I wanted to share my birth story with all of you!
I had been having Braxton Hicks for the last 4-5 weeks of my pregnancy. They were really bad cramps, like mini contractions, but they would be very sporadic. I also could barely sleep at night and I knew that last week of my pregnancy, the baby would be coming really soon. On April 5th, I had a lot of yellow discharge and at the time I didn't know what it was. I couldn't go to bed at all because my mind was spinning thinking I might of broken some of my amniotic fluid so I ended up calling the online nurse at 2:00 am on April 6th and she basically explained that the yellow discharge was most likely my mucus plug that came out and not to freak out. I kind of calmed down and ended up falling asleep around 3:00 am. Then at 5:00 am, I woke up to the strongest contractions. I knew these weren't Braxton Hicks because I was getting them every 7 minutes and they were very intense. I knew by how intense they were, that I was going to give birth that day.
I really was trying to do as much labor as I could at home and head to the hospital around 3 minute apart contractions. I already was dilated the week before at 3 1/2 cm so I was hoping for a fast labor.
I started doing my hair and makeup, which honestly was the stupidest thing haha. It kept my mind off things so that was the only benefit, but at this point it already was 9:00 am and I was really exhausted because I had only had 2 hours of sleep and the contractions were really bad. I wanted to try to see if I could take a nap. I ended up sleeping for 2 1/2 hours with a few contractions in between. I woke up and all of a sudden, my contractions went to 15-30 minutes apart. I thought that was super weird because they were previously at 5 minutes apart for a few hours. I called the online nurse and she had told me I was not in active labor and that they were just Braxton Hicks. She said that with active labor, the contractions never go away and that they always speed up and get stronger and not the other way around. I was getting really frustrated with her because I told her I already was dilated the previous week at 3 1/2 cm and I had steady contractions for 4 1/2 hours. She said no don't come to the hospital. It's going to be a waste of time basically and she encouraged me to take a long walk and a warm bath.
I had told Bryan that I don't believe her. I think the baby ended up sleeping when I took a nap. I honestly don't know if that's true because everything I had researched said that contractions can't go away, but in my case they did!
I ended up taking a warm bath and I just had a feeling that he was going to come out soon. I don't know what came over me but I put my fingers up there and ended up feeling his head. It freaked me out and I got out of the bath and just knew he was coming soon. I started getting ready again, but I hadn't gotten steady contractions back yet. I then got a phone call from my ob. My ob by the way is my cousin and she is absolutely amazing! I told her everything that was going on and she told me not to listen to that nurse on the phone and that I know my own body. She had asked me questions on how I felt when I got the contractions and she said that I was in active labor and that I should head out to the hospital.
I called my mom and told her to come over and grab Zara. At this point, it was around 2:30 pm and all of a sudden my contractions came back and they were 3 minutes apart. They were 3 minutes apart for a good hour to an hour and a half before my mom came. It came so quickly and so intense. I started getting so uncomfortable and started crying when I got to the hospital.
Once I got to the hospital, the doctor checked me and said she could feel his head (what I felt in the bath tub) and I was 6 1/2 cm dilated! I had really bad back labor on top of the contractions. The back was more painful than my actual contractions.
The only bad experience I had at the hospital was the IV. The nurse put the IV near my wrist and I felt a needle going up my thumb and I had my whole hand go numb and tingle and was in so much pain. I started to freak out. She told me that the IV didn't go in. Flashbacks of last time with Zara came through my mind. The nurses couldn't get an IV in me. It took them 7 tries. So I started freaking out that the same thing was going to happen. She tried for the second time and this one hurt soooo bad. I told her I feel a needle in my arm still and she said I am so sorry there is no needle, it didn't go in. My entire arm was in so much pain. I was crying so bad and they think they hit a nerve. I still to this day, a week later, have tingling in my hand and arm and it freaks me out. So another nurse came in and she finally was able to get an IV in on the third try.
So at this point, I had intense contractions, back labor, and my right arm was in excruciating pain. They checked me and I was at 8 cm. They had broken my water at 9 cm and within 45 minutes, the head was already coming out. So with one push he came out at 6:24 pm!
It came so quick that it didn't feel real at all! After that, everything has been so good. My recovery has been absolutely amazing. I tore a very little amount. I haven't been in pain at all down there. I just had some bad contractions after birth and that was the uterus going back to its pre pregnancy size.
The nurses also were so wonderful at Kaiser. They were so caring and so helpful! One nurse really helped me with all of the positions for nursing and latching. I'm so grateful for her. Seriously all the nurses were so nice and nurturing.
Zion has been an absolute dream. He sleeps pretty much all day and night except for his feedings and he eats really well. We're so in love with him and couldn't be more happy with how everything turned out. Zara has been such a great big sister and has been so in love with him as well!
Thank you to everyone who kept us in your prayers and thoughts and thank you to all of your messages congratulating us. Means so much!
Xo,
