Continued from A Birth Story, Part 1
And then I heard a pop.
I gasped, and then I felt it, at exactly 5:11 a.m. A huge gush of warm water. On my couch. Thank goodness for that blanket!
I had this irrational fear during my pregnancy that my water would break in the produce aisle of the grocery store. I don’t know why, I was just terrified of it. So having it break on the couch was preferable, yet…messier. Because had I been standing, TLB’s head would have acted as sort of a plug, making the gush more of a trickle.
Instead, I was reclined, so the gush was actually like dumping an industrial sized Gatorade cooler onto my yoga pants.
“My water broke!” I exclaimed.
My sister jumped into action.
“What do I do?!”
“Um…get a towel?”
She rushed off to the bathroom and returned with a towel. As I shuffled to the bathroom with it between my legs, she ran upstairs to wake up Michael, who had been sleeping the whole time and didn’t even know my family had arrived. I wish I could have seen his face when she woke him announcing the news.
(Note: I promised you an honest birth story. So from here on out there will be talks of fluids and pain and…aftermath. I really appreciated mothers who were honest with me regarding the ins and outs of birth, which is why I want to be honest here. Just giving you a heads up if you’re not interesting in these kinds of things!)
I actually never really expected my water to break at home, since many women don’t have theirs break until they’re much further into their labors…many even having them membranes manually ruptured later on. So I wasn’t really sure what to expect when it happened. Well…there’s a LOT of fluid. And for a while, it just keeps coming and coming and coming. I sat on the toilet and waited for it to slow down enough so I could get things ready, and noticed that I had also lost my mucus plug. And it looked gross.
Really gross. Yet, that didn’t stop me from announcing it to anyone who was listening outside the door that in fact, I had LOST MY MUCUS PLUG!
My sister returned with a fresh pair of yoga pants and a pair of the big old throw away underwear I had bought for the occasion. I put on a pad (for the first time since middle school, I think) and started packing up my toiletries.
My original plan had been to labor at home as long as possible, going to the hospital when I felt I was close enough to warrant being there. Generally, doctors prefer for you to deliver within 24 hours of your water breaking to prevent infection, so I knew I had a lot of time. But on the advice of my mom, I decided to call the maternity ward and let them know I would be in at some point. I talked to the nurse and she suggested I take a little time to get things together, but head in within the hour.
I was skeptical. I had hours and hours! But OK, I’ll get things together and see how it goes.
And then, like a freight train, the contractions started coming.
Hard.
And close together.
I found my best coping method was leaning against a wall or the counter and swaying from side to side until the contraction passed. In between, I packed up the final stuff for the bag, straightened some last minute things around the house…and made Michael put the air conditioner in the guest room for my family.
Yes, really. It’s weird the way your brain works during labor. Suddenly, that seemed really important to me.
So, he did! And afterwards he said he wanted to move the cars around in the driveway, which seemed perfectly reasonable to me until about five minutes later.
“Michael,” I said quietly.
“Yes?”
“I think we need to go. Now.”
~
We live very close to the hospital, so I luckily did not have to labor long in the car. We pulled up in front of the hospital just after 6 a.m. I climbed out of the car to wait while Michael parked it, and noticed that my pants were soaked through completely. As I gripped the railing outside the door and swayed through a contraction, I complained to my sister about my pants. I’m pretty sure she told me not to worry about it.
You would have to ask my family if this is really true or not, but I don’t think I ever became too mean or bitchy during my labor. However, I do remember thinking my sister was walking way. too. slow. into the hospital, and shoved her into the elevator.
Shoved her.
Oops.
We arrived at the Women’s Wing and were greeted by a nurse who would escort us to our room and be with us all day. Now, before we could get to that room, Michael remembered to ask a very important question.
See, when we took our childbirth class it was taught by one of the Labor and Delivery nurses, who told us that we should absolutely ask if one of the corner rooms was available when we arrived. The corner rooms were the big rooms and well, why not ask?
