So it all started the evening of November 6th! As soon as my husband walked through the front door from work/school the contractions started! At first they weren’t very strong or consistent, but then I shortly realized that as time moved on I was having to breathe through them. I’m pretty terrible at timing contractions alone so I opened up the contraction master online and soon found they were all about 7 minutes apart and lasting for one minute!
I took a nice hot shower to see if they would die down, but it seemed the opposite happend! They became about two minutes apart!! That kind of freaked me out so I hopped out of the shower and they did slow down. I thought it would all dissipate shortly, so we did our nighttime routine with my son and my husband and I hopped in the bed.
Well, the contractions never stopped and I became too uncomfortable so I decided to go in the living room and watch some tv on the birthing ball. This is when I realized this just might be the real deal! But they were still about 7 minutes apart so I felt I still had a while before I’d need to go into L and D. This being my first time going through early labor alone I was second guessing myself on knowing when to go in. Everyone always says you’ll just knowso I decided to just trust my instincts. At this point the only thing helping me through the contractions was standing up and rocking backing and forth, then after I’d sit back down. After a while I realized that I was standing up, rocking, sitting back down, and repeat pretty darn frequently. So I said to myself it’s time.
I went to wake up my husband and went around the house tossing the remaining items in our hospial bag. Not even 5 minutes after my husband got up my water broke!! I couldn’t believe it! I hoping this wouldnt be a repeat labor with my son! (PROM) But lo and behold we finally get to the hospital and I’m 5cm dilated!! wow! My body was actually doing it! I was so happy!
Then the contractions ramped up… big time. It was getting harder and harder to breathe though them and I would keep trying to sit up through the pain, then they’d lose him on the monitor. They said that they had to keep baby’s HB on the monitor so I said well then I need something to help the pain. I did not want an epi so the nurse offered nubain to take the edge off. Although I could still feel the pain it surprisingly helped! I was even able to sleep again! It was about 4am at this point.
Then the hardest part of labor happened, I started pushing! BUT I was only 6.5 cms and they keep telling me to stop and just breathe through them, but my goodness it was impossible!! It really felt like when you feel like you really really need to go poop so you rush to the bathroom to go and your body pushes all on it’s own and you can’t help it! Sorry for the TMI but that’s exactly how it felt to me! They said I had to STOP or else my cervix would swell and I wouldn’t get a chance at a VBAC if it swelled too much! Anxiety City!
Thankfully my doctor showed up shortly after! She checked me and she said the most beautiful words! She said I was COMPLETE and it was time to PUSH and his head is RIGHT THERE! Oh man.. a heavenly chorus to my ears! So they prop my feet up and I get to push with my contractions finally! And now I finally see how women say it actually feels good to push! It felt so good and so right and I was pushing with all my might! I pushed right through the ring of fire! Then suddenly she says “look down here”! A few moments later my baby boy entered the world and it felt amazing!! I actually felt him leaving my body and it was such a great feeling! He came into the world perfectly healthy and I actually had a VBAC!! Everyone in the room was ecstatic! I still can’t believe it! I only pushed or 10 minutes!! (the previous nurse said that since I was practically a FTM I could count on pushing for 1 to 2 hours!)
So here I am in our hospital room. No IVs attached or catheter still inside me. No numbmess and immobility from the waist down. No antibiotics to take and I’m able to walk around as I please! No super groggy and lethargic newborn who has trouble nursing. Not to mention we are going home first thing in the morning!
The VBAC Board on BabyCenter was such a tremendous support! I truly don’t think I would have been able to do it without the vast knowledge found there and the supportive and encouraging board members! So thank you so much!!
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