A Labor Story

May 18, 2006

12:10 a.m. I wake up suddenly to a sharp pain in my lower abdomen. She moves all the time so I’m used to feeling movement but I’ve never felt anything that low before. Another quick sharp kick and then a gush. I jump out of bed and run for the bathroom. Zack wakes up and follows me, my sweatpants are completely soaked. My water just broke 5 weeks early.

12:15 a.m. Zack calls my doctor, Heather Keene, and she confirms that indeed it sounds like my water broke and I should go to the hospital. I ask if we have a little time to pack and get some things together before we leave. She says we can take about an hour or so. Thus begins the battle between Zack and I of him wanting to go to the hospital right away and me wanting to pack a suitcase, charge up my camera battery, look up my parent’s phone number on email, etc., etc.

1:00 a.m. I break down crying when the enormity of what is happening hits me. I am going to have this baby within 24 hours and we’re not ready. I’m not ready at work, we don’t have a car seat or crib, we have one more Childbirth class to attend on Monday, I have my 36 week check up on Monday where we were going to get to do another ultrasound…. I can’t be having this baby now. Zack talks me down and we finish packing and head out.

1:30 a.m. I am admitted to the Longmont United Hospital Birthplace, dilated 2 cm. Did I mention that I am 5 weeks early?

2:00 a.m. Contractions start and I start using my breathing techniques we’ve been learning in class. Piece of cake.

4:30 a.m. We are finally all checked-in and settled into our room. I never had my Group B Strep test done (another thing that was going to be done on Monday at my next appt.) so I have to be hooked up to an IV and given antibiotics just in case and I’m hooked up to external monitors to monitor the baby’s heartrate since I’m pre-term. This is the beginning of the end of my all-natural birth plan.

4:30 a.m. – 8:30 a.m. Zack dozes on the couch while I try to get some rest between contractions. I’m still breathing great and starting to think I can actually do this.

8:31 a.m. The doctor on call, Dr. Joanna Figge (Dr. Keene is away in Denver today at a medical conference) and my labor nurse, Dianna, come in to tell me they want to start me on pitocin. I’ve already been in labor 8 ½ hours and have only progressed to 4 cm. Since my water has already broken there is greater risk of infection and Dr. Figge thinks we need to start speeding things along. I start crying again and I’m not even sure why. Just a lot happening all at once and not what I had thought. I agree to the pitocin. My all-natural birth plan takes another fatal hit.

8:32 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. My synthetic contractions arrive in full force and it turns out I’m having back labor. My baby is turned in a way that her spine is against my spine and I’m feeling all of my contractions in my lower back. I try the birthing ball, I try standing, I try lying on my side, nothing helps. My lower back continues to hurt with no breaks in between my contractions, I’ve dilated to 6 cm and I’m officially in the WORST PAIN OF MY LIFE. I start seriously considering the epidural.

12:00 p.m. I'm in so much pain I can’t move, I can't breath, I’ve broken out in cold sweats, Zack is two inches away from my face trying to get me to focus and keep breathing. I ask for the epidural and I’m told it will take the anesthesiologist about 15 to 20 minutes to arrive. My all-natural birth plan is officially dead.

12:00 p.m. – 12:20 p.m. This is the longest 20 minutes of my life. At one point, Zack tries to be encouraging and tells me I only have about 10 more minutes to wait. That is the meanest thing he has ever said to me.

12:20 p.m. The anesthesiologist arrives and administers the epidural. The pain lessens and Zack gets to sit down and rest for the first time in 4 hours.

2:00 p.m. I’m starting to feel some pain again in my hips and lower back with each contraction. The epidural is definitely working since I’m able to breathe through the contractions again as opposed to feeling like I’m about to pass out. My nurse says this means the baby is working her way down into my pelvis. She checks me again and I’m dilated to 10 cm. It’s time to push.

3:00 p.m. I’ve been pushing for an hour and things are progressing well. I’m told I will probably have this baby by 4:00 p.m.

3:30 p.m. The baby seems to have stopped. She is two finger widths away from being out but can’t seem to get underneath my pubic bone. The doctor tries to turn her a different direction and I proceed to try every pushing position possible. On my back, on my side, pulling on a sheet, squatting with a bar, leaning my pelvis over the edge of the bed. Nothing works, she’s still stuck.

5:00 p.m. I’ve been pushing for 3 hours and the doctor just doesn’t think the baby is going to be able to fit under my pubic bone. I can’t believe my baby’s tiny little 5-week early head can’t fit through my pelvis, but that seems to be the case. Her head is getting pretty swollen and the doctor doesn’t think I should push anymore. She offers to try forceps if I’m up to it. Zack and I decide we might as well try after all the hard work of pushing.

5:30 p.m. The nurses start prepping the room for the birth. They have the warming table ready, the pediatrician is in the room, I’m trying hard to relax and think positive that this will work and our baby is about to be born. Dr. Figge puts in one side of the forceps but can’t fit the other side. She takes it out and tries starting on the other side first. I’m still thinking positive thoughts and willing this baby to come out but the forceps still won’t fit. We are down to our last option: C-section.

6:00 p.m. We are still waiting to be taken to the operating room because Dr. Figge is performing an emergency C-section on another woman. My regular doctor, Dr. Keene, is back from Denver and is going to come in and perform the C-section. This makes me feel a little better. I am relieved to be having the C-section. I’m exhausted and can’t wait to meet my baby.

6:30 p.m. Zack gets all dressed up in his scrubs and we are wheeled into the operating room. I’m numb from the shoulders down but can feel pressure as they make the incision and start pushing down on my stomach. I’m happy and anxious and can’t wait for this to be over.

7:04 p.m. The anesthesiologist tells Zack to stand up and look over the curtain as they pull our baby out. He stands up and snaps a picture.

7:05 p.m. Our baby is born. She cries immediately. So do Zack and I.

She is taken over to the warming bed, wiped off and suctioned. Zack gets to trim her cord. I can see the top of her head with lots of dark hair and her long skinny arms and legs. They wrap her up and Zack brings her over to me to say hello. I can only see her eyes and nose over the bundled blankets. Her eyes are a deep violet.

Zack goes with the baby to the special care nursery while I doze on the operating table during my stitches. I’m taken to the recovery room where I learn that she weighed 5 lbs. 13 oz., is 20 inches long and is breathing on her own.

A few hours later they bring her to my room and I get to hold my baby for the first time. She is the most beautiful person I have ever seen.

Aida Lee Benway
May 18, 2006
5 lbs. 13 oz.
20 inches