So he did. He asked the nurse if a corner room was available and she looked at us like we were nuts. What did we think this was, the Ritz? The corner room? Really?
Well, there was a corner room, she said, but it wasn’t set up. They’d have to do that first. You know, make the bed, bring in equipment and monitors.
“I’ll wait!” I cried out, and proceeded to have a contraction hanging onto the hallway wall.
I don’t know what she thought of us in that moment, but she left us to set up the room. And you know what? I’m so glad he asked! The big room was awesome.
~
When the room was ready, I was handed a gown and told to take off everything I was wearing and put it on. Know how fun it is to get undressed while having a contraction and leaking amniotic fluid everywhere? Not so fun. Not so fun at all. And those gowns? Do NOT cover your butt. Not even a little. Here’s a fact about birth: EVERYONE will see your butt.
Everyone.
There is no such thing as modesty anymore and there will come a point when you just don’t care.
In that moment, I still cared. So I shuffled to the bed the best I could while holding the back of the gown closed.
Ha.
It’s hospital procedure that you get in bed and are hooked up to a fetal heart monitor, blood pressure cuff and an IV for 20 minutes when you first arrive to see how things are going. I hated this part and could not wait to get out of the bed. I was also terrified of the IV. Not labor, but the IV! I had never had one before and the thought made me nauseous.
Having the IV was my least favorite part about having a baby. I’m serious.
The nurse checked to see how far along I was, and I was disappointed to find I was still only three centimeters dilated, the same I had been earlier in the week. At this point, the contractions were less than three minutes apart and they HURT. And I still had to get to 10?
I did my best to turn inward and use my prenatal yoga skills to focus and breathe.
They still hurt. Oh man, did they hurt.
27 comments
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July 13, 2010 at 10:31 pm
Candice
The IV was my least favorite part, too! I had a c-section, so I didn’t have full on contractions (I had some, but all before my water broke)… but even still, that IV sucks, big time.
July 13, 2010 at 10:41 pm
mb
I should be sleeping, but I checked your blog, saw that you posted and then I proceeded to devour part two. I’m so glad you are being very honest about the whole thing. I can’t wait for part three! Hope all’s well. 🙂
July 13, 2010 at 10:58 pm
Angela Noelle
I’m obsessed with birth stories, and especially appreciate the truly honest ones! That photo of you is lovely 🙂 Can’t wait for the next installment!
July 14, 2010 at 12:48 am
amber
Awwww… I love it when you guys post the birth stories. It’s always so interesting and you guys tell it so well! I feel like I’m there. Thanks for sharing!!!
July 14, 2010 at 6:30 am
Kristen
I remember the IV made me feel like I was going to puke and my husband yelled at the nurse to get me something….the only time of my entire pregnancy where I thought I would puke. Nice.
🙂
July 14, 2010 at 6:46 am
Navigating the Mothership
I’m so enjoying your birth story and can’t wait for the next installment!
But what was the IV for? Fluids? Antibiotics? I’m glad I got to skip that part – I remember the 20 minutes of monitoring at the hospital not so fondly and getting an IV on top of it would have been ugh.
Laur
July 14, 2010 at 8:02 am
Kaley
Yes! The rocking! I don’t know how, but it totally made contractions a little more bearable for me, too. Can’t wait to hear more!
July 14, 2010 at 8:36 am
Molly P
My arms are still covered in black and blue marks and welts from where the nurses tried to get the IV in three times. I had to have it because I needed penicillin for group B strep. It was very annoying!
July 14, 2010 at 9:09 am
Stacey Paradise
I am absolutely so appreciative of your honest telling of your birth story. I’m a big believer in the truth and knowing as much as possible. Can you tell I’m absorbing everything you say and making mental notes? Can’t wait for part 3!
July 14, 2010 at 9:10 am
Life of a Doctor's Wife
“Everyone will see your butt” HA! Love it.
You are telling this so well – I can’t wait for the next installment!
