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Main Page Site Index Getting Pregnant Pregnancy Parenting Pregnancy and Parenting Journals Fertility Nutrition Pregnant Moms Morning Sickness Women's Health Child Health	Jacob's Birth Story By Melinda       I went into pre-term labor rather early. To be exact, I had hyperemesis until I was 8 months pregnant. And just when I thought the worst of the pregnancy was over, I felt the first twinges of contractions. My husband, the neo-natal ICU nurse went into a blind panic that something was wrong with our unborn son. So I saw my doctor, or rather the doctor at the hospital, who named it and sent me home.       Eight weeks and five more trips to the hospital later, I finally thought my water had broke (Jacob is my first...is it obvious?). Just a light trickle. This was on Monday. Jacob's due date was that Thursday. I thought, "This is finally it!" WRONG. Tested the fluid and deemed it discharge only. On Wednesday I had my 40 week appt. with my ob who dismally announced that I was only 2 cm (I had been 2 cm for about 6 1/2 weeks). Well, I broke down and cried. I just couldn't take it anymore.       My ob shrugged her shoulders and said that if I hadn't had him by the following Wednesday, she'd schedule and induction. It seemed like a death sentence. I also decided I hated her. I was convinced she was the coldest b----- I'd ever met in my life. I hoped she'd be off call the day I finally went into labor and her partner, a friendly young, sympathetic woman, would be delivering Jacob. Her partner had tried the week before to break my membrane, but my son's head was lodged so far into my cervix, he had pushed the water from the top of his head and streched the membrane so tight that she couldn't get a hold of it. On my way out of the office on my 40 week appt., she told us to go home and have sex.      Well, sex was the last thing I wanted and refused. Finally on Friday night, my husband made me have sex. The most mechanical experience I'd ever had. I went to bed. At about 5:00 that morning, I felt a light trickle in the vaginal area. I thought at first that I had lost control of my bladder, so I rolled out of bed quickly and moved the 4 feet to get into the bathroom. No sooner had I stepped foot onto the tiled floor did I feel the sudden gush. Calmly I called to my husband who was still sleeping and woke him up and let him know the news. He showered, I took care of the pets, and we headed off to the hospital which was a half hour away.      At the time, my contractions were no stronger than they had been before, but as the half hour went by, they were coming fast and strong. So strong and fast that I couldn't walk. As I was checked in, I still hadn't dilated any more than 2 cm at all. The pain was so intense, I forewent the natural birth I had planned and asked for pain medication. I was given Staydall which knocked me out totally. I basically slept through the next four hours pain free.       At this point, they decided that I wasn't dilating quickly enough. I was GBS positive, and my temperature was climbing. So I was given my epidural and put on pitocen. This was about 1:00 p.m. By 4:30, I still hadn't dilated any further and the epidural, I discovered only took on the right half of my body. It was as if only the lower left part of my body existed. To my dismay, Dr. B----- showed up to deliver. She spoke with my husband who expressed his concerns about the infection risk to Jacob because I was GBS positive. She agreed with him and soon set about spreading my cervix manually. Jacob just didn't seem to anxious to be born. She quickly discovered that he was facing the wrong way-face down. So they decided to do a vacuum extraction while I pushed. As I pushed, he turned in the birth canal and wrapped the cord around his neck prolapsing it.      At 6:14 p.m. Jacob finally made his way into our world and hearts. He spent 10 hours in the NICU because my husband insisted the attending pediatrician check him out (he had been in some minor respirqatory distress). I had no other complications. Antibiotics had been administered through labor and Jacob did not receive any infection as we feared. I was up and about three days later, a little sore, very tired, but wonderfully happy about the arrival of Jacob.      Right now he is 3 1/2 months old and growing like a weed. AT birth he was 21" long and 7 lbs. 10.1 oz. Now he weighs in at 15 lbs.3 ozs. and is almost 30" long.   Search the Birth Stories Match All Terms Any Term and show results in Standard Form in Compact Form Hint! Enclose phrases in quotes. For example "home birth" [ Return to Section Five Birth Stories Index ]