AJA’s birth story
Wow it’s been 7 years already! Now let’s see how much I remember.
It started during my last appointment, the week before my due date. During that appointment I told my OB/GYN I didn’t feel anything and it didn’t seem like baby girl would be coming as predicted. She asked me was I ready for the baby to come and I replied, “Yes!”. I was exhausted but anxious to meet her. Unbeknown to me, I would be induced during this check up.
During the ride home I began feeling extremely uncomfortable. I felt intense cramps and for the first time during my whole pregnancy I experienced bouts of vomit. I didn’t understand why all of a sudden I was experiencing these symptoms. So James and I decided to head to the hospital just to be cautious. The thought process was, get checked, get cleared, and and go home.
Once we arrived to the hospital, the nurse checked me and informed us I was 2 cm dilated. According to our lamaze class this was an instance where they would release us. However, the nurse and my OB requested that we stay to continue laboring under their watch. We wanted to leave but seeing how this was our first time and unsure of what was to come, we decided to stay.
When we were transferred to our room we began to request for everything we had written in our birth plan. We requested to walk around as lamaze class taught us this would help speed up the labor. To our surprise they denied us, along with every other request we had in our birth plan. The nurse insisted that I be restrained to the bed with the exception to bathroom breaks. J and I were very confused but decided to push forward under the circumstances.
I was desperate for an unmedicated birth. For 18 hours I stayed confined to my bed without an epidural while the contractions intensified. My dearest friend Sheila was appointed as my “unofficial” doula. Things began to become more unruly for me as family came to visit. The visitations and consistent dilation checks were affecting me mentally. I wasn’t able to focus and breathe through the contractions. I began wailing and pulling against the restraints during each contractions. The nurses’ frustration grew towards my reactions and refusal to accept the epidural. They felt I wasn’t managing the pain well. I couldn’t take any of anything anymore. I caved in. To release myself of the pain and agony I requested the epidural. My OB and the nurses were relieved. Once I received the epidural the pain dissipated. I was finally able to rest.
Within minutes after receiving the epidural the nurse rushed in with a concerned look on her face. She asked me to switch my position on the bed multiple times. After exhausting all positions possible she told me that my baby’s heart rate was dropping.
She called in my OB and they discussed the slow pace beeping sound on the heart monitor. My OB turned to me and uttered the phrase I painfully dreaded to hear; “…for the safety of the baby we will have to perform an Emergency C-section”. I thought about how could that be possible. We had perfect attendance to lamaze class, we drafted a birth plan and we felt we did enough to prevent a caesarean. I labored for 18 hours unmedicated just to end up at this point.
I began crying and reiterated that I didn’t want it. My OB’s response to my statement of the news still resonates with me ’til this day. Her reply, “This isn’t Burger King, we have to keep you and your baby safe”. In tears and frustration we prepared to go into surgery. At that moment J grabbed my hands and began to speak words of affirmations to me. I was no longer disappointed but still nervous. We prayed that everything else would go smoothly.
In the operating room everything happened fast. Once they took baby girl out everything that happened prior was instantly over shadowed by her presence. I was in love and wanted to hold her. They brought her closer to my face and I was able to kiss her cheeks. She was beautiful. I couldn’t believe she was here and I was officially a mother! They took her away and although I was lying on the operating bed opened I felt overwhelmed with gratefulness. I couldn’t wait to get up and hold my baby.
The aftermath of it all took a toll on my body and constantly reminded me of the trauma before delivery. Immediately after the operation I had these uncontrollable chills from weaning off of the pain medication. I remember not being able to laugh or cough because of pain response on the surgical site. When visitors came I was very drowsy and uncomfortable.The recovery took me the full 4 weeks. Although I had my bundle of joy as a blessing, I was traumatized by the experience and knew I didn’t want to have a repeat c-section in the future.
This experience opened my eyes to the strength of women. No matter the way of delivery women are amazing. Giving birth to our future is a miracle that comes in many ways. Even if things don’t plan out the way you wanted, the blessing of you having your baby is above it all.
