Olivia's Birth Story

On February 4th 2011, at about 2 am I woke up soaked. To be honest I thought I had an accident, no one has ever told me that could happen! I changed my pants and I laid down, and those pants got wet. This time I was awake so I know I didn't pee myself, I started getting freaked out (I was shaking too) and I woke my boyfriend up and said that I woke up wet, and I'm going to call the hospital just to see what I should do. He got up and helped me find the number and the hospital said that I should come in just to get checked out, there is a chance it could have just been a bed wet but it could also be my water breaking. At this point I had a feeling it was my water. We got to the hospital, and they brought me to a delivery room and called my doctor. I went to an office where it was all lady doctors and all they did was deliver babies, only thing is you try meet them all but who ever is on call that day to deliver your baby is who you get...With my luck I got a lady I haven't even met before, making this experience even more freaky. Did I mention this is my first baby?! The doctor told me that my water did break, but my cervix was not opened. She asked if I got the 36 week check up where they check for the bacteria, I said that appointment was scheduled for the 9th. The doctor disappeared and came back and she told me she talked with another doctor and they think it is best to induce me since I didn't get checked but they are going to check for the bacteria right now. For the results it took 48 hours, and the doctor said she believes the baby will be here before then. After signing a consent form to get induced the inserted a gel? I think it was in me. In the prenatal movies I've only seen the hormone be put into an IV, so I was getting more freaked out. The nurse put me onto antibiotics just in case I did have the bacteria- better safe then sorry. The doctor told me that she does not expect a baby until the evening so she is going to leave. At first the contractions felt like cramping, and I had no idea I was having contractions until the nurse told me that I was by looking on the machine. I needed to go to the washroom, and the nurse said I couldn't get up until 2 hours after to make the gel stays in. I kept saying I had to go, so finally she unhooked me and let me go. The contractions kept getting worst...and I didn't want to be laying down, it made them more unbearable...if that made any sense. I made the choice not to go on epiderol, I decided if I needed drugs it'll be something else such as laughing gas. All I wanted to do was walk, and do the breathing techniques that the class taught us but the nurse didn't want me off the bed =(. Finally! she let as long as I told her if the gel fell out and if I let her check the baby. My boyfriend did the side to side walk with me- because that is all I could do at this point. I zoned right out during the contractions, I could hear him talking to me but I couldn't make out what he was saying. The Nurse asked me to lay on the bed again to see how much I am dilated. She did it during a contraction, that was awful! I almost went flying off the bed, my boyfriend dove to try and catch me...I didn't fall but I did go to the washroom and hide in there for a bit. While I was in there the nurse told my boyfriend that I was 8cm dilated. I can't really say how long that took because I have no idea. I came out of the washroom, and the nurse called the NICU nurses to hang out in the corner of the room to check on the baby when she comes. The nurse told me that once I feel like pushing to let her know. I did tell her and they were trying to get my doctor to come back. By time my doctor came I had an intern trying to deliver my baby, so the doctor assisted. It was a lot easier pushing her out during a contraction but then the intern wanted me to push without out one...well this is the only time I made a noise =( before all this I was quiet. As soon as Olivia was born they brought her to the NICU nurses to get checked out then brought her back to me for kangaroo care. The doctor told me how impressed she was with me, for my first baby I started my labour officially at 6:30am and Olivia was born at 7:52am and I pushed for 15 minutes. She told me if I ever have another baby to make sure I get to a hospital as soon as my water breaks. Olivia was born 5 weeks early, weighing 5 pounds 6 ounces. She did have to stay at the NICU for 10 days, and she was born with some sticky lungs and had to be on a machine to help her out for the first day then she was taken off. As soon as she was able to wake up on her own when she was hungry, and able to eat AND start gaining weight we were able to take her home on Valentines day <3 could I ask for a better gift?