Sophia's Birth Story

Better late than never, hey?

On January 27th (a Friday) I left my office for what I thought would be at least a week before Sophia would decide to arrive. I finished my work, and left at around 4 or 4:30 PM. I picked Livia up from the sitter's house as usual, and went home and did my usual Friday night stuff--which was not much. I decided that since my due date was close (1/30) I'd finalize my bag packing and list checking and whatnot.

Livia and I zonked out in my bed at about 10 or so. I was looking forward to sleeping in the next morning with her and snuggling, which I hadn't been able to do because I'd been upstairs in the guest bed because I was hormonal and just.got.SICK. of having another grownup in the bed (poor DH. ). So I was sleeping good. Until about midnight, when I had a shooting pain in my back that woke me up. Oh great, I thought. Labor??

It went away for a bit, I thought maybe the baby was lying wrong in there, till about 3 AM when I had another shooting hard pain in my back. I woke Matt up for that one, lol. I was having them pretty regularly after that, napping, and waking up with the back pain. Since they kept on, I figured it was labor starting.

At about 10:30 Saturday morning, I called my OB's fill-in. My regular OB had the NERVE to be out of town, can you believe it?? He said it didn't sound like labor because it wasn't very regular and I wasn't feeling too much in the front. Hello, they've never had back labor, but men usually don't. He said to drink a few glasses of water and take some tylenol (TYLENOL?? WTF?) and I should be feeling better. Three quarts of water later, and there really wasn't much of a change. Matt was supposed to be out and about getting Livia's new bed, but he cancelled the truck (you know, they wouldn't rent us a trailer b/c we drive an Explorer. Idiots.) so he could stay near me. All day long, about every 15 minutes to half-hour, a severe back pain would come and they'd last at least a minute, some were almost two minutes long. They hurt, and I wasn't getting ANY sleep. The OB that said it was false labor clearly was incorrect. heh. Sooooooooo about 7 PM I sent Matt out for something to eat--Taco Bell of all things, can you imagine?--because his mom was on the way and Kyle needed to eat, and I seriously doubt anyone was in any shape to cook. heh.

As the night wore on, I was wearing out. The back pains were just horrendous, and all I could think of was getting an epidural. lol. Yes, I am a weenie when it comes to pain; why do you ask?

We packed up our stuff, and I made Matt go out and install the car seat base, in the dark because he waited too long. We got Livia into her pajamas to go back to the sitter's house. OF course while we were driving over there, my contractions nearly stopped.. what, performance anxiety?? Since I had them written down, I wasn't worried that they'd send me home. We got to the hospital at about 9:30 and they found me a room. I got undressed, they took my blood pressure, hooked me to the monitor and asked me about a hundred zillion questions. I swear I wanted to kill someone by the time it was over. I don't even remember that nurse's name, she was there for such a small amount of time. But then.. wait for it...

***SHIFT CHANGE***

Nurse from Hades

So, after shift change, and listening to Matt tell me what the contractions were looking like on the monitor (like I couldn't feel them??), I got to meet Nora. Wow. I am so glad to be done having kids if it means I never have her again. Wow. I forgot to mention in my previous post, that I was not dilated AT ALL when I got there. I was effaced somewhat, but still less than 1cm dilated. Cervix of steel, I tell ya.

She never came to check on me unless I sat up and moved, which by that time, my back was REALLY hurting--bear in mind I'd been up since about 5:30 Saturday morning solid; I'd been trying to get some kind of sleep since about 3 on Saturday morning after that second or third contraction woke me up between Friday and Saturday. The monitor would move and it looked like Sophie's heartbeat decelerated, so then she'd show up. I never saw her otherwise. Until she told me I wasn't in labor (I swear I was!!). So I asked her, "What am I feeling then if they're not contractions?" She said, and I repeat verbatim, "I don't know." This went on and on and on, and I kept requesting back rubs from Matt or his mom or Julie, whoever was there. It hurt a LOT.

Then at about 4 or 4:30, something changed and I felt the pains in the FRONT, and the monitor would spike (oh, really? Thanks. I had no idea.) and I thought I was going to just die. heh. I'm a wuss. After a few of those contractions, I told Matt he HAD to call a nurse and get me some medication. Nora showed up and checked me, and I was dilated to 4 1/2 or 5 cm!! YAY! I said, "Good. I'll take that epidural now." She told me the anesthesiologist was in the next room and I was next. I was never happier, I tell ya. I still hadn't had any sleep though.

Between that time and when the anesthesiologist showed up, Nora comes in with a bottle of IV antibiotics. Apparently my OB never told me that I WAS GBS POSITIVE!! If you don't tell your patient anything, at least tell them THAT, right? I didn't think anything of him not saying anything because I was neg. with both my other kids. I kind of glossed over it with Matt; he had no idea what GBS is so I didn't feel the need to worry him. That's all I'd need.

Shortly after, the anesthesiologist came in, they asked me a zillion more questions, and then threw Matt and my MIL out of the room. They went to get breakfast; I got poked with a big long needle and was on Ahhhhh. Sweet sweet drugs.

Before they got back there was another shift change. yay for day shift! I got the best nurse EVER! She was awesome, and chatty, and very very sweet. When Matt and my MIL got back, we started taking bets on when Sophia would be born. Usually after I get an epidural, it takes about 3 or 3 1/2 hours to go from 4-5 cm to Mommyhood. I got my epi at about 6, so I said, "She'll be here by nine."
Everyone else said NOON. hahahaha. suckers.

At about 8:30 AM or so, I felt that weird pressure that I remember from having Livia, and thought, well, we'll be done soon. The nurse came and checked me, and I was fully dilated and ready to push. I started pushing at about 9 or a little before, and Sophia was born at 9:33 AM. 7 pounds, 6 ounces, 19 3/4" long. She looked like a little chicken. lol.

Now, she's a chunky monkey and has lots of rolls and is filled out nicely. She's the smallest baby I've ever had.

Yes, I'm done with kids because for one thing my labors get LONGER not shorter. Kyle was 14 1/2 hours, Livia was about 26 hours, and Sophie was about 33 1/2 hours. Yeah. Next time I'd be in labor for a week.

Back labor is a big fat drag. I could tell as soon as she turned, though, because that was when the contrax started spiking really high in the front.

I thought she was going to be so much bigger! I was huge, and she gave me such a hard time.