Our Love/Birth Story :Part Three (B)
The Day You Were Born
The Day You Were Born
Oh this was an interesting day. You know those horrible birth videos that people make and the women are screaming and there's blood everywhere and for a second you think "am I watching a birth story or a horror movie?" Thats the kind of material Justin and I were shown to prepare for Maddie's birth. Let's just say one of us may have thrown up.
At sixteen, Justin and I still had very little clue about what to expect about labor and delivery. We had attended a birthing class which consisted of a very strict doula who was all about the "natural delivery process." Well I can tell you the idea of a water birth sounded good for about two seconds until I found out that you cant have an epidural, then I nixed that idea. If we can do water births with an epidural I would be the guinea pig for sure! (This is not an admittance I plan on having more children, this falls under a big category labeled "Maybe, or Not Ever") But I decided au naturale was not for me. Justin backed me up in that decision, his view was if it keeps me from screaming loudly and possibly crippling one or both of his hands, then thumbs up for painkillers! Don't get me wrong, I have the biggest respect for peeople who can do it without any drugs, if I wasnt such a weenie I would! I actually think yall are wonder woman. Seriously, mad props to you mamas who can do it on your own! There was one point with one of my sons were I was just gonna breathe through the contractions and not start the epidural, but then it got so bad I almost hyperventilated, so hence I cant go natural I would pass out all the time.
So Sunday March 18 comes along, just like any other day. I am 36 weeks pregnant and still attempting to pull my prepregnancy tshirts over my bulging belly. My friend stops by in the afternoon to say hey. Justin is over hanging out, and there's literally nothing exciting going on in the belly. Then suddenly, my back started hurting and cramping.
"Ok," I thought, "This is incredibly weird but I guess this comes with being nine months prego." I shrugged it off and continued on talking. Then another cramp came along right in my lower back and it made me suck in my breath and wince. Oh boy, game time. The cramps (as I came to find out later "back labor contractions") came like fireworks exploding on the 4th of July. They were consistent, they were relentless, and I was freaking out. I called for me my mom and said "uh my back hurts." And from then all mass hysteria broke out in that house.
My sister immediately broke into tears and started on a rampant about a cookie she had gotten for lunch that the dog had eaten that day (my sister has never been one to have grace under pressure), and my mom and Justin started running around and rushing me out the door. They were extrememly excited, nervous, and a bit crazy.
We arrived at the hospital only to wait 30 mintues in check-in being asked questions if I was in labor, if so blah blah blah and so on. After getting settled into triage I got checked for progress (yowza I did not realize how much I was gonna hate that), and found out I was already 4 cm dilated! Baby day!
I don't remember too much of the process, like I said I opted for the painkillers so I was a little out of it. I remember the epidural process only because that was the only instance Justin almost threw up, the big needle and catheter made him quesy (and now he's a fireman, go figure). I wasn't in labor very long, about 8 hours, which I consider to be pretty short considering I know a few people who's labor was over 24 hrs!
Pushing time came and my mom came by me and grabbed my hand, Justin was headed for the other side of my head when a nurse stopped him.
"Where do you think you are going?", she questioned, "you are gonna stay down here and hold her leg and see up close and personal what you did." Now I am not saying this nurse had a personal vendetta against all teenage daddies, but she was making sure Justin was gonna feel just as much pain as I did. Poor guy, seriously, I did not even want to look!
If I only had a camera to capture that moment on Justin's face. From white to green to blue to purple, boy was all shades of the rainbow. But he was a great leg prop! Pushing began and after each push I was promised it would be my last. Ladies, this is such a lie, no push is ever your last push until the baby comes out, obviously, but I was promised it was my last push for 45 minutes. Right before the end I freaked out started crying and wanting to give up.
My mom and Justin just encouraged me and told me they would be there, they wouldn't let me quit, and I was gonna be ok. I felt my mom's hand on my head gently supporting me, and saw tears in her eyes. I heard Justin exclaim "here she comes!"
And there she came, and since that day March 19, at 12:24 am, that little tubby 5lb 15oz girl has grown and changed me, just like she is gonna change this world.
"Ok," I thought, "This is incredibly weird but I guess this comes with being nine months prego." I shrugged it off and continued on talking. Then another cramp came along right in my lower back and it made me suck in my breath and wince. Oh boy, game time. The cramps (as I came to find out later "back labor contractions") came like fireworks exploding on the 4th of July. They were consistent, they were relentless, and I was freaking out. I called for me my mom and said "uh my back hurts." And from then all mass hysteria broke out in that house.
My sister immediately broke into tears and started on a rampant about a cookie she had gotten for lunch that the dog had eaten that day (my sister has never been one to have grace under pressure), and my mom and Justin started running around and rushing me out the door. They were extrememly excited, nervous, and a bit crazy.
We arrived at the hospital only to wait 30 mintues in check-in being asked questions if I was in labor, if so blah blah blah and so on. After getting settled into triage I got checked for progress (yowza I did not realize how much I was gonna hate that), and found out I was already 4 cm dilated! Baby day!
I don't remember too much of the process, like I said I opted for the painkillers so I was a little out of it. I remember the epidural process only because that was the only instance Justin almost threw up, the big needle and catheter made him quesy (and now he's a fireman, go figure). I wasn't in labor very long, about 8 hours, which I consider to be pretty short considering I know a few people who's labor was over 24 hrs!
Pushing time came and my mom came by me and grabbed my hand, Justin was headed for the other side of my head when a nurse stopped him.
"Where do you think you are going?", she questioned, "you are gonna stay down here and hold her leg and see up close and personal what you did." Now I am not saying this nurse had a personal vendetta against all teenage daddies, but she was making sure Justin was gonna feel just as much pain as I did. Poor guy, seriously, I did not even want to look!
If I only had a camera to capture that moment on Justin's face. From white to green to blue to purple, boy was all shades of the rainbow. But he was a great leg prop! Pushing began and after each push I was promised it would be my last. Ladies, this is such a lie, no push is ever your last push until the baby comes out, obviously, but I was promised it was my last push for 45 minutes. Right before the end I freaked out started crying and wanting to give up.
My mom and Justin just encouraged me and told me they would be there, they wouldn't let me quit, and I was gonna be ok. I felt my mom's hand on my head gently supporting me, and saw tears in her eyes. I heard Justin exclaim "here she comes!"
And there she came, and since that day March 19, at 12:24 am, that little tubby 5lb 15oz girl has grown and changed me, just like she is gonna change this world.
love this and love that sweet little girl!
ReplyDelete