So, this past weekend my baby turned four. Time has truely flown. As time has passed, I kept saying I would write out her birth story and still have not done so. So, now in honor of her birth, and the work that she and I did to get her into the world, I will write our story.
Noa Leah was born on a Monday morning, to a mother with no idea how intense labor would be. At the time I had never seen a woman in labor, and really only heard stories about drugs, epidurals, and forceps that would bring babies into the world. I was determined to have my baby naturally, no drugs and minimal interventions. Still, I wanted to be in a hospital, “just to be safe”.
I started having mild contractions on Saturday night, after going to the movies and having an amazing Mexican dinner. I thought it was the spicy chicken that had my midsection all a flutter, but as the night wore on, I realized I was in early labor. I put my partner to bed and stayed awake, in and out of the bathtub with mildly painful contractions. If I had only known how much work was ahead, I might have tried to get more sleep!! They always tell you that in Childbirth Ed classes, but did I listen? NO!
I woke Gil at five in the morning on Sunday, and we took a walk around our neighborhood, while I had to stop and squat with each contraction. I thought things were going well. I called my doctor around 7 or 8 am, and he advised that I go take a nap. I remember thinking, is this guy crazy? How can I sleep, my baby is coming…not to mention I felt pretty uncomfortable. But, we lay down, and I napped for a couple of hours. Then we went in to the hospital sometime after noon, as I felt more and more contractions and more and more pain. I got there to have them examine me and tell me I was 1cm dilated. Agh! ONE cm! Unbelievable! Plus, they said I was in early ketosis, which meant basically that I needed to eat some food, or when I came back to the hospital, they would definitely put me on an IV.
So, we went home discouraged. I had Gil go get falafel, and my favorite at the time, foul madamas. We ate, and I felt pretty good, until I started throwing up all the yummy mid-eastern snacks. Time wore on, and finally we decided to head back to the hospital. We were admitted to Labor and Delivery around 10 or 11pm on Sunday, as I was finally 3cm dilated. I labored through the night, and managed to avoid drugs even though the nurses offered them several times. Finally, my water broke with a burst in the wee hours of the morning and was stained with meconium. At some point a couple of hours after this, my doctor arrived around 6am. I remember him looking all fresh and clean, with a shiny watch, and thinking that he smelled like soap. I was sure I did not have that same fresh and clean feeling! He checked me internally, and said that I was dilated fully and could then begin to push. I don’t even remember having an urge to push, though I do remember being very tired. I pushed like my doctor and the nurse told me to…for two and a half hours. My night nurse switched shifts midway through my pushing phase…too funny–and the new nurse was all excited that I was not on an epidural, or other labor drugs. She had lots of great energy and was super positive, and the fresh energy of her and my doctor helped us to get through the second stage of labor. Finally, the baby was born, with very little tearing, and though she was suctioned heavily because of the meconium, we had lots of time to bond skin to skin after she went to the warmer.
After labor was over, I felt great, elated, but tired. We all napped and cuddled together, until my family arrived to see the newest addition. I was not really sure why women ever had another baby while I was in the experience, but sure enough, time passed…and I forgot those overwhelming feelings of pain, and fear. All that I was left with was my beautiful baby, pride in my accomplishment, and awe in the power of birth.
