birth stories please!!

[elyssia]

hello
i have not visited for a while
tho' i have stopped in and read some

i am 36 wks today
unbelievable that i'm here
the babies seem to be between 6 and 7 lbs each already
and incredibly, seem to be in different positions every week
i can't believe they can still move around so much
had an appt. w/ midwife today
and they are both breech
last week one was oblique and one was down
they seem to be circling around each other all the time
switching positions

anyway, as my time approaches
i would LOVE to hear your birth stories
if you would share w/ me
i am planning a homebirth, my two singletons were born at home
but i would really like to read
any stories, all the stories
vaginal, cesarean, term, pre term, feelings going in

i'm just trying to REALize

thanks! and feel free to email me personally if you like

elyssia

Mom Goes to hospital at 39 weeks 3 days she is gelled to ripen cervix 9:AM. 11:00AM Mom is dilated two. Dr. Starts pit. Heavy dose puts mom in extreme pain very quickly. Mom cries and cries and cries as contractions get closer and closer. 3PM they lower dosage of pit. Contractions to hard and close for mom to handle Mom is 4cm. . Dad really stressing can't stand to see Mom in that much pain and can do nothing about it. 4PM Dad says give mom something. She gets mild dose of staydol Mom is upset she wanted to have babies with no pain med. Dad and Mom did agree on pain med though. Break water 5PM. 6pm pain is once again unbearable mom gets more staydol and it doesn't help. We call in the Angel of light. Anast. gives mom a shot in the back and she is a different women Dad and mom both can relax. Mom is now 6 cm at 6:30PM. 8PM still no more progess doctor says if no progress by 9pm C-section. No progess and c-section. Babies born at 9:23 and 9:25PM. Proud parents of Corryn and Halli.

Not the dream birth but it will work.

Steven

[Starlet]

Hi sweety mine goes like this.

After a long hard pregnancy & pre term labor.. I finally held off until 37 weeks. Went to my OB & I was 4 cent. He said I will see you at the hospital. So that night I didnt progress. He said they would call him.. but if not he would see me in the morning. So he came at 9:30 & I was 5 cent. Then 2 hours later I was 9 cent. so I decided against any pain medications at all, as I had not felt one contraction. Th dr. was amazed & said I was his hero. lol & he said I could start to push. I Wasnt getting far.. so in an hour I was 10. At 1:36 Jeana was born she was head down. Then Valery just wasnt coming down the canal, so he got worried. THen her heart rate dropped to 70 & he said if it goes any lower I have to get her out .. NOW. So @ 2:02 she dropped further & I had not had an epidural so No c-section as the ansthesiologist was no where near us. Then at 2:03 he pulled her out by putting a vaccum inside me & getting her. He had to go pretty far up. But they were both great. Valery needed the heated bed for a bit.. but she did good. Mom & babies went home 2 days later!

[CollinsMommy]

Had 3 episodes of 5 hours of timeable contractions starting at 36 wks, but they didn't hurt. Probably BH contrax. I was getting very "moody"...crying in shower for no apparent reason, etc. My DH called my mom in Arizona (we are in Ohio). She flew in a few days later. I am 38 wks in hot, humid AUG!!!! She went to OB appt with me and "fessed" up to doc. Mom says she is fine when here at office at 9 am, but half way thru day, she is miserable, sitting in pool most of day to releive weight of babies and swelling. I was gest diab taking insulin injections 2x a day also. Doc looks over at me sitting on exam table. I am crying. Don't know why, just am. He asked if yesterday was too soon. YES. So this was Thur. He said if my doc (share practice) could do a section on Mon, he would do it on Tue. I had prior section with my first baby due to breech. I made it till Tue at 38 wks 2 days. Did scan and both were head down again. They asked me if I wanted to wait and do vaginal. I really did, but didn't want to be pregnant any more! They couldn't induce me due the fact of prior section. Ihad a higher risk of uterine rupture with prior section and twin preg this time. So at 1:09 and 1:10 Cassandra and William were born. Each weighed 6 lb 14 oz.

They are now 20 months and are both frustrating and adorable
Good luck!

[Lutey]

Congrats on making it so far!! Sounds like your babies are great sizes and you are doing wonderful!

You are already 2 weeks farther than I carried my twins. I went into pre-term labor at 29 weeks, was in the hospital on very strict bedrest until my water broke at 34 weeks.

Labor was pretty easy; we would have gone from water breaking to delivery in less than 12 hours had Allison not become stuck in the birth canal for 2 hours! As soon as she was delivered, my OB's partner used an u/s to find Erik's legs and my OB reached up into me, grabbed his legs and pulled him out. He was in a very bad position and was not doing as well as Allison so they had to get him out quickly. Allison weighed 4lb, 11oz and Erik 4lb, 3oz.

