Birth Story - Part 2

We reach the birthing center and I feel more relaxed. We have our choice of rooms because there is no one else in today. We pick the middle size room because it has the good Jacuzzi. Shauli finds us and we unpack a little. Now what? The nurse comes in and checks me out. She gets my temperature and the baby’s heart rate.
It seems I am only a fingertip dilated so we want to try and get labor moving along. For the next few hours we try a number of things. I sit on the birthing ball, we take LONG walks in the halls although there isn’t too far to go because we have to stay on the same floor. So we walk through the hall of the Recovery Rooms and then through the administration wing. That’s carpeted so it’s nice. And there is another hospital type wing in there. Seems to be all women of different ages are there. We also walk through the regular labor and delivery halls and see a sterile looking wing that is closed off by glass doors. We wonder how to get in because there is no button. Walk, and walk, and walk. Contractions are getting a little more intense.
Mom massages my back, ankles, legs, and arms. My mother-in-law comes by with pizza for Shauli and my Mom. The first nurse we had was pretty cool but another one took over shortly after we arrived. She was nice but too grandmothery and not a take charge type of person. She keeps asking things and at this point, I don’t want to be making decisions. I guess she is just trying to be accommodating but I wish she was a little more in charge.
Well, the hours pass and not a whole lot changes. Dr. Debono’s shift finishes at 5pm and Dr. Schoenberger takes over. This makes me a little nervous because generally, I haven’t been crazy about Dr. Schoenberger. Also, he is not a big fan of the birthing center, especially for first time mothers. He is the one doctor who is most against it in the practice. Great. Well, he wants to be kept posted on the situation but if there is no progress then he is going to want to move me to the Labor and Delivery wing and put me on Pitocin. No way, I don’t want that. We have to get this baby out!!! I keep thinking to myself, we will have a baby by tonight, we will have a baby by tonight! The nurse offers castor oil again and we discuss it but the concept really turns me off so I pass on it again. Especially when the nurse says most women who take castor oil refuse it for the next child. That makes me feel like it’s not worth it. I pass.
Hours drag on and we are all feeling pretty hungry. We call Jocey and she brings us some Dunkin Donuts. I just have a plain bagel with margarine and it really tastes good. We hang out for a little bit in the ABC and it’s nice to just chill with her for a bit. She leaves and we do some more walking and get the verdict from the doctor. If nothing changes by 12am, I am getting moved to the Labor & Delivery wing and starting Pitocin. Oh well. I talk to my sis-in-law on the phone and she tells me about her experiences with Pitocin. Seems to work but I am nervous about the contractions. Although at this point, I am really wanting the baby to come already. So I want those big contractions to come. I just wish it would be naturally.
Another nurse joins the second nurse and I like this one. She is the one who gave the Orientation for the Birthing Center. She seems great and I wish she could deliver my baby. But, it’s 11:30pm and the annoying nurse comes and wants to put in my IV so it’s easier for them in Labor & Delivery. I am not crazy about the idea because I want to hold off on the interventions as long as I can but she’s insistent. Ok, I show her the spot that I prefer for an IV and she decides to try it elsewhere. On the side of my wrist. What an odd place. And extremely painful!! She puts it in and I am in terrible pain. Not only that but I am bleeding all over the place. She wants to see if the pain goes away but it doesn’t so she takes the IV out and says they will have to put it in there. Great, that’s what I wanted in the first place. Well, it’s time.
Off we go to Labor & Delivery. I’m scared and nervous. And tired. Very tired at this point. I really want to have this baby and figure it will come sometime in the middle of the night. That’s reassuring. By morning, I should have a new baby. Come on contractions!!! Our new nurse comes in and she seems really nice. That’s a relief. And then the fun begins of trying to get an IV started. After 5 attempts and 2 nurses, they FINALLY get it in. In the exact spot where I asked them to do it in the first place. It’s not painful, just uncomfortable. And I hate being attached to things.
Bring on the monitors!! Two monitors are strapped to my big belly, one to monitor the baby’s heart rate and one to monitor my contractions. They are fun to watch on the screen, generally, but I HATE being strapped down!!! So I’ve got the IV and the monitors and the nurse comes in with the Pitocin. Oh boy, here it comes. She hooks it up and starts off at the lowest level. They increase it every half an hour. I’m scared. I don’t feel anything different right away. The nurse keeps asking if I want something for the pain. No, thank you.
The hospital bed is terribly uncomfortable and I have to sit on a pillow to tolerate it. I miss the queen size bed in the ABC. I miss everything about the ABC. Why would anyone want to have a baby this way – all strapped up?? Oh well, next time.
We try to get some rest and my mom and Shauli take turns napping. I can’t really sleep although I doze a little here and there. We are all so exhausted at this point. They bring a birthing ball for which I sit on to try and help the baby’s head move down but it’s hard to get in a good position. Every half hour the nurse comes to turn up the Pitocin and offer pain medication. The contractions are coming harder and closer together now. About every three minutes. And I have to concentrate and breathe to get through them. I’m so tired of this. I want the baby!! We watch the hours tick by. There aren’t as many channels in here and a few hours are spent on the “relaxing channel”. Soft music and babbling brooks or raindrops. Outdoor scenery pictures. That’s nice because I want something on to distract me but I certainly can’t concentrate on TV shows. Not that there is anything very good on.
We are coming up on 24 hours of labor. That’s a long time. I’m SOOO uncomfortable. Will this ever end? Will we ever see our baby? I feel like this will never end.