Self Harm Community

Today is Baby L's birthday. I shared his birth story before, and damn it I'm sharing it again!

The night of November 24, I was feeling really grumpy. I went to bed around 10pm or so. Lorenzo was already sleeping and had been since 8. I woke up around 3:45am having to pee for the 15th time since laying down. As I clumsily climb over sleeping Lorenzo, my water breaks.

"Lorenzo, my water broke," I said very calmly, still kneeling on the bed.

"What?" he mutters.

"My water broke."

"Really? Are you sure?" He's now sitting straight up in bed, wide awake.

"Yes, really. Yes, I'm sure," I replied.

I speed waddle my way to the washroom and pee.

I call the hospital after I come out of the washroom to tell them that my water broke, and it was clear and whatnot, and ask if I need to come in, as my Lamaze instructor had suggested to do, so I could labour comfortably at home until the contractions were longer, stronger and closer together.

At about 4am, the contractions start. This is no big deal I tell myself. Little do I know how closer and stronger they are going to become over the next two hours.

At around 5:18, we notice that my contractions are about 2-2.5 mins apart and are around 45 seconds long. 5:23 I call the hospital telling them about my contractions. They said to watch them for an hour and if they're still coming like this, to call back in an hour and to come in.

So over the next hour, I start getting ready to go, and at 6:20, I call the hospital back and let them know we're on our way.

Thankfully, the hospital is really close to our house. Maybe a 10 minute drive with no traffic, which, at 6:25 in the morning, there is none. All except for the big rig that's taking up every single lane of traffic backing up into a warehouse. And of course, a contraction has to hit me right as we're sitting and waiting for this stupid truck to back in.

We finally make it to the hospital, we park, and we make a dash to Labour and Delivery and have 5 contractions on the way through the hospital.

We get there and the receptionist takes her sweet time with getting my paperwork in order. 6 contractions later (7am) and I'm taken to triage, where they have me strip down, put on a gown and have the baby's heartbeat monitored.

Meanwhile, the contractions are getting stronger and I'm starting to feel nauseous because I haven't eaten since around 7pm the previous night. I'm given some ginger ale and biscuits. I can drink the ginger ale, but the cookies...I just can't eat them.

The doctor on duty comes in to say hi and lo and behold! It's my OB! Immediately I'm relieved because my OB knows my preferences and I know I'm in good hands. Soon after the 101 questions, they check me. I'm 5-6cm dilated. And off we go to my delivery room!

As we're walking to my room, I ask which one we're going to. "Room 2" my nurse tells me. Room 2! It's one of the bigger rooms! We toured this room on our hospital tour. I become more relaxed because familiar things make me happy.

Soon after we get into the room, the contractions start really coming. My nurse tells me that at 8:30, she'll be back to monitor the baby's heartbeat. I look at the clock and it's only 8:15. By this time, the contractions are so bad that I can't stand, I can't sit, I can't lay down, and I can't breathe. Lorenzo and I discuss my relief options. We make the decision to get something, because I need the rest. We tell my nurse when she comes back that I would love something to take the edge off.

Knowing that I do not want an Epidural, she comes back with Nubain. The injection feels like a flu shot on steroids.

I lay down after the injection, because I know how narcotics affect me, and a few contractions pass before I start feeling the effects of the medicine.