1. March 12 was my due date, and I began having dull cramping on that day but didn’t think much of it
*I am not a doctor/this is not medical advice *
2. A few days later I Had first cervical check Friday March 17, was only 2cm dilated but 75% effaced
3. Went home and bounced on yoga ball for over an hour straight
4. Few hours later, began losing mucus plug and had the “bloody show” and contractions began had bloody show until baby was born
5. Contractions felt like the worst period cramps mixed with Braxton hicks.
6. Contractions intensified greatly that Friday night to the point I could not sleep and started timing them. Was in the warm tub in my house between 23am and contractions were every 45 minutes lasting 1 min long so I called my midwife & met her at birth center at 4:30am
7. She checked me again and I was still only 2.5cm dilated but I was now 90% effaced and she could feel his head but she said I wasn’t ready to be admitted yet to the birth center until I was 6cm dilated.
8. I was so disappointed & In so much pain, still consistently having contractions every 5 min. But went back home & labored in our guest room. Tried to watch movie (ironically Saturday night fever) and squeeze comb in hand (gate theory) each contraction. Pain was getting really bad I was telling my husband I wanted a csection. He kept encouraging me that I can do it and birth center is what I’ve wanted. He’s the reason I stuck with my plan amazing support person. I labored in the tub for almost 2 hours at home which really helped with the pain. Then it was time to get out and I tried to “doze off” between contractions like my midwives said but I literally couldn’t since they were so frequent and intense.
9. I felt feverish and weird around 5:30pm and took my temp. I had a 102 degree fever. Obviously not good. Midwives wanted to see me immediately. So we drove back to birth center Saturday night. Got there at 7pm. They checked me & I was now 4cm dilated but fully effaced. They told me I had to take 2 Tylenol & drink cold water and give it 1 hour to see if fever goes down. I had no other symptoms of illness other than mild cough. They said if fever didn’t go down I’d have to go to hospital. I was terrified but willing to do whatever was best for my son. I asked what hospital would do & they said I’d have to have lots of blood tests, full bag of liquid Tylenol to reduce fever, prob continuous monitoring, probably induced with pitocin & if I wanted epidural I’d have to have IV
10. THANKCULLY within 30 min my fever went down & I felt great. Midwives think I just got overheated from my tub and heating pad and was dehydrated. Also the Tylenol did NOT help with the pain at all. They admitted me to birth center even tho I was only 4cm dilated bc I was so effaced & contractions were so strong and consistent and fever went down
11. They monitored me on a little contraction monitor thing for about 30 min to see how baby handled to contractions. He was great!
12. Each hour I was at birth center I naturally kept dilating. How I dealt with contraction pain: Bounced on birth ball, used comb gate theory, husband & birth assistant used counter pressure. Got back in tub at birth center for a bit but was adamant I didn’t want a water birth. My pulse was super high during labor always over 140 but they didn’t seem bothered by that since blood pressure was good
13. At around midnight I was 7cm dilated. My midwife broke my water. Did not hurt just weirdest feeling. had to wear an adult diaper after that bc kept leaking amniotic fluid & blood
14. Things progressed quickly after that and i labored a bit more in tub. Got out and midwives checked I was 9.5cm dilated and time to practice push.
15. Pushed on hands and needs on top of bed at each contraction. Pushing with the contraction HELPED with the pain.
16. Midwife pulled out birthing stool that I pushed some on that on the floor. At that point I think she could tell this was gonna be a big baby bc she said she did NOT want me giving birth on the birthing stool as I would tear severely. She said once I feel “a little burning” let her know and we’ll immediately go back on bed. So we did
17. I got on hands and knees and was able to rest upper body on that blow up thing and also had right leg in runners pose. Pushed him out. He was born Sunday, March 19th, at 4:21am. Midwives knew he was a big baby. I never looked at clock once I got admitted to birth center and labored. Barely felt “ring of fire” and pushing him out did not hurt. Our jaws dropped when they told us he was 10lbs 2oz. He was 22 inches long. Insert pics
18. I had no idea but apparently I was pushing over 2 hours
19. Also apparently had 2nd degree tears I did not feel. Midwife used local anesthetic to stitch me back up while I did skin to skin with baby and nursed him and we did delayed cord clamping until the umbilical cord turned white and stopped pulsating
20. Nursed, skin to skin, baby was on me long time skin to skin.