**Warning: funny pushing poop story in the last paragraph if you're into that sort of thing.
I just want to start by saying- I LOVE my OB but always felt a little disappointed that she was in a hospital system that made it very unlikely for her to actually deliver my baby as she and 20 other doctors rotated on-call shifts. She helped me through a tough first pregnancy and a very traumatic ectopic pregnancy after. She actually took more l&d shifts around my due date hoping we might get lucky. And we did!! I went into labor spontaneously on the same day she was on-call. The nurses notified her right away and she told me she called dibs on my delivery with the other doctor on-call. I felt so much better knowing she would be there.
My first child was induced and although it was an overall positive experience, I really wanted to go into labor spontaneously with our second.
I had my membranes stripped at 39+1 and 40+1. The second attempt was much more aggressive. I also stress-ate 2000 calories worth of McDonald's immediately after the appointment, walked about a mile, and had sex that night. By 5:30am the next day I was feeling contractions.
I was having contractions off and on for about a week prior so I didn't trust it right away. But 6:30a rolled around and my contractions were already 5 minutes apart and I had to stop and breathe through them. We called grandma to pick up DD and then L&D to see their opinion on us coming in. The nurse told me she could hear in my voice that I needed to come in and check me. 7:10a we were on the road and contractions were 3 minutes apart.
I was 3cm when we arrived but they admitted me right away because my contractions were on top of each other and my amniotic sac was "bulging". I originally planned to wait as long as possible to get an epidural so I could move around during labor. But I had no breaks to rest and the pain was too much so soon. I got the epidural as soon as possible. I'm not a baby about pain but I also wouldn't say I have a high pain tolerance either. I had the epidural placed around 9:30a and it was absolutely a lifeline for me. The contractions were so close together I was really nervous about holding long enough for the anesthesiologist but he did an excellent job.
After the epidural took effect they checked me again and I was at a 5 and 99% effaced. My water still hadn't broken to the surprise of the nurses. They asked if I wanted to have my waters broken as it would likely bring me to delivery very quickly and I said yes. My OB broke my waters and I immediately got sick to my stomach and told them there was constant pressure outside of contractions. I went from 5cm-9cm in 3 contractions. My OB came in ready for my signal that I needed to push. About 2 contractions later I felt the urge, they checked me, said I was a 10 and we got to work!
Even with the epidural the pain was excruciating. I was pushing as hard as I could but felt no progress. I told them LO felt like he was stuck and my OB agreed that his head was not in an optimal position. She stepped back and let the nurses give me options for positioning to try and move him. We did the "corkscrew" method and rotated in and out of side lying an kneeling positions until I did a full 360 to my back in about 45 minutes of pushing. While on my knees, LO was very close to crowning but my OB said he was still sunny side up. I felt a popping sensation and everyone in the room said "woah" at the same time. Apparently LO had rotated 180 mid-push to the correct birthing position. They took the opportunity to get me on my back which is how I felt most comfortable pushing. 3 contractions later and my little ham was here!! I didn't think to tell anyone about the popping sound since it was obviously because of my babes movement but learned the hard way later he had injured my tailbone. Very sore recovery for a few days but now it just feels like a bruise!
I didn't have that heartwarming lovey feeling with my first, but I absolutely did this time around. I couldn't focus on anything but him. I sobbed, told him I loved him, looked at my husband and said, "can we keep him?" to lighten the mood. It was pure joy.
**Poop story: I really hated the idea that I was going to poop in front of people. I just knew I would and I was right. But then part of me thinks, "they signed up for this so, that's on them I guess." This time around they asked if a student nurse could watch. I said, "yes but only if you tell him to prep for a horror show" they wouldn't say that unfortunately but I let him come in anyway. At one point I pooped. The nurse scooped it up and went to dispose of it, but dropped it on accident at the student nurses feet. She laughed and said, "Oops, party foul!!" Then picked it up and went on her merry way. The student nurse looked so shocked at her casual nature that I nearly laughed mid-contraction. Fortunately the only person I cared about seeing something like that- my husband- was so focused on the fact that people kept saying the baby was stuck and he didn't know if that was serious, that he didn't even know it happened.
