My Labor & Delivery Experience - Part 1

Before I was ever pregnant, the thought of labor and delivery petrified me. I couldn't wrap my mind around the process that my body would have to go through. When we finally conceived, my fears disappeared. That is, until the birthing classes. They showed videos. It was a two day class which took place on Saturday and Sunday. My husband had to miss the first one because he got called to work, so I took my mom. I sat quietly and watched and listened. My mom kept asking me if I was okay and I was. When I got home that day though, I really got to thinking about it all and I started crying. And when I started, I couldn't stop! My husband finally got home and I cried to him and told him I couldn't do this. I was scared and it looked really gross and I did not want to do that at all, that I wasn't strong enough. This stumped him and all he could say was, "Well, I'll be right there with you and you are way stronger than you give yourself credit for. There's really no turning back now anyways. He has to come out some how!" So that made me laugh and brightened up my mood a little. We went to the second class together the next day and he got to see videos. I didn't feel so bad after that.

My due date was October 16th and that day came and went. I had a scheduled appointment with my doctor the next day and was a little nervous to go because I knew that we would more than likely be scheduling me to be induced. I had really been hoping to experience the water breaking moment that I would call my husband and say, "Honey, its time!" But we went into see my doctor, Dr. Cooper and his first question was, "Well, Lyndsay are we ready to get this show on the road? How do you feel about having a baby tomorrow?" I just looked at my husband and we both shrugged and said, "Lets do it!" So that meant going home and gathering everything we needed and 'checking in' to the hospital that evening. The drive home was exciting. All we kept saying were things like, "We get to meet our son tomorrow!" "We are having a baby!"

I ended up really liking that fact that I knew when it was going to happen and could plan. So we gathered everything together and then watched the clock tick by slowly. Finally the time came to make our way to the hospital. The drive there was surreal. We knew big things were about to happen and we were so excited I don't think anyone could have even slapped the smiles off of our faces. We get to the hospital and they get us checked in to our huge delivery room. That's when things got serious. I got changed into my hospital attire and they started hooking me up to things to monitor this and that and the baby. They came in to give me my IV and couldn't get it into my wrist area and instead put it into my hand, which really hurt! I had a really nice nurse though who I immediately clicked with and we chatted and joked and it helped ease my nerves. Then she came in to give me the Cervadil to soften my uterus and hopefully get the process going. As she was placing it, she checked my dilation and then proceeded to try and stretch my cervix to 'help things along'. That hurt SO BAD. I cried even though I tried not to and she felt so bad but kept saying that it was really going to help things. My husband at this point, wasn't expecting pain yet and if you knew him, you'd know that he does not know what to say in certain situations, like when I am sick. So all he does is stare at me with the most worried look on his face and keeps asking me if I am okay. I was okay after a few minutes, but the tears wouldn't stop flowing. All I could think was that if that hurt that bad, I could only imagine what contractions were going to feel like!

Timing being as it was, I had a final due for my college class. So to distract my mind, I worked on it most of the night. The nurses came in periodically to check on me and see how I was progressing. I was at about a 2 to 3 the whole night. Finally 6am came and they came in to start the Pitocin.  It was not very long after that, that I started to feel contractions. I had always wondered what they felt like, and I asked several women to explain it to me and no one really could. I will tell you, having experienced contractions, I cannot explain to you what it feels like. There is nothing to compare it to. It is just so painful and amazing. I mean, what your body does to prepare to give birth is amazing. Shortly after that, Dr. Cooper came into break my water. That was the weirdest feeling in the world. The little hook he used and breaking the membranes, it just felt weird. But when he broke my water, I only leaked. Hardly anything came out so they thought that the baby's head was sort of serving as a cork and that when I would eventually start pushing, the fluid would makes its way out. So now, I was in full on labor. It was not fun. I remember my father-in-law coming into see us. He is a doctor and was making his rounds that morning with his patients. He saw how much pain I was in and did not stay long, he just wanted to make sure we were OK. I would have made a quick exit too haha! I do have to say that I am proud of myself for that fact that I was NOT one of those crazy screaming women like in the movies.



Well that is all for part one!! Stayed tuned for part two and read about the nurse who made me doubt myself and the amazing-ness of an epidural! :)