Forty-two years ago today (noonish. our time) my lovely daughter was born. I doubt anyone other than family will be interested in this blog but bear with me.
We lived in a mountain town 25 miles from the hospital. I started having "pains" in the evening of April 8. I called the doctor and he said to wait until the pains became stronger and closer together and regular. Well, I went to bed and kept looking at the clock. The pain increased somewhat but, even though the pains got sort of closer together, they never became regular. I had gotten up (again!) and my water broke. I called the doctor again and told him and we headed to town. By this time, my hubby was trying very hard not to act nervous or anxious (It was our first baby) so he drove very carefully and slowly down the highway. It was probably the first and last time I told him to drive faster. They put me in a room where I slept in between contractions and then moved me to another room. The doctor came in and examined me and determined I was a "2" and said he would see me in about six hours. Six hours? Keep in mind these contractions were not terribly severe as far as I could determine and had not become regular. Minutes, just minutes, after he left the room, I had a totally different contraction. I hadn’t screamed, cried or anything, but when that contraction hit, I said, "Oofffuuh." I turned on the call light and told the nurse that I had had a "push pain" and she said, rather condescendingly, "Oh no, dear, you couldn’t have. You’re only dilated to a 2". I had another contraction and she examined me and ran out of the room. They took me to the delivery room and sat me up on the table to give me a saddle block. I was sitting on my daughter’s head because she had crowned. The doctor came flying into the room, throwing his jacket to one side. I wanted to watch but the mirrors were messed up and I couldn’t see. The doctor was telling me to push and I was telling him that I am, and he is telling me, "no you aren’t", and then I heard him say, "Oops." Well, that is what I wanted to hear! He explained that she was turned sideways a little but he used a forceps to turn her a little and then everything was fine. My beautiful little white-haired daughter was born the day before Easter. The next day, all the babies had little bonnets and hats. I probably had a total of 5 actual push pains. Nothing like the ordeal women go through on television shows, with all the screaming, crying and grunting. I felt very fortunate to have an easy time.
Continued next post.
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6 comments:
I love birth stories. Did you ever notice that when a woman shares her birth story. All those gathered round feel inclined to share their stories too. Such community :)
I won't share now though :)
Happy "Birth" day to you and Happy Birthday to your wonderful daughter, Kay! You did an amazing job raising incredible daughters!
I will only share enough to say that my first birth story was the exact opposite, if there is such a thing.
A baby is a wondrous thing.
I was in labor several hours and then the doc decided to do a C-section. My mother was in labor with me a couple of days because of something hereditary that makes it hard for the baby to be born. I had the hereditary thing and so did my sister. She also had a C-section.
The rewards are worth all the "labor".
Another family mystery! What hereditary thing, for crying out loud!! Maybe babies just instinctively know what family they are about to be born into and they try to fight it. :)
Momstheword, I hadn't really thought about it that way. I think you may be right--they were trying to avoid being born into the family. But once they got in, they fit in just fine and will carry the family strangeness on very well.
I had trouble birthing my firstborn because of a bone on the inside of my spine that made the passage narrow--or something like that. I guess because of the problems others have had, I assumed it was hereditary. I sometimes do that. I've probably made the whole thing up!!
I didn't mean to sound sassy.:( After I thought about it, it seems there were problems about narrow pelvic cavities, at least with you and G. I don't know about your Mom, but very likely.
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