Miles birth story

I can't believe my little boy is already almost 13 months!

Before I share my birth story, I want to share a little background, I had an epidural with Acilia, I didn't want to take any chances, I was afraid of the pain. When I had her though, I got the epidural because they said it was time, not because I *needed* it. My delivery with her was great, but I couldn't help but wonder if I could do it without the drugs. What really put it all into perspective for me, was my extreme hate for catheters! You have an epidural, you are getting a catheter. Ugh! I hate them!!! Fast forward to when I was 15 weeks along with Miles, I had some bleeding. I was taken to the ER and of course the first thing they do is put a catheter in! :/ That was the day I decided I was going to do what I could to hold off on an epidural when delivery day came and just *see* if I could go without one. I had my mind open, afterall you never know what is going to happen in the delivery room, but it was a hopeful goal of mine. JUST so I wouldn't have to have a catheter :) I bring this story up, because I wanted to note the sheer irony at the end of my birth story, and I hope it makes more sense knowing this little fact!




So....



Friday, February 29th, a day after my due date, I had a doctor appointment. I had been stuck at 4 cm's for the previous three weeks, so, when I felt twinges of discomfort the three days leading up to Friday, I thought *maybe* something would have changed, but, I surely didn't have my hopes up! I get into the office, I was lamenting over the fact that I was still pregnant. Dr. suggested we check, as he's checking, he started to suggest membrane stripping and then I should go home and have some lovey dovey time with hubby and most likely that would do it. He stopped mid sentence though when he found that I was 6-7 cm's dilated. The talk that we had about stripping membranes was quickly averted to doc backing away slowly and telling me I was going to the hospital. I got there about 1:30. The nurses anticipated a woman coming in, in raging labor, and that just wasn't the case. I have concluded my body is very weird! :) I must admit, when doc told me it was time to go to the hospital, I went home; made Acilia lunch; grabbed my bag, I got to the hospital about 2 hours after my doctor had called to let them know I was coming in. To make matters even more amusing, I came strolling in to meet Al who was there waiting for ME. Hee hee! I found myself stalling because I knew I would be stuck at the hospital for a few days once I was admitted. The nurses even mentioned they thought I had gone to a different hospital since it took me so long to get there! Anyway, I made it and we got all situated in the room, my mom, hubby, my sister in law and Acilia, who was so excited to become a big sister! The doctor came in and broke my water at 3:18 PM. We waited. My sister in law kept looking at the monitor wondering why I wasn't affected by the peaking contractions that were showing up! (Yup, weird body!!) About twenty minutes later, I asked for the "birthing ball" I figured it would be a little more comfortable than the bed. I sat on the ball next to the bed, and put my feet on the bed, my mom massaged my feet with lavender oil. Really nice :) The contractions began to get painful. I moved back to the bed, and kind of just buried my head on the pillow when they hurt. They were good ones for about twenty minutes. Then I started feeling a little pressure during the contractions. I asked to be checked again, they said I had just a little bit to go....it was 5 PM, I mentioned I thought Acilia should leave the room. No sooner did she leave and my body became the "worker" and I felt like a "spectator"!!!! I had no control, if anyone had asked me not to push, well that just wouldn't have even been an option. He was coming out! I asked for the squatting bar, and within four minutes, gravity and some pushing on my part worked him right out!!!!! I laid back on the bed and just cried!! It was awesome! I noticed then that the room was pretty much full of nurses!!!! The way I delivered, apparently was a first for the hospital, so we had some interested eyes!! It was amusing and impressive! I held my little man and just cried! Then, it was time to deliver the placenta. It took 35 minutes and when I tell you what they had to do to remove it, I am not exaggerating that it was the worst part of delivery! Doc had to manually extract the placenta as I was levitating off the bed in agony! They were asking if I wanted something for the pain. I couldn't believe my ears! I had just successfully delivered my baby naturally, as I had hoped and I was going to take drugs to get the placenta out?? I couldn't bring myself to say yes, but it was torture! I could have sworn my insides were being ripped out! Between excessive bleeding, and high blood pressure; I was made to stay in labor and delivery for 24 hours, while they administered magnesium through IV and I dealt with having a catheter put in! I swear, irony is what it was! It's laughable now though :) My beautiful baby boy was 8 pounds, 9 ounces 21 inches. Born on LEAP DAY at 5:04 PM :)