Tuesday, July 29, 2008

My birthing story

Pin It Now! Men, you might not want to read this...

Friday, July 25th:
My Dr. called and said they made room for me at the hospital so off we go. Around 11:45am I got induced with the pitocin and I was at 3 cm and 50% effaced. (If  you are saying , "What does that mean?" just moving along. Don't want to give you too much information). By 4pm I was still only at 3 cm (bummer)
although I had been having regular contractions, but they weren't too painful yet. Dr. Leach came in around 4:15 and broke my water (again, just move along). Then the contractions became more intense and closer together... Let's just get to the good part. 

I think it was around 6:15 or so when I told the nurse she'd better call Dr. Leach to come on down because I was about 7cm and I was feeling some pressure downstairs. And the contractions just got brutally painful. At one point I thought for sure I was going to throw up so they got me a little container. Shiloh was to my side and Heather (my great friend who served as my doula) was in my peripheral. But my Mom was standing right in front of me staring. I know she was a few feet away, but it felt like she was in my personal throw up space so I said, "Mom, don't just stand there and watch me throw up!" So she ran and locked herself in the bathroom like any good mother would. 

Then I just started barking orders. "Need cold wash cloths." And they all went scurrying. "Fix my foot" (because it was tangled in the sheet). I was trying to concentrate on relaxing on breathing ... but how do you relax when you are in that much pain? And then it came. 
Tourette Syndrome. I could not control the outbursts. No, I wasn't cussing or anything (but at one point I did manage to squeak out, "If I were a cussing woman I would be cussing right now!"), but I just made some moans and shouts that I honestly could not control. They were in conjunction with the pressure of feeling that Jordis was trying to make her way out and I could not stop her. 
I was feuding with the nurse, "She's coming!" I shouted. "Wendy, don't push." she replied firmly. Then more Tourette's.
"Wendy you cannot push right now."
Ahhhhh! Finally, Dr. Leach came in. I watched him put on his gloves and coat and I remember thinking "Forget the dumb coat and gloves just get this baby." 
And out she came in seconds. 
And I felt such relief... until Dr. Leach had to go do some more business and get the placenta out and stuff. I'll spare you the details, but that hurt a lot. I told Dr. Leach I knew why they used stirrups because If my feet weren't in them I would have kicked him in the face. But he has been through 4 deliveries with me so I am sure his feelings weren't hurt.


Afterwards I told Heather (who plans for a drug free delivery in November), "I don't know if I would recommend this." It is hard when you know just how good it can be with the epidural. And incidentally, it hasn't helped with the nursing (which was my primary motivation for trying to go without the epidural). At the hospital (after the birth) the lactation consultant told me that studies have shown that the epidural can contribute to a baby clinching down when she nurses (as Jordis does). But then she told me that pitocin was equally as bad as far as that goes.  I then kicked her in the face.
The delivery nurse said that 98% of the women who deliver at John Muir have an epidural. The lactation consultant told me that about 1 /3 of the babies she sees do the clinching thing.  Whaaaat?
The end.


Here is Jordis and her cousin Kylie today (july 31). Pin It Now!

10 comments:

brenda Madsen said...

Oh Wendy I love you. You are the best writer.
Jordis is beautiful.
Tell Heather to have the epidural.

xo brenda

Anonymous said...

"I then kicker her in the face" LOL LOL seriously I had to stop and laugh for good 2 mins at that part! Your are superwoman my friend!!! Love Ya!!

Shiloh's Dad said...

OK That made me laugh three times hard. Then Robin yelled at me to quit laughing at my computer.

sara sanchez said...

you are the best story teller. I love your honesty. But is the breastfeeding at this point any better?

Anonymous said...

WOW, I am really impressed! AND you didn't cuss! :)

Anonymous said...

Good job girl. The only one I birthed without an epidural was the one that came too fast to get one. And I cried when they said no.
And I made weird gutteral sounds during labor that I couldn't imitate now if I had to. I don't know where those sounds came from.
Hope the breastfeeding gets better. Put those lactation consultants on speed dial.

Andra Jamison said...

I think that you should be proud of being a part of the elite 2%. Not a club I could ever be a part of. I still remember after one of your labors you said that forget selling heroin on the black market, why isn't the epidural being pushed on the streets? It's that good. I am amazed at how far you've come!

TDM Wendy said...

I know, I know. I can't really say too man negative things about the epi. I mean, it is kind of nice losing feeling in half of your body. no one expects anything from you. And you don't have to get up and pee 30 + times (not kidding, I forgot to mention that, or chose not to mention that in the blog) I literally had to get up to pee at LEAST 30 times in 7 1/2 hours. All that pitocin.

Becky said...

You're awesome. And that was hilarious! I don't normally laugh out loud at my computer. I love you sense of humor. Hope the breastfeeding gets better for you FAST!

Anonymous said...

Wendy, you had me laughing out loud! Your account of this birth brought back memories of my first delivery. Jordis is beautiful -- Lydia and Elijah look so proud and happy to have a healthy baby sister. May God shower you all with blessings from above. I am looking forward to seeing the whole clan in a few weeks. Take good care.