The First Three Birth Stories, Rebecca

Rebecca

Rebecca's saga began w-a-y before she was born.  When I was 29 weeks pregnant I went into preterm labor.  We got the contractions stopped at the hospital without too much trouble, but I remained on modified bed rest and oral nifedipine for the next six weeks.  I was dilated to 1 cm and 40% effaced, but stayed that way for a while.  Dr. B. told me I just had to make it to 35 weeks, and after that I could stop taking the pills and they wouldn't try to stop my labor at the point.  At a 34 week ultrasound my doctor noticed signs of calcification in the placenta and told me she would be surprised if I made it to full term.

I got to 35 weeks and . . . nothing.  Just Braxtons, and not very exciting ones at that.  Boo.  I had myself all ready to have this baby in August, and what does she do?  Nada.  Well, 36 weeks came and one day I had contractions 3-5 minutes apart for 2 hours.  And then they stopped.  Argh.  My next office visit I was to 2 cm. By 37 weeks no change but the baby had descended a little.   The doctor promised to strip my membranes at my 38 weeks appointment. Dilated to 2+ cm, but nothing came of the membrane stripping.  I was beginning to feel irritated at my little false-starter.  We set an induction date.

Rebecca was due on September 20th, and after all the third trimester drama, ended up being my only child to be induced! What a kick in the pants.  Since I had a history of  brief labors (my mom prefers to call them Fake Labors) we set my induction appointment for Wednesday, September 14th at 10 a.m. rather than the standard 5:00-6:00.  All the nurses on the floor thought Dr. B. was crazy to agree to it, and I heard more than one of them mumble, "She's going to back here in the middle of the night . . . "  

I showed up at 10:00, had IV and Pitocin started by 10:30, and was feeling great.  My mom and sister Katie arrived around 11:00.  I was still 2+cm after 1 hour of Pit, but contractions were getting a more noticeable and slightly painful.  Though I didn't really want it (I was remembering the sleepy+talkative=weird) my labor nurse convinced me to take 1/2 dose of Nubain around noon.  My doctor came to use the big blue plastic crochet hook to break my water at 12:30, and I got my epidural right after.  I only felt 2 contractions that were really bad and painful.  (That's the way to do it, ladies!)  I was 3 cm at AROM.  At 1:00 I made it to 5 cm.  My dad called from his cell phone in the parking lot to say he was finally able to make it after his morning business meeting and he was just in time!  After we hung up I got dizzy and asked Nathan to get my nurse to give me more IV fluids or something.  Well, I was dizzy because I was complete all of a sudden!  In came the doctor, and after 2 pushes out came Rebecca.  Katie got to cut the cord this time around.  I don't remember crying at the delivery of my other two children, but Rebecca had put me through 10 weeks of worry and I was so relieved she was healthy and the pregnancy was finally over, I cried as I stroked her head for the first time.

I was so glad that both my dad and sister were present this time around.  I knew it wasn't weird to have my mom there for Braden, and so I told my dad he would be invited if he'd like to come. He was unsure, and up until he walked into the room, I thought he might be planning to stay in the waiting room.  But he came, and I was so glad he did.  I remember he and my mom both teared up (it's called the Emotional Double Whammy) and my dad gave me a hug and told me he was proud of me.  They'll be invited again next time . . . 

As for all those skeptical nurses, Dr. B. and I had a good little chuckle.  She and I knew what was what, because of all the people on the labor floor - including both people in spontaneous labor and inductions that came at the crack of dawn to start - I was the first one of the shift to deliver!