This is a long one because I want to remember all of it.
Samuel's birth had so much anticipation leading up to it that he just couldn't get here soon enough. On Monday the 22nd I had a regular OB checkup. When the doctor checked my dilation she was that I was 3.5 cm dilated and that my cervix was low and very thin. She said that my labor had already started and that I should go straight to the hospital. This was confusing for me because I wasn't feeling any contractions or indications that labor had started. I told her that I had wanted to labor at home for a bit and asked if it would be fine to go to the hospital later, once I felt labor kick in. She agreed, but said I should go in by nighttime.
Nothing was happening by that night, and I just really thought that it would be better to wait for labor to start before going to the hospital. I did plenty of walking, and when that didn't work, I also tried using my breast pump hourly. I did many things for days, hoping I would go into active labor. I was in early labor and would occasionally feel tightening, but consistent, strong contractions weren't getting going.
Friday morning at 3 am I went to the restroom and realized that my water had broken. Finally! That was my initial thought, anyway. After all, my mom had been staying with me for 3 days already, waiting for a baby that didn't seem to want to come out. Then I realized that it's no fun to have your bag of waters break; it's quite messy and a big inconvenience. I called Kelli, my doula, and she said that contractions usually start within a couple of hours, so I tried to get some rest and waited some more. When nothing was happening, Kelli came over and walked with me to see if we could get things moving before going to the hospital. Again, I felt some tightening, but no consistent contractions. I got to the hospital sometime after 10 am and was having no contractions at that point.
Here's Elena getting ready to leave for the hospital. She wanted to sit in the baby's carseat.
They started me on a low dose of Pitocin to jump-start my labor. Since this would be a Vaginal Birth After Cesarian (VBAC), higher doses of Pitocin aren't used because it increases the chances of uterine rupture from the scar. I started feeling light contractions.
I was finally having consistent contractions, and they got stronger and stronger. I was in active labor. My parents, Jorge, and Kelli were around, with Jorge and my dad alternating because two of my nieces and Elena were at the hospital but not allowed in the room. Kelli and Jorge took turns putting pressure on my back during the contractions, which made a world of difference. I sat on the birthing ball next to the bed, leaned on the ball on top of the bed, and laid on my side at different points. The contractions got strong in the evening, and I sent my dad out to send Jorge in. I knew that I needed him, and that he wouldn't be leaving the room again until the baby was born. I didn't know what to expect from the contractions before the labor, and it's difficult to describe them. There was tightening, intense pain, and a lot of pain in my back. I tried to stay relaxed and breathe through them; this became more of a challenge as the labor went on, and took a tremendous amount of effort.
I had put a lot of preparation into this birth. I did not want another C-section for several reasons. It's a major abdominal surgery, and that comes with a lot of risks. It seemed like such an unnatural experience when I had Elena. Being tied down to a table, unable to hold your baby after she's born, and being separated after the birth, along with not feeling most of your body and feeling doctors pull on you like they're playing a game of tug-of-war is not exactly how you picture bringing your baby into the world. To increase my chances of having a successful VBAC, I decided that I also wanted to have this baby with no pain medication, and with as little interventions as possible. I wrote up my birth plan and gave it to the hospital team when we arrived at the hospital.
Anyway, labor continued and I knew it was progressing when I got really shaky and the contractions became almost unbearable. Jorge, Kelli, and my mom continued to support me through all of it, reassuring me and telling me that I was getting closer and closer. The peaks of the contractions were so intense I didn't know what to do with myself, but Kelli and Jorge would get me to refocus in those moments and focus on my breathing. It came to a point where I just couldn't take it anymore. I wanted to know where I was at in labor, because I knew I couldn't take another hour of this pain. We called the doctor in and she examined me. This was not a good experience because it took her a long time and I had a contraction while she was checking me, so nobody was able to apply counterpressure to my back. Finally she said that I was dilated 9.5 cm. Suddenly there was a lot of scrambling as the nurses and another doctor came in, setting up to deliver my baby. After another contraction I told them I felt like I had to push, and after checking me again they said I was ready. The contractions leading up to this were really difficult, but pushing had the same intensity. The doctors and nurses stood around between contractions, and when I grabbed my legs to push they would all get in position. I had a nurse at my side who would count really loudly and say "Harder! Push harder!" This might bother some people, but I found it helpful to keep going. The next thing I knew, they told me to stop pushing (which was very difficult), and then they were laying him on my stomach. He was here!
Samuel Alexander Reyes, born October 26, 2012 at 10:40 pm, weighing 8 lbs 1 oz, 19 inches long
It was an unbelievable experience, in so many ways. Jorge and I were able to have the birth we wanted, and we were in control. I'm so thankful to have had the support from Jorge, my mom, and Kelli throughout the process, and wouldn't change anything about it. And being back at home with Samuel and Elena makes us realize how truly blessed we are.