Allison came out pink and crying, Erik came out blue and limp. Both were resuscitated by a team of specialists though for Allison it was mainly a precaution, as she was exhausted after a difficult birth. Both kids were on a vent for awhile, but Allison came home in 12 days and Erik after 23 days. They wanted him to stay longer as he couldn't quite figure out how to eat and breathe at the same time. Good thing they didn't make him take a test of some sort because the kid still has trouble with that sometimes! He would still be there!

They are both happy, energetic and very healthy 18-month-olds today!

[Jody Shy]

Here is my experience:

I went into pre-term labor at 33 weeks. The doctor prescribed strict bedrest and terbutaline. I did as I was told, and was required to take the terbutaline every 3 hours. If not, the contractions would start immediately. I had contractions through the terbutaline at weeks 35 and 36, but we were able to stop them with medication at the hospital. I was finally able to stop taking the terbutaline at 36 weeks 5 days. I went into labor at 36 weeks 6 days, so my dh took me to the hospital to be checked. Sure enough, the contractions were coming every 2-3 minutes and I was just beginning to dilate. The doctor was called and he performed my c-section at 12:45 am at week 37 (January 10, 2003). Baby A, Allison Rachelle, was born at 12:45 am and weighed 5 lbs. 14 oz. and was 19 inches long. Baby B, Brendan William, was born at 12:46 am and weighed 6 lbs. 13 oz. and was 20.5 inches long. At their 2 month check-up they were 12 lbs. 6 oz, 23 inches (Allison) and 13 lbs. 5 oz., 25 inches (Brendan). I guess I must be doing something right!!

[hpy2bamom]

I'll share, and then I will read everyone else's stories...

I was planning a homebirth. I went into preeclampsia at 36.5 weeks. I didn't want to go to the hospital but dh (being a Dr) said that if I don't monitor this closely that I could have liver and kidney failure and end up on dialysis (my brother had just received a transplant after a year of dialysis due to diabetes)....this got me in the car.

We get to the hospital and they hook me up and say that I am having contractions. I didn't feel a thing. I kept thinking they would let me go home, we probably sat there for 2 hours before the Dr said, you can get a room and see if you go into labor on your own or you can have pitosin and get those babies out. I said I just wanted to go home and he said, no can do. I am thinking, these babies aren't even close to coming, we are paying for this out of pocket, so lets do the pitocin (which I was scared to death of because I have heard so many horror stories). Oh, they did a quick ultrasound to make sure everything looked ok and he said there's your baby...I of course felt like Rachel on Friends, and couldn't see the thing. As they wheeled the cart away I looked at Jim and said that I really was wishing it was twins and really thought it was going to be 2....he said me too and gave me a hug.

Pitocin is started and I lay there for 3 hours not feeling a thing. I am emotional and crying because I am not having my dream birth and I am in a "hospital".....ugh! Anyway, the nurse keeps asking me if I felt this contraction or that and I cry, "no!" and she finally gets the ok to up the drip.

I actually start to feel real contractions starting but they are still mild. The nurse asked if I wanted to sit on a birthing ball and I said hey why not?! OH MY LORD!!!! That was the most awesome thing! Bouncing my pelvic bone on that and my husband pushing on my sacrum really opened the energy flow and stage 2 was among us! I wanted to do the birth right there, of course they wouldn't let me. I did get to deliver on my hands and knees and I am sure that the personnel was laughing behind me. But I didn't care.

Sam came out and I was happy, and the Dr then said, ummm I need to do an internal check. I am thinking he is going to rip my placenta out and was upset once agian but he was seeing the cord retract and that is a sign of hemorrhage. He does the internal and says, ummmm, there is another baby in there! DH and I looked at each other and a had moment of eternity on our faces, and I got back on my hands and knees for the second baby. I pushed Drew out and I had never done that before. I have always let my babies come on their own and when he was born he still had a lot of gunk in his lungs. I wish I hadn't been in such a hurry. He had lung problems for the first 10 months of life and almost died from rsv at 8 months....but that is another story.

I carried my babies 36.5 weeks without knowing there were 2 in there. And, if I hadn't been stupid and tried mowing our 3 acre yard in the heat of July and entertain guests and not eating correctly, I probably would have made it the rest of the way. Hind site!!!!

I am sure I forgot stuff but I am terrible at keeping a diary and am going on memory...

[hunter]

We were planning a homebirth; our other babies had all been born at home, I and the babies were healthy, my midwife was experienced with twins, I'm very near a hospital just in case, and so there was no reason not to try!

