Birth Story- raw and unedited

I had worked a full day on Friday (9/18/09). All of my co-workers told me, “You are having that baby this weekend! I just know it!”. I shrugged off these comments, as I didn't want to be too excited. I had not had a single contraction yet, and I knew that first babies are usually late. I was only 38 weeks and 2 days, and wanted to stay realistic about the fact that I could be pregnant for another two weeks or even longer.

Saturday morning (9/19/09), Ross got up at about 8-9am. I had felt like I should get up and start taking care of chores and “things to do before baby arrives”. But then a voice told me, “You know, you opportunities to have mornings like this are numbered. Once that baby comes, you won't get to sleep in! Enjoy it!”. So I did. I just went right back to sleep...until about 10:00am. I woke up feeling a deep sudden shift downward in my pelvis; almost like a pop. Intense discomfort followed that I have never experienced before, but I figured it must have been cramping. I got up to use the bathroom and felt like I peed for a lot longer than I anticipated. I wondered if it was my water breaking...but again didn't want to get too excited. I had been told that if you lay down, the fluid should run out, so I went back to bed. No fluid. But the discomfort returned about 10 minutes later, so I wrote it down to keep track. At 10:45, I was still unsure and in disbelief, but I told Ross. “This may be it”. I decided to take a shower. In our child birthing class, we were told that pre-labor and early labor can last up to 12 hours or more, so I figured I would get all cleaned up and do some chores. I had wanted to do my hair and make-up prior to the delivery. I even had waterproof makeup picked out. Call it vain, but I wanted beautiful pictures of the delivery!

While in the shower, I noticed that the pains were quickly becoming “longer, stronger, and closer together”, which was our cue to call the hospital, and when I knew this was really it. I actually was in disbeleif that I was in active labor this quickly, and was a little concerned that something was wrong. It was about 11:15am. I had Ross call Labor and Delivery, and then Dr. Tan. I bumbled through the closet and put clothes on but the pain was getting so intense that I could hardly do anything! Ross wanted to take a shower and pack more things, and I confidently told him, “No, we need to go NOW”. With wet hair and absolutely no makeup, we scramled out the front door to Providence Milwaukie Hospital, which thankfully is only 10 minutes away.

We arrived at the hospital around 11:45am, I think. I had already completed pre-registration very early in my pregnancy, but as Murphy's Law would have it, the admissions person was having trouble admitting me and pulling up my file. I was contracting and we were beginning to panic in the waiting room. I leaned over one of the chairs in the waiting room as a strong contraction came. I heard the admissions lady say on the phone, “Okay, you know what?! Someone just needs to come get her and take her up, she is contracting and needs to go NOW”. The brought me up in a wheelchair as I tried to keep my composure. I can't tell you how close together contractions were; it was all too chaotic. All I know is I barely had enough time to breath and rest from the painfully intense contractions before the next one came on.

We got to my room shortly after (around noon). I put my gown on in the bathroom, and there was fluid EV-ERY-WHERE. It felt gross. I climbed into bed and had my IV started and was hooked up to the monitor.The nurse checked my cervix. I was 7cm and 100% effaced!. Dr. Tan was on his way, and a resident was there to assist. They asked if it was okay to have the resident, and I told her that I didn't care if he delivered the baby as long as I could get her out soon! They told me it was probably too late for an epidural. I said that was fine, as I wanted to go without anyway.

When Dr. Tan arrived I was just about 10cm (I'm guessing this was about 12:45 to 1pm). The nurse had given me a small shot of IV Fentanyl, and this helped me relax more between contractions. In my loose birthing plan, I had decided to avoid narcotics, but I was in a panic over how much pain I was in. After a short discussion (between contractions) with Dr. Tan about getting a small enough dose that my baby would not need a shot of narcan (rescue drug that reverses the effects of narcotics) I went for it. I was just desparate for anything. I really had no concept of time, but they had to have been about a minute apart. I went ahead and started pushing as Dr. Tan got there, but then there was a little twist in events. Dr. Tan notified me that she has turned and was face up, and he was going to try and turn her. I had to get on all fours while he did some maneuvering while I was pushing. I remember getting angry at him, because he was manipulating during my rest time between contractions! At this point he said that it may end up taking a bit longer, so I asked for the epidural. The anesthesiologist was 30 minutes away, but they went ahead and called for him. Thankfully, he was able to get the baby to turn, and we were back on track with the pushing.

I remember hearing someone say, “Okay, the anesthesiologist is here...” and then Dr. Tan saying, “Wait, no, its too late. She's crowning”. I had already been pushing, but now it was time for the real pushes. The pushes I had been doing before felt like I had not made any progress, but now I could feel her coming. They held the mirror up for me to see, and I promptly demanded that they remove it, because it freaked me out. I was one of those women who screamed and grunted and made ALL kinds of noises. Like in the movies, only I'm sure I was a lot scarier and uglier, and I probably made the funniest looking faces. Thank the Lord for the doctors and nurses, because they encouraged me all the way through the difficult pushing. The excitement in their voices as they told me, “Good, that's perfect! Okay now push...GOOD!!” was exactly what I needed. Ross was at my side encouraging me. He kept telling me I could do it when I wanted to give up and was just amazingly loving and supportive the entire time.

Once I felt her coming, it really felt like she came out quickly. I remember seeing her and just repeating, “Oh my gosh, I can't believe this...” over and over. It was 2:09pm. They set her on my chest, and the pain was all gone. I didn't feel any pain, even as they removed the placenta and repaired my tears (I had 2nd degree tears from the quick labor, and apparently she had her hand up by her face when she came out, which was the major culprit for the tearing). I will not lie; this was the most pain I have ever experienced in my life. The contractions were way worse than the tearing and pushing the baby out. If I could go back in time, I would have skipped the Fentanyl. I didn't feel any actual pain releif; although Ross said he noticed a difference in my rest time between contractions. I also wonder if having narcs on board had anything to do with Maddy's horrid difficulty with latching to feed as a newborn. But that is a whole other story in itself.

As mentioned before, I had a loose birth plan prior to all of this. I am not sure if this helped or not. I don't think any woman's "birth plan" involves being practically naked, on all fours in front of two men and three women; none of whom I am romantically involved with. Yes, poo happened. It just does. Sorry if that's gross, and if I just gave too much info. I remember saying these words: "I am SO having my nurse give me an enema before delivering my baby. I am NOT pooping on the delivery table". Well, just like my dream of having my hair and makeup done; this idea went out the window. Childbirth is not pretty, I have learned. But amazingly enough, I did not feel self counscious about any of those things. I am too proud and amazed at what my body has done to feel bad about it not being perfect. Hello, Reality- Nice to meet you!

Madelyn Kristine Lumsden was born on 9/19/09 and 2:09pm at 7lbs-7.5oz and 19.5 inches. I was 38 weeks and 3 days pregnant. She came out with a head full of dark brown hair and blue eyes. She is very healthy. She has her daddy's fingers and toes, and she appears to have her mommy's nose! My OB, Dr. Tan, his assisting resident Dr. Frank, and the nurses at Providence Milwaukie Hospital were beyond AMAZING and so good at what they do. Ross was incredible and supportive through the whole pregnancy, labor, and delivery...and now is an incredibly loving and involved father. I feel so incredibly blessed by the whole experience.