…from a reader

I was two weeks overdue, but finally went into labor about 10:00 a.m. on a Wednesday morning, the 2nd of April. I was really glad it was not the 1st because that would have been an April Fool’s baby.

I called my husband at work first then I called my mother. My husband finally got home, it seemed like an eternity, and I was so bent over with pain, that my husband had to practically carry me to the car. Then on the way to the hospital I thought I would have the baby right in the car.

Finally, we reached the hospital. I had to stand up while trying to answer questions, and that was not easy. It was taking what seemed like forever to sign into the hospital and fill out forms. I just couldn’t wait any longer, so a staff member took me to a room while my husband filled out the rest of the paperwork.

I felt a relief when I got to lie down. But, it was a false feeling. The pains kept coming. About every 2-3 minutes, I would have labor pains. My husband stood at my side while I went through one, holding my hand as I squeezed his.

My mother came and they traded places each time I had a labor pain. I squeezed her hand so hard that she thought it was broken. This went on for hours. My doctor hadn’t showed up yet, and all I wanted was for the birth to be over. The nurses kept popping in and out saying he’s on his way, but I was getting so anxious that that became annoying and caused me more aggravation and the pain got more intense; something I could have done without.

Every once in a while I would get a hypo and the pain would melt away and I felt such a relief. Then it seemed like the pain would come back twice as hard as before, and I would ask for another hypo. But, they were stingy, said they could not give me that many. By now I was having pains a few minutes apart. Someone finally gets in touch with my doctor and he gets there around 8:00 p.m. He had been out playing golf all day and told the nurses that there was plenty of time.

Just about the time he reached my bedside, my water broke. It was time to take me into the delivery room. They did the usual prepping and I did the usual screaming. The doctor stands over me and told me too push. I was so exhausted that I didn’t think I had one more push in me. Finally, the baby comes rushing out. I felt a relief that you wouldn’t believe. No more pain, just happiness.

When I found out it was a boy, I was overjoyed. I always wanted a son. Right then and there, I knew I wasn’t going to go through this again. But, as my son started growing up, I regretted not having another child so that he wouldn’t be an only child. I still regret that today.

My son is 41 now. It is something I cannot undo now, but it might not be too late for others. If anyone has an only child right now, think about how that child has to grow up without someone he can share things with and someone he can play with, and just knowing he has someone he can count on. If I had it all over to do again, I would have given my son a brother or sister.

by Ashley W.

My son Nehemiah was supposed to be born on November 15, 2008 but I decided that I wanted him to come earlier. By my ninth month my feet were swollen, my back was aching and I was ready to give birth.

So, on our last doctors appointment I told my doctor to schedule me to get induced the next week. After waiting and waiting and being extra nervous, 4:30 Thursday morning I was up and ready to head to the hospital.

After we checked in and I got settled into my 12 1/2 hour bed, the nurses were ready to do their job. She asked me if I wanted to feel the pain or get druged up. I told her to give me all the drugs you got but make sure it doesn’t affect my baby. The medicine that she gave me would induce my labor and cause me to have contractions. So, I was really preparing for that.

I had to wait until I was 4 centimeters dialated before I could get a epidural. The time came when the contractions were about to hit me hard. The first one came and I took it like a champ! The second one came and I was crying like a baby so the nurse came in and druged me up. I felt really good after that.

While we were waiting for me to be fully dialated, all I did was sleep and eat ice. The time seem like it was going so slow. About 4 hours before I gave birth, it was time to get my epidural. This was the most scariest part for me because I knew I had to feel pain. So, they cleared everyone out and it was just me and two nurses.

I had to be very still. After they got me prepared, it was time for them to put the needle in my spine. It hurt so bad but at least I wasn’t going to feel any pain.

Finally, at 5:30pm I was ready to go, in 33 more minutes I would be holding my son. It was time to start pushing. I pushed and pushed and pushed and my baby kept going back in. The doctor said, push and count to ten then stop. The baby heart rate was dropping everytime he went back in. That made me really nervous but also made me want to get this pushing right. So, I got it together after 33 minutes and my son came out crying.

It was a sound I was dying to hear for 9 months! I was so happy to see him! What was so surprising about our son is that he was so small, 6lbs 3oz, we thought he was going to be much bigger than that.

