Labor and Delivery

On December 30, 2008 I woke up from sleeping on the couch @ 5:50 a.m. with the pain in my right lung hurting more than it ever had, it was so painful that I could barely move. After 30 minutes in pain, Christian called the on call doctor and she suggested that I take some Tylenol and take a hot shower and see how I felt in 30 minutes. Christian helped me shower which felt good and I decided to lie down in bed to see if the pain would go away. At 7:30 a.m. as I lay in my bed my water broke. It was just like the movies; there was water everywhere! In a bit of shock of this major event happening, I started freaking out saying, “Oh God! Oh God! Oh God!” Christian never hearing these words coming out of my mouth, came rushing in to see me lying in a puddle of water. We called the on call doctor again and informed her of the new developments and she suggested we get ready and come to the hospital. We were not really prepared for this to happen on this particular day, as it was two weeks before my due date. I had no contractions or Braxton Hicks, but hey, the bag of waters already broke and there was no turning back. We did a few things around the house to try to get ready, including getting the car seat out of the box and into the car (kind of important). My contractions started @ 9:30 a.m. and they were all in my back and they stayed there for the duration of my labor. We arrived at Cambridge Hospital @ 10:00 a.m., where they examined me and decided that we were not going back home before our little boy was born.
I was admitted to the hospital and given a room in labor and delivery where I had the most amazing nurses and doctors helping me through this process. My contractions continued in my back and were not enjoyable. I spent a lot of time in the jetted tub, which helped the contractions be a little more bearable. After 10 hours of contractions they started getting a lot stronger and much more painful. How does one explain these contractions? It is so much more painful than I could have ever imagined. Christian was a great coach and was very supportive the whole time. After 12 hours of contractions, the doctor came in to check me and I had only dilated to a 4. At this point it was 9:30 p.m. and I could not endure these contractions on my own for 12 more hours. I decided I had been a champion, but it was time for the epidural. Oh sweet heaven! I could not have been happier to have some relief from the pain. I was able to get some interrupted sleep until 4:00 a.m. where I started feeling some contractions on my left side. I got more medication and it helped me relax until 6:00 a.m.
In the meantime, our parents were not sleeping and freaking out about what was taking so long. This was not a short process. At 6:00a.m. The doctor came in and checked on me; wonder of wonder, I was finally dilated to a 10 and ready to push! I started pushing and my epidural started wearing off completely. The contractions came back to my back 100% strong. This made the pushing so difficult; I honestly thought I was going to die!! The anesthesiologist came in and gave me some more drugs, which helped ease the contractions but I could still feel them. Christian told me afterward that while I was pushing I was in a zone and it was as if I was putting on the mantle of motherhood at that time. Pushing my little boy out of me was the single hardest thing I have ever done in my life; I know it is cliché to say, but it was so worth every minute of the pain and suffering. After 4 hours of pushing as hard as I could, my little Berkeley William was born. When he came out, the tears came streaming down my face; out of accomplishment and out of sheer joy that he was finally here! If you were to ask me during labor if I would ever have another child the answer would have been a strong, NO! However, spending just a few minutes with my baby boy, there is no question that I would not go through this again for him.
I could not have made it through this process without my wonderful and supportive husband encouraging me every step of the way, or the amazing nurses and doctors at Cambridge Hospital, as I went through three shifts of hospital staff.

Here he is, and completely worth it!