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March 28, 2008

Finally, the birth story

I need to get this written before I forget any more of the details. I’ve had a hard time getting anything typed, what with Owen permanently attached to me. So without further ado, the birth story:

I started having contractions around 11 on Friday night. From the beginning, they were more painful than anything I’d had in the past, although they were really just uncomfortable. It was a few hours before they kept me totally awake and I was sure that this was real labor. Around 2 or 2:30, I was uncomfortable enough to get out of bed and move around a bit. While I was sitting on the floor in front of my laptop, they seemed to ease off. I made a couple posts, shut everything down, and climbed back in bed, thinking I might get a little more rest. Even though the contractions had really slowed, I was still pretty sure this was it.

By 3, I was having more intense contractions. Rex woke up when I got back in bed, and I would squeeze his hand each time I had one. They started 11 or so minutes apart, but quickly became a pretty regular 8 minutes apart. They stayed 8 minutes apart until they drove me out of bed around 5:30. Around 6, I got in the shower. I was having more contractions at this point, but I didn’t think they were consistent any more. By the time Rex got out of the shower and packed the car, it was almost 7, so we hung around to hug Jamie. I was in some real pain at that point, and by the time we walked out to the car, I was vowing to reward myself with an epidural for just making it to the hospital, and to hell with this natural stuff.

We headed out in Rex’s Scion xA. He was going a touch over the speed limit, a testament to his concern. About 10 minutes into our 20-25 minute ride, he started running red lights. Apparently the sounds I was making had changed from “mewling cat” (Rex’s words) to something higher pitched and a lot louder. According to him, the contractions were like 3 minutes apart at that point. All I remember was trying not to grab his shifting arm, although at one point he said he was doing about 35 in second gear before I let go.

A few minutes later, I was in pretty much constant pain and losing it. I remember telling Rex that we were going to have to get the seats cleaned when I felt my water break. Next there was a feeling like I was pooping (I don’t think I actually did, this time), and then the feeling moved forward and I was feeling Owen’s head. I think I said something like “Honey, he’s coming! and then I unbuckled the seatbelt, yanked my pants down to my thighs, and pushed out a head. The cord was around Owen’s neck, not tightly, so I pulled it over and wondered what was coming next. The rest of him slid out, and I pulled him up onto my stomach. It was amazing how much better I felt right away. Rex asked if he should stop, and I told him to keep going to the hospital. Owen had cried just enough to let me know he was alive, but he was somewhat blue, and I didn’t have anything to cover him with. I just held on and hugged him until we pulled up to the Women’s Center entrance.

Rex ran in to get someone, and I remember seeing a whole herd of nurses, none of whom knew that I had already *had* the baby. One nurse took Owen from me and started to turn away to say something to someone. I reminded her that I was still attached! They helped me into a wheelchair, pants still around my thighs, and gave me Owen back while they wheeled me into an LDR room. I got to climb into the bed, and they broke the bed down and put up the stirrups like I was about to deliver. I was shaking a lot, aftermath, I guess, plus we were a little chilly. The nurses and doctor finally got clamps and scissors and cut the cord.

The rest was pretty standard. I had never gone through the “after” part without an epidural before. I was kind of surprised by how uncomfortable all that massaging was, but the local and stitches weren’t too bad. I got an Oxytocin shot in one thigh, and then a nasty burning shot of some antibiotic in the other. That thigh had a sore spot still the next day. After an hour or so “recovering,” I walked to the postpartum room. By then, even the other dad standing by the nursery knew that Owen was the car baby, and I was like a celebrity mom :)

Posted by me at March 28, 2008 7:35 PM

Comments

Posted by: Jana at March 28, 2008 8:27 PM

Posted by: anna at March 31, 2008 3:50 PM

Posted by: Becky at March 31, 2008 10:02 PM

Posted by: Denise at May 31, 2008 7:03 AM

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