Birthing her started long before her arrival. We arrived at the hospital at 6 a.m. November 1, eager to meet our little girl; who was already more than a week late. My doctor and I discussed options - the initial plan for induction was Pitocin, but after reading up on the nature of its influence on labor I voiced my preference for alternatives; and decided on a cervical ripener that could be removed if too intense.
It was a good choice, since shortly after it was administered I started having tetanic contractions. These sustained contractions don't have any rest period in between and lasted for hours. When Maggie's heart rate dropped for the third time they administered a bolus of fluid slow things down. After no relief from the saline, they administered a muscle relaxer, which changed everything.
By 2 p.m. my contractions were under control and it was decided I should rest till 6; then we would discuss pitocin. Luckily my body had been initiating contractions since the beginning of induction on its own and during the four hours of rest things progressed to two centimeters. Once examined, my doctor decided to break my water right in hopes my contractions would become regular and we'd get the show on the road more naturally. And boy, did that get things going!
My contractions became regular very quickly and I was breathing my way through. Brian was an amazing coach throughout the entire process. I spent some time on the birthing ball, using Hypnobirthing breathing techniques, and getting back massage from my hubby to work through each surge. When things started to get intense I decided it was time for more relief. Maggie was posterior and the back labor put me over my pain threshold. Ten milligrams of Stadol took the edge off and thirty minutes later had worn off. It was time to climb into the tub for some relief - thirty minutes was all I got before they pulled me out, concerned about Maggie since she had shown signs of distress earlier in the day. Brian helped make the most of it, pouring water over my belly and reminding me to take deep breaths. Once out, I was begging for another dose of Stadol while trying to continue breathing through my contractions, though at this point I was yelling my way through labor. Good thing the hospital was small and there were only two other Mommas on the floor.
My doctor came in to check my progress before allowing additional pain medication, but no luck on the meds as it was time to push! My room had been transformed while I was in the tub, extra furniture was wheeled out and birthing tools moved it. An hour and a half of pushing later and Miss Maggie was born. It took a long time for her to come around and down through my pelvis, but some strong pushing and we welcomed our baby girl.
The umbilical cord was around her neck and she was passed to the pediatrician. Brian stood between my bed and Maggie as they stimulated her - when she belted out her first cry my heart soared. I've been in love ever since. Bringing Marjorie into this world with the strength of my own body, with my husband by my side was the most miraculous experience of my life. She is a gift from God.