I just want to start by saying- I LOVE my OB but always felt a little disappointed that she was in a hospital system that made it very unlikely for her to actually deliver my baby as she and 20 other doctors rotated on-call shifts. She helped me through a tough first pregnancy and a very traumatic ectopic pregnancy after. She actually took more l&d shifts around my due date hoping we might get lucky. And we did!! I went into labor spontaneously on the same day she was on-call. The nurses notified her right away and she told me she called dibs on my delivery with the other doctor on-call. I felt so much better knowing she would be there.
My first child was induced and although it was an overall positive experience, I really wanted to go into labor spontaneously with our second.
I had my membranes stripped at 39+1 and 40+1. The second attempt was much more aggressive. I also stress-ate 2000 calories worth of McDonald's immediately after the appointment, walked about a mile, and had sex that night. By 5:30am the next day I was feeling contractions.
I was having contractions off and on for about a week prior so I didn't trust it right away. But 6:30a rolled around and my contractions were already 5 minutes apart and I had to stop and breathe through them. We called grandma to pick up DD and then L&D to see their opinion on us coming in. The nurse told me she could hear in my voice that I needed to come in and check me. 7:10a we were on the road and contractions were 3 minutes apart.
I was 3cm when we arrived but they admitted me right away because my contractions were on top of each other and my amniotic sac was "bulging". I originally planned to wait as long as possible to get an epidural so I could move around during labor. But I had no breaks to rest and the pain was too much so soon. I got the epidural as soon as possible. I'm not a baby about pain but I also wouldn't say I have a high pain tolerance either. I had the epidural placed around 9:30a and it was absolutely a lifeline for me. The contractions were so close together I was really nervous about holding long enough for the anesthesiologist but he did an excellent job.
After the epidural took effect they checked me again and I was at a 5 and 99% effaced. My water still hadn't broken to the surprise of the nurses. They asked if I wanted to have my waters broken as it would likely bring me to delivery very quickly and I said yes. My OB broke my waters and I immediately got sick to my stomach and told them there was constant pressure outside of contractions. I went from 5cm-9cm in 3 contractions. My OB came in ready for my signal that I needed to push. About 2 contractions later I felt the urge, they checked me, said I was a 10 and we got to work!
Even with the epidural the pain was excruciating. I was pushing as hard as I could but felt no progress. I told them LO felt like he was stuck and my OB agreed that his head was not in an optimal position. She stepped back and let the nurses give me options for positioning to try and move him. We did the "corkscrew" method and rotated in and out of side lying an kneeling positions until I did a full 360 to my back in about 45 minutes of pushing. While on my knees, LO was very close to crowning but my OB said he was still sunny side up. I felt a popping sensation and everyone in the room said "woah" at the same time. Apparently LO had rotated 180 mid-push to the correct birthing position. They took the opportunity to get me on my back which is how I felt most comfortable pushing. 3 contractions later and my little ham was here!! I didn't think to tell anyone about the popping sound since it was obviously because of my babes movement but learned the hard way later he had injured my tailbone. Very sore recovery for a few days but now it just feels like a bruise!
I didn't have that heartwarming lovey feeling with my first, but I absolutely did this time around. I couldn't focus on anything but him. I sobbed, told him I loved him, looked at my husband and said, "can we keep him?" to lighten the mood. It was pure joy.
**Poop story: I really hated the idea that I was going to poop in front of people. I just knew I would and I was right. But then part of me thinks, "they signed up for this so, that's on them I guess." This time around they asked if a student nurse could watch. I said, "yes but only if you tell him to prep for a horror show" they wouldn't say that unfortunately but I let him come in anyway. At one point I pooped. The nurse scooped it up and went to dispose of it, but dropped it on accident at the student nurses feet. She laughed and said, "Oops, party foul!!" Then picked it up and went on her merry way. The student nurse looked so shocked at her casual nature that I nearly laughed mid-contraction. Fortunately the only person I cared about seeing something like that- my husband- was so focused on the fact that people kept saying the baby was stuck and he didn't know if that was serious, that he didn't even know it happened.
