asher's birth story
well...it all started at 3pm on wednesday june 11th, 2008. i decided to take 3 tablespoons of caster oil. and to be honest, i'm not sure if that really did anything or not...most of me thinks i was simply ready to go,but i'll never truly know. after eating my shake with caster oil i got on my birthing ball to bounce. after bouncing i rolled to the front to squat and watch a bit of tv. as i was squatting i immediately came to notice that there was a lot of pressure in my nether regions. so much so, that i had to change positions because it felt as if a bowling ball was falling though my vagina. but for some reason, i pushed it off as nothing and went about my day.
at about 7:30 steve and i headed downstairs to enjoy some thai food and a movie. as soon as i sat down, i felt a small gush of liquid and a contraction started. neither was big. the contraction felt the same as they always have...like mild menstrual cramps and the gush was strange but nothing huge. i quickly realized that the 'cramps' were coming pretty steadily so i started to count them. they came every 2-3 minutes and lasted about 38-40 seconds. i timed them for an hour and a half and then went upstairs to do some chores thinking that they might go away, but they didn't...so at 9pm i called my doula. she thought that this could be the start of labor...but i was skeptical...i'd been here before...contractions felt the same as i've had in the past, so she suggested that steve and i go out for a walk to see if they went away. we walked around the neighborhood, stopping when the contractions hit but really not having a huge issue with them...and then we got home...
immediately after our walk though, i realized that the contractions were worse...but in my mind i was still thinking that this may be the work of the caster oil and that the diarrhea was simply about to hit. i called my doula back again and told her the contractions were still coming about 2-3 minutes and lasting about 38-40 seconds but the strength of them were starting to get worse. i asked if we should go to the hospital but she thought that we were still in the beginning stages of labor but that she'd start on her way to our house...she lives an hour and a half away.
there was some thing in me that was telling me that this was false labor but something stronger was telling me that this was it and that i should go into the hospital. but i agreed with the doula and still thought that this was the beginning of labor and that i would have a lengthy labor as my mom had.
why don't i ever listen to my inner voice?!? at about 10ish i went to the bathroom and lost my mucus plug..blood and all...wow...this was the first time that i realized that i may actually be in labor! from 10-10:30ish the contractions started to get bad but i was getting through them when all of a sudden my stomach clenched and bore down...i was pushing! i was in my living room and i was pushing! this was not happening! i tried to stay calm, but i don't think i achieved the sense of calm i was going for because as soon as i said 'we have to go to the hospital.' steve went into 5th gear. thankfully he had already packed the car! we jumped in and he slammed on the gas.
the entire way to the hospital i was trying my hardest not to push, but i was so afraid and the urge was so strong that i almost called 911 to pick us up. we got to the hospital and pulled into valet parking...it was closed! we backed out and ran into the er valet. the extremely slow valet attendant told us where to park and brought me a wheel chair. steve thought he'd take everything into the hospital with us, including the birth-ball! but i quickly said that i didn't think we'd be needing the birth ball and that we just need to get me into the hospital!! so steve took a hold of the wheelchair and started booking down the halls. i was just clenching my legs together as steve ran through the halls. i thought for sure that we we're going to run into one of the walls as he rounded the corners. i was seriously scared! but he did an amazing job and we quickly made it to triage.
the triage tech was on the phone as we arrive. as another contraction hit and the urge to push hit even harder, steve opened the glass himself and yelled in to the nurses that i was in labor...no response...after a few minutes, the tech finally decided to help us and walked us into triage. she then asked for my insurance card and drivers license. ugh! you've got to be kidding me! after another few moments waiting for her to make copies she then asked me to give her a urine sample. as i waddled into the bathroom, pulled my pants down, straddled the toilet and held the urine cup out for collection, my water broke. all over...i looked at the cup and thought 'ok, what do i do now, all that's in here is amniotic fluid?'...so i pulled my pants back up and walked to my triage room, all the while, my water was still streaming down my legs...i'm sure i left a trail!
