A Baby Story: Delivery the Natural Way

(The Cliff notes:  Four hours of labor and only 14 minutes at the hospital until Ryleigh delivered.  Read on for the full, detailed story with pictures at the end.)

In the past I've made comments that the only way I thought I could do a natural delivery was if (1) it was at a birthing center where epidurals weren't an option or (2) if I got to the hospital too late to get an epidural.

Apparently I jinxed myself.

It was just before midnight on Thursday May 17 when I woke up in bed thinking that my weak pregnant bladder must have sprung a leak.  It wasn't until I had reached the bathroom that the thought even crossed my mind "Wait, was that  my water that just broke...?"

Naaaaaah.  Couldn't be.  I wasn't having contractions - plus it was midnight, and that just wasn't a convenient time to go into labor.

As I climbed back into bed, it was the damp spot I felt on the sheets that convinced me to wake Brant and let him know that either I  had just wet the bed - or my water broke.  Given the fact that I still wasn't having contractions, I decided to wait and see if they start before making any plans of action.

It takes a few minutes for my body to stop shaking - from what, I'm not sure.  Nerves from the uncertainty that I could be in labor?  My body gearing up for what it knew was about to happen?  Whatever it was, it definitely wasn't because it was cold - it's summer time in Houston after all.  But after about 20 minutes of sleep, guess what.

Contractions.

It takes about three contractions to clue me in that this could be the real thing.  I grab my phone, download a contraction counter app and realize that the contractions off the bat are 5-7 minutes apart.  Our original plan was that we'd call Nancy when I started contractions and she would drive the 3.5 hours from Dallas to stay with Savannah - and if we needed to leave for the hospital before she arrived, we'd call a friend to stay with Savannah until Nancy got here.  What we didn't calculate in was what would happen if labor was happening in the middle of the night and was progessing fast.  And within an hour and a half my contractions are 2-4 minutes apart.  We decide to go ahead and call a friend to come over and stay with Savannah until Nancy could arrive. Luckily luckily (because remember that it's the time of day when most normal people are well into their REM cycles, that my dear (and I mean dear) friend Christi answered my 2:30am text asking if she could come stay with Savannah.  She responds back "of course - on the way over."

At 3am I call L&D at the hospital and tell the nurse that my water broke around midnight and how close the contractions are.  She says "Ok, go ahead and take a shower and come on in.  I can tell we've got time since you can talk through your contractions."  (And that would be the last time I trust a triage nurse over the phone.  Plus, remember the MA's comment here when I was in labor with Savannah?)

In the meantime I take a 4 minute shower (with two big contractions) and get ready to head to the hospital (yay for having a hospital bag already packed!).  True to her word, Christi shows up and - even though what I really had wanted was to chat with her for a minute and show her where everything was and clue her in on Savannah's morning routine - we jump in the car to make the 10 minute door- to- door drive to the hospital.  Good thing we left asap, because had we left the house any later.... well, let's not think about that!

I'd say we probably made it to the hospital in 6-7 minutes (if you ever want to beat Houston traffic, try driving at 3am.  It's remarkably empty - yet still busy - at that time).  And it was during that 7 minutes that things started really getting intense.  Like, contractions coming every 30 seconds and tears running down my face from the intense pain.

Brant pulls up to the loading/unloading zone at the maternity entrance (oh, hi early morning paper boy.  don't mind me, I'm just breathing heavy from these contractions) and decides its probably best to skip the part where he goes to park the car after dropping me off - and just leaves the car there in the no parking zone - to walk me into the hospital.

Good thing nurses know how to spot a laboring patient.  As we walk in the doors, they simply see us and point down the hall to where we need to check in.  It was also a good thing that I had both pre-registered and called ahead just the hour before because the check in lady had all my info already waiting when we arrived.  After Brant filled out a short form, she points to a bench and tells us to "Have a seat.  A nurse will be with you shortly"

It was a beautiful bench under the "For Laboring Mothers Only" sign.  Really.  But come on - we're running short on time here.  I can't even sit down these contractions are about 5 seconds apart now!

Thankfully, about 15 seconds later nurse Kerrie appears and leads us to the labor triage room where they check you to make sure your really in labor before admitting you.  But not before another contraction makes me have to stop walking and focus on breathing.

