Birth # 3

  This one is much longer and has a lot more detail. One reason is because I wrote it a few months after he was born. The second reason is because my doula was taking notes. Thanks Erica!

I had a feeling my 3^rd baby would be born before his due date. He decided to make his appearance at 36 weeks and 6 days. My first child was a medicated vaginal birth and I don't remember the labor and only some of the delivery. My second child was an emergency c-section. I was determined to deliver my 3^rd child in as natural a way as possible in a hospital. My doctor was agreeable to a VBAC since I had delivered my 1^st child vaginally. So my husband and I asked a good friend to be our doula and prepared for our VBAC.

  Finnegan decided to make his appearance on January 9, 2011. I woke around 3 am feeling slight contractions that were far apart. I decided to sit in my living room and watch some television. Around 5 am I decided to take a bath and wait to see if my contractions continued. At about 6 am I decided that my contractions were starting to move closer together so I woke Vinson up and told him what was happening. My contractions were coming between 7 and 5 minutes apart so we decided to make the 45 minute drive to the hospital.

I called my doula Erica on the way to let her know we were going to the hospital and she said she would meet us there. We arrived at the hospital in the early morning and made our way to labor and delivery. The hospital was very quiet.

The nurses took us to a room and started getting us settled.  The nurse checked me and said I was  4 1/2 cm, -2 station, 80% effaced. I was put on monitors for the baby's heartbeat and contractions. Erica arrived and greeted us. The nurses decided to start an IV and we informed them that the Dr. had told me I could have a heplock with IV fluids nearby and used only if needed. After several tries at starting my IV line the nurse still was unable to get it in the vein and had an anesthesiologist start the line. Not long after the nurse came in to start fluids. We again informed her that my Dr had told me I could have just the heplock. She left and returned with the Dr who then got into an argument with us about IV fluids. The nurse started the IV fluids and they stayed in until after delivery.

Erica brought me water and peanut butter crackers to help keep up my strength and quench my thirst. The fluids they were giving me had me going to the bathroom frequently.

The Dr checked me again at 11:20 am and suggested rupturing my membranes. I was put back on monitors. After discussing the options with Vinson and Erica we decided to proceed with having the Dr. rupture my membranes. I was now  5 cm, 80% effaced, -2 station.

My contractions were still easy and regular. I got a break from the monitors and was able to sit on the birthing ball and move around. Even though I had no monitors to carry around I had the IV line that followed me everywhere.

Around 1 pm the nurse came to put me back on the monitors. She was having trouble finding the heart beat, mostly because the baby wouldn't be still. She went to get the Dr. who came in and told me I would have to stay on the monitors. This meant no more moving around and I was to stay in the bed. Erica recommended an internal monitor. I didn't really like the idea of an internal monitor but at least I would be able to move around. The Dr came in and inserted the monitor and then left.

I sat on the birthing ball for a while and then moved to the rocking chair. At some point my sister-in-law Gaylen joined our birthing party. My brother, Claude, decided he would sit in the waiting room and since we didn't have a name yet he took the baby name book and sent ideas to us via text.

  The contractions were getting a little stronger and I was having to concentrate during them. At one point Erica suggested everyone in the room should be quiet during my contractions. That didn't work out well. I felt like I was performing on stage. I told them to keep talking.

At 3 pm the Dr. checked me again and I was at  7 cm, 100% effaced, -1 station. I sat in the rocking chair but it was getting harder to find a comfortable position especially with the fetal monitor that felt like it was pinching if I sat forward.

4:15 pm and they are checking me AGAIN!  8 cm, 100% effaced, 0 station. The constant checking is getting really annoying and so is the nurse. The contractions are getting even more intense and I can feel it in my back. I am moaning through contractions now. A few times I held my breath and Erica gently reminded me that moaning through them would help. She was right but sometimes it was really hard not to hold my breath. I had Vinson pressing into my lower back with his fist to help ease some of the pressure. That helped some but it still hurt a lot!

Somewhere around 5 pm three nurses came in to check on me. I was in the middle of a contraction and saying get out, get out, get out. Vinson told them I was talking about the baby but they didn't seem amused and quickly left the room.

At 5:45 pm the nurse came in, checked me and said I was at a 9 and could push through to a 10. I was in pain and decided okay lets push. The nurse then left to get the Dr.

Erica had warned me that I would come to a point some people referred to as the Ring of Fire. Boy was that an understatement!

The Dr. returned with a whole crew of people. By this point it was hurting a lot and there wasn't a comfortable position to be found. My Dr. decided I should be in the most painful position possible – on my back. I am now starting to experience the Ring of Fire. Can't even begin to explain that feeling! The Dr told me to push. I shook my head and said “I can't”. Of course everyone says yes you can. Like I had any other choice anyway.

At 6pm I started pushing and screaming at the top of my lungs because it hurt. At 6:04 pm Finnegan Michael Mouser mirrored my cries with his own as he entered the world in a gush of fluid. The pain I felt diminished quickly. Now it wasn't the screaming pain but an, ouch that hurts, kind of pain. The sight of my baby boy made me forget about everything else. My first words were “he's so tiny” and compared to my other two his 6 lbs. 4 ozs. was tiny. The Dr. laid him on my chest and I couldn't believe he was finally in my arms. I held him for a little while then gave him to the nurse so she could clean him up and check his vitals.

I must say that after having had a birth with meds and a c-section, I couldn't believe how great I felt after this non-medicated natural birth. I didn't need pain meds, I was wide awake for everything, and an hour later I walked myself to the bathroom without any help.