I had been having Braxton-Hicks contractions since before 20 weeks, with increasing frequency in the two weeks before I gave birth. They would come every five minutes for a couple of hours, and then just stop.
On April 21st, 2010, I woke up with mild contractions at around 4 pm. I immediately felt that they were different from the Braxton-Hicks contractions that I had been having, although at this point they hardly hurt. I had worked night shift up until a week before I gave birth, and Josh was still working nights, so I had slept all day (thankfully). I didn't want to wake Josh up yet, just in case they were not for real, so I called my mom instead. My contractions at this point were coming about every 5 minutes with increasing discomfort. I woke Josh up around 5 because I just couldn't wait any longer. He pretty much freaked out - in a good way. My mom came over around 6, and my dad came not much later. We called Josh's mom, since she was planning on driving up from Seattle to be at the birth. Josh also called work to let them know that he would not be coming in that night.
My dad left around ten, since he had to work in the morning and we had no idea how long this labor was going to take. I planned on staying home for as long as possible. We had been told that when the contractions were 3-5 minutes apart, and I could not talk through them anymore, it was time to go to the hospital. The contractions had been less than 5 minutes apart since they started and were becoming increasingly painful. Every time one started, I would go hide in the dark bedroom, rest my head and forearms on the bed and sway through them. Each one lasted at least a minute. I was also in and out of the shower, which was heavenly. MY mom and Josh spent their time in the living room playing DDR and listening to Carbon Leaf. At one point, I requested to watch Mulan, which is a comfort movie for me. I didn't actually watch it, but the familiarity was comforting.
At about 3:30am, we decided it was time to go into the hospital after talking to our doctor - Jennifer Bates. The car ride was AWFUL. Not being able to get up and move during a contraction made them so much more intense. By now, I was moaning through each contraction. We called Josh's mom again to let her know we were heading to the hospital, and she grabbed her stuff and headed up. We got checked in and sent to triage, where I was hooked up to monitors and they checked me. After 12 hours of intense contractions, I was dilated to a ONE. They had me walk around the hospital for a while, since my contractions were so close together. When I came back, I was still a one. So I walked for another hour. Let me just say right here, walking at this point was not easy. I had to stop every few steps to lean against the wall and groan. I did not enjoy being out where everyone could hear me and see me in pain. Laboring at home was much more comfortable. We made our way back to triage again. I was now "maybe a two".
The nurse called our doctor and talked about what they wanted to do. She came back and told me that Dr. Bates wanted to give me both phenergan and morphine, and send me home to sleep. I had not wanted any pain meds at all, and there was no way I was going to let them give me phenergan, too. Apparently, they didn't think I was in active labor (since I wasn't really dilating), and the point of sending me home to sleep was that I would either wake up and not be in labor anymore, or I would get some rest, wake up and be ready to go back into the hospital. I was so frustrated, exhausted, in pain, etc., and my contractions were coming one on top of the other, that after talking with Josh, I decided to take the morphine and go. We left the hospital at 8:30. I got really drowsy on the way home, but my contractions just seemed to be hurting more and more. I crawled into bed when we got home, hoping to sleep.
Ten minutes later, I could not lay in bed for one second longer. I began "yelling" through my contractions. I got into the shower, as that had helped earlier. This time, though, the contractions seemed to get worse. Josh was timing my contractions, and there were times that I had no break for ten minutes straight. Then I would get a 30 second break, and would be pounded again. Over, and over, and over. At 12:30pm on April 22nd, Josh checked me (he is a nurse and did labor and delivery rotations), and informed me that I was still only 2cm dilated. AGGHH! I did not understand why I was not progressing at all, considering my contractions were so long and so often. I got out of the shower, and found out that the most comfortable place to be was on the toilet. I would get up off the toilet and grab the towel bar in front of me and yell as loud as I could.
At 2:30pm, my mom and Josh decided that I needed to go back in to the hospital. I did NOT want to. The thought of sitting in the car having contractions every 30 seconds for half an hour, getting to the hospital, and them telling me I had not progressed, was not at all appealing. I went though. Josh says that I tried my hardest to deafen him on the way in. We drove in one car, and our moms drove separately. When we got to the hospital, I B-lined for the bathroom (the waiting room was full of kids and people, and I didn't want to scare them). Josh's mom came into the bathroom with me. I cannot even begin to describe the pain I was feeling. It was not at all like menstrual cramps, like some people say. It was excruciating, hard, charlie horse type pain. Josh was checking me in, and apparently they could hear me outside... oops. The nurses started asking Josh how long I had been like that. They came within five minutes with a wheelchair to collect me from the bathroom. I guess they were afraid that I was going to give birth in there.
I was taken to labor room one, connected to monitors, and and IV was started. The nurse wanted me to roll over on my back, once I was "comfortable"(HA!), so that they could check me. I was doubled over in pain, could barely get into the hospital gown, and there was no way I was going to roll over. At this time, I had lost my mucus plug, but my water had not broken. The nurse finally gave up and checked me while I was on my side. I was 9.5cm - just an anterior rim - with a bulging bag of water. WHOA. Then the nurse had the audacity to ask if I wanted an epidural. HAHAHAHA. No. She also told me not to yell during my contractions. I responded with "I can yell if I want to." My doctor had been called, and she was on her way over. Josh, his mom, and my mom, were in the room. Nurses were everywhere. Dr. Bates came rushing in at about 3:00pm, checked me, and broke my water. They had me start pushing, and it was such a relief. It was painful, but a good and different pain. I was working toward something now. Within a couple of minutes, Janelle's head was out, but she had the cord wrapped around her neck. Because it was so tight and short, they had to cut the cord before she was completely out. They told me to push as hard as I could because we had to get her out, now.
She briefly got her shoulders stuck, but at 3:12 pm on April 22nd, 2010, Janelle was born. She hardly cried when she came out, and they immediately handed her to me. When she still wasn't crying much, they took her to the warmer to make sure her sats were okay. She was doing just fine. They wrapped her up and gave her right back to me - I didn't want her to have eye drops yet, and they respected my choice. When I got her back, I nursed her right away. Janelle was a champion nurser. She did not want to let go! It was such an amazing time.
So there you have it, 23 hours of labor, five minutes of pushing, more than enough pain, and one beautiful baby later, and Josh and I are parents for the rest of our lives!
