Ok, story time!! The topic today is Labor & Delivery....

Quick Delivery? What is this that you speak? I started early labor at 3:30am 12/22/05. I called triage and they confirmed. At 6am SU text messaged me and asked if he was going to work. Nope. I had a sandwich and a shower and we left for the hospital by 11. I was checked in by 12. At 4pm (13 hours later) I was dialted to 3. : I had an epidural by 5. My family stayed until 4am. At 8am I had not moved at all past 7cm. We then decided to do a c-section. My contractions pretty much stopped when they turned off the drip. I called my family and told them to come back. I was taken into surgery at 10 and Makenna was born on 12/23 at 10:49am. After 31 hours of labor she was finally born. If I wouldn't have had a c-section I or she would have died in labor.

ETA: I forgot to add that I had back labor and she posterior. The epidural wasn't working well and they had to give me extra bollis (sp?) shots of drugs. When put the drugs in the IV my back and chest felt like when you drink a frozen drink too fast and it hurts you. I was miserable and more than happy to get it over with. Thank God for great Nurses!

My story:

I went shopping for some last minute baby stuff that day. My sister caught me leaning over a counter. Told her it relieved the backache. Later that day at my parent's house (summer/pool/bbq), I went inside to lie down. I had a history all my life of terrible stomach aches that would go away if I laid on my stomach for 15 minutes. If I didn't, they'd last all day. So I needed to lie down, because I had one of those. My same sister came in and thought I was inside to cool off in the air-conditioning as it was mid-July and very hot. I said no --- it's just that I have one of "my stomachaches" but the weird thing is that this time that are coming and going away, coming and going away. She looked at me as if I had two heads and said: Denise! Say that again and this time think about what you just said! Realization dawning that this could be labor. Oh no. It better not be because my pains are already 5 minutes apart then. Also - my water didn't break. No breaking water = no labor as far as I was concerned. And I really really wanted that hot dog just off the grill! But the doctors said no food once labor starts. Gee, it really looks good!!!

So...home to grab my bag and off to the hospital. Where they proceeded to tell me I was only 1 cm, that it was a first baby, that my water didn't break yet, and this will be a VERY long night and that I should go home because I'd be more comfortable there and could move around. If I stayed I'd be confined to the bed. And NOTHING will happen til the morning, at least. I was in a lot of pain (*warning* if you are pregnant, I don't want to frighten you about the pain - so leave this post now) and this was at 8:30 pm and boy am I glad I chose to stay in the hospital. Because by 12:07 am my son entered the world! If I had gone home, I probably would have thought "nothing is happening" and delivered on my living room floor! The staff didn't expect it either.

At 10:15 my dad asked a nurse how I was doing and she replied they hadn't even checked me - nothing is happening. 2 minutes later they checked me. I was at 6 cm and the doctor wanted to be called at 5 cm and all hell broke loose. Prior to this I did curse out a nurse. I was asking everyone who came in how many children they had. I needed proof that you live through this! So, one particular nurse kept watching the monitor and telling me my contractions were not as bad as I was making them out to be. And I was overreacting. When I asked her how many kids she'd had, she answered none. How the f$ck can she know how much pain I'm in!!! The meds lasted only 20 minutes and they couldn't give me more at this point until the doctor got there. When she did - I insisted on meds. She told me I won't be able to push if I got more. I told her then you'll find a way to get this baby out without my help - hey they did it in the old days with the mom's passed out! But she calmed me down by saying: Yes, but do you really want to miss this?

No, I didn't. So they broke my water and moved me to labor and delivery. A few minutes later I saw the most amazing, beautiful and a bit bizarre thing --- as I was being pushed up and forward to help with my pushing, I had my eyes sqeezed shut from the pain. The most excrutiating pain. Then...just like that...the pain stopped. Suddenly! And completely! My eyes flew open and there was the top half of my baby out of me facing me with his lower half still in me. (Once the shoulders came through is why the pain eased)

Oh gosh. Very incredible! I could never have imagined.

My baby is now 22!!!

