Having a Supportive Husband Helped Trisha During Her Hospital Birth

When did you realize you were really in labor?

I had two days of false labor the week prior, and was almost two weeks past my due date, so I didn't want to get my hopes up. I was about 3 hours in, at noon, when we decided it was a good idea to time them, we were just about to head to the hospital anyways with my step daughter who had recently had her appendix out and was experiencing pain still. As we sat in the waiting room I grew more and more uncomfortable, I ended up calling the women's center while in her exam room where someone came down to escort me up for a non-stress test. I was indeed in labor, but not far along enough to be admitted, barely one centimeter.

They let me go back down to my husband and step daughter (who was being admitted). We stayed there until around 430 pm when I was starting to make all nurses and doctors uncomfortable in my step daughters room. We went back to the birthing center and learned I had only dilated to about 1-2 cm.

What was the most challenging thing about going natural?

After we were cleared to leave the hospital, my husband and I went home where I was comfortable. Except this was the hardest part the pain felt unbareable and I began to question my ability to follow through with a natural birth.

Two and half hours later we headed back to the hospital. I was told usually you dilate one cm an hour, in the time we were at home I went from between one and two cm to eight! I was excited. My midwife was there and was ready to go, and so was I. I remember hearing her tell me that I was making her job easy, she didn't even have to take a look down there until after I started to push. I was actually enjoying how the experience was not measuring up to expectations, little did I know the worst was yet to come.

When I was ready, I chose a position to deliver and my midwife was all prepared. She ended up having to pop a second bag of waters and then There went the head, shoulders, body...My baby girl was born. Besides the first few hours of contractions it was an amazing experience the pain seemed minimal.

I was able to have 30 minutes with her, skin to skin, my husband cut her umbilical cord, after pulsing- it was time to deliver the placenta. My body wasn't contracting my uterus as expected so my husband took our baby girl and I got a shot of pitocin. We're now and hour post delivery and still my placenta was attached. My midwife had exhausted her bag of tricks and the MD was called in. She then started with a manual assist.

I was completely exhausted. I got up to squat, a better position to get that thing out of me, and a small piece came loose.

Simultaneously the power went out and I began to hemorrhage. The nurses were amazing, so I'm told, pulling out flashlights like they knew it was going to happen. Slowly things went dark and I couldn't hear anything. My blood pressure tanked. The next thing I know I can hear again I hear my midwife explaining to my husband what's going on. Just like that things seemed to slow down a bit. The MD showed up and I was wheeled into surgery.

I woke up in recovery, not sure where I was and then my amazing husband showed up and held my hand. The MD had explained to me that redheads have a higher rate of hemorrhage anyways, but what had happened is my placenta needed to be scraped out of my body and my uterus forced to contract and the amount of blood loss was an impressive chart topper for birth in the hospital.

I spent almost a week in the hospital. I had two bags of blood transfused, eight rounds of antibiotics, and an ultrasound to confirm nothing was left inside. I

What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?

I read and read and read. Drove my husband nuts, but I wanted to be prepared and I was adamant about having a natural birth with most laboring done at home. My husband was extremely supportive, having been through childbirth before he kept me grounded and my expectations realistic.

What surprised you about your birth?

How easy it seemed to push her out compared to the pain of transitioning contractions. I was singing to the radio on the ride back to the hospital compared to the ride home I was wincing at every bump in the road and every corner.

Also
I wasn't as much surprised, but mostly relieved that I had the most amazing team that kept it all together when everything seemed to spiral out of control.

Believe in yourself. During the whole process I had doubt, pushing was hard and I wasn't sure I would actually be able to push her out. My husband kept telling me I got this.

What pain relief strategies worked best?

Walking. I had initially planned to do a water birth, but after an hour in the tube at home and some attempts to rest on the couch, I began to walk up and down the hallway and stairs. I continued to walk around my room while in the hospital as well.

What position did you end up delivering in?

Semi reclined, lying on my left side, my husband holding my right leg up.

How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?

Amazing. Everything about the labor had melted away. We didn't know the gender but I just felt it was a boy... I was so wrong and it just seemed melt away when I had her on my chest and in my arms.

What advice can you give to other mamas who want to go natural?

Believe in yourself. During the whole process I had doubt, pushing was hard and I wasn't sure I would actually be able to push her out. My husband kept telling me I got this.
Listen to your body. You'll know when it's time to push, and you'll start doing things while in labor that seem strange but just do them and listen to your body. Coping mechanisms come in various ways you'll find yours when you least expect it.