The doctor laid him on my chest and the feeling was so amazing. Tears of joy! They took him and cleaned him up and made sure everything was okay with him. They let him stay in the room with us for about 3 hours and I just couldn’t take my eyes off of him.

Nehemiah is my first and only child and I didn’t have any complications with him. The whole experience was smooth sailing. The birth of my child is an experience I will never forget!

…from a reader

This is the birth story of my now five month old son, Landon. I was due the first of January and of course everyone was excited!!

My dad came from Arizona for a week and said that he wouldn’t be able to come back for at least a year, so I had to have him that week; talk about pressure! I waited a few days, I really wanted Landon to come on his own.

I walked for hours, tried to go on a hike, ate lots of special “labor” foods and drank more than my share of raspberry tea. Nothing was working and my time frame for my dad to be here for his grandson’s birth was quickly closing. I went last to my last resort, castor oil! YUCK!

Well, like most, I went to the bathroom till I couldn’t go anymore, and eventually was able to go to sleep. About four hours, around 1 a.m. I woke with painful contractions. My fiance and I were not sure if this was the real deal, we called the obgyn and everyone and we didn’t get a call back for two hours!!

Chris’ mom finally called around 3 or 4 a.m. and told us to go to the hospital, thankfully it is literally two minutes away from our house. Once I got to the hospital and things started going I found out I was already 4cm dialted! Yes!!

I had planned on going natural, I was bound and determined, maybe even desperate. The doctor broke my water (talk about nasty feeling). I hated having to walk and go to the bathroom while in labor, it was so uncomfortable.

Twelve hours later, I was only to 5cm and they gave me pictocin, more pictocin, and then even more. It send my contractions off the charts I tried my hardest but I eventually ended up getting the epidural, it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be at all! I was laughing with the nurses about how funny the epidural guy was and they told me his name was Peter Pan, that’s one of my favorite parts.

Eventually we get to where I can start pushing, that was really, REALLY hard. My whole pregnancy my son stayed under my ribs and bruised them and when I went to push he went back to his favorite place under my ribs. It felt like when you walk for a long time and you get that terrible pain, I tried so hard for what felt like thirty minutes.

Two and a half hours later the doctor came to tell me that it would take another 2 and a half to three hours for him to be pushed out and if I couldn’t do it, then I would need a c-section. I was devastated. I had been hard at work for nearly 26 hours and then I felt backed into a corner, forced to have surgery! I had never had surgery before, and was especially upset because of the personal nature.

They numbed me, but I could feel them moving my body parts around, Landon being pulled out and me being stapled back together, it wasn’t painful but the sensation is definitely not one I’d want to repeat.

Finally my handsome 8 lbs. 14.5oz. son was handed over to me and it was like a wave washed over me, I felt nothing but euphoria. Now that we’re past the tough first two months we are really starting to see our son blossoming as the person he is going to grow up to be. We may be young parents but I would never go back to my old life. We have purpose and meaning now greater than ourselves and its so much better that a monotonous ho-hum life.

…from a reader

I was very young when I gave birth to my daughter. My older sister just delivered my niece 8 months prior, so for the final months of my pregnancy, she tutored me in labor and delivery.

I was terrified to go through the process and would rather have just waved a magic wand than go through the inevitable pain. When the time came, I was not as prepared as I would have hoped to be. I awoke in the middle of the night because my water had broken very slightly.

I wasn’t having contractions, but my doctor wanted me to go to the hospital because I was so young. Several hours later, I was still not having contractions, and my water hadn’t broken further. I wasn’t about to complain about no pain!

My doctor decided to break my water and speed up the process. The contractions started, and I went into monster mode! The nurses tended to lean against my bed when they checked my contractions, and this was not acceptable to someone in so much pain.

I YELLED for them to stop moving my bed and asked for something to help with the pain. My doctor put something in my IV that took the edge off. Not only did it lessen the pain, it put me on another planet.

I have a very low tolerance for medication, so I was flying. I felt every contraction, but I didn’t care. I breathed through each one, but have no recollection of any pain. It was an interesting sensation.

After thirteen hours of labor, I was ready to deliver. I pushed for thirty minutes and out came my daughter. I was very surprised that the delivery was not painful.

My biggest concern was that I wouldn’t have the strength to get through the pushing, but it was surprisingly easy. I was thrilled to know that it was nothing like it’s portrayed in the movies!

Giving birth is truly the most phenomenal, emotionally draining experience I have ever been through.