Marlea’s Birth Story (part one)

Hey this is Marlea, and this is my Birth Story. If you haven’t read my pregnancy story, go back and do so there is an important red flag! I divided my story into 2 separate parts. This is part 1.

    Friday May 21, 2021 I drank a date smoothie that night. I absolutely do not think that it started my labor just happened to be on the same night. We probably went to sleep around 11. Around 2:30am I started to experience waves. They would start at my tailbone and come all the way around to the front. I tried to fall back asleep and kept getting up and trying to use the bathroom. I finally just tried to lay on my belly or on my hands and knees in bed. I woke up my husband and told him I thought I was having contractions. He called out of work for Saturday and we tried to get some rest. 

   Saturday May 22, 2021 we told my doula I was having contractions that morning. We also told our families. My doula encouraged me to rest and act like it was just a normal day. She also sent me a Miles circuit link. We did what we could with the miles circuit. But every time I had a contraction I could not move and I immediately dropped to my hands and  knees. I used a yoga mat and also used a ball to prop my elbows and rest on. All I wanted was sweet tea. Hannah called and asked if we needed anything and I said sweet tea and I think they brought me a bunch of different brands. My husband's parents brought us Texas Roadhouse and I was so embarrassed to have a contraction in front of them. 

    That night we tried to get some rest but the contractions were back to back and very painful. We called my doula and told her we thought about going to the hospital, so she came over to help knowing that I want to labor at home as long as possible. She helps me with positioning, hip squeezing, and counter pressure. We did this for hours throughout the night. We talked about maybe calling my chiropractor to see if she could get the baby to turn or a massage therapist to help with pain. My husband and I decided we needed to try to rest so he filled up a tub and our doula headed home. The warm water felt so good and I fell asleep In the bath. My husband fell asleep on the floor beside me. I got out when the water got cold and took a short nap on the bed. shortly after the contractions come back full force again. 

   Sunday May 23rd. We called my doula again and told her we wanted to head to the hospital. I decided if I was around 7cm I wanted to receive an epidural so I could rest. Before we left we called the practice and the midwife I liked was on call!  It is about 8 or 9 am when we leave to go to the hospital, it is 40 minutes away. I was having horrible contractions in the truck. I thought I was going to break the car seat because of my grip on it. 

   After we check in, I’m put in the triage room. I could barely lay on my back for her to do a cervical exam and that pain was far worse than the contractions themselves. My doula could hear me screaming. I am only 1 cm… I tell the nurse I want to go back home so I could labor at home, since that is all I would be doing at the hospital anyways. I was not going to get an epidural at 1cm. The nurse gets Leah, the midwife, to come talk to me, she says “I thought you wanted an epidural.” I say yes but I thought I was much further along. She tells me there is other pain medication that will let me rest and I can still be mobile. She tells me I look very uncomfortable which was very true. She asks me to wait an hour to get checked again to see if I progress. I reluctantly agree. I asked if I could At Least walk around, and she said no because I haven’t had a covid test.

    An hour passes and the nurse comes to check me again, and this time I’m at 3cm. Leah comes in and says, “We are going to have a baby today!” This makes me hopeful. But I knew I was still in very early labor. They gave me a covid test and put an IV catheter in my arm. I had to sit for another hour for the covid test results to come back negative. Then I get admitted to my room. They get my doula to come meet us, although at this point she is my “additional support person” because we were worried they would not allow her in. The hospital was very strict about doulas being “certified”. That’s a topic we can save for another post :)

   A nurse comes in and starts trying to lay me in the bed and telling me she will get the anesthesiologist. She was rude and could tell that she was not going to be very pleasant. I tell her I’m not getting an epidural, she rolls her eyes and says ”don’t you wanna rest?” She goes and gets Leah. She says I thought you wanted one, I told her yeah but I thought I was further along and I didn’t know there was another pain medication available. She says yes it will help you rest for about 45 minutes. I will put in an order for you. A new nurse replaced the rude one and she was amazing! I asked my husband to go get me a pizza because this hospital has the best pizza and took a tiny bite of crust. I knew I needed to eat but was in so much pain it was hard. My doula gave me a granola bar. The nurse said I could have a small bite but I could tell that she did not care if I ate or not  and she ignored it.

    They gave me the IV medication and I took about a 45 min nap, and woke up feeling a little better. When I woke up we walked the halls. Our nurse finds us a birth ball so I used that a lot like I did at home. My doula made me some “Laborade” and I drank a ton of liquid IV. We had the light cut off, hung up the twinkle lights. Had a diffuser going. We brought affirmations but could not find them in the bags. They found a bar for me I could use so I did not have to push on my back. My labor at this point is magical.

   Around 6:30pm Leah came in to check on me and I decided I wanted a cervical exam. I am 6cm. My nurse switched shifts and when she left she gave me a very encouraging speech that was so sweet. I do not remember everything she said. Just basically that she believed in me.

   My next nurse was just as amazing. We continued doing all the same things. She helps me get into the tub to labor. It was very uncomfortable. The hot water felt good, but I could not get my Iv on my arm wet and she had to come readjust the monitors on my stomach frequently. My husband, doula, and I were all falling asleep between contractions at this point. We go back to the birth ball. My contractions started to get further apart. 

   At 10:50pm Leah comes to check on me again. My contractions are 7 minutes apart. I did not want a cervical exam and she did not push one. I did ask for more Iv medication. She tells me we can try but it usually does not work as well the second time. I was able to lay in the bed but could feel the contractions every time they came and still needed counter pressure. I was not able to nap, but was able to relax a little. After that we go back to the birth ball position. 

   Monday May 24th about 4:30 am. Leah does another cervical Exam. I am only 7cm. We discuss an Epidural, just so I can rest. I am still hesitant. At 5 am I ask for the epidural. 

   The anesthesiologist that gave me the epidural was extremely rude. I received it during a contraction. When my leg began to tingle I immediately freaked out. I panicked and was uncontrollably crying. I did not like being numb. My nurse reassured me that it was okay and normal. Now I had to be constantly monitored.

   Rhett’s heart rate would dip due to my blood pressure dropping. I finally relaxed and was able to fall asleep. My husband and doula also were able to rest. 

Laboring at home

Twinkle lights

Throne position on hands and knees

Hip squeezes

Trying to Squat

IV pain medication

Hip squeezes

Walking the halls