I discovered that I was 4 cm dilated at an appointment on a Friday; 3 weeks before my due date. With this child, my pregnancy felt very different. With the first pregnancy, I kept my slender shape, including my waist (from the back), all the way up to delivery. I was so proud of myself. I gained a healthy 35 pounds; but 'carried it well'. In this pregnancy, it was a very short 4 weeks before I lost my waistline. I felt like I looked like a very square washing machine, a big box... and I wasn't even 'showing' yet. At 28 weeks, I stood observing a C-Section and looked like I should have been the patient. The delivering OB even commented and suggested that I might be next. My first birth was wonderful; detailed here under the title, "In the beginning...". I was planning for another wonderful experience, even better this time. On that friday, I was surprised to find that my cervix was already starting to open. I went home to recalculate my 'real' due date, only to find that my original calculations were still spot on. Having the baby in the next day or so would still mean that she would be 3 weeks early. I knew the baby was a girl, not from an ultrasound for I declined the offer; but because I deduced that since this pregnancy was so different it must be a girl this time. So, I did what any woman at 37 weeks and 4 cm would do. I got on my bike, complete with 16 month old strapped into the baby seat and headed off 2 1/2 miles to our weekly Gymboree session. About 3/4 of the way there, I came to my senses and realized - in a rather panicked instant - that my water could certainly break at anytime. And not that I was worried about myself at all - since I felt a bit like superwoman after the first birth - but I suddenly realized that I might have a bit of trouble entertaining the 16 month old on the sidewalk as I labored away. Mind you, this was before cell phones; so I would be a spectacle on the sidewalk, unable to bike anymore as I dealt with one contraction at a time. So the thought of being in a precarious position with my little one in tow made me rethink my plans for the day. I decided that our Gymboree session would wait til another time and I promptly turned around and headed for home. I was lucky. My water didn't break, and we did make it home without incident.
In the next 10 days or so, I had many 'wimpy' contractions; though nothing sustained. I would have contractions 10 minutes apart for an hour or so, then it would fizzle and fade away. I finally began to have more regular contractions one day about 5 minutes apart; however, they were not the intense contractions that I had remembered from the first birth. But, 5 minutes apart is the guideline and I made arrangements for the 16 month old and we headed to the birth center. Upon arriving and being led to a room, I was childishly disappointed to find that I was being led to a different room than I had imagined. I didn't even realize that I had imagined a certain room until I wasn't being taken there. My nurse put me on the external fetal monitor and did a quick vag exam. Contractions were registering, and my cervix was now at 5cm; but I was still a bit baffled at the lack of strength of the contractions. The nurse went to call my OB and I asked if I could walk around the hallways. I remember doing this specifically to get out from under the monitor. As my DH and I walked I noticed the door that led to the stairs. We quietly stepped behind the door. I wanted to encourage the contractions to get stronger, so I ran up two flights as fast as I could, then down the two flights again... with no change. We returned to our room. I was getting settled back in my room and decided to put my make-up on in the bathroom mirror. Now, this is strange because I don't wear much make-up, but apparently it was important to me that day. While I was in the bathroom, my OB came flying in my room and said, "Where is she?" My hubby reported that I was in the bathroom putting on my make-up. The OB laughed and said, "She's not in labor!" I emerged, he did a vag exam and reported that I was 5cm and the cervix stretched easily to 6cm.
We discussed the situation. He wanted to break my water and get the whole thing started. I declined and negotiated that I would head home and we'd reconvene later that evening if contractions changed. Now, this is odd. I can't think of any OBs that I know now that would have ever let me go back home. But he did and we did leave the birth center. I took advantage of the baby sitting I had already arranged and we headed out to lunch - isn't that where all women go with contractions 5 minutes apart and 5-6 cm? I remember lunch being pretty good, contractions subsided, we picked up the 16 month old and headed back home. That was Thursday. Friday, Saturday and Sunday there was not much action. Sunday night my OB called me and said, "Are you still pregnant?" I reported that yes, I was very much pregnant and was looking forward to not being pregnant very soon. We agreed to meet at the birth center on Monday evening and I would let him break my water then.
Upon arriving at the birth center on Monday evening, I found that we were led to the room I thought we would be in. I knew I was coming home with a baby this time since I was in the room I had the premonition about. My OB arrived, broke my water with an amni-hook and 'real' contractions followed quickly. After an hour or so later, I decided that I need to head for the toilet. I had felt a bit constipated (so I thought) for the last day or so and felt a sudden urge to remedy the problem before I started pushing. I sat on the toilet with my DH supporting me and while pushing and pushing and pushing I started to realized that it was the baby giving me the need to push! So, I announced that I needed to be in the bed for the next contraction. I seriously don't remember how I got from the toilet to the bed, but I got there and immediately got into a modified hands-and-knees position while holding onto the bar on the back of the now sitting upright bed. I realized then that I was going to have a baby soon. I felt so strong! I felt like I could have lifted something very heavy on the first floor all the way to the second floor. I'm not sure about that image, but that's what I remember thinking. I also remember having a twinge of disappointment that the baby would be here soon - because I had wanted to experience laboring in the shower this time. Well, it was not to be. The nurse arrived, probably because I was making so much noise pushing, she wanted to give me permission to push based on a fully dilated cervix. So with her gloved hand ready, she approached me to discuss turning over on the bed so she could perform a vag exam. Well, I had other news for her; there was a baby to deliver instead of a vag exam to perform! Upon seeing the baby's head very close to crowning, she dashed out of the room looking for the OB. He entered the room just in time to catch.
I had had a 'three snipper' episiotomy last time and healed very poorly - complete with infected stitches - so this time I had done my research and had chosen to have no incision, but to allow the perineum to tear down the old episiotomy line if it needed to. And it did. The OB had agreed to honor my request not to cut. I did need some repair - but the short story is that the healing time was much quicker this time - whether it had to do with the tearing or with the lack of infection this time, I don't know. We had asked that the birth attendants not announce the sex of the baby - we didn't know either - and they abided by our request. The baby was placed up on my tummy and noone in the room knew the sex of the baby. Not even me. So, in a few moments my husband looked to discover that now we had a baby girl. I was so happy! A boy and a girl; perfect. I couldn't have ordered up a more perfect family. I was so proud of myself for being able to birth two beautiful babies with no pain meds, very little in the way of interventions!
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