Birth Story Part 1

Every mother has a unique birth story. I have been listening to other women's birth stories for sometime - even before I became pregnant. Let me tell you though- once I became pregnant, anyone and everyone who had ever taken part in a birth began to tell me their personal birth story or stories. It wasn't just the mothers who began to open up. So many dads began to share their wive's birth stories with me it was unreal and occasionally uncomfortable. I can honestly say no two stories were ever alike, and true to form, my birth story is unique as well. I have decided to tell the story in parts because it is pretty long and I don't want to have to write one single entry. So here goes.

My story begins with an ideal. A document I created to help the nurses know what my desires and expectations were. It is a dumbed down - and shortened - version of a birth plan.

"Top 5 Wants When I Am In Labor"
1. Do not offer pain meds. I will ask if I need them (I wanted a natural birth with no pain meds. This was my way of keeping pain killers off my mind. No one was allowed to ask me if I wanted pain meds - not even family.)
2. Only intermittent monitoring of contractions and baby. I want to move around during labor.
3. I want the baby placed on my stomach as soon as she is born.
4. Do not cut the unbillical cord until it stops pulsing.
5. Do not give the baby a bath without asking me first.

Remember this is IDEAL and I am a flexible person so I understand things may not always go as planned. I can assure you, very little about my first birthing experience went "as planned." Everything was trucking along nice and normal throughout my entire pregnancy. I was feeling really good, really healthy and feeling quite fortunate to have it so good. When I went in for my 36 week appointment, I had gained 12lbs in 1 week! That was alarming to me. I had been gaining about 2-3 lbs in 2 weeks. My midwife was not worried, it was just some weight gain. I needed to be careful in the next week and keep the gain very minimal.

For my 37 week check up, I gained just 1 lb! I was so proud, but there was something else. My blood pressure was elevated and my feet and legs were swollen. The baby checked out fine, but just to be safe the midwife ordered labs and told me to take it easy. I had been nervous about preeclampsia because I knew a few women who had complications due to the disease. I felt great so I was certain the blood pressure was just a one-time thing, but I went for labs just in case.