Our Birth Story
Sunday June 3rd, I woke up at about 4am with what was definitely the strongest contraction I had felt to that point. Of all the braxton hicks I'd been having for the last few weeks, this one was different somehow. More.... real. I laid in bed, trying to go back to sleep and within a few minutes, there was another contraction. This went on for a little while before I realized that they were pretty regular and I should probably start timing them to see where we were at. They were coming about 6-8 minutes apart, lasting about 45 seconds to a minute. I finally woke Bub at about 6:30 and told him that I was nowhere near ready to go the hospital, but that I thought I was in labour. I showered, we ate breakfast and headed to Bub's baseball game. The contractions continued regularly until about 10:30 or 11am when the just.... stopped. I had a few more through the afternoon, but they were spread out by hours and lasted only 20-30 seconds. I was so disappointed that I spent the rest of the day in bed sulking.
Monday June 4th (my due date, and also my Dad's birthday) started about the same. I woke up at about 1am with a similar contraction that I'd woken with the day before. By 4am, I was really cringing with them, breathing heavily, trying to stay relaxed. At about 6am, Bub woke up and said "those are pretty big ones, eh?". I was in denial however, and only answered with "mmmhmmm". I didn't want to get my hopes up again just to be disappointed like I'd been the day before. Again ,we got up, I showered, we ate and then took the dogs for a walk in the bush. This time, the contractions were getting stronger, and 3 times through our walk I had to stop walking, hold on to Bub and breathe through the pain. I was still in complete denial and told Bub that it was the same as the day before and not to get his hopes up. We went home, I went to lay down and Bub went to play tennis with his Dad. I wasn't even timing my contractions because I was so sure that it was another false alarm. But then... I got in the bath. Oh boy did that kick things into high gear. The contractions started coming every couple of minutes and were definitely getting stronger. I started feeling queasy with each wave and was sure that I was going to be sick. By about 3:30, I called Bub's cell and told him he needed to come home. I called my Mom and told her that we'd be bringing the dogs to her house "just in case". She could hear by the tone of my voice that I was in a lot of pain, so she offered to come pick them up instead. By the time she arrived (about 4:30) Bubba was home and in the bedroom with me rubbing my back. By this point, I was lying down between contractions, but I'd have to get up and squat beside the bed during. This was also when the lovely nausea decided to really kick in to high gear.
I remember my Mum saying "those are pretty intense hunny" and it was at that point that I began to admit to myself that this was really labour. I told Bub to put dinner in so he and my Mom could eat, and thought I would then head to the hospital. Bub agreed and went to the washroom, but by the time he came out I said "forget it... we need to go now". While my Mum and Bub loaded the bags and got the dogs ready, I hopped in the tub one more time.... bad move. My contractions, which had been about 4 minutes apart, were now coming (or seemed to be) on top of each other. On the short 10 minute drive to the hospital I had 4 contractions and they were INTENSE. I moaned and tried to breathe through them, but sitting in the car was really uncomfortable. My Mum dropped us at the hospital at 6:30pm, then she took the dogs to her place before returning. When I was getting out of the car, it really hit me that I was about to have our baby... and boy did the waterworks start. I kissed the dogs and Bub wheeled me up to the the birthing unit of RVH.
We buzzed the nurses station and, I kid you not, they answered "how can we help you?" Um???? I'm here to have a baby???? The nurse checked me in triage while Bub got me registered, and I was 5cm dilated and 100% effaced. We were taken to the delivery room (room # 2) and I got changed into my gown. I remember coming out of the bathroom and saying to Bub "oh my god... this is really happening right now". He just laughed at me (with love, of course).
The birthing tub was out of order, but the nurse brought me the birthing ball at my request. However, the contractions got really intense at this point and I spent each one on the floor of the bathroom throwing up. If I was dealing well up to this point, this is when it started to become too much. Dealing with the pain of the contractions on top of the violent retching was really wearing on me. So... I asked for an epidural. I told Bub "I just can't do this anymore... it hurts so bad" and he was nothing but supportive. I was disappointed in myself, but the though of continuing my labour this way, and then finding the strength to push, was more than I could handle. Dr. McNaughton came to check me to see how far along I was and I was not quite 6cm, so she agreed that an epidural would be OK. The anesthesiologist was in a c-section, so I had to wait for the next on call. By the time she arrived, I could no longer get out of bed and was curled on my side, still throwing up. Staying still for the IV and epi was one of the hardest parts of the labour. I'd been able to move with the contractions as necessary to that point, so staying still was its own form of torture.
When they finished the epi, the doc told me that I'd begin to feel relief in about 3 contractions. To my surprise, though the pain hadn't faded, by the second contraction I felt the overwhelming need to push. I told the nurse... "um, I feel like I have to go to the bathroom" and so she checked me and said "yep... you're fully. I'll call Dr. McNaughton, just hold on". I remember being really excited, but also disappointed that I'd gone ahead with the epi when I was so close to the end. Little did I know that it was far to late by the time I got it, and it wouldn't kick in until after her delivery. My Mum returned to the room (she'd had to leave while they administered the epi) and I told her it was time to push. I think she was just as shocked as I was because I'd gone from 6 to 10 so quickly.
At 9:15pm, I started pushing. It was nothing like I imagined it to be, and was absolutely one of the most difficult things I've ever done. I started in the stirrups, but I was putting all my energy into holding myself up with each push, so I switched to Bub and the nurse holding my legs. My Mom put a cool cloth on my head between each contraction, fed me water when I needed it and then started to help hold me up. She whispered encouragement and I finally found my groove and (with the help of a few snips from the doc) Adelaide Ruby Townsend was born at 10:16pm. The cord was wrapped around her neck, but the doc quickly took care of that and we were able to do skin to skin immediately. They (literally) dropped her on me, and I remember saying "she's so tiny!!!". I'd expected this mammoth baby... but I got my tiny wee girl instead. Everything bad from the labour and delivery disappeared and I was just in awe of my baby. She was so quiet and alert... no crying, just a few squeaks and squawks. Bubba was just saying "hi! hi baby! hi!" over and over, and my Mom was saying "she's here! she's so sweet! oh she's too sweet!". It was a really peaceful, amazing moment.
Daddy cut the cord, and Adelaide and I got to do skin to skin and nurse for an hour while the doc sewed me up. The first moments together were just incredible, and I fell so deeply in love with her right away. She had the biggest, most alert blue eyes, and a gorgeous head of dark hair. She was, and is, amazingly perfect. It was totally that unexplainable feeling that everyone talks about, but no one can describe.
*pay no attention to the date on the pictures... it's wrong*
In the end, the labour was totally different that I had imagined.... harder in some ways, easier in others, totally amazing for sure. 21 hours from true start to finish, I had an episiotmey (3 cuts total) and some 2nd degree tearing, and it took me a while to feel like myself again, but I woud do it a thousand times over to have my baby girl. It's so amazing what the body does... and while I remember that I was in pain, I don't remember what the pain felt like.
The first night in the hospital, after we were all settled and Ma and Daddy had gone home, I spent hours just staring at her. I couldn't stop touching her, and kissing her, and just loving on her. The fact that she was mine was just more than I could comprehend at the time. We fall more and more in love every single day.
So, here`s our girl....
Adelaide Ruby Townsend
June 4, 2012 - 10:16pm
6lbs, 3 oz - 21 inches long
