Labor and delivery recap

8/22/08 1:15 am
By 11 pm contractions were not regularly 5 minutes apart but they were very intense and lasted almost a minute. They were 5-8 minutes apart but pain was becoming unbearable and we did not want to rush to the hospital in the middle of the night. So we decided to pack and leave for the hospital; with readiness to come back which did look like the possibility. We reached the hospital at around 12:05 and we parked in the visitors parking and took the spot closest to the door leading to the lobby. Closed. We walked around to the main entrance and there was a sign saying we should use ER entrance after 8 pm. I wonder if they ever told us that during childbirth classes. Anyway, so we walked around the building again and found the ER entrance. A sigh of relief. Took elevator A to 4th floor and registered immediately. They had our file ready since we had already called a few times previous evening already but delayed our arrival with the fear of having to go back if were not dilated to a point where they would admit us. After registration we will be taken to the triage room where they will make sure that we were worthy or getting a bed.

At the triage room they would also make sure that water had broken. They did the usual checkups and observed contractions. Then an assistant doctor came in to make sure that the water had broken. She will be taking a fluid sample and looking under microscope to make sure that the fluid has characteristics that would suggest that it was from inside uterus. She could not get far enough to get the sample and we will have to wait for the resident doctor. After a little while a resident doctor came in and took the sample and check how much was she dilated. 4 centimeters!! We had already transitioned into active labor and that, as per my knowledge from books, qualifies us to get a bed. We will not be driving back home. Not tonight. Sample under the microscope also suggeted that the water was broke. Congratulations.


8/22/08 3:15 am
It has been two hours since we were brought to the labor and delivery room. Contractions became stronger and were becoming unbearable. We had not even unpacked. Forget inflating the birthing ball or setting up music. There was no time and I would not be leaving her side. We talked to the nurse about our birthing plan; that we prefer for this to be as natural birth as possible and she would not want to be offered pain medications until she is ready. We will be breastfeeding and we do not want any pacifiers to be offered to the baby. By 2:15 labor pain had become unbereable for her. Contractions were hitting very hard and we had tried all positions. She was starting to give into pain and I could not blame her. I was only watching the numbers go by on machines and I was ready to offer her drugs or epidural if it was upto me. It was time to discuss our options. Nurse explained the two kinds and we decided to start with narcotics but she will have to call in experts to make sure it was right time and choice for her. It may take up to 20 minutes before she can get any pain medication. The resident doctor showed up at around 2:30 to see how far along we were. 9 centimeters he said. And we were like, 9 what? He said yes, 9 centimeters!!!

But there was some bad news with that. Bad news was that it was not advisable to take any pain medication now. Medications will take some timem to be arranged and then it will also be some time before medications kicks in. With the pace her labor was progressing at, it could be time to push by the time medication kicks in. We were 1 centimeter from fully dilated but pain was making her weak. Also, with no medication to help contractions were draining all energy out of her body. Minal could not bear the pain anymore and we asked for a narcotic. Before they could give her a narcotic the resident doctor came in to check her once again. He said there is no time. She is 10 + 2. I asked 10 + what? He said she is fully dialated and two steps ahead after full dialation. She can begin pushing if she wanted to. I was so excited. I looked at Minal and said it will all be over in a couple of hours. She was ready to push and we thought may be an hour more before a beautiful baby is in our hands.

8/22/08 6:15 am
After three hours of rigorous pushing we are still in labor and delivery room. With little bit of "cheating" we could see the head two hours ago. But since then there has been no progress. With every push the baby's head peeks out a little bit and then goes back again. We have switched from baby monitor on Minal's belly to one on baby's head. With contractions so intense and pushing so exhausting there was no way Minal could bear the nurse pressing on her belly every few seconds to keep a tab on baby's heart rate. Now baby's heart rate can be constantly monitored and, with every push, we see the wire come out a little and then go back as soon as the push ends. I am not sure where she was getting all the energy from to be able to push like that after so many hours in labor. May be it was the fear of C-section or excitement to meet our baby. One thing I was sure about; that I do not want to see Minal in so much pain again. Once all this is over we will forget about this every happened and at least I won't be thinking about a second baby.

At about 6:30 the delivery doctor showed up looking like he just woke up from a good night sleep. Careless about how much pain she was in he continued to glance through papers and screens to grasp in minutes what we had gone through in 9 months. Just felt like wacking him in his head!! Then the master spoke. He said it does not look like the baby wants to come out this way. He was in no doubt that Minal was doing a fantastic job pushing but with no progress in two hours we will have to take other measures. He mentioned the word C and that is last word neither of us wanted to hear or were prepared to hear. All 9 months of pregnancy we never, even once, thought that it could very well happen to us. We asked for other alternatives.

The doctor mentioned two. One was to try vaccum but that would still require Minal to keep pushing and did not look like she had any more energy left. The other was to let her take and epidural and rest for few hours. But after those few hours we may be back at this point. All of it was happening so fast. We had no time to think but Minal and I knew one thing. No C-section. We opted for vaccum since Minal agreed to push with all her strength. Everything was ready in 5 minutes and we tried to pull baby's head out for another 15 minutes. No luck. And doctor brought C word again into conversation. At this point the doctor was convinced that baby's head was in such a position that it will not be coming out through vaginal opening. I asked about the epidural option. But with epidural, he said, we will only be wasting time. During that time the baby will be uncomfortable and mom's labor will be stretched out unnecessarily. I could not believe we had no other option. We never even imagined we will have to go for C-section. From baby's development to moms weight gain to baby's head down position and full dialation without pain medication. It appeared everthing was going so well. And now we were left with no other choice. It seemed people with planned C-section were better off. We reluctantly agreed.

