Birth story

Tonight at 12:35am Jenna will be a week old! It doesn't seem like a week but it has been. I thought today would be a good day to recount our birth story. Everyone keeps telling me my memory will change the farther I get from the event. So hopefully a week isn't too long.

On March 16th at 4am I woke and started what I thought were contractions. Laying down was painful so I started walking around every time the "pain" would come. They were a regular pattern of about 10 minutes apart. I was sure things were starting. I woke Robb at 6 and told him I thought I was in labor. He was very excited but also nervous. He hadn't finished his lesson plans at school and his grades were due that day. So since we were at the beginning of the process I told him to go to school and get things done and then he could come home. At 7am I called my mom to let her know that I thought I was in labor. At that point in time the news spread like wildfire. I called into work and was ready to for this baby to arrive.

Robb got home around 10ish and I was still have contractions but they weren't as regular as they were in the morning. We decided to take a walk because I had heard that would help the baby come faster. After the walk I was hungry and Robb went and got me nuggets from McDonalds. At this point, the contracts basically stopped. By 1ish they were done and we took a nap. I called my midwife's office and was told that with a first baby you and have regular contractions for up to 10 hours and have them stop. This process can go on for days.

So that evening Robb and I did our normal things: eat dinner and watch LOST. I went to bed at 10:30pm. At 2am I woke and was having contractions again. I started doing laps around our kitchen. It couldn't lay down it just didn't feel good. They were again about 10 minutes apart. I did this routine from 2 to 4:30am. Then the contractions lost their pattern and I was able to sleep some. At 6 I told Robb I was having contractions again but I didn't think they were regular so he should just go to work. I was also planning on going to work.

I showed up to work on time and recounted my previous day to my co-workers. The spring season is our busiest time so there was a lot for me to do. I was having some contractions throughout the day but nothing regular. I ate lunch early because I was hungry. Then I started setting up our massive amount of EIA tests. Kelly our dairy microbiologist I believe was worried about me and came in to "help" me (I think she wanted to keep and eye on me). As we were working, my contraction got a regular pattern and were about 7 minutes apart.

My dad was coming from Richmond and was planning on stopping by the office. I was getting tired but didn't want to miss him. However by 2:30pm I was ready to leave. I packed up and drove home. I decided to try and rest for a bit. While I was laying down the contractions had gone back to 10 minutes apart. The contractions weren't bad and I was able to "sleep" between them. At 4pm I woke and felt like I needed to go to the bathroom. It took me a bit to sit up. I then stood up and started leaking. I didn't think I was loosing bladder control and realized my water had broken. I ran to the bathroom and was convinced this was the big show. I called Robb and told him he needed to get home. He had stayed after school to help some students and then started talking to the choir director. He jumped in the car and headed home.

From that point I called my mom, our friend Peggy and Amy. Since I was leaking amniotic fluid I didn't want to leave the bathroom. Robb was 45 minutes away so I hooked up to my curling iron and curled my hair. Once Robb was home he took the dogs out and loaded the car. We left the house around 5. Robb hadn't eat much that day so we stopped at Wendy's for some food. It is a good thing we stopped because we saw a wreck on 460 and decided to go home and drive around the accident. We got to the hospital around 6.

We were admitted and I was checked by Billie our midwife on call. I was 5 centimeters dilated, 100% effaced and at 0 station. So I was half way done! They hooked me up to the heart monitor to check on the baby's heart rate. With every contraction the baby's heartbeat was going down but then coming back up once the contraction was over. This was of a little concern so they needed to put in a saline block in case of an emergency. We were moved to a Labor and Delivery room and started getting comfortable.

Once in the LDR room we met Carolyn our nurse. She was great and willing to let us do whatever we wanted to. Since contractions weren't all that bad yet Robb and I decided to walk around a bit. We took a lap around the Birth Center. I had to stop about twice to concentrate but we made it back to the room. Walking wasn't as great as I thought it would be. So when we got back in the room I decided I wanted to get in the jacuzzi. Carolyn set the tub up for us and I got it. The warm water was great! I spent 30 minutes in the tub and loved every minute of it.

