, "I am?" The FOB was not involved and my mom barely made it for the birth as she had to drive 2 hrs in rush hour to get there. She was born at 8:30pm, weighing 5 lbs 6 oz. They gave me a small episiotomy which I probably didn't need. This was 15 years ago and they insisted on keeping an IV running for 12 hrs and nagged me about having a BM. When I told them I'd already had one, they looked at me very suspiciously as if were lying, lol.

Second time, I was so confident I'd do it without the epidural, my husband who had three with his ex (who got her epidurals practically in the parking lot) was not so sure. We went to childbirth class to review and to ease his mind. At 37 wks, my waterbag popped at 3am as I got up to pee, leading to sudden contractions. Hubby stopped at 7-11 on the way "to get a few things" and I was dying in the car. On admission he was settling in for a long ride when the nurse announced I was 6cm and leaking blood streaked fluid everywhere and moved me to a bed. He flew out of his chair panickstricken and never let go of my hand for the remainder of the labor. I whined a bit for the epidural at 10cm but the midwife told me I was almost there and hang in, so I did. My second daughter was born at 6:30am sans epidural weighing 7 lbs 9 oz. She was turned funny which meant she cracked her clavicle a bit coming out and I had hideous back labor which felt like a drill to my tailbone. After the birth though, I got up after the delivery of the placenta to pee, I felt great. I tore a tiny bit, maybe two stitches.

Third time, again I was so confident not only that I'd deliver early but that I'd have a fast labor. No, my son hung in till 40 weeks, in fact I had an induction scheduled next week. My doctor stripped my membranes to get things going and I was miserable all day/night with on/off contractions. Finally at 6am I left for the hospital and had lame puny contractions all day stalling at 4cm. Doc refused to break my water, giving me lectures about intervening, blah blah so I finally got the epidural. After the room spinning around and going black and feeling nauseous I decided to let that wear off. Did not like it one bit, I guess it was the fentanyl bolus? Anyway, just when I was starting to feel more "normal", anesthesia came back to see if I "needed a bolus". I yelled "NO THANKS!" Finally at 3:30, I nagged the doc into breaking my water. Immediately I had horrid contractions (which I expected since I had let the epidural wear off) mainly on the left hip/thigh for some reason like a hideous little spasm of pain with each contraction. Nevertheless once that waterbag was broken, I progressed from 4cm to baby out in about 3-4 hours, just like the last two times. My son was born at 7pm, weighing 9 lbs. Thanks to it being my 3rd baby and a nice labor nurse who did some perineal stretching I was intact. I felt a lot more sore because of the longer labor and my back was sore and bruised due to the epidural.

All in all, I've had pretty good labors, can't complain.

seemerun · Nov 23, 2007

I love sharing birth stories. Here are mine. :)

#1 DS year 2000- irregular contractions from about 7 pm on Monday night. Drove around in our car on some rough roads trying to shake things up a bit. They petered out and then came back again around midnight. Finally abou 4:30 am we went to the hospital. I was hurting right from the get go. And vomited right away. I was only 3 cm dilated. They gave me some pain meds through the IV - I think Stadol and then Nubain but I'm not sure. I didn't really want them, because I just knew they wouldn't help, but I wasn't assertive enough to tell them no. Sure enough, it did nothing for the pain but it made me very loopy. I just wanted my epi. The anesthesiologist came and started my epi and left right away. Which was a bummer because it didn't take on one side and then he got caught up in back to back C-Sections so my epi couldn't be redone for 3 more hours. That period was very strange. Kind of felt like an out of body experience or something. Once the epi was back in and fully effective the whole mood in the room changed. I got on the phone and called a few friends. Oh and I also called my nursing advisor and told her I wouldn't make it to class registration that day. (I was getting ready to start nursing school 6 weeks later) Finally started pushing. At one point they put some 02 on me. I pushed for about 1 1/2 hrs. He came at 2:29 pm on 2/29/00. My leap year baby. I had a small tear but no episiotomy (yay!) He weighed 7 lbs 12 oz.