8/22/08 7:15 am
We heard a cry. It was our baby's first cry. It was amazing. Tears went down our cheeks while I sat behind a curtain holding Minal's hand. The nurse wrapped her and brought her to us. A beautiful baby girl was in my hands. She looked like a big girl for mommy. I don't believe words can ever describe the feeling when we saw her for the first time. She was perfect.

Minal was still feeling guilty. She thought she could have avoided the surgery by pushing harder. Little did she know that even after complete exhaustion she pushed so hard that baby's head was half way through. The doctor looked over the curtain and said - "There is no way she was coming out through vaginal opening. She was 'sunny side up' (facing the ceiling) and you did the best you could do which is evident from her cone shaped head. So stop feeling guilty." She weighed 8 lbs and 2 ozs. A big girl for our mommy. Her belly was mostly baby and no more.

Doctor's will take some time to sew her up and I accompanied the nurse to the nursery where basic measurements and other basic exams will be done.

Water broke, 8/21/08 @ 9:37 pm

I did not think this is how I will learn about her water breaking. She went to the loo and felt a gush of water flowing through. She flushes it out and then tells me her water broke. I had more dramatic scenes run and re-run in my mind about how and where her water will break.

So there is some progress. Talked to the doctor a couple of times before the water broke and they still want us to watch for 5-1-1. Or we could go to the hospital and get checked with readiness to return home if we are not that far in labor. Well, now the water broke so we are coming. May be we will time contractions one last time before we go. But the doctors should know that water broke.

Mucus plug gone, still waiting

Neither I nor she has any idea what is going on inside her body. Contractions are definitely not 5-1-1 which is what the hospital wants before they can take her in. They should be 5 minutes apart, each should last about a minute and this should go on for at least an hour. We have called the maternity a couple of times but have been asked to wait until we reach 5-1-1.

The problem is that we are seeing two different sets of contractions. When she is lying down contractions are very intense, last longer but are still probably 6-8 minutes apart. When she sits up contractions are less intense, last only about 35 seconds and are 6-10 minutes apart. So we are confused. At least we know that mucus plug is now dislodged and water could break next.

8/21/08 5:05 pm

It has been almost 16 hours since contractions started last night. This could be called the longest early stage of labor. All morning and also until couple of hours after lunch contractions were coming in but stayed between 35 and 45 seconds. Whether relaxing on bed or sitting up chatting contractions continued to come anywhere between 5 and 15 minutes apart.

Late afternoon the intensity increased and Minal has been fighting with that. Not only that but she also took readings from 3 and 4 pm while I took a booster nap. Contractions are now lasting between 50 and 60 seconds ranging from 6-10 minutes apart. Hoping to get to 5 minutes apart in next couple of hours and get those dots in a straight line.

8/21/08 10:00 am

Contractions became long between 7 and 8 am lasting between 45 and 55 seconds. Also we noticed a few being 5 minutes apart. So we said lets get ready and then count them again. Both showered and I shaved, cancelled meetings, took the day off and most of the stuff in car. By that time the intensity got less with each contractions lasting for about 30-35 seconds. So we decided to have breakfast. It has been half hour past breakfast and contractions have lost the frequency, intensity and are not lasting that long either. So we wait. May be most of the day will go by.

Minal says the baby is going to be like me. Because I am always early to whereever I need to get to :)

8/21/08 4 am

Contractions are still only lasting for about 30 seconds. Good and bad both happened between the last post and this post. Good thing is that we decided to sleep; and we did for some time. Bad thing is that when she woke up around 3:15 she noticed some discharge and we aren't sure whether it was just the mucus plug that popped or the water broke.

Does not look like the water broke because there wasn't as much water. I am calling the office in the morning because they should know if the water broke. What do we tell them? That we are not sure? May be they will ask us to come in for a checkup and then we will know.

Back to bed

Contractions kicked in

8/21/08 1:27 AM
Contractions have started. They came in out of the blue. Or may be I triggered those. I am known to have 'Kaali Jabaan'. Minal and I had a bet on a bollywood song which she won and started doing her dance moves. This was at about 11:30 pm and I said ' Don't dance too much; it might induce labor'. It was a few months ago at a local Pizzeria that she had felt what she thought was a contraction. But it was too early. Since then she had not even felt any Braxton Hicks. And right after midnight her contractions started. At first they were 6 minutes apart and lasted only a few seconds. Then she had a little bit of blood in her urine and sure I called the doctor to find out if it was normal. It is.

Contractions are now lasting longer (about 40 seconds) but frequency seems to be decreasing. Now they are about 12 minutes apart. We will be watching those and hopefully Minal can get some sleep and get through the night. I hope the intensity increases only after day light. I will be working from home.

Here comes another one - 7 minutes after the last one. But this one was short (~30 seconds) and not that intense. So may be we can get through the night.