Be careful what you wish for! Thursday morning at 5 a.m., I started having more contractions. Then, my water broke, but it wasn't very much so I didn't think much of it. About 9 a.m., the contractions were about 4-5 minutes apart and pretty strong. I still had my 10 a.m. appointment for a massage and wasn't about to miss it if this was just false labor again. I called my massage therapist and she came over. She helped me for an hour and a half while the contractions got stronger. Believe me, I never thought I would ever, in my life, have an in-home massage while I was in labor! It was really helpful, though.
The doctor had told me not to come into until my contractions were 2-3 minutes apart for an hour straight. Around noon, we decided that this was the real deal and would be going in to the hospital at some point. So, I was in bed in labor while Allen made arrangements for Lexi and my mom finalized plans to fly in. At 1 p.m., the contractions were starting to get pretty uncomfortable so we made our way into the hospital.
They took me back to triage to make sure I was in true labor. They also did a quick test to see if my water had really broken. It had, so even if my contractions weren't perfect, I was still going to be admitted and have a baby. We got settled in our room and made a plan with our nurse. I had been laboring for about 10 hours and was at 3 cm. We made a plan to try and get to 5 cm and then contemplate pain relief. At 6 p.m., I was finally a 4 but I had been in labor for 12 hours and was feeling pretty tired. By 7, the contractions were still 5 minutes apart, but really strong. So, we called in for an epidural. What a blessing! When those things work, they are awesome.
It took another 12 hours for me to get to a 10. But, the baby was still way too high. The nurses had all said they don't advocate 2 and 3 hour pushing marathons. They prefer the baby to "labor down" and then go about pushing. So, it took another 4 hours for the baby drop enough for pushing to commence. We started at 9:45 and Addison was born at 10:32 a.m.
I certainly did not expect 30 hours of labor. I am actually surprised that I managed 12 hours of labor without any pain meds, either. But, I had made a plan and am glad I stuck with it. I am really, really glad we avoided another C-section. Having been on both sides of that coin, I can say this recovery is much faster and easier. I still feel like I have been run over by a truck, but I'm walking and caring for myself. This kind of birth is a really different experience and it has been interesting to compare the two ways of bringing people here.
Allen, I know, felt more involved and was totally impressed by the whole process. Our nurses and midwives were awesome and we feel very positive about the whole thing. This is my philosophy about childbirth (if you want it in one neat sentence): You must go through the gates of hell to bring a person back from heaven.
Addison May Riddle
8 lbs. 12 oz.
21 inches long
10:32 a.m.
12/12/2008
2 comments:
She is so cute. I am so sad that we can't come see her right away. I can't believe you went through that much labor without meds. I got into the hospital and said get me an epidural as soon as possible. They even gave me some other pain medication while I was waiting for the epidural. Maybe I'll be more brave with the next one. Again, she is ADORABLE!!! Hopefully she will be home soon!
We're so grateful she's here! Good job, Traci! The pictures are great!
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