So, I thought I would post my Birth Story here for posterity:
I went into/thought I went into labor on Monday morning at 1AM. I had just lost the “mucous plug” and the contractions started about every 10minutes, and progressed within the hour to every 3 minutes. I packed up SO and headed to the Lions Gate Hospital Maternity Unit. After being examined there, the Doctor’s concluded that although I was totally effaced, and I was having contractions, I had not dilated at all! After some discussion, they sent me home to labor more in the comfort of home – a good thing as I think I was far more relaxed at home – and they suggested that since I was not dilated at all, that I take a shot of Morphine so that I could get some more rest.
The use of Morphine did concern me a lot, when they suggested it, however the Doctor allayed my fear by explaining how opiates like Morphine are metabolized, and what the effect would be on the infant. In a nut-shell, the use of Morphine to allow a mother to sleep very early in labor when she is experiencing contractions but not making a lot of progress is considered safe, as they way they calculate the dosage ensures that, although Morphine does cross the placenta to the baby’s circulatory system, the Morphine is completely metabolized prior to birth, and would therefor have no affect on the little one during the birth process.
Monday night the contractions became stronger, still 3 minutes apart and I thought the time was near! After arriving back at Lion’s Gate Hospital, 12 hours after first being examined there, I had only dilated to 1cm. Doctors were concerned also that my contractions had become ineffective and weak, and were not causing any progress. There were also ketones present in my urine, a sign that I was becoming physically exhausted. After being placed on a glucose drip to supplement my flagging energy levels, I agreed to be placed on an epidural as the Doctor felt that given the ineffective contractions I was having, it would be important to make progress, before I became so tired that a cesarean became necessary, they would need to increase my levels of oxytocin (Ptosin in the USA) – the birth hormone. Once administering oxytosin, contractions generally become much stronger and much more intense.
Inserting the epidural was a relatively simple affair, the anesthetist clearly being very skilled at doing this. I was worried having heard stories of multiple attempts to get the epidural fitted, but this anesthetist clearly new her stuff, and calmly inserted it first time exactly where it needed to be. Ah relief…
From the point I made much more rapid progress, and 10 hours later I was fully dilated and ready to push. During this time they were constantly monitoring little one’s heart rate, and she was doing superbly, showing no signs of distress, with her heart rate remaining at a steady 150-155 beats per minute even through contractions. At first, I wasn’t sure I was up to the challenge of all that pushing, and the “stretching” sensation they told me I was feeling, was perceived by me to be quite a bit more intense then they led me to believe. I was attended by my nurse, significant other and an intern that was starting her placement that day (I invited her to watch if she wanted). Instead of just watching, she became very involved in the birth – so I think she had a much better experience that day than she had expected when she asked if she could be present at the birth.
My doctor was called when I started to push, but decided to delay coming until there was more progress. With the intense pressure, I was not wanting to hear that my doctor was not on her way. The nurse told me there will be enough time, but I was not feeling up to have a leisurely pushing session. Every time she told me to push, I gave it as much strength as I could muster, and in the end pushed her out so quick, that they needed to call a midwife from the ward to assist as my doctor had not arrived.
All in all, I was in labor for 44 hours, but it was worth it to meet Portia Anne, weighing in at 8lbs, 7oz, just over 21¼ inches long. She is gorgeous and like the trooper she is started to feed within minutes of being born.
Motherhood is beautiful, even if the struggle to get there seems long and difficult!