#2 DD year 2004 -

Seriously a dream delivery! My OB stripped my membranes on Monday afternoon. I think I was 3 cm at the time. No contractions yet. Tired of being preggos. At 4 am on Tuesday morning I woke up with the tiniest twinge of a contraction but I just knew it was the real thing. I got up took a shower, shaved my legs cleaned the house and contractions gradually got closer together and stronger. Did a little yoga to pass the time. I woke up DH when things got a little more intense and I wanted him with me. I tried laboring on a ball for one contraction and hated it! We arrived at the hospital at 10:30 am when my ctx had been 5 minutes apart for one hour. My dad blabbed to the staff that I was a nurse - which I never would have done but I am glad he did because they were so good to me. I had my epi in within an hour and half of arrival and the guy was so great. He was not in a hurry and stayed around until we had it perfect since he knew last time it didn't take well. During all this time I had only progressed 2 cm from the day before in my OB's office so I thought it was going to take forever. But I was wrong. Once the epi was in I went from 5-10 in 30 minutes! Wow! My husbands parents were in the middle of driving over from 5 hrs away and I asked if I could not push for awhile since I couldn't feel anything, baby was doing fine and I really wanted them to be here for it. They allowed and I ended up sleeping for a couple hours. I could tell the RN was getting antsy though and literally the minute the in-laws arrived she had me start pushing. Well my body had done most of the work while I was sleeping because it only took one contraction (2 pushes) and she was out. When Dr. had me stop pushing for a minute I sat up thinking - no way she can't be out - but sure enough her head was out and second later she was on my belly. It just went beautifully. She was 7 lbs and 2 oz. My OB humerously thanked me for having baby at 2:00 on a Tuesday. No episiotomy, again just a small tear - which I preferred over the episiotomy.

bandas · Nov 23, 2007

I just had my third daughter on October 9th, 2007. I was induced and had gone in that morning to get started on Pit. I'm in nursing school and had told my teacher that I didn't want any students taking care of me because it was a little too close for comfort. My nurse started the Pit but I was only have a few very irregular contractions so my OB came in and broke my water. Hard, regular contractions started immediately. I told my nurse that I wanted an epidural as soon as possible. She told me that as soon as I started making progress I could have one. She checked me 15 minutes after ROM and said that she would turn up the Pit again and check me in 15 more minutes and then would order the epi if I was doing ok.

15 minutes later, I was in horrible pain and started throwing up. The nurse came in and checked and I was at a 6. She called anesthesia but they didn't answer. So I begged for Stadol in my IV. She went out to get that set up and then came back 5 minutes later. All of a sudden I had tons of pressure, so she rechecked me and I was at an 8. That's when everything got crazy. All of a sudden people we running into the room with equipment and started getting set up for the birth. I started crying because I knew that this was going to be a natural birth and I felt like I had no time to get prepared. They called the doctor but couldn't get ahold of him either. A couple of minutes after she checked me I started yelling that I had to push. I was checked and was complete. Nurses were surrounding me telling me not to push and that I needed to pant through the contractions. That was virtually impossible. I trieds, but she was coming whether they liked it or not. About 15 minutes later the doctor came into the room, quickly gloved and gowned, sat down and caught her. They logged my entire labor at 1 hour 8 minutes. My daughter's face was extremely bruised and she didn't get all of the amniotic fluid out of her lungs so for about a day and a half she would choke and spit up a lot of fluid.

In general it was a pretty traumatic experience. It just didn't happen the way I had expected it to, and I felt like I didn't have a chance to get fully prepared for the birth. I bawled and was in total shock that she came that fast. My husband had tears in his eyes and had begged for them to give me drugs. He, of couse, didn't know that they couldn't give them to me that late in the game. Oh and btw, I did have a student in the room who took care of the baby once she was born and she did a wonderful job. Of course, I couldn't have cared less who saw me at that point. I just wanted that baby out. She's six weeks old now and doing great. I had to go back to school the day after I got out of the hospital.

beachmom · Nov 25, 2007

3 days before delivery, dr. said baby was head down. The next day I was helping my mom clean, and she wouldn't let me do any heavy work, only pick up papers off the floor. This is hard for a pregnant woman, and afterwards everything felt different. I think this is when baby turned breech.

