Sarah's Birth Story

This is the birth story of my first daughter Sarah.
It was the day before my due date and I had another doctor’s appointment. I had been slowly dilating over the last few weeks: 1-2 cm per week. That day I was up to 5 cm. I thought, “This is great! According to all of the books I have read I should be in active labor by now, and I haven’t felt a thing!” On my way home from the doctor’s appointment I felt something and immediately went to the bathroom once I got home. Blood. Just a little, but it was bright red. My first thoughts were “Oh no! What’s wrong?” I called the doctor and he said to just watch it. If it didn’t stop in a few hours I might want to come back in. Being a first pregnancy, I worried. I continued with my day, but by that evening it hadn’t stopped so my husband and I decided we should go in and get it checked.

So we went to the hospital and told them what was going on. Seeing as my due date was the next day and I was already 5cm they admitted me easily. I thought I would just be checked and sent on my way, but that is not what they had in mind. After checking me they said things looked alright but I would need to stay and I would be having the baby soon. “What?” I thought they were crazy! “How am I supposed to have this baby when I’m not having any contractions?” So I started pacing the halls. I thought it was a game. “They think I’m in labor, and I don’t feel a thing!”

By 3 o’clock in the morning I had not progressed much. Surprise! And so I was told that we needed to get labor moving. I could either start pitocin or have them break my water, which seeing how far along I was should definitely get things started. I knew I didn’t want pitocin so I opted for the breaking of the waters. Breaking my water put me up to 7 cm almost immediately. “Great,” I thought “We’re almost there!”Well a few hours later nothing was happening so I decided I had better get some sleep. At 6:30 I fell asleep and around 7 am my doctor showed up. He could see I was not in any pain, nor was I progressing so pitocin was the next step.

About a half an hour after starting the pitocin the pains started to come, around 7:30am. Wow! And come they did! Now did I mention that I had already determined that I would be giving birth naturally, without any drugs for pain relief? I had also tested positive for Group B strep. So not only did the contractions come on quickly and intensely progress, I also had the opportunity to receive penicillin via IV, which in my opinion was far worse than any contraction I felt. Why? The penicillin felt like my arm was being loaded with cold tar. I later joked it was as if my hand was turning to stone! But it was no joke then! It was horrible. And because I was in labor for so long I got the opportunity to endure this three times!

As for the labor part, the contractions came so quickly I could not stand during them and found that I did best sitting in the rocking chair. That chair was my best friend! During each contraction I could lean my head back and just rock away slowly through each one. I spent most of labor right there! It took me until 12 noon to finish those last 3 cm! Finally I was prepped to begin pushing. I was shocked went I found that I did not know how to push! I had read that I would feel the “instinct”, that I would “know how to push” so I was a little surprised when didn’t. The nurses helped to coach me through pushing and for the next two hours I pushed, feet in the air, flat on my back, hands gripping the little bars on the side of the bed. Do you know how tiring it is to try and sit up from a flat-on-your-back position? My husband helped me out but it was still exhausting. Finally after two hours of very slow progress my doctor decided to perform an episiotomy and the baby slid right out. What a relief! I remember my first thoughts as I looked at my new daughter “That is not a newborn?” She was so big! She ended up weighing in at 7lbs 9 oz and 20.5 inches long. She was perfect!

All in all I felt it was I good experience. I had achieved what I set out to do. I had decided to not use any pain relief drugs and I hadn’t, though I will admit that during some of those contractions the thought did cross my mind more than once! Luckily I had my husband there to remind me that it would be over soon and that I could do it! Over the next few days the part of me that hurt the most was my arms! I had gripped so tight for so long. They were sore!

It’s funny in a way. When I told people that I would be having a natural childbirth most of them laughed at me. “No one does that anymore!” “You won’t survive.” “There is no way.” “Why would you want to go through so much pain?” Why did I want a natural childbirth? Because I knew I could do it. My mom and dad had told me from when I was young that it was possible and I believed it. I knew I could do it if I wanted to enough. What solidified my desire? During this first pregnancy I did research on the risks of pain relieving drugs used during childbirth and determined that no amount of pain was worth the added risks that each one imposed on me or my precious baby. Natural childbirth was better for me, and for her, in so many ways. Why use drugs to relief pain when I knew I could do it without them?

And so on her due date my first daughter was born! We were thrilled! All was well, and we were on top of the world!

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