Beanie's Birth Story

On Tuesday June 26, Glenn & I went to the store to get some stuff for dinner & say hi to my coworkers. We BBQ’d some Kalbi chicken, ate, & Glenn headed out to look at some big screen TVs that we had been wanting to get. He called from Circuit City & was looking at one to buy; basically playing good cop-bad cop trying to get a deal by telling the salesman that his wife didn’t want to spend so much money. As we were talking on the phone he asked if I was okay because I didn’t sound very good. I replied that I was “feeling funny.”

I started having contractions, but at first just thought it was weird stomach pain. After awhile, I felt them not only in my abdomen but they radiated all throughout my back. Between 9:30 and 9:45 that night I started timing my contractions. They were about 9-10 minutes apart and I was able to relax or doze off in between them. At 10pm I switched the channel to start watching the news, but quickly realized I was falling asleep and ended up turning off the TV. The contractions kept up until about 1am & were about 7 minutes apart at this time. When I got up to go to the bathroom. There was a lot of blood so I woke up Glenn and decided it was time to call the Maternity Center. They said it sounded like it might be labor, but to wait to come in since the contractions were still so far apart. I expressed concern that I hadn’t been feeling Beanie move as much so they instructed me to drink some water and juice and do a fetal kick count. I was supposed to call back if she didn’t move like she should. I laid down and drank 2 small glasses of cranberry juice and Beanie was moving around just fine.

After doing the kick count, the contractions kept up at about 6 or 7 minutes apart but then slowed to 10-12 minutes apart, and then around 20 minutes apart. Somehow I was able to fall asleep between 2 and 4am. I woke up at 4 and the contractions were still going. I woke up Glenn and we laid in bed for awhile.

At 6am, I called the Maternity Center again. My contractions were still about 6-7 minutes apart on average, but weren’t even really regular. I told the labor nurse I didn’t know if I should come in now or wait. She encouraged me to wait it out at home as long as I could because I would be much more comfortable. She said most first time moms coming in having contractions ever 3-4 minutes were only about 3cm dilated. I said “I just don’t know” and she replied that when I couldn’t take it at home anymore I would know. She said they would leave my file out and just to call and tell them when I was heading in.

We turned on the news and Glenn fried up some eggs and made me toast and sausage. We started getting our things ready & I took a shower. I later learned that Glenn said he remembered from class that I needed to eat. How sweet!

My contractions got stronger after I got out of the shower. They were hurting very bad in my back. I laid on the bed but my contractions, although stonger, never really got regular. Sometimes there would be one after only 3 minutes, then 6, then 9. They were all over the place. Finally at 8 I called the Maternity Center to tell them I was coming in. They were still wary because my contractions were, on average, still pretty far apart. I then realized it was 8am so my doctors office was open. I said maybe I would call there. The labor nurse said “do whatever you want, just call back if you’re coming in.” I called the office and they had me come in because they were going to hook me up to the NST and check everything out.

As soon as we got into the car, my contractions quickened to 3-4 minutes apart all the way there. Luckily, it was only about a 15 minute drive because they were also getting a lot more intense. Dr. C checked my cervix and said I was 5-6cm. She said “You’re having the baby today.” As we walked to the maternity center I was elated. Already 5-6cm. That’s over halfway there. I became more confident in my ability to do this delivery naturally. The doctor’s office called as we were waiting to be checked in & the receptionist asked me if I was being induced. Apparently I must’ve looked pretty darn good. Then we met Cindy, who I soon would find out if the best labor nurse ever! I told her about all the pain in my back and she encouraged me to lean on the railing each time I had a contraction as we walked to our room. We got settled into room 2172.

I was hooked up to the monitor for about 20-30 minutes. Cindy encouraged me to try different positions every 30 minutes as it would help with trying to deliver naturally. So after the monitor we walked the halls for 30 minutes, got in rocking chair (I did not like that at all and only stuck with it for 3-4 contractions), and sat on birthing ball. Cindy said maybe the tub would be next step because it helps a lot of people with the pain. She told me she would have to check my cervix first because they don’t want you in the tub if you’re at 10cm. Cindy went to her lunch break and we got a new nurse for a bit. She checked me in the tub and said I was at 10cm but my water bag was still intact. She let me stay in the tub for a bit while she called Dr. C to see if she wanted to break my water.

About noon the doctor came and broke my water. She asked Cindy, who was fresh back from lunch, if I had been having any back labor to which she replied that was all I had been having. Dr. C said the baby was traverse and I immediately panicked. Traverse?!!?! I looked at Cindy and said “She’s traverse?” She must’ve been able to sense my concern because she reassures me & the doctor explains that Beanie has moved so she is facing my hips/pelvis and not my back anymore. So Beanie is halfway to where she needs to be. Doctor explains she has to do a quick surgery & encourages me to hold off pushing as long as I can since it can be very tiring and take a long time for first time moms and to give Beanie time to turn around more.

Cindy has me get on my knees leaning my arms over the back of the hospital bed which was semi-upright. I keep breathing and Glenn gets me a popsicle. We do this for about a half hour until Beanie’s heart rate dropped suddenly. Cindy had me move positions since Beanie didn’t like that position anymore. She had me lay on my left side and immediately Beanie’s heart rate went back up. She had my try a test push and then said it was time to call Dr. C and have the baby. She takes a picture of Glenn and I and says “Ready to push and smiling—don’t show this to people, they’ll be mad.”

The doctor comes in and asks if I’m about to have a contraction because she says she can’t tell by my face. Said she never would’ve guessed I was 5-6cm this morning by looking at me that morning.

Time to push! After a few pushes, I say “It feels like her head is still out of me” and Cindy has me reach down and touch Beanie’s head. After only 5 or 6 pushes (about ten minutes worth) Beanie is here!

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Ah, nice to read over 2 years after the fact. I was so pleased with how everything went with Beanie's birth. I'm hoping for as good of luck this time around!