Giving birth was never something I feared. I knew it wasn’t going to be all rainbows and pink fuzzy bunnies; there were likely going to be tears, sweating and even some yelling. No matter how many horror stories you hear or images you see – while watching those baby story TV shows – nothing can actually prepare you for what your body will go through.
One would normally have anxiety about the unknown, right? I fear my anxiety is far worse this time since I know more about what I’m in for – which I pray is not the same as the last.
Pregnancy with Carter was a breeze. I was content and just delighted with the fact I was going to be a mommy. The entire nine months seemed to be perfect: no complications, little complaints – it was practically test book perfect.
Then labour.
4:45am, of my due date, August 21, I woke up with pretty strong contractions and by noon I had bared just about enough of what I could and we headed to the hospital, but not before I insisted that Mike stopped to get money for parking. God knows why I thought we would have to pay to enter the lot.
From our arrival at labour and delivery to about 2 hours later, I had progressed 2cm… seemingly, everything was right on track for Carter’s arrival that evening. I was able to have an epidural almost immediately, which I was so grateful for, but by 4pm I was noticing my ability to feel contractions was returning on my right side, and increasing steadily. No amount of moving or twisting would relieve the pain. I remember begging for the anesthesiologist to come back and do something about it and my requests being met with contemplation and delay. Not until the tears began would they do anything about my requests.
I must tell you, I know now that my pain tolerance is not as high as I had thought. I mean, I can handle being banged around a little and can take my share of friendly beatings. But the pain of labour? Not for me. I am practically incapacitated by menstrual pains, so this? This was no walk in the park for me.
Once the anesthesiologist came back to adjust the catheter things seemed to be back on track.
But I was wrong.
My epidural ceased to work at all, and wouldn’t that be the time the anesthesiologist would be called into a C-section? Perfect. From then to whenever she should come back, I was forced to go natural.
Tell me? Why do they insists on lying about how long the wait is going to be? How does that ever help the situation? They should be like pizza delivery – 40 minutes or it’s free or something like that. 40 minutes and then you get an extra hit of any drug of your choice.
After the contractions came on full force and I could feel everything, I had the nurse kick everyone out of the room.
Including Mike.
Then I waited.
And waited.
Tune in tomorrow to find out if my nurse survived…
Leslie says:
I don’t know how you made it AFTER your epidural started to wear off. Ugh!
I tried to have a natural birth. Really. I was induced and went twelve hours without any medication. (I just kept remembering my childbirth class, wehre they said the average first birth lasts 12 hours. Ha!) Then, I asked for the epidural. Then, I ended up having a c-section. I’m having a planned c-section this time and I am so, so nervous.
I think the not knowing the first time – not knowing how much it was going to frickin’ hurt – was a good thing.
Leslie’s last blog post..Buck The Monkey
February 11th, 2008 at 1:08 am
J. says:
All of those people who say “you’ll forget all about the pain once that baby is laid on your chest” deserve to be shot.
Complete BS.
J.’s last blog post..Dear Husband,
February 11th, 2008 at 10:13 am
Dawn says:
I think it’s even worse to have the epi and then NOT have it than to just go without the entire time – cuz if ya don’t have it, by the time you get to push you are all “hells ya! I can actually DO something now!” and you’ve gotten to ease into it (sort of). To have gone from feeling pretty decent and then getting dropped into transition pain without easing into it – bleah.
Dawn’s last blog post..Project Support Beauty in Nature
February 11th, 2008 at 11:21 am
Jenni says:
I know every L&D is different, but the truth is most people have much easier deliveries the second time (and subsequent). I’ve delivered all of mine naturally, so believe me I’ve felt every single thing. And the second time was no where close to the first. It was faster, easier and actually knowing what I was in for ended up being a help not a hinderance (like you I was initially more apprehensive the 2nd time.
February 11th, 2008 at 12:19 pm
Brenda says:
augh you poor thing!! I’ve been lucky, my experiences with the epidural have been positive. I hope this time around is easier for you.
Brenda’s last blog post..Storm of the season
February 11th, 2008 at 1:01 pm
Worker Mommy says:
Go natural! ? Uggh…even thinking about that sends me in to convulsions.
hey just gotta tell you I still continue to get complements on my blog design and I am still so absolutely in love with it.
Thanks dahling
Worker Mommy’s last blog post..Chicco Loves You and so do I: A (Pre) Valentines Day Giveaway
February 11th, 2008 at 3:19 pm
LD says:
I can’t wait to hear how this ends!
I’ve gotta tell you, they fractured my tailbone with the forceps, and now my son delights in telling people “when I was born, I broke Mommy’s bum.”
Nice!
LD’s last blog post..Today is a New Day
February 11th, 2008 at 4:06 pm
Jennifer says:
Oh shit!
Jennifer’s last blog post..Come Join My Camp
February 12th, 2008 at 9:32 pm
Devilish Southern Belle says:
Bless your heart!
I didn’t have an epidural with mine, either. With my first child, the laboring woman in the next room didn’t like my grunts and whines, and someone came into my room and told me I needed to be quiet because I was scaring the woman in the next room. I did get quieter, but not before I yelled loud enough for the entire wing of the hospital to hear: “You can tell the woman in the next room that I don’t give a flying eff if I’m scaring her, she can EFF OFF!”
A screaming woman in the next labor room would have scared me, too, but being in the same situation, I would not have dared send someone into the screaming woman’s room to complain about it. The nerve!
Devilish Southern Belle’s last blog post..I think I love you!
February 13th, 2008 at 1:17 am
justmylife says:
When I was delivering my 2nd baby, the women in the bed next to me, was laughing and joking and having a natural birth. I could have choked her, I was in pain and ready to kill for an epidural, which I did not recieve because my labor progressed too fast to have time to get one. Anyway the lady next to me gave birth to a 18 pound toddler! Naturally! From what I heard she grunted, pushed and out shot this kid and she asked for her lunch! I later found out it was her 5th baby, but laughing while delivering an 18 pound kid, I don’t think so!
justmylife’s last blog post..It’s raining, It’s pouring….
February 29th, 2008 at 1:10 pm