Birth Story by Rosanna from Extraordinary Everyday Mom! This month we will be featuring birth stories from other mamas who have been so generous as to share with the world! Thanks for reading and be sure to click over to her blog.
Dilly’s Birth Story
This is the birth story of Bernd and Rosanna’s third child, there only boy. He is a happy, go-lucky boy who completes our family very well.
___________________________
My birth story really begins on April 16th, 2010. That is the day after I was due to have Dilly. (I had previously had 2 girls who had both been born over-due.)
The waiting game
The days went very slowly-it seemed. I saw the doctor (Dr. Mike) the day of my due date and again 8 days later on April 23rd. He was amazed that I was still pregnant. At this particular appointment, my doctor did an internal and stripped my membranes. I was 3 cms dilated. He felt for sure that I would deliver that weekend. I expressed my desire NOT to be induced as I had been induced with my previous birth. He agreed that he would rather not induce me as well. He told me that it was his desire to have as many babies come naturally as possible.
He did, however, ask that I call on Monday if I hadn’t delivered by then. I didn’t so I called and he decided to send me to the city to get a fetal assessment done. I went in for my appointment that afternoon. Everything went well. The hospital than scheduled for me another appointment for Thursday. I called Dr. Mike the next morning. I was sure I would deliver before Thursday anyway. Dr. Mike and I kept in touch regularly. I’m thankful to say that he was very supportive.
By this time, I was feeling very impatient so Dr. Mike agreed to bring in to the hospital on Thursday morning to see if it would be favourable to induce me by breaking my water. Another doctor, who was required to consult with Dr. Mike, checked me and felt that the baby’s head was far too high and gave me my options. Basically he said pitocin was very risky because I just wasn’t ready yet. (I wanted to avoid it anyway) The other option was trying cervadil. I was undecided so I looked at my husband and he decided no.
Going back to the city
So off we went to the city again. The ultrasound tech was very surprised, “You haven’t delivered yet?” She was a bit of a hoot because she was so shocked. Baby was still fine, water was fine, and very active baby.
I called Dr. Mike the next afternoon and he asked me what I wanted to do. I said that I didn’t want to wait much past Monday, so he told me to come in on Monday morning. Once again, I was so convinced I would have Dillon over the weekend. I even went for a 1 ½ hour walk on Saturday hoping that would get things going. All it did was make me really sore and tired!
18 days Over-due and going to the hospital
The weekend came and went. Monday dawned and I was 18 days overdue!! I couldn’t believe it. We got to the hospital shortly after 7:30 a.m. Dr. Mike came in around 8:30, checked me and attempted to break my water. Nothing came out right away so he was unsure as to whether he was successful or not. He asked me to walk around, so I got up and did that. I started getting some slight bleeding and some small trickles of water, as well as a few small gushes.
Some Contractions begin
I started getting some contractions around 10:00 but they were nothing worse than what I’d been having for weeks. The contractions I was having were pretty slow throughout the afternoon and I was bored and just wanted to go home. My husband and I did tons of walking around and I paced around the room. The nurses came to try and time my contractions and they would just stop when they were in the room.
One of the nurses said that Dr. Mike would probably want to do something more if things didn’t happen soon, but he was unconcerned as I was still having contractions.
I begin to progress
Around 4:30 p.m. Dr. Mike came and checked me.
I was actually 5 c.m.! I was amazed because I thought my contractions were pretty boring. It was then that he realized he hadn’t totally ruptured my waters in the morning so he did it the rest of the way. I felt a big gush and lots of warm liquid.
They brought me supper around 5:00 and I felt a fairly strong contraction while I was eating. This is where my sense of time gets fairly blurry. I kept getting some contractions, but I think around 7:00 was when I was crying because they were so intense.
Feeling out of control
I felt like I was losing it. I kept saying to Bernd, I can’t do this. I kept trying to find my control and wasn’t finding it. The contractions were one top of each other. It was like they came in a wave but the wave only lessened some before another very big wave came again. I tried to breath but I was finding it really hard. My nurse got me to squat on the bed on all fours, Bernd rubbed my back and both helped slightly. I got under control a bit more. I was so hot and sweaty. (I was honestly never hot during labour with my girls)
Almost Done
That this point, I really wanted something to help with the pain. When the nurse checked me, I was already 7-8 c.m. so she said that was out. It wasn’t long after, I felt some pressure but didn’t realize what it was right away. Suddenly I realized I had the urge to push. I was relieved yet worried-pushing is A LOT of work. Not long after, I really felt the urge to push. The nurse checked me and I was almost there so they started trying to find the doctor.
I have to push
This is when I told them I really needed to push. Both nurses looked like they were freaking out just a little. They told me I had to wait. I told them I HAD TO PUSH NOW very forcefully. They told me to pant. I told them I don’t know what you want me to do. Again they told me to pant, and I told me I don’t know what you want me to do. Finally they showed me so I tried it. I finally quite forcibly told them, “YOU CAN’T MAKE ME NOT PUSH.” They finally agreed and so I started to push. The doctor made it into the room in one contractions. I remember thinking, “I’d forgotten how hard this is.” After 10 minutes, he was born at 8:30 p.m. on May 3rd, 2010.
Surprise: “It’s a boy!”
The doctor said, “It’s a boy!” and I was thinking in my head, did I hear right? When I realized I had heard right, I was REALLY excited. At that moment, I remember saying to my husband, “I actually did it!”
He didn’t look over-due
Dilly was 9 lbs. 2 ozs at birth and long and he was perfect! The nurses said he didn’t look over-due at all. He was well worth the wait!
About Rosanna
Rosanna is married to Bernd and they have three beautiful children, BJ (2005), ‘Nea (2007), and Dilly (2010) whom they homeschool. She loves Jesus first, her family, Praise and Worship, running, hanging out with friends, cooking, and homemaking. Rosanna writes about her faith, marriage, children and homeschooling, as well as budgeting and money over at ExtraordinaryEverydayMom.com
Jenny Pena
Latest posts by Jenny Pena (see all)
- A Ruby is born, our expat home birth - October 22, 2019
- Unschooling glimpse - May 1, 2019
- Sugar scrubs, get children involved! - April 22, 2019