It took 29 hours for my contractions to go from 10 minutes apart to 5 minutes apart, when I could go to the hospital. My first nurse was so sweet but was a new nurse. She checked me and said she felt something different, and she wanted a more experienced nurse check. This nurse was very rough and grouchy and quickly checked me and said I was OK. Got my epidural (luckily), and 8 hours later a new shift comes on, and the offgoing nurse asked the oncoming nurse to check. Baby was breech. I was 9 cm. The dr. said he would deliver if her head was tucked, but her head was back, and he felt safer to do a c-section. Thank God for my epidural - 39 hrs. non-medicated labor and then a c-section would be so unfair.

After surgery, I think my epidural med must have migrated upwards because my tongue kept closing off my airway. The nurse was in the corner reading a book. I was too loopy to tell her how to help me. I was afraid to fall asleep and stop breathing. My oximeter kept beeping, and the nurse would shove an O2 mask on me, but that wasn't the problem, so I kept taking the mask off. That was a miserable time.

Anyway, my daughter was 8lbs. 11 oz., healthy and beautiful.

dream'n, BSN, RN · Dec 31, 2007

edited

misschelei · Dec 31, 2007

#1-2003...PIH reared it's ugly head around 32 weeks. I was on bedrest by 34 weeks. 37 week checkup doc said the baby wasn't growing anymore and had to come out. Went to the hospital the next morning for induction turns out I was already in early labor. Everything was fine. I was dilated to 3 and being the big wimp that I am asked for my epidural. My water broke while the doc was in the room. Then the baby's heart rate dropped to 50 out of nowhere. 5000 people converged on me when every acrobatic trick in the book didn't change anything. I was rushed to the OR. They told dh he needed scrubs and bless his heart he pulled out a pair from our suitcase in an effort to save time. He wound up pacing outside the OR door. I think I was having an anxiety attack because my legs were shaking so bad the table was moving. The doc said "I want her knocked out." The anestheisiologist who put in my epidural smiled as he pushed the Propofol. I'm pretty sure he said "think of it as a pina coloda." 10 minutes later baby girl was born 5lbs 3oz 18in apgars of 8 and 9. Her cord gas was hideous but no reason was ever found for her distress. Aside from her smart mouth she's perfect!

#2....coming soon! I'm 31 weeks with a boy and hoping PIH doesn't come back to play. He will be a repeat c-section sometime in late Feb. Wish me luck.

LDRNMOMMY, BSN, RN · Dec 31, 2007

I was sitting around at home on my due date when my water broke. I told my husband who did not believe me. I had several "false alarms" with painful Braxton Hicks contractions in the middle of the night. I checked to make sure my fluid was clear, it was so I took a shower before we went to triage. I was having irregular painless contractions. When I was checked by the OB in triage I was 4/100%/0. I really wanted a natural birth and was pretty excited that I was already 4. L&D was very busy that night so I had to wait in triage for almost 3 hrs before they could admit me. I wasn't in any pain so it was no biggie. I had them draw labs just in case I changed my mind about the epidural. I get to my room and still not really contracting. My midwife came in and showed my husband some pressure points to try to stimulate more regular contractions. I did some nipple stimulation too. Still not very regular contractions. I tried to get some rest. It was almost midnight at this point. My midwife came in and said we should start Pit. They were very busy that night and I decided that I wanted the epidural at that point. I was too afraid I would miss it and too afraid of how the contractions would feel without it. I wish I had at least given it a shot. Well around 4 am I was shivering so bad and and having some sort of decelerations (my contractions weren't picking up at all). Pit is off oxygen was on and my nurse called the midwife for an IUPC (where I delivered nurses aren't allowed to perform SVE's). I was complete but needed to labor down (FHR looked much better now). I labored down for an hour and pushed for almost 3. I had a VERY good epidural. I was very pleased and surprised that we now had a daughter! We did not want to find out the sex until delivery, I thought for sure I was having a boy. She weighed 7 lbs 14 oz and was 20 inches long. I nursed her almost immediately.

She is our only child and we plan on having more. This next time I really am going to try harder to have a natural birth. Overall I had a really good experience.