July 14, 2010 at 9:35 am
Sandy
That’s hilarious! My water also broke at home during the middle of the night, I might add, and I was AMAZED at how much water there was to the whole breaking portion of the program. I literally sat on the toilet for what seemed like FOREVER waiting for it to slow down, which was probably not that long at all.
And yes, my IV was my least favorite part of labor too! I had to get mine right away too, and didn’t ask why. I knew that it was coming and it was the only part of having a baby that I wasn’t ok with…
July 14, 2010 at 10:46 am
itsybitsymama
I’m scared of my water breaking–at all–and a popping sound? It didn’t break with Ian on my own and I don’t think it will happen for this baby. Sounds lik it hurts. Love the honest posts. Love the part about the corner room!
July 14, 2010 at 11:00 am
KT
I agree with pp- honest birth stories are fascinating to me and much appreciated! Hopefully I’ll have one to tell sometime soon myself. Can’t wait for part 3!
July 14, 2010 at 11:31 am
Abby
Wow. I have to say I loved reading this, and can’t wait for the next part. (Kind of making me scared about childbearing, haha.)
July 14, 2010 at 12:22 pm
Blondie
Molly – great PART TWO!!! Im so excited to hear the rest of the story!!! You sound so brave!!
July 14, 2010 at 12:40 pm
Aly
Wow – good work on the bigger room! I’m really glad you’re sharing your story – gory details and all. 🙂
July 14, 2010 at 4:50 pm
Heather @ Side of Sneakers
Oh my goodness you’re not leaving me in suspense are you?!! I’ve never read a birth story before and I’m completely sucked in- I need to hear more!!!
All that’s running through my head is ‘how do people learn all these things about giving birth’ and WHAT? you have to wear a hospital gown?! Haha. I suppose I’m a bit naive? 🙂
July 14, 2010 at 10:20 pm
Anastasia
……whoa baby……you are too funny! I am loving these stories – but I have to admit, I’m not looking forward to this at ALL!!!
July 14, 2010 at 11:11 pm
poodlegoose
Ah! I’ve been so far behind on blog reading that it’s not even funny, but I am so glad that I caught this installment. I don’t know much about birthing other than the fact that my brother-in-law’s girlfriend recently had her baby in less than an hour total and 20 minutes after she started pushing. Oh, and the bi… uh, girl pulled out her own placenta. Eck. Anyway, I honestly hope things were that easy for you! I’m going to be jealous until I have my own birth story, and until then, I am completely content reading about others’ 🙂 Congrats, you two!
July 15, 2010 at 10:49 am
Rachel
I had a planned c-section due to placenta previa, but I also HATED the IV! The nurse started asking me funny questions JUST as another nurse stuck it in my hand….as if I wouldn’t notice! And then they left it in for 24 hours, which was super annoying. I couldn’t sleep because every time I moved my hand, it felt like I was going to rip a big hole in my skin. They left just the port in, not connected to anything, for another 24 hours after that just in case I needed extra fluid. yuck!
Can’t wait for the next installment…I don’t know what contractions feel like, so I am living vicariously through you 😉
July 15, 2010 at 11:16 am
Barbara
I TOTALLY hated the IV and the BP cuff. .I felt so claustrophobic about it and I am not even sure why… The best part of the whole birth was after everything was done and I was able to have a DRINK!
I was dying of thirst! 🙂
July 15, 2010 at 12:35 pm
realwedding
And then…? We want more!!
July 15, 2010 at 7:53 pm
Stephanie
I can’t remember what it was that you used to do, but you totally need to become a TV show writer or author or something! You can write a cliffhanger like nobody’s business! I want to hear more like ASAP!!! LOL, and yes I know that you have a little one who is more important than telling us how he got here 😉 I’m just trying to tell you that you are THAT good! 😉 Hope things are going well!
July 16, 2010 at 11:51 pm
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July 22, 2010 at 4:41 pm
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July 22, 2010 at 6:56 pm
Kez
Wow, considering what you were going through, you look great in that pic. Can’t wait to read part 3.
August 10, 2010 at 6:51 pm
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