Birth Story

This is the birth story of Julian Edward Osland.

Preface: I had been having Braxton Hicks contractions since I was 20 weeks pregnant and they were relieved with resting and drinking water.  I kept telling people my uterus was preparing for the marathon of birth (not knowing it was really going to be 53 hours long).  At 34 weeks, I went for a walk with Dan and had contractions that were 5-7 minutes apart and they were relieved when I got home, drank water and rested.  I saw Dr. Leis for my 35 week appointment and she said to not go for walks and just rest.  Liz McDaniel, my midwife, agreed with her.  It was hard for me to take this advice since the nesting phase was kicking in and I had more energy to go for walks, but I was compliant.

On Wednesday, April 11, 2012 I got checked by Liz and was 1 cm dilated and 50% effaced.  At 6pm, Dan and I were talking to his brother on Skype and I noticed that my contractions were happening quite frequently.  I timed my contractions with an iPod app and they were 5 minutes apart.  Drinking water and lying down did nothing to relieve them.  Dan and I went to bed late that evening and I didn’t sleep well, so I ended up with 4 hours of sleep total.

On Thursday (38 weeks pregnant), I emailed my doula, Amy Beck, to inform her that my contractions had been 5 minutes apart since 6pm the previous night.  I called Liz’s office in the morning and they wanted me to come in right away.  I told them that my husband had the car for teaching and that I could come in at 11. At 11am I was still only 1 cm and 50% effaced.  Liz said the contractions could stop and I was devastated.  I was supposed to work the next night and couldn’t imagine working with contractions. Liz told me to call in and not work and just see what happens, but that everything was normal. 

Dan and I watched Avatar that evening and it was too long.  I should have gone to bed sooner, especially if I had known what was about to take place.   I called my doula that evening and at midnight to make sure that the baby was okay since I was afraid of him getting squished that often.  She reassured me that he was ok and that I should call my midwife in the morning since the contractions were getting more intense.

Friday, April 13, 2012: A small part of my mucous plug, though I didn’t know it was small at the time, came out at midnight.  I only got 3 hours of sleep Thursday night since my contractions were really intense.  I labored pretty well, but was wide awake really early in the morning.  Around 5 or 6am I passed the mucous plug (for real this time).  The exercise ball was extremely helpful during the contractions.  I decided to keep laboring before calling my doula.  At 7 am, I texted her and said that I could use her support whenever she was available.  She came over at about 7:30ish and she watched my contractions.  Amy thought that I should call Liz.  I called the office at 8am and Liz wanted me to come as soon as I could.

I got to Bloomington Hospital at 8:30am, walked to my room, and was set up instantly.  I was 3 cm dilated (I was ok with that).  I had a nursing student, which I wanted since I had a great experience in nursing school observing births, and Davenna (a good nurse with 18 years of experience).  Davenna is a controlling nurse like I am.  She liked me being on the monitor to watch the baby, but I hated being hooked up to the monitor.  Even though it wasn’t tight, I felt like it was digging into me and I wanted to walk around, stand, use the ball, and every time I moved, the student nurse or Davenna had to come in an adjust it.  Amy asked if I could be taken off the monitor since the baby was doing really well during contractions, and she let me, but checked me every hour or so.

The nursing student blew a #18 gauge (large) IV in my left arm and Davenna blew an 18 in my right arm, so they had another nurse put an IV in my left hand.  I can honestly say that the IV was one of the worst things that bothered me throughout my entire labor.  The IV in my hand was so painful while I was moving around and trying to grab or hold things during contractions. My forearms were so painful for the rest of the day where the IVs had blown. (I’m writing this 3 weeks later and I still have bruises in each arm and my hand vein softened after 2 weeks from the phlebitis that I got from the IVs).

I was in the shower at one point and that was so relaxing.  I went for a walk with Dan, but I was embarrassed and not as comfortable moaning out in the hall, even though no one was there.  The birthing ball was my favorite, but I was falling asleep on it and needed to lie down.  That is where the back labor started, though no one ever said it was back labor because I think I would have freaked out a bit hearing that term.  While laboring on my side, it allowed me to rest in between contractions, but the pain was so intense during the contractions that I grabbed the side rail and rocked myself vigorously back and forth (my arms and chest muscles were so sore in postpartum).  Dan used the tennis balls on my back which helped sometimes and sometimes I didn’t want to be touched.  I would get hot during the contraction and then get cold after it was done, so Dan and Amy had a great routine of uncovering me and covering me.  I hated lying down, but I got some sleep which I needed.  My back felt as if it was going to explode during the contractions though.

