From: millerj@belize.crd.ge.com (Julia K. Miller)
Newsgroups: misc.kids
Subject: Re: birth announcement (easy birth stories)
Date: 28 Aug 92 15:16:05 GMT
Reply-To: belize!millerj@steinmetz.UUCP (Julia K. Miller)
Distribution: na
Organization: GE Corporate Research & Development

>...I'll be a first time mom in
>January, and have read and heard my share of horror stories, so
>please do post your "easy time" birth story.
>     Christine
>     mom-2-b in Jan. '93
>
	Four days after my due date, I had a non-stress test.  (They monitor
the  babies heart rate for an hour.  Each time he moved, I pushed a button
that marked on a sheet that was tracking the heart rate.  The babies rate
should go up when he moves and down afterwards.)  He wasn't moving around
too much but he had  been earlier in the day so I wasn't worried.   They
decided to do an ultrasound to look at the placenta.  It was well calcified
(means a full term labor)  and the amniotic fluid was low.  So, they sent
me to the hospital to be induced.   (I was also about 80% effaced and
2 cm dialated.)
	My plan was to stay on my feet as much as possible.  I have a high
tolerance for pain and didn't want drugs unless my husband thought that
I was exhausted or loosing it.
	My labor wasn't exactly what I wanted to do but it wasn't that bad.  They
hooked me up to an IV in one arm, an automatic blood pressure cuff on the
other and monitors on my stomach.  I had to keep all three on because of
hospital rules when you are induced.  The pitocin (sp?) was dripped into
the IV.  Then did an internal and broke the membranes.  This all started 
around 2:45 PM.  It took about half an hour before I was feeling contractions.
They didn't bother me much at all.  The whole labor the contractions were
3 minutes apart lasting 90 seconds.  I sat on the edge of the bed, in the
rocking chair, and paced  as far as the various cords would let me which
wasn't far.  That was a little frustrating.  I had planned to be up and
walking around.  The last thing I wanted was to be tied down.  In  the
beginning the baby wasn't moving much but later on started to move quite
a bit.  The nurse said that he was probably just sleeping before.  I asked
the intern when he thought the baby would  be born and he  said that it
would probably be  a little after midnight.  I was still 2 cm dialated,
80 % effaced, and the baby was at about -1 position wise.
	Occassionally, I asked to be detached from the cuff and monitor to go
to the bathroom.  The first nurse (I had 3 over the labor) did it without
any problem.  By around 6, the second nurse  said that I needed to stay
hooked to the monitors.  So much for my limited wanderings.  But the 
contractions were still very easy and I was talking and chatting to the
nurse.  She told me all sorts of things about the different doctors and
gave some hints on dealing with the doctor from my HMO who would probably
be on duty that night.  She said that he likes to do episotomies and
often does C-sections if you are pushing for over 2 hours.  (She did say
he was one of the best surgeons she had seen.)  So, we formed our  battle
plan to tell him no episotomy and no C-section unless absolutely necessary.
That was useful information because at this point I was actively involved
in the discussion  and my husband and I reinforced our choices.
	Around 7 the contractions started getting more intense.  I was sitting
in the rocking chair and my husband rubbed my back a little.  I just
would use slow breathing and got thru them with no problem.  At  this point
the nurse asked how strong the contractions were.  I didn't  really have
anything to compare it to so it was hard to describe.  (I've never even
broken a bone.)  She said that when you are induced the labor is usually
shorter and the contractions regular but the contractions are more intense.
I moved around a little from the chair to standing to sitting on the bed.
Around 8 the  contractions were getting stronger and I had to pay attention
to them more.  I was getting uncomfortable and found that the only
position that didn't bother my back was on my side.  So, I did that and
my husband rubbed my back.  That lasted until around 10:30  with the
contractions getting progressively harder.  They hadn't done any more
exams and I kept thinking in my mind that it would only be around another
hour and a half.  Then the contractions started getting pretty intense.
I'd just slow breath, squeeze my husband's hand and try to listen to the
music and relax.  I  still  felt in control and could make it thru.
	Around 11 the nurse had the intern come in and do another  internal.   
They all seemed surprised that I was induced and had no  drugs yet.
This was a different intern and he  said I was 7-8 cm and the baby was at -3.
The contractions were getting  pretty  intense and I almost lost it here.
I was thinking that the baby had gone back up instead of down!
I was thinking that it had been 8 hours and I'd only gone 5 cm.  When was
this going to end.   I wasn't feeling any urge to push yet either!  My
mind was roaming wondering how long this was going to go on.   My husband
asked if I wanted to try a narcotic.  I felt slightly hysterical and kept
saying that I didn't know and asking out loud how much longer.  The nurse
just said to concentrate on one contraction at a time.  The doctor said
that he wouldn't use drugs at this point but that was my choice and
quickly disappeared (I think on purpose.) So, during the contractions 
I tried to think of anything else but the contraction.  About
11:30 PM all  of a sudden, I just started to try to push before I realized
what I was doing.  The nurse got the doctor and I had to  pant thru two
contractions  till they did the internal and I was fully dialated.
	The doctor came in and my husband confronted  him at the door and
said "No C-section and no episotomy!".
	Then I pushed until 12:46 when Corey was  born.  Pushing to me was
great.  I felt like I was finally nearing the end.  Once I could see the
crown of his head I got excited.  There was so much pressure from his
head that I could barely feel the contractions so I had to watch the
monitor to see when they began.  I was squatting but had to lay on
my  left side between contractions  because his heart rate wasn't
coming back up.  That caused a little concern from the nurse but worked
out okay.  I tried pushing on my side but did it much better squatting.
When  Corey came out the  cord was looped once around his neck which  they
said was probably  why the rate went  down.  I had a 1st degree tear
and that was it.
	Corey was born June 13th att 12:46 AM, 8 lbs. .8 oz, 20 1/2 inches.
In perspective, the hardest part of the labor was that once it got intense
I didn't know how much longer it would  be.  If I had known it would only
be another 1/2 hour, I wouldn't have paniced as much.  The whole thing
was only  around 10 hours.
	I was a little tired the next day but felt pretty good.  Had some
swelling but was walking around without too much shuffling.
	In  retrospect,  I should have argued harder to have the blood pressure
cuff removed.  It was annoying at  the end.  It never failed that it
pumped up at the hardest part of the contraction!  But other than that I
think the key is to have a plan or an understanding of what you want 
with your coach and nurses.  Then try to be flexible if things don't work
out exactly as you had hoped.   The end result is a great little baby!


Julia