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In June of 1993, my husband Andrew and I decided to finally have a baby. It seemed like it took an eternity (plus some!) to get pregnant, but it was actually only 7 months. I took 4 pregnancy tests at home, 3 of which came back falsely negative and the other one we thought we saw a line. At the doctors office, she did a urine test that also came back negative, but I insisted that I was pregnant so she sent me for a blood test. On January 18, 1994 (my dad's birthday) the doctor called with the good news. The pregnancy couldn't have gone any better and I was lucky to skip the morning sickness. (My mom claims that she had enough morning sickness forboth of us when she was having me!) That April, I had an ultrasound that put the baby's due date at Sept. 24. After we watched the ultrasound, Andrew swore up and down that he saw "big balls" and concluded the baby was a boy. I tried to explain to him that that even trained eyes sometimes can't tell if it's a boy or girl for sure at that stage, but he said that he was sure that he saw what he saw. In June, my doctor thought that I might have gestational diabetes, so for 3 days I was on a special strict diet that didn't allow any treats except for the occasional digestive cookie. This was really hard for me because this diet was to be over my birthday, so I couldn't go out for dinner or even have some of my own birthday cake. Then also I couldn't eat anything after 8pm on my birthday because I was to avoid all food/drink (except water) for 12 hours before my blood tests in the morning. Thankfully, the test came back negative and I don't think I've ever felt so relieved as that day. I had read in a couple books that red raspberry leaf tea was helpful in making labors shorter and easier and I was game for anything that might help me there. After I confirmed that it was safe and harmless to me and my baby, I quickly made it habit to have 2 cups of it every day. At the middle-end of August, my doctor told me that I had started dilating and my cervix was soft so it could be "any day". I was a bit surprized because I wasn't supposed to be due for over a month. Every doctors appointment from then on I was told it would be any day. This was so gruelling as I was already very anxious to meet my baby and I woke up every morning thinking "maybe today's the day". It wasn't until about 3am on Sept. 28 that I woke up for no apparent reason. A couple hours later I had a painless cramp and they continued on and off all day but not at any regular intervals. They didn't hurt they just felt like a tightening. We tried everything from showers and walks to 4 x 4 ing, but we finally gave up and went to bed at 10pm. At 11:15pm I woke up with another tightening I then had 3 more at 8, 6 and 4 minutes apart. Then they came at 2 minutes apart. After 3 or 4 of these at 2 minutes apart I awoke Andrew and suggested we go the the hospital. I wasn't in pain yet, but I just had this overwhelming feeling that I should be at the hospital. So we grabbed all the things I had prepared: A portable stereo with the soothing baby in womb CD, my visualization books, my notes from prenatal class, the TENS unit we had rented, a small rolling pin to massage my back, more labor and delivery books, everyone's ph. #'s plus 1000's quarters, a snack for Andrew, my tea, my suitcase and everything else that I thought would help ease labor. (So I was a bit paranoid of the pain factor!) I was in the hospital by midnight and the nurse hooked me up to a fetal monitor and measured my cervix which was 4 cm. dilated and 60% effaced. She was about to discharge me when my water broke at 1am, which was one of the grossest feelings I've EVER experienced! The nurse quickly changed her mind and measured me again and told us that I had gone from 4 to 7 cm in just 15 minutes and was 80% effaced. From there things moved quickly. The contractions gradually started to get a little painful and after only 15 minutes of contractions that were quite painful, I had the urge to have a bowel movement. The nurse said "No! Don't get up! You're ready to push, I think!" She checked my cervix and told me that I was fully dilated and effaced, so I began pushing. The nurse then told me that I couldn't yet push because she needed the head nurse to confirm her finding because she was still a student!!!!!!!!!! (I was not too happy and told her that she shouldn't have even bothered checking because I didn't need the entire world sticking their hand up my crotch!---Now that I'm in my right mind, I realize that she had to learn somehow, but playing guinea pig with me as I'm about to give birth just isn't the best time!!!!!!) Anyhow, an hour after my water broke I got to push and my doctor was finally called. The pushing felt so tiring that I took naps in between each push. The nurse didn't think my doctor would make it and wanted a resident doctor (another trainee!) to come upstairs, but I had to sign something that said it was ok first. I told her that I didn't want someone delivering my baby who didn't know what they were doing, so I refused. She pulled Andrew to the side and begged him to convince me to sign it because: "I've never delivered a baby before and I don't want to start now!" So I reluctantly signed it and the resident doctor came up. By then I didn't care, but the sight of MY doctor was still something wonderful. I'll never forget seeing her RUN (literally) into my birthing room saying "Did I make it? Did I make it?" The nurses told her to change as fast as she could and "put a rush on it". After pushing for what seemed like a lifetime (I pushed for 45 minutes in total) the baby crowned. For some reason I asked whether the baby had hair or not (like it really mattered) and was told the baby was bald. Shorty after, the head came out and I have to admit it was the most excruciating pain I'd ever felt. I can still see that little head sticking out and just a crying away! I didn't know it at the time, but apparently at that point the baby's heart rate plummeted. Everyone in the room was yelling at me to push hard. I took a big breath and gave a long hard push and at the same time reached down to "find" my baby. The doctor just let me do as I pleased and consequently, after only 3.5 hours of labor, at 2:52am on September 29, 1994, I had the pleasure of delivering my own baby. As the baby came out I exclaimed "it's a boy" and "Hi, Tyler!" and I brought him up to my chest for lots of cuddles. I was so ecstatic that I was just beaming. I was very proud of myself for giving birth with-out any drugs of any kind and for "toughing it out". All those accessories I made Andrew carry all that way and I didn't even get to use one! After being able to hold my Tyler for a few minutes and then letting Andrew hold him, the nurse weighed and measured him while my doctor administered 4 stitches where I ripped. We named our baby Tyler Andrew. He was 20 inches (51cm) long and he weighed 7 pounds 9 1/2 ounces (3440gms) and scored a 9 on both his apgar tests. I was expecting him to be all mucky, but actually he was fairly clean except for a little blood from me. He had nice pink smooth skin and was the most handsome child I'd ever seen. I got to breastfeed him 20 minutes after he was born and he knew exactly what to do. (He liked it so much that he continued to breastfeed until he was 2 1/4 years old!!!) By 3:45am, both my parents and Andrews mom were in the birthing room with us to meet Tyler and everyone commented on how he was so alert with his big blue eyes. His birth date has an extra special meaning to us as he was born on Andrew's dad's birthday. Andrew's dad was killed in a plane crash in 1986, so this was quite special. Tyler even resembles his late grandfather and has some of the same personalities. He is the center of our world and we are still delighted to this day how well his birth went. It was the most wonderful experience I've ever been through and I still find myself thinking about how magical it was. I can't believe I was so paranoid about the whole thing (I must have read every book ever written about the subject!) If I was allowed to re-live just one moment in time, I would choose Tylers birth with-out a second of hesitation. It was the happiest moment of all my life and I now kind-of regret not video taping it. I can't believe it was 2 3/4 years ago. Tyler is now a handsome little blondie with big blue eys, long eyelashes, and lots of curls, smiles, and giggles. Thank-you for letting me share my experience with you!
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