At one point, Liz came in and said that I had been dealt a rough hand.  She mentioned that it would possibly be beneficial if she broke my water to speed up my labor, but that we’ll wait a bit.  After she left I told Dan and Amy that I didn’t feel like I had been dealt a rough hand at all and that everything was tolerable (not knowing that it was going to be 53 hours).  I was having horrible back labor (though it was still not called “back labor”) and I got in the tub.  That helped, but I remember asking Amy why I was doing this without medicine or an epidural.  She listed all the reasons and I cried and my strength was renewed.  She asked what I was thinking as I had contractions and I told her the two Bible verses that I was quoting in my head:

“I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come?  My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.”

Jesus said, “I will never leave you or forsake you.”

And I kept thinking about God’s promises to me and his love for me and thanked him for this new life.

Liz came back and I agreed that she could break my water, but I was afraid of what position the baby was in since I had the back pain.  There was so much amniotic fluid, they all made comments about it and it felt as if Niagara Falls was happening and it never stopped.  Every time I had a contraction, it felt like Niagara Falls was pouring out, which was surprising to me.

At some point I was 7 cm, but I don’t remember if it was before or after my water was broken, but I think after.  I remember that Davenna wanted the baby to be born before the change of shift (at 7pm nurses give report to the night shift nurse and then leave for the day).  I thought for sure I would have that baby by then.  I was wrong.

Kellie, the night shift nurse, was amazing!  She liked working with women who wanted to have natural, unmedicated births and the first thing she did was take the monitor off of me and I was so happy.  She did ask me to get into positions that were so painful, but I could tell I made huge progress with them. 

My back pain was still unbearable especially while lying down, but I needed to get a little rest in between my contractions.  Amy suggested that I get sterile water papules.  I had never heard of them, nor had Kellie, so Liz came in after delivering a baby next door to explain what they were.  She said that they are 4 injections of sterile water under the skin (like a PPD, TB skin test) over the sacrum.  It works as a pain gate 50% of the time, but that it is VERY painful.  One of her patients described the injections as, “a million genetically altered killer bees” entering the skin at once that lasts about 20 seconds, and I agree.  Liz asked, “do you think it would be more tolerable if you didn’t have the back pain?” and I said yes and agreed to get the injections.  Liz had to teach Kellie how to give them and marked my back with a pen.  While she was drawing on me, I told her those were the exact places that I had pain it felt good just the pressure of the pen on my back.  They had me get out of bed, lean over the mattress, counted to three and put all 4 injections in at once.  I yelled!  Later I found out that I was the quietest patient of Liz to have gotten them, but I felt that I screamed.  Thankfully they worked!!!

My birth plan had stated that I didn’t want coaching on how to push since I thought it was a natural thing that would just happen.  I was feeling the natural urge to push so Liz checked me and there was a “lip” on my cervix that prevented me from being 10 cm.  She didn’t want me to push yet.  Liz, Kellie, Amy, and Dan were all watching me labor through each contraction.  The urge to push was starting to take over, though I tried not to push.  I was lying down (I had “planned” to squat to give birth) and everyone got in on the action for helping me with pushing.  I asked them to help me and coach me when to push since it was so overwhelming. 

Amy went to get the mirror so I could see the baby’s head crown.  Liz said that she should hurry since he’d probably be out in 5 more pushes (wrong).  The mirror was in place, but I couldn’t focus.  Baby started to have decels, but I thought that was pretty normal since his head was being squeezed.  They placed a non-rebreather oxygen mask on me and told me that I needed to push.  Liz got very firm and said that the baby needed to come out NOW.  I thought I was doing something wrong, but pushed and pushed without letting up.  No one told me that baby’s hand was under his chin and that he was stuck.  I read all about the “ring of fire” when the perineum stretches so much due to the head emerging.  I felt like I had 3 or 4 rings of fire.  Ouch!  Liz insisted I get an episiotomy and I agreed.  I pushed with everything I had and baby was born at 11:10pm!

They were supposed to delay cord clamping and assess him on my chest, but they whisked him away to the warmer after cutting the cord.  I remember Dan was at Julian’s side, but I couldn’t see much.  His apgars were 7 and 9.  They had to suction all the amniotic fluid from his stomach.  I was surprised by this since babies swallow it all during pregnancy.  His face and parts of his body were bruised, but Liz said it would disappear quickly.

The worst part of the whole experience was the after birth.  My placenta would not come, so they started Pitocin which caused major cramping and Liz pushed so violently on my abdomen that I was in so much pain.  I was a bit traumatized by that part, but it was over after my placenta was delivered 30 minutes later.  Then they placed Julian Edward on my chest.  I was so tired that I could not hold him or reposition him.  Amy stayed at my side while Dan got pizza in the cafeteria, which he later stated, “was the best pizza I have ever had!”  I did not bond with Julian until a few hours later when we were in postpartum and it was just me nursing him while we looked into each other’s eyes.  This little life now lies in my lap as I type this one handed.  I am beyond happy!  53 hours is a long time, but I’d do it again in a heart beat.

I’m excited to read my doula’s write up of this story as well as read Dan’s perspective.  Amy has all the times written down which is great!