Late at night on the 18th of February I started having labour pains. I had gone to bed early and was sleeping while Kevin was up late painting the nursery. Our baby was due in early March, so we wanted to be ready! I was dreaming that I had my period, and was experiencing menstrual cramps. The “cramps” kept coming in waves and I remember thinking sleepily: “wait a minute! I can’t be having my period. I’m pregnant.” Sure enough I began to time these early contractions, and they were coming in a definite pattern of every 6-7 minutes. I was surprised because it was almost a full 3 weeks before my due date. I woke up and told Kevin to get some sleep. I told him that I was in labour, and if he didn’t sleep now, he may not get any sleep later. Of course this had the opposite effect than I intended! Kevin became quite hyper and agitated, tried to sleep and couldn’t. Every time I had a contraction, (very mild contractions, I knew I had nothing to worry about,) he would look over at me with this look of concern. Finally I got up and moved to the sofa, in hopes that he would be able to sleep with me gone. While I lay there with my eyes closed, trying to sleep, I could hear and feel him get up numerous times and come and look at me! He was so worried. The next morning the early, easy labour continued. I had some breakfast as usual and then took the dog for a walk. I smiled at all the neighbours and found it amusing that I was secretly in labour and they didn’t have a clue. I was wearing a massive jacket of Kevin’s (the only thing that fit my pregnant body,) and it was so windy that I felt like a kite floating and flapping on the end of that leash.
The labour seemed to be going on the same rate, not increasing in intensity, so we decided to stay home another night. The doula rested on the couch, and I tried to sleep. Of course none of us really slept, and at about 5:00am we packed up to go to the hospital. It appeared at that point that things were very intense. The contractions were happening every three or four minutes, and lasting at least a minute. I was so sore in the tail bone area that I was unable to sit fully in the car, and had to kind of hold myself up with my hands. At this point it was snowing very heavily. We lived in a small mountain community, Crowsnest Pass , AB, and we were concerned about the roads on the way to the hospital. They had not been plowed yet at that point. When we got to the hospital the nurses checked me and found that I was only dialated 4 cm! I was so disappointed, and would have probably went home, except for the fact that the snow was coming down so hard that we were worried about the feasibility of getting back to the hospital later.
As things progressed I was moved to a labour and delivery room, complete with shower, birthing balls, a bar to hang on, and some homey looking couches for one’s husband to get a bit of rest. I spent... I don’t know how much time there, unable to sit down as more and more pressure was centered on my tailbone. It felt almost like an electric shock if I sat down or lay down during a contraction. I spent the whole time on my hands and knees, squatting or standing. My husband was indispensable, holding me when I needed to be held, holding my hand, rubbing my back. The contractions worsened, and I even dilated to about 8 or 9 cm, but no baby seemed imminent. It went on and on until finally there seemed to be a drop in my baby’s heart rate. They hooked me up to a foetal monitor and sure enough every time I contracted his heart rate began to drop off, then it almost stopped for a moment. It was awful. I decided right then and there to get my baby out. It was about 5:00am at this point, and they decided to schedule the c section for about 8:00am. Waiting for that c section, hearing my baby’s heart rate drop, stop for a moment, then continue... was quite possibly one of the worst times of my life. They gave me a shot of Demerol (another thing I thought I would never agree to,) to help me get through the next few hours. I was delirious and beyond uncomfortable. It wasn’t like the pain was gone; it felt more like it was beside me, just slightly out of my control and very frightening.
When I got on the operating table a few hours later, the spinal block was the most blessed relief I have ever felt in my life. It had been a total of 48 hours since we first came to the hospital, and I was more exhausted than I had ever been before or since. I fell promptly to sleep on the operating table, and slept for about half an hour while they pulled my baby out. The next thing I remember was the sound of my baby Erik- he didn’t cry right away, and they were worried about him at first, but then I heard this low cry. It was more like a little animal, a bear cub or a sheep, kind of low and growly. I began crying. They brought him to me but I couldn’t hold him right away, I could only put his cheek on mine. I was so happy to see him. Then they wheeled me out and put me in a recovery room, where I had to wait for an hour alone. I was dying to see my baby. Finally they wheeled me out and I got to hold him. He was long and lean with big hands and feet- and beautiful. He was my baby boy.
The labour seemed to be going on the same rate, not increasing in intensity, so we decided to stay home another night. The doula rested on the couch, and I tried to sleep. Of course none of us really slept, and at about 5:00am we packed up to go to the hospital. It appeared at that point that things were very intense. The contractions were happening every three or four minutes, and lasting at least a minute. I was so sore in the tail bone area that I was unable to sit fully in the car, and had to kind of hold myself up with my hands. At this point it was snowing very heavily. We lived in a small mountain community, Crowsnest Pass , AB, and we were concerned about the roads on the way to the hospital. They had not been plowed yet at that point. When we got to the hospital the nurses checked me and found that I was only dialated 4 cm! I was so disappointed, and would have probably went home, except for the fact that the snow was coming down so hard that we were worried about the feasibility of getting back to the hospital later.
As things progressed I was moved to a labour and delivery room, complete with shower, birthing balls, a bar to hang on, and some homey looking couches for one’s husband to get a bit of rest. I spent... I don’t know how much time there, unable to sit down as more and more pressure was centered on my tailbone. It felt almost like an electric shock if I sat down or lay down during a contraction. I spent the whole time on my hands and knees, squatting or standing. My husband was indispensable, holding me when I needed to be held, holding my hand, rubbing my back. The contractions worsened, and I even dilated to about 8 or 9 cm, but no baby seemed imminent. It went on and on until finally there seemed to be a drop in my baby’s heart rate. They hooked me up to a foetal monitor and sure enough every time I contracted his heart rate began to drop off, then it almost stopped for a moment. It was awful. I decided right then and there to get my baby out. It was about 5:00am at this point, and they decided to schedule the c section for about 8:00am. Waiting for that c section, hearing my baby’s heart rate drop, stop for a moment, then continue... was quite possibly one of the worst times of my life. They gave me a shot of Demerol (another thing I thought I would never agree to,) to help me get through the next few hours. I was delirious and beyond uncomfortable. It wasn’t like the pain was gone; it felt more like it was beside me, just slightly out of my control and very frightening.
When I got on the operating table a few hours later, the spinal block was the most blessed relief I have ever felt in my life. It had been a total of 48 hours since we first came to the hospital, and I was more exhausted than I had ever been before or since. I fell promptly to sleep on the operating table, and slept for about half an hour while they pulled my baby out. The next thing I remember was the sound of my baby Erik- he didn’t cry right away, and they were worried about him at first, but then I heard this low cry. It was more like a little animal, a bear cub or a sheep, kind of low and growly. I began crying. They brought him to me but I couldn’t hold him right away, I could only put his cheek on mine. I was so happy to see him. Then they wheeled me out and put me in a recovery room, where I had to wait for an hour alone. I was dying to see my baby. Finally they wheeled me out and I got to hold him. He was long and lean with big hands and feet- and beautiful. He was my baby boy.