when i got into the triage room, the very young doc asked me to undress and change into a gown. i immediately started undressing even as the door was wide open and just beyond the door stood 2 male doctors...at this point, i knew i needed to get checked right away so i really could care less! although the doc was surprised that i was in such a hurry...that is, until she checked me and quickly exclaimed 'you're 10 centimeters dilated and at station 1!' she then dropped a few instruments and ran to the door to yell down the hall 'she's 10 +1, call the doctor, the baby is coming!' she swung back around and started pushing me into labor and delivery...which she really couldn't do. she kept almost ramming me into the walls, so steve threw down our suitcase and helped her push me into the room.
when we arrived at our delivery room there were probably 10 people crammed into the room. i had to change beds and by the time i was checked again i heard her exclaim 'the baby's crowing!' for reference, this was approximately 20 minutes after getting to the hospital.
miraculously, our doctor was at frandor when she got the call that i was in labor, so she made it just in time. i pushed for about 10 minutes which was very scary. i've never felt such pain. usually the baby slides in and out of the birth canal to help widen the entrance, in my case, there was no in and out action...just the out at a rapid speed!
asher also decided to come into this world with his fist up against his face which caused a bit of tearing within me...that sucked...i actually felt myself tear. but then the pain was gone and i heard this huge scream and the doctor say that we have a son and then a warm, wet little body was placed on my tummy. how cool! these huge blue eyes were looking at me for the first time. seeing him brought me a joy i just can't explain. how amazing. this child was just within me and now, he's here. staring at me! how cool!!!
my contractions started at approximately 7:30 pm...we delivered asher at 11:28! 4 hours! and only 10 minutes of pushing! wowza! we almost didn't make it to the hospital in time! but we did! thanks goodness! and what joy! our doula made it about 30-40 minutes after the birth! but i'm glad she was there to ring in the celebration!
shortly after, i delivered my placenta and the doctor started suturing me up. all the while, i was just staring at my son but then i looked up and saw tears falling from steve's eyes. how wonderful to see those tears! tears of joy rather than of loss. he was so excited, so proud.
i'm in love with both of my boys. i swear i have the most amazing man as my husband and perfect boy for my son. asher is truly amazing.
more to come...but here's asher...note the hand position in the second photo...this is how he came out!
at about 7:30 steve and i headed downstairs to enjoy some thai food and a movie. as soon as i sat down, i felt a small gush of liquid and a contraction started. neither was big. the contraction felt the same as they always have...like mild menstrual cramps and the gush was strange but nothing huge. i quickly realized that the 'cramps' were coming pretty steadily so i started to count them. they came every 2-3 minutes and lasted about 38-40 seconds. i timed them for an hour and a half and then went upstairs to do some chores thinking that they might go away, but they didn't...so at 9pm i called my doula. she thought that this could be the start of labor...but i was skeptical...i'd been here before...contractions felt the same as i've had in the past, so she suggested that steve and i go out for a walk to see if they went away. we walked around the neighborhood, stopping when the contractions hit but really not having a huge issue with them...and then we got home...
immediately after our walk though, i realized that the contractions were worse...but in my mind i was still thinking that this may be the work of the caster oil and that the diarrhea was simply about to hit. i called my doula back again and told her the contractions were still coming about 2-3 minutes and lasting about 38-40 seconds but the strength of them were starting to get worse. i asked if we should go to the hospital but she thought that we were still in the beginning stages of labor but that she'd start on her way to our house...she lives an hour and a half away.
there was some thing in me that was telling me that this was false labor but something stronger was telling me that this was it and that i should go into the hospital. but i agreed with the doula and still thought that this was the beginning of labor and that i would have a lengthy labor as my mom had.
why don't i ever listen to my inner voice?!? at about 10ish i went to the bathroom and lost my mucus plug..blood and all...wow...this was the first time that i realized that i may actually be in labor! from 10-10:30ish the contractions started to get bad but i was getting through them when all of a sudden my stomach clenched and bore down...i was pushing! i was in my living room and i was pushing! this was not happening! i tried to stay calm, but i don't think i achieved the sense of calm i was going for because as soon as i said 'we have to go to the hospital.' steve went into 5th gear. thankfully he had already packed the car! we jumped in and he slammed on the gas.
