I was so excited when I found out I was pregnant! We were fall camping by Grand Prairie, a
surprise snow fall on our trailer, heater going and probably THREE pregnancy
tests later!! And a permasmile!
A few weeks later, I was working a 12 hour night shift and
experienced bleeding about half way through the shift…I had just finished
helping the Dr deliver a beautiful baby.
Keeping my composure and maintaining professionalism, I finished up with
what I could. I went to the nursing
station and completely broke down. When
I was finally able to explain to my co-workers what was happening, they let me
have a break and took over my patient.
All said and done, bleeding lasted about 2 days, ultrasound showed a
viable fetus and I was told it must have been implantation bleeding. Stressful is what describes that experience.
The pregnancy continued with 6 months of nausea and throwing
up. I remember driving 12 hours to High
River and having to stop on the crazy busy highway… not too pleasant. Then, at 36 weeks I started getting a lot of
Braxton hicks…
The Braxton Hicks continued all the way until labor. I went in a couple times in false labor,
thankfully it was all the nurses I worked with!
Then the real thing happened! I
was feeding our dogs early on April 27th and my water broke, then
the intensity of my contractions increased!
That hit hard and I knew this was labor.
I went and woke my husband up, he decided he needed a quick
shower…I said, “OK but a QUICK one!” He
was so great and supportive. He got our
bag, that we had had packed for weeks, and headed out the door. That one km drive was torturous! When I got to the ER, I told them, it’s the
real deal!
I was dilated to 5cm and they offered me Morphine. I did accept that, but so regretted it! It did not help my pain but made me in this
foggy perception of reality and disorientation.
Not fun. I told them absolutely
no more. They took us to a beautiful
LDRP room and we settled in.
I progressed rather quickly for a first time mom. But it was intense! I had back labor, awful back labor. I had my husband massage my back, I sat on
the birthing ball, I had a shower, I was miserable! I remember them putting the straps on me for
the fetal monitoring and I told them “no
way are those straps staying on me!” (as I was feeling remorse for all the moms
I had stay for lengthy periods on the fetal monitor in the past!)
About 5 hours later, I was fully dilated. But they didn’t call my Dr because he was on
his way to a local community to do a clinic.
(I later found out that he would have come back like he told me, they
never called him). So I ended up with
the Dr that I really hadn’t wanted to have…but in that frame of mind…it doesn’t
matter.
I pushed for an hour and a half. They said, “push” and I said, “what do you
think I am doing?!” There was no
progression, my baby was posterior and not coming down. I ended up receiving a pudental block (which
freezes the perineum…and a good thing…) and they used the Kiwi vacuum about 4
or 5 times. More then they are suppose
too…so in my delirious state, but being a maternity nurse…I had fear that baby
was not doing well. Somewhere, that
maternal power came through and I was able to finish an exhausting 90 minutes
of pushing and delivered an 8 pound, 8 oz baby girl. They rushed her over to the baby warmer and
worked on her…she was blue. Thankfully
within minutes she pinked up and started crying. (remember she was only 38 weeks! What a
size!).
But for me, I ended up with a third degree tear and required
45 minutes of stitches. Ick! And the worst thing, by this time it is 3pm
on a weekday and all my fellow co-workers thought it was OK to barge in and say
hi. At the moment, from complete
exhaustion, I didn’t think about it. But
now, I think… there I am being stitched up and people were walking in. Ah well, we live and learn.
The unfortunate part of that experience, was my post partum
weeks. Five days later I was still
extremely sore and tender that I could not sit down. I had to use pillows and blankets and get up
and down sooo slow and tenderly.
Finally, I thought this couldn’t be normal. So off to ER I went…by this time you just
don’t want to expose yourself anymore. I
had my regular Dr and he treated me for an infection…3rd degree tear
and infection! Great, so antibiotics and
pain, not fun! It took about a week when
I could actually be able to sit without taking a minute
or two, to do it.
Even with all that craziness, I bonded with my beautiful
baby girl! Was absolutely in love! And the great thing was that she breastfed
like a Pro! With all the stress I had
been through, it was relieving to have an awesome little breast feeder! And she gained weight so fast!
My next two pregnancies and deliveries were much smoother…I
will save them for next time!
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