Friday, January 29, 1999 I went to the doctor and hadn’t made much progress from the week before, basically I was only a "fingertip" dialated. According to my doctor's little wheel I had been due on Jan. 22, but I was certain that my due date was really Jan. 28 so I wasn't even considering myself overdue. My doctor stripped my membranes to try to get things going. He said if I made it to my next appointment we would talk "aggressive" measures. That night, one of Chris’s aunts suggested Chinese food to get labour going so that’s what we had for dinner. Saturday morning around 4:30 I woke up with cramps in my pelvis and lower back. I stayed in bed but got progressively more uncomfortable. I finally got out of bed around 5:30 so I wouldn’t wake Chris. I tried to play at the computer but could not sit comfortably so I moved to the couch. At this point I really didn’t think I was in labour. I was sure I was just having cramps in response to the stripping of my membranes the day before. At 7:30 I was extremely uncomfortable. I woke Chris and asked him to go to WalMart and buy me a heating pad for my back. He asked if he should call the doctor but I still didn’t think I was in labour (apparently I was in serious denial). All the pain was in my back and none in my stomach area. I had read a book (last time I trust a book!) that said contractions make your whole stomach contract. Maybe mine did, but it wasn't evident. In the 20 minutes Chris was gone I was in definite pain and was wishing he’d come back soon. I remember thinking there was no way labour could be worse than the pain I was feeling right then. Apparantly I was in transistion. Chris returned quickly but it felt like forever. I had him call the doctor and describe my symptoms. My doctor told Chris to bring me straight to the hospital. First we took care of our animals and made sure we had my insurance papers and what not. We got to the hospital around 9:30AM. When they admitted me I finally realized that I was in fact in labour and that I would be leaving with a baby. I was checked by my doctor and found out I was already at 9cm! Good thing I had planned to do this natural and didn’t want any drugs. The doctor did offer them to me but thankfully I was able to say no and then turn back on my side to ease the pain. They let me labour for another hour. Chris was there the whole time giving me ice chips and offering support. Unfortunately, it was just like on TV and I basically told him not to talk to me or touch me. He has since forgiven me. I never felt like I had to push, but the nurse watched me and realized I was pushing with each contraction. My doctor broke my water at 10:31AM (Chris was rather disgusted by this part, I really gushed). I was instructed to push "just like you learned in class" the nurse says to me. At this point it dawned on me that Chris and I hadn't finished our Bradley classes and I had no idea how to give birth! I hadn't a clue what to do. The nurse told me again what position to be in and somehow I managed to figure out what she was saying and pushed. My darling baby decided to be difficult and had her right hand in a fist pressed upon her forehead. I wouldn't stretch, despite the dr's. efforts with mineral oil and had to get a small episiotomy, now that hurt (and again, Chris did not appreciate the view)! I pushed once and felt it was all a waste of time, that I was just wasting my energy and wasn't getting anywhere. I was so surprised that the dr. and Chris saw the baby's head! One more push and my precious Tabitha Lindsay came into the world at 10:55am. My first thought was that she was big (8lbs 9oz) and my second thought was complete disbelief that I did this. Tabitha and I spent the night in the hospital and Daddy came and got us bright and early Sunday morning.
Mommy's Birth Story
