Baby E was my first real experience with birth. At 11pm on a Friday night, the pains began. They were down deep in my back and into my groin. I danced! Dancing is moving- isn’t it? I was overdue by 10 days. I was anxious and just plain old done with this pregnancy. I knew I needed to have a woman by my side. Not just any woman- my mother. I was up moving around for a few hours and then, well- I decided that I had better get some sleep, because Goodness knows how long this was going to be. I come from a line of women who blessedly give birth “quickly”. But I knew that there are no rules that are firm when dealing with birth. I let my husband sleep. I woke up at about 6:30 am with regular contractions lasting about a minute every 10 minutes or so. I woke up my husband and we tried calling my mother, but there was no answer (can I just say, that never happens!). Sent my husband to the shower and I waited, the contractions were every 5 minutes and lasting one minute. Finally, now we were in business!
So we went to the hospital- at about 8am- on Saturday morning. The December air was cool and crisp, Los Angeles was sleeping. I walked into L&D and was checked (water hadn’t broken), changed, and promptly hooked up to an IV. Then, I was told, that I could walk the floor as it was a weekend, and quiet. Okay, I had work to do and I was going to get this done. My mother was still not answering her phone. I really needed my mom. I walked the halls up and down, back and forth, round and round.
I was told that unfortunately, the hospital did not employ midwives on weekends, so I had a Doctor. Not my first choice- well, that’s okay, I’m going to get my job done. “No, thank you. I really do not want any pain medication.” Then it was “Oh, Mom! You’re finally answering the phone! Would you mind coming down to the hospital? I am in need of some TLC. Hurry, please.”
The contractions were hard and heavy at 1:00 pm, the bags of waters were still intact, and I had to get in bed. The contractions went from my hips through my groin and to my knees. No strength to stand. The damned IV was killing me, too. I hated being hooked up. Now DR. G. came in… Here’s where my fun really begins. He said that he needed to break the amniotic sac, the bag of waters, and I said okay- after all, it would really get things going and I was starting to get tired. So here I was IV and external monitors on me. Geez, this was claustrophobic! Then he breaks the bag- at 6cm, 2:00pm. He takes this cord and I ask him what he’s doing- “Oh, attaching an internal monitor to the baby’s head, to make sure it’s doing okay” I asked “isn’t the external monitor okay?!” He said this was just in case. I didn’t like it! Not one bit, but I was hardly in the position to argue! Then he say’s after the next contraction, a really OMG moment, he can give me something to take the edge off the pain. No Thank you. But he didn’t listen. I was not screaming, or anything. I was breathing, like I knew how to do, I was focusing and I was getting through every pain. He just wanted to do it his way.
Well, I went from 6 to 10 cm dilation in less than two hours. Transition was an avalanche of pains that were kicking my butt. I could barely catch my breath. But I knew, knew, it was almost over. At 3:50 I began pushing. There was Dr. G. like Johnny bench, Mom on one side Husband on the other. One push. Two pushes. Three pushes. Here we go, one more. Out comes the scissors and snip, the last push the head was out! Wait, the doctor tells me, “boy this kid’s got broad shoulders! “ Yeah, that’s just what I needed to hear! Okay here is your baby, your boy! A son. My son. My boy. Baby E. I had a 3rd degree episiotomy. I wanted to be alone with my baby and everyone was around. DrG was sewing me up and I felt every stitch. Every one! In walked Cousins and all. It was incredible. I loved them, but I just wanted some time before he went to the nursery. I wanted to nurse.
Just about 18 years ago, I had my first experience with birth.
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