I finally feel physically, hormonally, and mentally recovered from the trauma and drama of giving birth, so perhaps I can now write my story without grossing you out and discouraging anyone from ever procreating again. Enjoy!
Thursday September 12th (day after my due date) my mom arrives at the airport and once we pick her up we head straight to Skipolini's for the Prego Pizza (http://www.skipolinispizza.com/prego.php). I ate as much as I possibly could without throwing up.
Friday afternoon, September 13th my mom and I walk Savannah to the park where I start to experience possible contractions. I say "possible" because they were so slight that at the time I thought my brain could have been making them up.
Friday evening Matt and I go out to Cheesecake factory where the contractions start to be strong enough to know they are definitely contractions. They're still not very strong and we try not to get too excited because, after all, I labored like this for four days before Savannah came out. We walk around the mall for awhile after dinner, pausing every seven minutes or so for a contraction. That night I tried, very unsuccessfully, to get some sleep...between the contractions and the excitement it turned out to be a very long night.
Saturday, September 14th, I "wake up" (can you call it "waking up" if you didn't really sleep?) discouraged that things weren't moving along quicker. Everyone told me that the second baby came fast! Well, I kept having to remind myself that anything quicker than four days was an improvement over my last labor. Determined to keep the contractions moving along mom and I took Savannah to the park again. We intended to just walk around the neighborhood but I was feeling good so we went all the way. Contractions continued to progress but not very quickly.
Saturday afternoon my mom needed one ingredient from the store to make dinner, so Matt and I (still determined to move things along) volunteered to WALK to the grocery store. It's a mile each way. Well, that did the trick because by the time we were halfway back my contractions were so strong I had to lean on Matt to get through them.
Saturday evening we sit on the couch just waiting. Matt was tracking my contractions and every time they started to space out he would have me hike the stairs to get them going again. Between that and my mom rubbing my feet (which supposedly makes contractions stronger) I was good and ready to go to the hospital by around 9pm. I was very worried they would send me home (I got sent home twice last time!) but I was to the point that I would ask for drugs if they said I had to go back home.
We get to the hospital and I'm 6cm dilated. Wahoo! I got to stay! (I don't remember how effaced I was) I continued laboring for several more hours, needing Matt's help the entire time. I needed his emotional help more than anything, but his physical support of my body while I tried to relax during each contraction was a HUGE blessing. Oh, sometime around now I puke my brains out. The nurse (who was the same nurse who helped me deliver Savannah) wasn't too thrilled to hear that I had eaten a little bit for dinner. While I felt hungry at the time, my body completely rejected it later! Throwing up has never felt so good though because after I did it, I felt a ton better! Anyways, still contracting.
Sunday, September 15th just after midnight. I enter transition, probably sometime around midnight, and that's when I wanted to DIE. I was still drug-free so I could feel EVERYTHING. Ugh Ugh Ugh Ugh Ugh it SUCKED!!!!!! Contraction on top of contraction on top of contraction for what seemed like FOREVER! (it was probably just an hour or so) With every contraction I would wonder if THIS was the "urge" that I needed to feel before starting to push. Everyone says you KNOW when it's time...and let me tell you...when that time came, I KNEW!!!! UGH UGH UGH UGH UGH!!!!!! I had to endure several contractions with the urge to push before the doctor finally got there. Those contractions were THE WORST!!!! I could FEEL the baby doing his last few twists engaging into the birth canal and could SEE him doing it. It was the most painful, awkward feeling I had ever had....up until that point. The doctor (a stranger because my doctor wasn't on call) finally got there and I got to push. Ok, so THAT is THE MOST PAINFUL thing I've ever endured! I was expecting it to feel good, proactive, and rewarding but it just HURT. My water broke on the first push and after giving it my best effort I almost pass out. The nurse gives me the oxygen mask and makes me lie flat on my back for the rest of my pushes, which made it much more difficult. After the second or third pushing contraction one of the nurses told me that I would be mush more efficient by NOT screaming my head off during the push. Well, she was right....NOT screaming works better. Geesh, Hollywood can't get anything right!!! I remember thinking to myself that I at least have to pretend that I am in control or they would cut me open. I must have been making good progress because a few more pushes later and Caleb squeezed out. Now THAT is a cool feeling!!!!! After his head was out it was just one more push and the rest of him came too!!!! The feeling of relief was tremendous!
I've heard women say that feeling the baby slide through the birth canal is the most wonderful feeling in the world and totally worth not getting an epidural. I disagree. It truly was a great feeling to feel him come out finally, and I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't proud of myself for doing it naturally, but that was some serious pain! They make drugs for that, people!!!! I'm really hoping I can forget the pain before the next baby comes, but hey! at least I'm starting to think about having another baby, because for the first few weeks I was swearing to never bear children again!
PS...Skipolini's works!
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