I just realized I have been neglecting my May Mom-a-Thon, and May is almost over.  Time flies.  The following birth story is from a reader who just delivered her first baby.  Congratulations!  She is probably way to tired with her newborn to read this .  Her end result is a happy and healthy baby and family.  Of course, being a Monday morning quarterback, I have a ton of questions about her experience.  I think  I will refrain from asking my questions and just let the story be read, happy ending and all.

Well, Eric and I got to the hospital at 2:00 pm on Saturday 4/25/09 to have cervical gel applied. The plan was to have that done, go home and come back for more gel in the morning. To everyone’s great surprise, I was actually 1 cm dilated and 70% effaced when I got there. Dr. Illeck was so excited he said, “Keep her and we’ll start Pitocin in 6 hours.” (You have to wait 6 hours after the gel). So, the journey began.
You can’t eat after the Pitocin is started, so I ate some orange chicken from the Yardhouse at 8:30.
I got the Pitocin started and just kind of hung out all night. I was having very mild contractions, but nothing big. Unfortunately, I didn’t sleep more than a 1/2 hour- I was nervous, excited and my hips were killing me on that hard bed! Also, every time I shifted position to get more comfortable, the fetal monitor came off my belly and my nurse would have to come fix it. It was one of the longer nights of my life. Eric got sleep, but he was about 6 inches longer than his bed…so it wasn’t very good sleep.
At 0200, I was still only 1 cm dilated, so they were going to break my water, but the doctor got caught up in a C Section. So I had to wait until the doc got back up at 0630. I was still only 1 cm dilated at 0630, so they decided to break my water. That hurt A LOT!! He had is hand and the amnio hook in there, and it was SO uncomfortable.
Once that was done though, my contractions really got started. They hurt, but were very tolerable until about 0930. Then, they started to get a little more intense, but I was only 2 cm dilated, so I didn’t want an epidural just yet. (It can really slow things down). So, I decided to get some Opana, which was great. It didn’t do much for the contractions, but I was able to relax in between them for the first time in awhile. Then, about 1130, I was in a LOT of pain, so I decided I might be able to hold out with some more Opana. That did NOT cut it. So they checked me, and lo and behold, I was almost 5 cm, so we went for the epidural.
The epidural was awesome! EVERY first time mom should get one, especially if they’re on Pitocin. Not only did it take away my contraction pain, it took away that awful hip pain I was having from being in a dang bed for almost 24 hrs. I was able to take a good half hour nap, and get some basic rest. I was hungry though!
About 2:30 pm, they told me I was 9 cm dilated and that I could probably start pushing in a couple of hours. So, I tried really hard to take a nap. I wasn’t able to sleep, but I did rest and start focusing.
So, about 5 pm, I was ready to push. Pushing was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life!! I just kept going and going. I really wanted to give up, but even when I tried to take a break, the pressure was just too painful to ignore. I pushed for about 2 hours until Dr Illeck came in. He checked me and said, “This kid’s not coming out. He’s coming down between station 2-3 with pushes, but going right back up to station 0 (just at the pelvic outlet). He might be a shoulder dystocia. We’ll have to do a C- section” At that point, I was SO exhausted and overwhelmed, I said “If there’s any possible way for me to do it, I’ll try, but if he’s not coning out- please don’t make me do any more work, because I’m exhausted!”
Of course, I was pretty sad to end up with a C- section after working SO hard all day. But I was just happy I was finally going to met our baby! So, they took me to OR with Eric and we watched our Luke come in to the world. Eric got to tell me, “It’s a boy!” and I got to watch him come out on a mirror. It was awesome! Nothing else mattered at that point. We were just thrilled to meet him!
He’s 8lbs 5 oz, 20 inches. He some how has reddish hair (auburn, not orangey). I think my mom had similar hair at birth. He’s blue eyed and has HUGE hands and feet. He’s, of course, absolutely perfect. He’s an all- star nurser! Eric and I just couldn’t be happier.
So, it was a very rough labor, but non of that matters at all now. We’re not sure what held him up in the birth canal. I think it was his cord- it was wrapped twice around the neck, and once under his armpits, so I think he was too tangled. He did break his Right Clavicle, probably while I was pushing. Over all, I’m very tired, but doing well. The C- Section is sore, but not bad at all. Percocet and Motrin do their job well.

RR