Once inside the tiny closet  triage room I'm barely able to get a gown on and up on the bed while nurse Kerrie is casually trying to get me set up with the belly band that measures the baby's heart rate.

Come on nurse.  No time for that.


And that's when I feel my body take over as it starts bearing down and - without my consent - starts pushing on its own.

My face goes blank.  Do I push with the contractions?  Fight the pushing?  Help!

"I have to push - I have to push!"  I hear myself frantically huffing out. "I never intended to do this naturally!"


Apparently nurse Kerrie sensed my distress by the look on my face, abandons the belly heart monitor - and checks my dilation.  "She's at a 9".  I hear her pick up the phone and say "I need everyone in here - she's about to deliver.  She's at a 9, but +1 station."  Why is there no urgency in her voice??

Within seconds the triage room door pushes open and I see the birthing team try to wheel in the needed equipment.  Wait, there's not room for everything to fit.  They make a split second decision to wheel me to a room (good gracious alive, I'm never going to make it at this rate!)  And on the 20 or so feet trip it took to get down the hall to what was to be my birthing room, I realize something new.  I can scream.

Really scream.

Now, I can't say that this was my proudest or most shining moment, but when your body is pushing out a baby -without your help - and you haven't had any kind of epidural/ pain management, or even coping techniques besides the "hee, hee, ha" at your childbirth refreshers class... and  your being wheeled on a bed from room to room all while this is all happening, not sure if its ok to push or keep it in...

...its ok.  Scream all you need to.  Don't you worry about the other patients sleeping at 4am (because that will be the last thing on your mind anyways).

By now we've made it into birthing room - no time to get feet in the stirrups that us women all know and love.  I've decided its safe to work with my uterus and start pushing with the contractions.

Let me just stop here and tell you what pushing a baby out feels like with no epidural... burning. Burning. BURNING!!!!!! You feel like you are being torn apart "down there" and there is nothing you can do except keep pushing through the burning to get your baby out.

I'm maybe being a little dramatic here, but remember:  I wasn't prepared for this nor did I ever have any intention of doing it this way.

With every push I frantically demand ask "is she crowning?  is she crowning?!".

After the first push I get the response "Almost!"

The second push and I get the reponse from nurse Kerrie "She's this much - indicating and 'o' with her thumb and fore finger (like making the ok sign).

Third push response and Brant answers this time "Look down- you can see her head!"

I have only a split second to notice her head when I'm already pushing with the next contraction.  Generally once you push the head and shoulders out, then the rest of the baby's body will slide out.  Not so with a 8.5lb baby. (Hello, did the doctor not predict just the week before during the ultrasound that she was around 6.5 lbs?  Did she really gain 2 lbs in one week??)

And with one last push, she's out!  RELIEF!!!

Or was there?

My first words when nurse Kerrie placed her on my stomach were "She's purple....she's purple... is she ok?"

"Yes- she's great.  She'll pink up here in a second."  (which she did and they took her back to get her cleaned up).

I don't remember when Savannah was born the contractions or burning being quite so strong when it was time for the placenta to make it's exit from my innards.  But then again, I had had an epidural.

And when the hospital chief of obstetrics arrived (the nurses couldn't get a hold of the on call doctor from my doctor's practice - but that's another story) it was my consolation prize of having no tears or stitches needed after having birthed a 8.5 lb baby so quickly after having no meds.

Afterwards, nurse Stephanie said that when she saw us walk into the hospital, that she could tell that I was close to delivering, and that Ryleigh was in just the right position with her head down and chin tucked to make such a speedy delivery.  And I think it's credit to the 5 hours of pushing I had with Savannah that my body was able to stretch the way it did so quickly this time - and without tearing.

While I think it's neat that I can say I'm in the club of moms who have had natural child births, I can't say I'm interested in doing it that (sans epidural/ pain meds) way again.  But I can say that she was all worth it.

P.S.  Brant did great the entire time and actually says this is how he likes to do it - fast and over with.  And yes, he did eventually get the car moved out of the no parking zone :)

Sweet baby Ryleigh who knows how to make a dramatic entrance :)

With nurse Kerrie (who delivered -she should get a bonus) and nurse Stephanie 

So sweet.  Love this guy.

Family of Four!