Let's talk birth stories, shall we? Click away if this is not your cup of tea, but all of my mom friends and I can discuss labors until we are blue in the face...it's such a bonding experience. Here's a quick (emphasis on quick) history of my last 6 labors:
1.
Induced at 35 weeks because I needed to have my gallbladder removed. In labor for 36 hours, got an epidural, barely pushed (my midwife told me to "laugh the baby out") and JP was born on my 24th birthday.
6 pounds 5 ounces.
2.
Went into labor 5 days early. 24 hour labor, got epidural and a few pushes later Andrew was born.
8 pounds 4 ounces.
3.
Went into labor 10 days early. After 12 hours, a scary epidural (blood pressure drop for me and baby) and a couple pushes, Eamon arrived.
7 pounds 11 ounces.
4.
Went into labor 5 days early, contractions came fast and painful, Maggie was born 2 hours later in the jacuzzi at the hospital (against hospital rules - whoops!) with no drugs.
7 pounds 13 ounces.
5.
Went into labor 5 days early, Alexander was born 3 hours later after maybe two pushes with no drugs.
8 pounds 14 ounces.
6.
Went into labor 10 days late, got to hospital at barely 2 cm dilated, Declan was born in a couple pushes 2 hours after arrival, drug-free again, though I asked for some IV pain meds but didn't get them in time.
8 pounds 4 ounces.
8 pounds 4 ounces.
Soooooooooo, those last three labors were FAST. Sometimes people think that fast labors are a good thing, because who wants to be in pain for a long period of time?
Unfortunately, they have their own set of challenges. The nerves and anxiety of making sure you get to the hospital on time is a big one. Not going to the hospital for a "false alarm" is hard to judge because after having a precipitous labor, you are told to come in with the very first contraction. (Got sent home with my fifth baby - embarrassing). The pain of labor is so intense because your body goes from normal to pushing out a baby in a couple hours, with no break or relief. The choice of having pain medication is usually taken away because there's not enough time. My babies have had jaundice because they were born so quickly. It's a very hard and chaotic and traumatic way to have a baby.
Honestly, the first precipitous labor I had with Maggie was awesome in hindsight. It was scary going through it and not trusting myself to know if I was in hard labor that fast or just being a wimp. But once she was born, it was like "Oh, that's it? I'm all done now?" And if she had been my last baby, all would have been wonderful. But, here we are three babies later and now fast labors get me all nervous because I know what will happen.
For Baby Martin #7, I have decided to change up my birth plan to see if it will help ease the anxiety of impending labor. For starters, I have switched from my midwife (who only allows for natural labors) to a doctor who will give me the option of pain medications if I want them. I have changed hospitals from one that was 30 minutes away to one that's about 7 minutes away to allow me to get there faster when things start up. I am hoping that as delivery day gets closer I can talk to my doctor about options for controlling the speed of my labor...maybe a planned induction so that this baby isn't born in the car in the middle of the night ;) But I'm not sure what he'll suggest and I'm trying not to worry about it until August and we all have a better sense of the health and size of this baby boy and can make informed decisions then.
In a perfect world, my ideal birth plan would be to have an unmedicated water birth, but the hospitals here don't allow that, and I don't want to have a home birth because I'm much more comfortable in a hospital if medical intervention was necessary. I also know that anything can happen, and a healthy mom and baby are the ultimate goal and I'll do whatever it takes to ensure that. I also know God has already planned out this little boy's birthday and I'm praying and hoping that everything works out smoothly, but not too quickly. And that we can come up with a name in time :)
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| Girl you know it's true. |
I love these recaps. I want to do the same. I can't believe how fast labor has gone for you, that is really intense! It is good for me to hear the negatives of a fast labor as I am anticipating another long labor in the next few days.
ReplyDeleteGood luck Katie!!
DeleteMy last delivery (of the 10 days late 2014 baby club) was supposed to be induced but turned into a precipitous labor after only the cervadil (never made it to the next morning's pitocin.) I am very glad I was in the hospital because it was so radically different than my first labor that my husband didn't believe me for the first 30 minutes which was half the labor! Our doctor missed it even! But I think we are birth plan soul mates, since my big plan has always been "let's see what happens but I kinda like pain management." I think that will be my approach next time too. (God willing.)
ReplyDeleteI mean if there's medicine to take away pain, why not? :)
DeleteWow. I think I'd be nervous too. My last two babies both had shoulder dystocia, and it resulted in a low apgar with the last one and just a super painful and stressful experience. They were both just a few days late and not huge babies, but too big for me apparently. So all future babies will be induced, just a few days before their due date. I don't think an induction is ideal, but I do think there are many circumstances when it is the best and safest choice. I'm sure you will make the best decision, and like you said, anything that results in a safe baby is good! :)
ReplyDeleteThis is the story of my last two as well. Scary in retrospect. I'm 52 and doubt there will be another, but my doctor said I wasn't made to deliver nine pounders.
DeleteThank God we have options!
DeleteWhen I had 4 young ones at home...we did schedule baby #5 because the kids had that day off from school. My mom could be here to watch them. My husband scheduled the day off. It wasn't stressful. Had a wonderful dinner the night before and got up early...didn't worry about who was picking up kids etc.... So sometimes that works. It went well for me. Love reading this list!
ReplyDeleteWhile I loved the excitement of my two non-induced births, childcare sure is easier when you pick a date.
DeleteYes, that's another huge plus - the planning of who will be watching the other 6 kids!
