and be forewarned: part II is even more detailed and lengthy than part I (probably because it's fresher in my mind)!
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Our little bug also arrived late.
9 days late.
Again I drove myself crazy by expecting to go into labour early. Or at least on time. Surely I deserved to deliver around my due date the second time around, right?
Nope.
At a week past my due date, "everything" was looking favourable and so we decided to opt for induction again.
This is pretty much where the similarities in my birth stories end. My second delivery was much different than my first.
In fact, I went into labour with a much different mindset the second time around (and here I will diverge from the birth story for a moment). I think this is largely due to the fact that I had been through it before. This time I knew what to expect. I knew what it would feel like. I knew my body could do it.
This time, I was more determined to have a natural birth.
This was a personal choice.
I am not afraid of pain. Let me re-phrase: I am not afraid of pain for a purpose. And I went into labour this time knowing that I couldn't anticipate exactly how things would progress, but knowing that I again wanted to try my hardest to have a drug-free, medical-intervention-free birth. I read some books to prepare, and this time I really believed I could do it.
Because if I'm really honest with myself? I was a little disappointed after the birth of my first baby. Disappointed in myself. Oh I know it's silly. I delivered a beautiful, healthy baby girl. And I never ever judge anyone who chooses an epidural. I've been there. I know the pain is overwhelming and exhausting and all you want is some relief. But a part of me wishes I had just pushed on through the pain. Easy to say when you're not in the middle of it.
I really really wanted to experience natural childbirth. Not because I'm sadistic or had something to prove. But because I felt it would be best for me and my baby. And because it was an experience that I thought would be the most fulfilling, difficult, and proudest moment of my life.
I was right.
Back to the story:
I went in around noon to be induced. I asked my medical team if they could just rupture my membranes (break my water) and give me some time to see how I progressed on my own.
We have a wonderful hospital here, and I have an even more wonderful and accommodating doctor who was happy to let me go ahead with this plan.
I was thrilled that I wouldn't need an iv unless we ran into trouble, and that I was free to labour naturally and follow my body's lead.
At 2pm my doctor broke my water. I was 4cm dilated.
The contractions started almost immediately. And I began to pace the halls. I walked and walked and contracted and walked and contracted and walked. Occasionally I came back into our room and sat on a birthing ball while my nurse monitored the baby, but mostly I walked; stopping to lean on my hubby and sway during contractions.
At about 5pm the contractions were starting to increase in intensity and I relocated to my room from the hallway and continued to pace, stopping to lean on the back of a rocking chair during my contractions. I was now 6cm dilated.
At this point everything became very intense and I remember feeling for a fleeting moment that I wasn't sure I could continue without drugs if labour was going to last much longer (in my head I was calculating for one hour per cm of dilation). I focused only on breathing and on trying to relax my body as much as possible. I was quiet and determined. My hubby was my rock, whispering encouragement as I rocked and swayed through each contraction.
One hour later, at 6pm I felt the urge to push. This was something I had not experienced with my first birth. It was a relief for me that my body knew what to do and was doing it by itself. My doctor came to check me and at 6:15pm I was fully dilated and ready to push.
Pushing my sweet baby out was the most intense experience of my life.
During contractions and active pushing I was struck speechless by the intensity. But in between contractions, I actually remember joking with my medical team, making some crack about my pedicure.
Soon, we had one small moment of panic when my daughter's head was delivered, but the rest of her body didn't follow. I remember staring at my doctor, watching her face as she checked to see if the cord was wrapped around her neck. When she looked up at me and said "you need to push with everything you have now"; that is exactly what I did. Our baby bug's shoulders were stuck. Very quickly my nurses stepped in and pulled my legs back (one nurse almost yelling at me to "get mad!!"), while my doctor pulled gently on our baby's head and I gave it everything I had. (You can read more about shoulder dystocia here). The rest of her quickly followed and at 6:34pm my new babe was placed on my chest.
And my hubby announced to me that we had another baby girl.
Our bug was taken away to the warm infant bed pretty quickly to be checked over since her poor face was very puffy and purple from the dystocia and from the quick delivery (about 15min!). The neonatal team was standing by the door, but wasn't needed. This was one of those times that I was so grateful that my hubby is a doctor. I knew they were concerned about my baby, but I also knew that my hubby was over at her side, listening to everything and understanding all that was happening. In the end, she had a great Apgar score and is perfectly healthy.My husband later told me that he was panicking during the dystocia, but I never would have guessed it. He was a rock, at my side, encouraging me to push and never letting on that I should be worried.
Now, looking back at my two birthing experiences, I can honestly say that if I do it again, I want it to be like my second birth. Not only because it was so much shorter (although that was huge), but giving birth naturally was a much more fulfilling experience for me (I know it's not for everyone).
I feel I was more efficient in my pushing; and although it hurt like nothing else, I love that I could feel everything and let my body do what it needed to do. I felt so much more in control. I felt empowered. And I felt proud.
In summary, here are the stats:
birth I birth II
due date: august 14, 2010 may 30, 2012
birth date: august 25, 2010 june 9, 2012
days overdue: 11 days 9 days
contractions began: 12:00am 2:10pm
baby born: 8:37pm 6:34pm
total labour time: 20 hours, 27 minutes 4 hours, 24 minutes
time spent pushing: 1 hour 15 min
epidural: yes no
sex: girl girl
weight: 8lbs 4oz 8lbs 7oz
How about you? Every birth is so different and every woman experiences pain differently. How did you or your partner make it through birth?
