The Birth Story: Part I

It’s hard to know how to begin this.  I will gloss over the early stages except to make the following observations:

• The process of having cervidil inserted is more uncomfortable than the most uncomfortable internal exam
• Which makes it that much worse when some overly vigorous peeing dislocates the cervidil and requires its reinsertion
• Or when there is still no birthing room available for you so they decide to give you yet another course of cervidil just to pass the time
• Nothing smells as good as Chinese food when you’ve been told you can’t eat
• Nothing tastes as good as chicken and rice soup and Ritz crackers that your husband has fetched from the corner deli when they tell you that you’re so far from active labor that you might as well have something to eat

That basically covers the first day in the hospital. I had arrived to begin the cervidil at 6 pm, with the pitocin to follow at roughly 7 am the next morning.  As it happened, though, lots of women in the greater New York area went into labor of their own accord so there were no birthing rooms available, and they won’t let you start the pitocin if you’re not in a birthing room.  Bummer, eh?

The cervidil itself was fairly anticlimactic.  I was hooked up to the fetal monitor so I amused myself by watching my regular though largely unimpressive contractions and noticed that the baby’s heart rate dipped slightly after a few of them: still within this hospital’s guidelines for normal (between 110 and 160 bpm), but definitely decelerations—whether late or variable I was not certain.

In our next installment: Squatters' Rights and Birthing Rooms: Why Possession is 9/10ths of the Law.

Comments

[Rebekah]

I'm looking forward to reading how your little one came into the world, and your thoughts on the whole thing. I hope you're doing well, despite the sleep deprivation. It's WONDERFUL to read how happy you are ... you deserve it!

Also, I wanted to thank you for pointing me in Cat's direction. She has been SO helpful to me, I can't even tell you. Thank you!! =)

[Alexa]

Ooh, I am so excited for the rest of the story. As for Squatter's rights...the 10 years required for adverse possesion in most places seems like a long time to be in labor...

[Cat]

Really looking forward to hearing the rest. Mmmmm... chinese food.

Hope you are all having fun and maybe some more sleep.

[Misha]

Oh...how cruel...birth story in chapters! I will be waiting with baited breath for the next juicy installment!