My first was 3 weeks late AND had to be induced (prostoglandin on the cervix, pitocin drip, broke my water). There was no way he was leaving his posh digs without a fight. He's 21 now and still lives at home. I would have expected nothing less. I was induced at 9am and delivered an 8 lb 15 oz boy at 5pm. Just another day at work.

My 2nd was only 3 days late. My SU said he felt deprived on the first delivery because he didn't get to come rushing home from work to take me to the hospital because we were schedule for the induction. I had been having contractions thru the wee morning hours but I let him get dressed and drive to work at 8 (it was only 5 min from home). I then called him, told him I was in labor and had him drive back home just so he wouldn't be deprived again. ;D Unfortunately I didn't realize we had really bad fog that day and you couldn't see your hand in front of your face. We creeped along to the hospital doing 20 mph on the freeway. A drive that normally takes 20 minutes took 1 hr. My MIL kept calling us and said "get a police escort". : Bless her heart, she was really worried. I must admit I was getting kind of worried too because the contractions were getting stronger and closer together before we made it the hospital at 10. By the time I finally got there walking was difficult. Found out I was already dialated to 8. I delivered 9 lb 3 oz son #2 at noon. He's 19 now.

I will say that since the babies were getting bigger each time I was more than a little concerned about getting pregnant again.

My 3rd had to be different. She tried to come 8 weeks early. I started having contractions at work but I kept dismissing them saying "nah...it's too early" so I even stayed for my late night teleconferences with the offshore people. I called my dr around 8pm and he said "get to the hospital NOW." As I'm laying in the hospital hooked up to IVs to stop the labor, the snotty nurse comes in and lectures me. "This is your 3rd baby. Didn't you KNOW you were at risk to deliver early?" : "Let's see, I had one baby 3 weeks late, and one 3 days late. NO I DIDN'T KNOW SHE'D TRY TO COME EARLY YOU IDIOT!" They eventually let me out for good behavior 5 days later but I was on some wicked drugs and complete bed rest for 8 weeks. She ended up coming on her due date when my OB was out of town. SU decided he needed to stop and get breakfast on the way to the hospital. I'm sure I had daggers shooting out of my eyes when he asked "is it OK if I get a breakfast croissant? I'm starving." I got to the hospital at 9am and they called the dr on call. He said he was busy at another hospital and to send me home. The nurse yelled at him "This is her 3rd baby. I am NOT sending her home." The dr still wouldn't come to the hospital. The nurse talked to her nurse mgr who said I was not to leave the hospital. About an hr later they finally got everything worked out and admitted me. The dr finally showed up at 11 just as I was getting close to delivery. I begged him to break my water because I was having severe back labor. (My other OB always broke the water because he said it would help with the back labor because the baby would be able to turn quicker and stop pressing on my spine.) The dr refused, left the room to go do something else...probably go eat while I laid there in pain. He finally came back when I was in the pushing stages. He sits down, ready to catch the baby and KABOOM!!! My water popped and literally drenched him from head to toe. I laughed so hard I almost delivered right then. It served the @$$hole right. He yelled at the nurse "why didn't you tell me her water hadn't broke?" The nurse grinned and said "the patient asked you to break it and you said no. I thought you knew." My petite little 8 lb 12 oz daughter was delivered at noon. She'll be 12 in May.

Oh let's see, no drugs with any of them and the 3rd one the @hole dr did the episiotomy without novocaine or the baby's head pressure numbing the area. My SU said he was positive they could hear my scream in the parking lot 9 stories below as the dr cut. On second thought...maybe I shouldn't have laughed at the dr when he got soaked.

Well I obviously have no kiddos, but I thought I'd share my Mom's story when I was born.
She was in labour for 47 hours before they had to do a c-section because I was getting stressed or something. Apparently her water broke, and she headed to the hospital-and almost 2 days later-I was finally there! Almost a week early to boot. Took her a long time to recover from the ceserean.
With my brother, the doctor recommended a scheduled c-section. Mainly because of how her previous labour went, and how it affected her health-and because my brother was going to be a big baby. He was right: 8lbs 7oz.

