Birth Story - Part III: The Delivery

Continued from Birth Story - Part II: Laboring at Hospital.  Sorry to keep you waiting!!!

To recap, I had finally made it to 10 cm after 32 hrs of labor but the baby was not descending and it was suggested to move on to a c-section.

My mind was running a million miles an hour. I was trying to process the cards I had just been dealt. All eyes were on me waiting for me to agree to the c-section. I felt defeated. I was trying to get the words out that I agreed to it, but they just wouldn't come out. Within seconds of agreeing to the c-section, I stopped and said, I've worked so hard to get to 10, the monitor shows the baby is doing fine, can I not just try to push once? The midwife said sure, let's give it a go, on your next contraction, I want you to push harder than you have ever pushed in your life.

This photo was taken right before pushing. By this time, the swelling had taken over from head to toe. My mom told me later that she didn't even recognize me and that it was scaring her to death as my face was a big square with a double chin and no neck. I had NO clue I looked like this until I saw the photos. Apparently on top of the edema, the enormous amounts of IV fluids (5 rounds of penicillin, 17 hrs of pitocin, 4 rounds of epidural anesthetic and zofran) caused me to blow up like a beached whale.

Wednesday June 23, 2010
2:30 pm

Contraction started, I took a deep breath and then stopped and said, wait, how do I push? She laughed and then said take a deep breath, lift your head, pull your legs back and push like you're having a bowel movement. I wish she wouldn't have used that anology because I was terrified of pooping while pushing.

I did as she instructed. While she had 2 fingers on baby's head, I took a deep breath, lifted my head, pulled my water logged legs back as best as I could and pushed with everything I had in me for 10 seconds. I took another deep breath and repeated. The midwife asked Kerry if he wanted to see the top of the baby's head. He jumped up and took a look and said, oh wow! I took another deep breath and finished my 3rd push. The midwife said, ok, let's push, you just moved your baby down!

As I waited for the next contraction, the midwife said I made good change, that the baby rotated some and that I pushed really well, so they're just going to watch and see what happens.

I had pictured the doula and mothers at my head watching the same view as me... uh nope! I had an entire party between my legs watching. You really do lose all modesty when giving birth. Surprisingly I didn't mind a bit, even with my lady bits swollen 10x their normal size (not exaggerating) and my lovely hemmies proudly displaying in all their glory.

As the next contraction came, I did my 3 pushes and then announced that I felt like my face was going to explode. They asked me to hold my breath in my diaphragm and not my face. The midwife said that they would do the best they could to get this baby out vaginally and then told me that these pushes will be the hardest thing I'd ever do, every single time, and to push with all my might. She then let us know that she thinks we have a good size baby and that there was a chance that the shoulders could get stuck and to prepare my mind that if that happens, they will be pushing really hard on my stomach to get him out.

I repeated another set of pushes. She told me I was doing really well and that my baby has some peach fuzz. I told her I wanted a bald baby and Kerry said, we can shave him, LOL!

Video Diary: Pushing

I repeated another set of pushes. The midwife asked me to reach down and feel my baby's head. He was still way inside, so I stopped as I was afraid of poking him with my nail.

I repeated another set of pushes and all of a sudden I saw the midwife and nurse grab up the cloth under me and wisk it away really fast. Kerry told me later that I had pushed out a little turd. I was surprised to find that I really didn't care and wasn't embarrassed at all. The amount of force put into pushing a baby out is unbelievable and I'm convinced that if anyone has a turd in the bowel, it will come out. I am relieved though that I never farted.

The midwife had me change positions to one side.

I repeated another set of pushes. Kerry said he could see more of the head.

I repeated another set of pushes. Kerry said the head was very close to crowning. I wanted to join the party going on down south and asked for a mirror.

I repeated another set of pushes. Kerry assisted by applying pressure to the area. The midwife was really great about letting Kerry be involved in the delivery.

I repeated another set of pushes and this time watched in the mirror. I could see when my pushes descended the baby and when they didn't, so it helped to perfect my pushing. I could see the head! It was about the size of a quarter when I wasn't pushing and about the size of a golf ball when I was pushing.

I repeated another set of pushes. Kerry was getting all excited, was counting 1-10 very loudly and was rooting me on. My lady bits were bulging as the baby was coming further down. Kerry grabbed the oxygen and started passing it around for everyone to take a quick hit. LOL

I repeated another set of pushes. The midwife said we were working on getting him under the pubic bone and that's what takes so long.

I repeated another set of pushes. The head was now the size of a baseball.

3:05 pm
The midwife broke the bed down for delivery.

I repeated another set of pushes. The burning pain was intense! I guess this is what they call the ring of fire! The midwife explained to me that I really needed to concentrate on her voice as there was going to be a time where she was going to tell me to stop pushing so she could ease the head out.

I repeated another set of pushes. The head was coming further out.

I repeated another set of pushes. I was asked to stop pushing so they could slowly manipulate the head out. OMG, the burning sensation was intense! I watched in the mirror. His head was slowly coming out and then all of a sudden I could see his cute little nose pop out. He was facing the floor, in the exact position he needed to be in. Then his entire face appeared, the midwife worked his shoulders out and within seconds, he came flying out. Kerry and the midwife placed him on my chest.

3:17 pm

Tyler Isaac Morris born vaginally (on his due date) after 47 mins of pushing.

Weight: 6 lbs. 15 oz. (not a big baby at all!)
Length: 19" (23" if you count his cone head!)

He gave us a little scare as it appeared he wasn't breathing and had to be rushed over to the baby nurses for stimulation and oxygen. It seemed like an eternity before he cried and the nurses weren't giving us any feedback. Mama was stressed! The midwife asked if she should call nicu and they said no, he's breathing, just not crying. When he finally did cry, it was music to my ears. He sounded like a newborn kitten. The midwife said he was just stunned.

Video Diary: Tyler's Birth

Video Diary: Tyler with the baby nurses

Video Diary: Tyler with his Mommy

While I held Tyler, the midwife delivered the placenta. I couldn't feel it coming out, but man did it hurt when the nurse massaged my belly to get it to release.

Next was stitching me up. The midwife said my perineum was completely intact and congratulated us on a great job with the perineum massage.  Yeah, it paid off!!!  I did have one 1st degree tear in my labia right next to the urethra that required 4 stitches.

Video Diary: The midwife showing Kerry the placenta (for those who like blood and gore)

The midwife didn't mention it in this video, but when she showed me the placenta, she also showed how the cord was attached to the side of the placenta instead of in the center, which is called marginal cord insertion. That was interesting as one of my early u/s showed I had marginal cord insertion but the following 2 u/s ruled it out. Oh well, better that I didn't have that to stress over. Then she said it had a little bit of a velamentous cord insertion which means that the veins, unprotected by Wharton's jelly, traverse the membranes before they come together into the umbilical cord. These veins unprotected can rupture and lead to fetal death. Whew, really glad I didn't know about that!

Video Diary: Tyler with Daddy

Video Diary: All smiles now!

Our Midwife Lauren

Tyler's Big Brother Austin

That completes my 33 hours of labor and delivery. Up next, postpartum and Tyler updates... hope to have these posted before Tyler turns 18!  ;-)