Since I had the saline block in my left wrist I had to wear a glove while I was in the jacuzzi. Carolyn put a glove over my hand and then taped the top of it. Once I was out of the tub I asked Robb to take the glove off of me. It was hot and uncomfortable. Robb grabbed the end of the tape and slowly started ripping it off my are. I started screaming! There is a pain chart that goes from 1 (no pain) to 10 (can't handle it) and as it ripped I yelled that my pain level was a 10. Carolyn came in the room thinking something was majorly wrong. Everyone had a laugh by the tape incident.

From this point I didn't know exactly what was going to make me feel better. I rocked in the rocking chair for a while. I then wanted Robb to rub my back. Carolyn brought in a birthing ball. I was not a fan! We tried that once and I was done with it. Really rocking was the most comfortable thing for me.

Robb's parents showed up and came to visit while I was in easy labor. They stayed for a short time and then went to the family waiting area.

Robb and I just hung out and let the process happen. Carolyn checked me and I was almost 8 centimeters dilated. At that time I decided to get back in the jacuzzi. Back in the jacuzzi my contractions started getting much worse. At this point my parents showed up. My mom came and helped for a bit. My mom showed up at a good time because Robb was needing a break. So Robb rested and my mom encouraged me through contractions that were getting worse. While in the tub I felt like I needed to start pushing. At that point I had to get out and start thinking about pushing.

Once out of the jacuzzi I started having a lot of back labor. I tried a position on my hands and knees. That made my back feel so much better but I was getting tired and my arms couldn't hold myself up. At that I collapsed on my side and that was the position I was in during transition.

Transition was difficult! The last 1/2 centimeter was very hard. Robb was encouraging me to get through each contraction and my mom was rubbing my back. I was getting extremely hot and they started turning down the temp in the room. I didn't think I was going to make it. I asked Robb what my pain medication options were. I was trying to do all natural and Robb and I had a code word for pain meds. Unless I said that specific word Robb knew I didn't really want the medication. I didn't say the word but I wanted to hear what I could get if I did say the word. At this point I asked my mom to leave the room. Robb and I wanted to have this experience together.

Once my mom was gone Robb asked Carolyn what our pain options were and she said we didn't have any. Well I could take something but the baby would have been drugged and they would have to give the baby something once it was born to perk it up. So I knew medication wasn't an option at all.

Robb and I worked through the end of transition and finally I was ready to push. My midwife had me lay on my back and directed me how to push. By this time I wasn't feeling the contractions very well and Carolyn was telling when to push. Billie wanted me to hold my legs up and push for 10 seconds and then take a breath and push again. This was very difficult for me. I didn't want to hold my legs up. Robb and Carolyn were holding my legs most of the time. During the pushing I couldn't catch my breath and wasn't pushing like Billie told me.

We pushed for an hour. During that hour Billie was massaging my perineum so that I was stretching and I would tear or need an episiotomy While the massaging my helpful it was also painful. While I was pushing I kept hearing about all the hair that was coming out. Robb had a moment and Billie told him if he passed out he would be transferred to Lynchburg General. He took a quick break and was back because he didn't want to be admitted somewhere else.

Finally I was told the head was out. I didn't even realize the head was out. With this I think I got excited and wanted the baby completely born. With another push Jenna was born! We were told we had a little girl. Her umbilical cord was short so they couldn't just flop her on my stomach. My placenta was birthed and then Jenna was placed on my stomach so we could have some skin to skin time.

It was amazing! From there things happened quickly. Jenna was cleaned, weighed and given back to me. Once I was stitched up (I did have a small tear) and cleaned up both sets of grandparents came in to meet Jenna.

All in all we checked in at 6pm and Jenna was born at 12:35am on the 18th. We had a great natural birth and I was very pleased that I did it. I had a great coach and wonderful support from our families.