Birth Stories: The Perfect Labor. November 3, 2010

Hello! I am a new mom to a now 4 month old baby, born November 3rd. He was born 9:26PM and was 7 lb. and 4 oz. This was a day that changed my life for the better. I hadn't known I was in labor, is how I am going to describe this to you. I felt no pain for the most part. It was 11AM on November 3rd. I was waiting at Starbucks for my bf to get off so he could take my fat pregnant butt to the appointment with my ob, and after he promised lunch! Well... the appointment goes as was the norm. I get checked in, weight and BP taken. I get called up, go pee in a cup and wait in the office for doc to arrive. Well... the doc arrives and we do the usual. She measures my tummy, we listen to the heartbeat, and we talk about my week. She then does the pelvic exam... She gives me this look and tells me that I am already to 5cm. I just was thinking OMG! Last week I wasn't thinned out or anything and now I am suddenly already half way through labor! I never even knew it! We talk about my kick count for that morning.... none. So she sends me and the bf over to L&D for me to be monitored. Once we get there and I am checked in and waiting for a room to be monitored in, I call my mom and tell her what the doc said and how I MIGHT be in labor. I told her we didn't know for sure, but that I would call her if we found that I was... She told me she would be on her way right then. I'm glad she did... After three hours of monitoring and being unsure of what was going on, my mom helps me find that the slight tightening feelings in my tummy were full blown contractions and they were coming on every three minutes. I had thought that maybe they were braxton hicks for sure! I am given an IV in my arm and admitted to a room. By this time I am almost completely thinned out. Both excited and scared! I had decided long ago that there was an epidural with my name on it out there. =) Most of us do though right? Pretty uneventful next hour or so mostly after I got into the room most of it has bled together. I remember having BP taken often, pelvic checks, thousands of trips to go pee.... My dad, little sister and grandmother come by to see me at some point to bring me pjs and baby clothes and the other stuff I hadn't brought with me or even had packed up yet at that point. And of course.... my favorite object brought to me by lil sis: my body pillow!!! I was so happy! I remember them leaving and my trying to sleep... and it not working. I was up to 7 cm. and they told me they wanted to break my water..... I hadn't felt any pain still and was mildly uncomfortable due to pressure at my pelvic bone area. I told the nurse, no breaking my water until my epidural gets here. i was squeezed onto the list between to scheduled c-sections for getting mine. It arrived not too long after. Epidural in place and all the works, I am stuck in bed. Trying to sleep, not being able to, and now not being able to fully feel anything from my chest down... I remember laying on my side and switching sides and it feeling funny with my legs like they had fallen asleep without the tingling sensation. It was an adventure to say the least. at almost 9PM... 10 cm. My OB MADE IT THERE MINUTES LATER! I am so proud of her! I am set up to push, only my mom is with me... and my friend who couldn't get out of the room fast enough, then the doctors... at 9 on the dot they say to start pushing. I look at my OB and ask her, no joke, how long do you think this will take? She told me it was really up to me! I told her: Let's shoot for, say.... 30 minutes? Lots of effort on my part after that. And 26 minutes later I have a beautiful baby boy! Again. November 3, 2010. 7lb. 4oz. 19 3/4in. The perfect labor, and the perfect baby.