April 7, 2013: Birth Story

Well, my baby finally arrived!

BIRTH STORY:

We thought I would have to be induced due to high blood pressure and scheduled the induction for Tuesday, April 9 (my original due date). However, Jacet had other plans!

The day started out fairly normal. I woke up Tomo for work, went back to sleep, and woke up later to pass away a day of boring bed rest. When I went to the bathroom I noticed a little blood but thought nothing of it...maybe I should have! I had been feeling cramps for a few days but figured they were just part of the pregnancy discomforts. Well, the day passed with nothing out of the ordinary. I did laundry, I washed dishes, I cleaned the floor etc. I guess I was "nesting" a little, but mostly I just lied on the couch. The only slightly odd thing was that I wasn't hungry all day.

The day went on, Tomo called around lunch to check up on me, I took a nap, I put the laundry away. Tomo called again around 6:45 to ask if I was okay and I told him I was perfectly fine, just uncomfortable as usual. Well only about 15 minutes after that phone call I began feeling stronger "cramps" all around my abdomen. I thought maybe they were Braxton Hicks contractions but since I hadn't felt any of those throughout the pregnancy I really had no idea. They kept coming so I decide I better start timing them. I timed them for about 40 monites and Lo and behold, each contraction was about 10 minutes apart and lasting about 7-10 minutes. I called Tomo back (he was at work) and told him he better call the hospital because I thought these were real contractions.

After that everything happened so fast! He called the hospital and came to get me and my things by 8:00pm. We headed to the hospital but I decided I better eat something small since I knew first time labor could take a long time, but i also thought that it was probably a false alarm since it wasn't even past my due date! We stopped at the supermarket and bought some drinks and onigiri (rice balls). I called my mom and dad and told them the news on the way.

We arrived at the hospital around 9pm. I got checked at 9:30 and was 4cm dilated. The doctor (who spoke English thankfully) told me I would probably deliver the baby in the early morning of the next day. They hooked me up to the heart rate monitor and started trying to hook me up to the IV the GBS antivirus. My veins are very thin and they always have a hard time with the big IV needles. The head nurse came to check me again and whatever she did down there REALLY hurt. It actually made me get sick. So I threw up my little snack from before and started feeling really awful. The baby's heartbeat dropped then and I got hooked up to oxygen. Luckily by turning on my side they were able to get his heart rate back up.

The doctor came back to check on me around 10:15-10:30pm and I was 7cm! He was very surprised by how quick I was dilating. After that everything happened even faster. They quickly rolled me on the stretcher to the delivery room an propped me up in the delivery chair thing. The doctor broke my water around 10:45pm and after that the pain became so intense! I guess that's what they call the "ring of fire" lol. It hurt so bad that I actually told Tomo I wanted a C-section. Thank goodness that didn't happen lol. I was pretty tired out and delirious I suppose...the doctor then told me that the baby would be born around 11:30. Again, Jacet had other plans. By 11:00pm I was pushing! And after 4 hours of labor and 17 minutes of pushing my perfect little boy arrived, screaming his lungs out! They cut his cord and let me hold him a little while they stitched me up and before cleaning him up. I couldn't have asked for a better birthing experience.

Tomo was the best husband during this whole thing. He held my hand and encouraged me. I wasn't at all prepared for the pain, it was different from what I expected, but Tomo helped me try to breathe deeply and get through it all.

It was the best experience and I'm glad that I didn't have the option to take anything for the pain. It's such a rewarding feeling to get through the pain and seeing the beautiful end result.

The nurses recorded his first cry and took his footprints and took some pictures. They put it together in a little book roght then and there for me to take back to my room.

Since this post has become quite long, I'll split it up and write about the 5 day hospital stay later. Stay tuned!

(Picture explanations: 1- book cover, 2- footprints, 3- recorded cry and picture of Jacet inside the book, 4- family picture after birth, 5+6- Jacet right after birth)