DeleteYep. I do know about quick births. Baby 1 was 5 hours natural. Baby w was 6 hours natural. Baby 3 was 4 hours natural. Baby 4 was 8 hours only because I got an epidural and then baby 5 was 2 hours, but then I got a shot that stopped contractions so they could have enough time to prepare for a c-section. I honestly don't know how I would react to 24 hours of labor. That's crazy!
ReplyDeleteMy epidural labors were slower too - so maybe that's the key?
DeleteI like this name...Ciaran
ReplyDeletePRONOUCE: “keer + awn” or “keer + in”
ENGLISH: Kieran, Kieron, Keiran
DESCRIPTION: ciar “dark” and the diminutive -in it means “little dark one.” Popular for over 1500 years, at least 26 saints have borne the name. The most notable, St. Ciaran of Clonmacnoise (c. 530 AD), was the son of a carpenter who studied with St. Enda for seven years and went on to establish a monastery at Clonmacnoise, on the banks of the River Shannon in County Westmeath. It became a major spiritual and educational center and despite being plundered by the Vikings and the English, remained a major religious center until the 1550s.
I do love that name, my husband isn't a big fan though...yet...
DeleteFunny how I'm a brick layer (extra long labors) and majority of my doula clients have been sprinters (quick labors). Let's just say, I'm no longer envious of the sprinters. 😉 It's all work! Trust that you will continue to be in my prayers. Our Lady of la Leche, pray for us!
ReplyDeleteThank you Lena!
DeleteOh Colleen, I’ve always had fast labors. The first was three hours long! You are a pro at this. Don’t let fear get in your way. Punch it in the face, that’s what I say. I know I’ve written on your wall (a long time ago) about this...but EVEN if you don’t do the method, you should really read the Hypnobirthing book. I was changed inside and out after reading it. Mainly b/c with my first two labors, I screamed bloody murder through the whole thing b/c it was going so fast and HOLY CRAP I could’t get a handle on what I should be DOING!!! The book, the method...well, for me, it just made sense. 1) Your body can do this. It was made to do this. It will do it on it’s own. Get out of the way of your body. 2) Fear clenches the inside of every muscle fiber you posses. It will pinch them tight and make things more uncomfortable. Let go. See #1. 3) Lay on your side and breathe. Be a mama cat or a mama dog or a mama cow (seriously...I know the references could be better...but you totally know what I’m talking about!) They lay there. They don’t DO anything. Just breathe. Whether you are in the car, in a chair being wheeled to the room, in the bed, almost to the bed, in your bed, whatever. Just relax and make room for your body to do it’s thing. Let go of fear.
ReplyDeleteOk...too much advice for this little comment. I’m just saying reading that book took the fear out of the equation. It sounds like you have a great plan. It sounds like you got this. You’re a good mama. I’m praying for you! Fast labors or not...that little baby is lucky to be entering the world however he gets here!
Oh, birthing stories, how I love 'em! Seriously, love hearing about how it all goes down (so to speak) for other ladies. Isn't every experience so, so different? And looking back on my own, while there were some similarities, there was never any one thing that was a constant in any of my deliveries. I found that loss of control very stressful, but the more kids I had, the more easily I was able to relinquish control in labor. I consider that a huge grace, especially since #7 ended up being a super unexpected urgent c-section. I mean, isn't #7 supposed to just slide out and not even wake me up?!? ;-)
ReplyDeleteI think at this point, I've had a baby every single way possible. I've gone into labor on my own, I've gone natural, no drugs, I've gotten a good epidural, I've gotten one of those horrible, blood-pressure dropping epidurals (awful, awful, awful, I feel you on that!!), I've pushed for 3 hours, I've delivered in the bed with one push, with my doctor still in her street clothes. I've had several breech babies - 3 of them turned on their own, 1 was ultra stubborn and had to be turned by external cephalic version (not as awful as everyone makes it sound) I've been induced 6 times: cervadil, cytotec, straight-up pitocin, I've had them all and they all suck. But do they suck more than having a human rocket out of your lady-parts and being so stressed out by being afraid you won't make it to the hospital? I mean, everyone has their own threshold for stress and if you can reduce that then go for it. Looking back on it, my two "easiest" deliveries were both started as inductions but went very fast (less than 6 hours, which is like a miracle when inducing on a closed cervix). They were both drug-free, 3 push deliveries of 9+ pound babies, so I can't say that all my inductions were the worst ideas. Sometimes it really does work out well and I have a feeling that an induction would go quickly for you since that's the way your body seems to work on its own. :)
That was one really long comment just to say you do you, lady. Re-evaluate when the time gets closer if you feel you need to, but if it works out to be less stressful to know when you'll be in the hospital and to know that the other kids are all taken care of
then go for it.
(Whoa, I think this is the first time I've been in a blog combox in over a year. I guess I stored up allllll my words just for this comment, hahaha!)
Oiy. Fast labors. Story of my life. #1 was sub 3h and 3+ weeks early. #2, hubby drove 90+mph...46 minutes to the hospital and I had her 10 mins after we arrived. I switched OBs this time as he told me (won't induce unless 39+ weeks...I don't want to be and I've never made it to 39) I had to stay in a hotel for the last two weeks....This time the hospital is 19 minutes going the speed limit. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteOh goodness, such a good read! Do you think each labor is indicative to the corresponding kid's personality?! That would be interesting!
ReplyDelete