6th of April 2007
My water broke at 3am but I didn’t notice it – when I went to the bathroom, I thought it was just mucus but knew that labor has begun when I had my first contractions 20 minutes later. Contractions came at first every 20, then 15 minutes. At 7 am I vomited the first time while the contractions where only 3 minutes apart. Was leaning on an armchair to cope with the pain, did hip movements from prenatal yoga and belly dance. At 8 am I took a shower, spoke with my Doula on the phone, contractions where maybe 2 minutes apart but only 30 or 35 seconds long.
Around 10 we got to the hospital. Every bump on the car ride was painful. I vomited again at the reception and enjoyed the offered wheelchair to get me to the maternity station. Walking seemed hardly possible and if then only very slowly.
In the triage they found that my water was broken and that Dominic’s first stool was already on my underwear. My Doula arrived at the hospital.
As I was completely dilated when I arrived at the hospital, nurses and doctors thought, it would be a quick birth.
At 1 pm, I was asked to start with the pressing. At around 3 pm I was told that the labor did not progress and we talked about options. My contractions were still rather short, maybe 40 seconds long and not strong enough. I was offered pitocin to augment/speed up labor. I agreed and after a while, it really changed my contractions. I don’t have a detailed memory of what happened afterwards. Though, to me it seems like I would not have been able to give natural birth to Dominic without pitocin.
At some point the doctor told me a c-section might be necessary and I asked him not to do it – I was not ready to give up even though it was a long and exhausting labor. Later, my Doula admitted, she wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to deliver him naturally. During labor though, I had her full support and I didn’t feel her doubts. I am convinced that without her, I would have had a c-section.
The doctor agreed to let me press longer as I didn’t seem that exhausted to him and the baby was not in distress.
At 6:44 pm Dominic was finally born.
We didn’t know before birth if we where having a boy or a girl.
I don’t like what happened the next half an hour:
I expected to have my baby directly with me and to nurse him immediately. However, he wasn’t even shown to me.
I had to ask my husband, what sex our baby has!
Dominic was quickly taken to the other side of the room where he got oxygen, got measured and weight and was put under a heat source while the doctor gave me stitches (he had cut me in labor, I believe it was a 1st or 2nd degree cut). Then, the doctor pulled out my placenta I asked him while he was pulling what he did and asked him not to do that – he wouldn’t stop though!
In my birth plan I had requested not to cut the cord for the first five minutes, I had asked to nurse my baby immediately and also not to pull on the cord to pull out the placenta. But everything happened in contrary and I wasn’t able to change it – even though I asked while it happened.
Later on my Doula explained to me that any baby after a stressful long labor was given oxygen first. Dominic’s vital signs though were always good. I am still wondering if they couldn’t have given me the chance to meet my baby sooner – it took long before I could hold him, I estimate 30 minutes after birth.
