Parents: Kristie and DH
Baby: Daniel Jeffrey
Born: April 10, 1998
Time: 6:40 am
Birth: 7 hour labor (plus 2 weeks) with epidural, Dad's Story
Well, dispite the rumors that the baby would NEVER come (mostly started by herself), my wife, Kristie, delivered our 6th child this morning. Daniel Jeffrey was born at 6:40 am, April 10th, 1998.
This labor was the 2nd shortest my wife has had (or the longest if you count the previous two weeks of on-again-off-again contractions.) Anyhow, the labor was much better (according to Kristie) than the previous three which we nearly had to pry out with a crow-bar.
We arrived on the 9th at 8pm for a scheduled inducement (about 2 weeks after the Ultrasound projected Mar 26th, due date.) We requested cervical jell rather than starting with pitocin (which we have both grown to dispise about as much as Hitler and asparagus!) When the resident checked her (at 11:30PM after sitting on the monitor for over 3 hours), he said "Well, your 4cm so I suspect the jell would NOT be a good thing. I will call your dr but I think she will agree." So we were told we would have to sit tight till they started pitocin (screeching violin noises) at 7am the next morning.
So...why are we here??? Anyhow, my wife decides we should walk (against the recommendation of the assigned nurse who said "sleeping pills!"). So we walk for an hour and gain little ground. My wife takes a couple of sleeping pills and now sleeps for 4 minute streches and then wakes up in extreme pain unable to breath-through the contraction due to grogginess. Sleeping pills either work or they don't. If they don't, it's a pain since you are groggy enough not to be able to do all the right 'lamaze-stuff' (TM).
The pills, however, do help relax her and she went to 5 cm by 3am. She then decided to give up on the natural-thing and go for the epidural (I swear, next kid, I am making a t-shirt for her that says "I love EPIs!" to wear when we check in at L&D admitting! The dr. does not want her to have an epi yet since contractions are still about 10 mins apart, so she spent some time in the shower to help relax. By 4am, Kristie was at 6cm (strechable to 7) and the dr says ok (but not before she gets to the hospital. About 45 minutes later, they apply the epi and things are ok with the world again.
They broke the water bag at about 5:50AM (7-8 cm). Kristie was pushing by 6:30. It took the dr a couple minutes to get back to the room after Kristie announced her body's intent to "push". So here's the scene:
Dr.: (frantically gowning up (heavy Indian accent)) Ok, just a minute. Don't pu\ sh...breathe
Kristie: I have to push!
Nurse: (Folds bed sides, sets feet, and grabs lower-bed release
handles (looks grim)) Hang in there, just a couple seconds.
Kristie: Ahhhhh!
Me: No snip, snip! (Kristie had requested no episiotomy, but the dr didn't know this yet). Dr: Ok.
Bed flies apart, dr grabs emerging head, one push later, Daniel is here!
If we consider that labor started around midnight (without induction), then my wife had less than 7 hours labor which is amazingly short for her. And, there was no pitocin (Hurray!)
Here's hoping the other April deliveries go this well!
Happy Easter!
God Bless.