The links above are Google ads and are not associated with Louisiana Natural Birth.

---

This is a third cild born in a Louisina Hospital after 2 previous out of State Birth Center deliveries

Hospital Birth of Elizabeth Annette 1-06-03

I remember e-mailing my college friend first thing in the morning, while the boys, Casey (age 3 ¾ ) and Caleb (age 2 ¼), watched morning cartoons. Greg was still getting ready for work though it was already 9am and I was typing, “Every night, I’ve been having contractions that fade in the morning. We’ll see if these last.”

My first labor had lasted half the day and my second labor had lasted only three hours, so I was unsure what to expect. Greg wanted to know if he should go to work or stay with me. I told him that this labor felt much more like the first – mild contractions, so he could probably work at least half a day, but I would call the Ob/Gyn to see what her opinion was.

The doctor (a former midwife) wanted to see me right away, which I thought was silly since I had to practically argue my way into the birth center during my last labor, but I supposed hospitals were different. I called my mother to come care for the boys and Greg called his office to let them know he would accompany me to see the doctor.

I was checked and told that I was at 5cm already and told to go straight to the hospital. I was very surprised because I remembered hitting the wall in pain during my first labor at this point and now these were just mild contractions. I didn’t feel the urgency to go to the hospital, but I figured I’d do it anyway. Taking the long walk from the car to Terrebonne General labor and delivery, I stopped frequently, breathing deep during contractions. I was carrying a little white stuffed lamb – the baby’s first gift. This winter Monday was sunny and slightly chilly – my favorite type of weather.

When I arrived in the delivery room, I changed garments and was given a shunt for the possible need of an IV, then was asked a whole list of questions, as they invited me to lie down. I was rather annoyed by this because I had already answered every one of those questions at pre-registration and because lying down slowed my contractions and made them more difficult to manage. After the inquisition, I said I wanted to walk around, so we found a way to carry the many wires attached to my waist and I paced the room, holding on to Greg whenever a contraction arrived. We did a slow dance to no music while the doctor took a lunch break.

I sipped some water and looked at my Madonna & Child Christmas card pictures which I had cut out and strung together. After a while, I began to feel the urge to push. Just then, the doctor came in and asked me to lie on the bed/table. I pushed as I was told, but lying down made my urge to push vanish and it felt a little disorienting. I couldn’t feel what I was supposed to do. My legs started trembling and I guess I started breathing nervously because they gave me the oxygen mask for a minute. I was told to lay on my left side for the next contraction because the baby’s head was not correctly positioned. That felt more difficult, but not horrible. I returned to lying on my back and just felt like I wanted to stand up. I think if I was upright, the baby may have worked itself into the right position. In any case, I remained on the table, grasping my husband’s hand and pushing. About the 4th push, the head emerged, little eyes peering out at the world (so my husband later informed me). I had my eyes squeezed shut, asking, “Is the head out?”

The next push brought out the rest of the body. The first thing I remember seeing was bitty red toes sprawled out in the air. The next thing I noticed was a head full of inch-long black hair and beautiful dark eyes looking at me, and a mouth wide open, crying of course. I held her in near my heart, trying to comfort her, offering to nurse her, but she refused, continuing to cry. The nurse’s examination did nothing to sooth her. She weighed in at 7lbs, 13 oz, and 19 inches long. Thank God it was a myth that each baby gets larger – my second was over 10 lbs! After the long wait for her to receive a bath and for her temperature to stabilize (my husband checked on her several times to be sure she wasn’t being tampered with), I received my little bundle back and tucked her by my side. She smelled so sweet. I slept in bliss along side my little girl.