Thursday, April 7, 2011

Ava's Birth Story

I have been laboring (really no pun intended but,we'll go with it) ahem, I have been laboring over how to write Ava's birth story. It's all so surreal and drawn out. I could not figure out how to form a cohesive tale without sounding like a psychedelic windbag.

I had a What To Expect When You Are Expecting pregnancy journal. I was horrible at writing in it. I did however plunk down some notes in the birth section immediately after I came home from the hospital. Tonight, moments ago, I referred to those notes. It's kind of like a little Q and A. The journal asks q's and I a'd. I'm going to write this out as is, like an interview with myself. I'll embellish a little when need be.





First phase began:  7/30/2010 sometime in the early am (guessing 6ish)

How I felt physically: good

How I felt emotionally : good

I arrived at the birthing center at: 10ish pm on 7/30/2010

When I arrived, here's what happened: My contractions were 1 minute apart and I was in some serious pain. I was having a hell of a time centering and moving away from the pain with just 1 minute to prepare for the next one. They start you off in triage with other laboring mothers.They hooked me up to monitors and made me lay down. That sucked. I was only comfortable standing up. Eventually I ripped the monitors off and begged to go to my room.

My labor nurse: Her name was Megan. She was the bomb.

My room number was: The dope ass corner suite.

Who was with me: Daddy

What I ate: proletariat  pizza a few hours prior.

What I did between contractions: Fucking wailed like a banshee and decided I was no longer scared of a needle in my spine-GIMMEE DRUGS. My original plan was to labor in these awesome bath tubs they have. Water has always soothed me. I could live in water. They made me a nice bath. I got in and tried to relax. For the first time in my life water failed me. I went totally claustrophobic. I was thrashing in the tub begging to get out. The only way I could mange the pain was to stand and rock back and forth whilst moaning. I was stuck at 3 centimeters. I knew I couldn't make it all night like that. Gods bless the anesthesiologist. Gods bless my nurse. They had to lay me down (OUCH) in fetal position. They had to jam a freaking needle in my spine while I was convulsing. Somehow I was able to use my breath and make it through that part. I must have looked like I was dying because daddy was pretty freaked after the epidural.

Transition began: 10ish pm

How many hours from beginning of labor: 17 hours
*phase one to phase three went super fast I was contracting one on top of another but, I was not dilating and Ava who had been in position started backing up.

How did you feel after the epidural: Better but, freaked out because the pain had been so intense. I can handle a lot of pain. That shit was no joke.

SURGICAL DELIVERY:

The Reason for the C-Section: I originally wrote-Ava needed out.
What was happening was her heart rate was dropping very low with each contraction and she was flipping over(not breech but sunny side up). She was also trying to go back up. Something was wrong.

How I felt emotionally: WTF do you think.Terrified, I have never had surgery in my life. I thought I was going to have natural vaginal childbirth. I was doped and on a surgery table. I was also convulsing big time.

What did the C-section feel like: You know how when you get your wisdom teeth pulled and you can feel it but not feel it at the same time...like that only like four hands are inside of you yanking out a small human.

What was I able to see: Daddy's face

My baby was born at: 5:57am 7/31/2010

Did baby cry right away: As they were yanking her out of me I heard the doctor say "cord".
I knew this meant it was around her neck. I gasped, that was a weird feeling. Gasping with your guts cut open is odd. As soon as I gasped I heard her cry. I knew she was ok. I looked at Daddy. His eyes were huge. I started to cry. They took her off to do what they do. I was so high. I just wanted to see her. I wanted to see she was ok. They let Daddy over where she was. It seemed like forever. I was straining to see her. She was clenching her toes and I couldn't count them. I couldn't tell if all the toes were there. I was losing it, in my head. I started to think she was all fucked up and no one was telling me. Then Megan, my nurse, whispered in my ear that she was perfect. Two seconds later, she was there. Daddy held her face against mine. He also told me she was perfect.


The hardest part of labor and delivery was: DUH

The best part was: hearing her cry

The most unexpected part was: DUH !Oh and when they close you up it sounds like a fucking roofing nail gun. KER-CHUNK KER-CHUNK...WTF I got stapled shut.

The funniest part was: nothing was funny

The nicest thing my partner did for me was : everything

The nicest thing my partner said to me: he said with his eyes

The dumbest thing my partner said or did was: He did nothing dumb. He was perfect.

My message to my baby: I love you

she came to the party with a smile on her face


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