the entire way to the hospital i was trying my hardest not to push, but i was so afraid and the urge was so strong that i almost called 911 to pick us up. we got to the hospital and pulled into valet parking...it was closed! we backed out and ran into the er valet. the extremely slow valet attendant told us where to park and brought me a wheel chair. steve thought he'd take everything into the hospital with us, including the birth-ball! but i quickly said that i didn't think we'd be needing the birth ball and that we just need to get me into the hospital!! so steve took a hold of the wheelchair and started booking down the halls. i was just clenching my legs together as steve ran through the halls. i thought for sure that we we're going to run into one of the walls as he rounded the corners. i was seriously scared! but he did an amazing job and we quickly made it to triage.
the triage tech was on the phone as we arrive. as another contraction hit and the urge to push hit even harder, steve opened the glass himself and yelled in to the nurses that i was in labor...no response...after a few minutes, the tech finally decided to help us and walked us into triage. she then asked for my insurance card and drivers license. ugh! you've got to be kidding me! after another few moments waiting for her to make copies she then asked me to give her a urine sample. as i waddled into the bathroom, pulled my pants down, straddled the toilet and held the urine cup out for collection, my water broke. all over...i looked at the cup and thought 'ok, what do i do now, all that's in here is amniotic fluid?'...so i pulled my pants back up and walked to my triage room, all the while, my water was still streaming down my legs...i'm sure i left a trail!
when i got into the triage room, the very young doc asked me to undress and change into a gown. i immediately started undressing even as the door was wide open and just beyond the door stood 2 male doctors...at this point, i knew i needed to get checked right away so i really could care less! although the doc was surprised that i was in such a hurry...that is, until she checked me and quickly exclaimed 'you're 10 centimeters dilated and at station 1!' she then dropped a few instruments and ran to the door to yell down the hall 'she's 10 +1, call the doctor, the baby is coming!' she swung back around and started pushing me into labor and delivery...which she really couldn't do. she kept almost ramming me into the walls, so steve threw down our suitcase and helped her push me into the room.
when we arrived at our delivery room there were probably 10 people crammed into the room. i had to change beds and by the time i was checked again i heard her exclaim 'the baby's crowing!' for reference, this was approximately 20 minutes after getting to the hospital.
miraculously, our doctor was at frandor when she got the call that i was in labor, so she made it just in time. i pushed for about 10 minutes which was very scary. i've never felt such pain. usually the baby slides in and out of the birth canal to help widen the entrance, in my case, there was no in and out action...just the out at a rapid speed!
asher also decided to come into this world with his fist up against his face which caused a bit of tearing within me...that sucked...i actually felt myself tear. but then the pain was gone and i heard this huge scream and the doctor say that we have a son and then a warm, wet little body was placed on my tummy. how cool! these huge blue eyes were looking at me for the first time. seeing him brought me a joy i just can't explain. how amazing. this child was just within me and now, he's here. staring at me! how cool!!!
my contractions started at approximately 7:30 pm...we delivered asher at 11:28! 4 hours! and only 10 minutes of pushing! wowza! we almost didn't make it to the hospital in time! but we did! thanks goodness! and what joy! our doula made it about 30-40 minutes after the birth! but i'm glad she was there to ring in the celebration!
shortly after, i delivered my placenta and the doctor started suturing me up. all the while, i was just staring at my son but then i looked up and saw tears falling from steve's eyes. how wonderful to see those tears! tears of joy rather than of loss. he was so excited, so proud.
i'm in love with both of my boys. i swear i have the most amazing man as my husband and perfect boy for my son. asher is truly amazing.
more to come...but here's asher...note the hand position in the second photo...this is how he came out!
Comments
Words cannot describe how happy I am for you. What a beautiful baby boy. Congratulations girl!
Megghan Shaver
"look, ma, no cone head!"