Difficult pregnancies run in my family.Oh joy.
All 5 of my Mom's sisters have had difficult labours.
The first of my cousins to get pregnant, was on bed rest for the last 4 months of her pregnancy and developed diabetes. She had to have an emergency c-section.
My Grandma had 8 kids, and 5 out of 8 of the pregnancies she was in labour for 24 hours or more. Don't ask me how the hell she did that 8 times. Oi!

With my first I went two weeks overdue. I planned to go drug free but I had horrible back labor and when I wasn't progressing the midwife said we should start some pitocin. I said, "Sure, start some pitocin... right after I get my epidural." LOL Even the midwife agreed that an epidural was probably a good idea!

Second one tortured me for 3 days before I finally went into "real" labor at 1 1/2 weeks overdue. I pretty much knew I was going to get an epidural. When it finally came time to push, she was out in less than 10 minutes.

Epidurals are wonderful in my book. Not every woman needs them, and I so much admire woman that can give birth drug-free. For me, though, the epidural just gave me a chance to rest. I still felt more than enough during transition and pushing to know that childbirth is painful and wonderful and that the human body is incredible.

Son # 1

- on time - being a novice I went to the hospital too early (I was like 2 cm dialated) so I was stuck there for 12 hours of labor. Swore I would not do that again and would wait until I was further along the next time. No epidural with #1, no pitocin. They gave me Demerol right when I was pushing. Otherwise a pretty typical 1986 birthing experience.

Son #2

Mid wife delivery in a birthing center (not hospital)- Bradley method (different frame of mind about L and D by then). No drugs at all - labor induced due to borderline HBP and baby was a few weeks early. Another 12 hour labor. The funny part was that we all went out to dinner to Bennigans (down the road from the center) when I was about 5 cm. Me , DH, midwife who owned the center, her husband and the nurse. I hurled everything I ate when I got to 7 cm about 2 hours later. (Yeah , I know lots of "rules" broken) When Mike was on his way out, he had both of his fists up by his shoulders - so he was way wider there than he should have been ~~~ YEOUCH!~~~ Went home 6 hours after delivering . Baby jaundiced and 2 days after he was born we had to go to the hospital for 3 days. That part sucked! (oh yeah, and about 2 weeks before he was born he was transverse (sitting side to side instead of vertically) - very uncomfortable and an auto c-section when a baby does not move. Fortunately he did but I was worried for a while.

It was WONDERFUL to deliver with a midwife though! I was the only laboring mom in the whole place and we had a major hospital 4 blocks away. Pretty special experience.

Mine aren't so good.

#1 - My water broke, and I called the ob/gyn's office. They had me come in to make sure (like being soaking wet wasn't enough, lol), and they sent me to the ER. I wasn't dialating, so they started me on pitocin. After my contractions started hard, I got an epidural and found out quick they don't work on me! lol I labored for 17 hours, pushed constantly for 5 of those pulling a groin muscle in the process. I ended up having a c-section, and they gave me 5 epidurals in my stomach. They waited a few minutes, and the ob/gyn poked me with the scapel and asked me if I could feel it. Before I could say yes, he started cutting me and I screamed. Next thing I know, they're putting a mask over my face and I'm out. I remember waking up to a VERY sore throat a few hours later, and having to wait to see our daughter. Once I got her 5 hours later, I kept her with me the entire time. The hospital staff said I couldn't have her in the room with me alone or while everyone was sleeping, so hubby stayed and we took turns sleeping and taking care of her. Sadly, she passed away a week to the day later (on her due date) to SIDS.

The boys were both scheduled c-sections. I had spinal blocks with them, and they worked great! They both had complications after delivery and were in the NICU from 3 days (oldest) to a few weeks (youngest), but they're both healthy, intelligent, and gorgeous little boys today so I'm blessed. I'd take a c-section over labor ANYDAY now. If you get up and walk the same day, the healing time is nothing. Once I got my staples out, life was pretty much back to normal after the boys. With my first one, it hurt a lot more but that was because of the pulled groin muscle...hurt to walk.