I had had a very stressful last few weeks: my DH (self-employed) had not been paid for a few months; it was the middle of tax season (I'm a self-employed accountant); neither of my seasonal workers had worked out so I was trying to find new help and do everything in the meantime; and we'd found out at 28 weeks that we were having twins. My original due date was, I believe, May 1 but on discovery of the twins we'd been told to expect them around April 10.

Tuesday, March 27, was another stressful day in another stressful week. The good news was that I'd been able to hire an assistant, and she would be starting tomorrow. I had a glass of wine at dinner, and sent the girls out back to play because I didn't feel like paying attention to them while DH did the dishes. So I was lying on the floor in the living room, just totally relaxed & enjoying some peace & quiet, when I realized that my contractions were *real*. When it's your fourth baby, you don't have to play the "is this it?" game anymore, KWIM? It was around 8:30 in the evening when I wandered into the kitchen and told DH to pick up the pace because we were having our babies tonight! I'd been so busy & distracted that I'd done no cleaning, no nesting, no preparation for baby whatsoever, so I called the girls in, and we did some whirlwind housecleaning until I was ready to seclude myself in the bedroom.

DH must have called the midwife and our family & friends, because people started showing up. Each girl had a helper to take care of her, my MIL and SIL who were my doulas, midwife with two assistants, step-FIL who was taking pictures, and a bunch of others who didn't have a reason to be there but were there anyway. The girls opened their "birth day" gifts, which included toys, coloring books, and items to make a "birth day" cake, so they alternated between coming to check on me & DH, and having fun with their helpers. At some point I made everyone except DH leave the bedroom, including the midwife. Giving birth is, for me, a sexual & sensual act; whenever possible, I want to share it with DH alone. I was feeling great, and having no complications, so the girls were allowed in & out, but no one else was.

Jack was born into DH's hands a little before 1:00 a.m. The girls may have been there for the birth, I don't remember, but when we were ready to cut the cord I know DH had to call out for them. Of course, everyone else started streaming into the room and admiring Jack & passing him around. Alison looked around and said "where's the other one?" and someone said the other what. When Alison said "the other baby, they said there would be two" the whole room went quiet. We hadn't told anyone except our girls that we were having twins, and you should have seen the looks on those faces! DH & I started laughing and, as the shock wore off, so did everyone else. I got started on one of those really big belly laughs, and I leaned back on the bed & rolled on my left side, and out popped Zachary! In front of about 20 people, so much for sexual, sensual privacy! Zachary needed a puff of oxygen to pink him up, but they were both fine & healthy despite being about five weeks early. By 3:00 a.m. the midwives had cleaned up the birth mess, mom & MIL had cleaned up the kitchen mess, I'd had a shower, everyone had gone home, and the seven of us were snuggled together in our bed.

[Sheryl]

What a great thread!!

I went into preterm labor late in my 26th week, I was getting painless contractions, I could feel my stomach just getting rock hard. After getting more than 4 in a half an hour I called my Dr's and they said to go to the hospital. Once I was there they checked me and told me I was fingertip dilated and my cervix was as thin as a sheet of paper, they started magnesium sulfate immediately. After being on that for about 4 or 5 days I developed pulmonary edema, so they had to take me off of it right away. Now I was nervous, that without the drugs they would come right away. Thankfully they didn't and I ended up staying in the hospital for 6 weeks with shots of terbutaline when my contractions acted up. I had an irritable uterus so contracting was somewhat normal for me but they still didn't want me to have that many or have them too intense.

In the middle of the night at 32 wks, 2 days my water broke while I was sleeping. I buzzed the nurse and she tested it and said it was my water, so I was wheeled down to labor and delivery to be checked out and wait for my DH. Then I was taken to the OR to have my c-section, they were all born within 1 minute of each other. I was only able to see Baby C, Jenna, the nurse carried her over to me on her way to the NICU so I could see her. After recovery they wheeled me in to the NICU to see them on the way to my room, but honestly I don't remember it after being all drugged up from the pain meds. They got me up walking before lunch that same day and that night I was able to go in a wheelchair to really see them for the first time in the NICU.

Now they are almost 4 years old, and are all smart, beautiful happy little girls who just happen to love to stress their mommy out, LOL!

[katyasmommy]

After having an emergency c/s with my daughter, I was really wanting a vbac with the twins and everything went well, they were both head down and everything... except I didn't show any signs of labour.
At 39 weeks and 4 days my cervix was still high and tight as a drum and my doc started to get worried and wanted to get the kids out. Mind you, I seem to carry my pregnancies long, I went 42 weeks with my daughter. But anyway, he scheduled a c/s and the babies were delivered 1 day past my due date on January 14 of this year. Arrived at the hospital at 6:30 A.M., was admitted and preped and Jaiden made his big entrance at 10:22 A.M, Benjamin 2 minutes later. They were 7 pounds, 7 ounces and 6 pounds 11 ounces.