Join doula Brittney as she tells the birth story of her first child; Autumn!
It's May 2020, COVID is flooding the country.
My mind raced with questions.
Was my husband going to be allowed to come to the hospital with me?
He had already missed my last ultrasound.
Were they going to make me wear a mask while I pushed this baby out?
I have asthma, I can't breath on a good day. Let alone breathing with a baby squishing my lungs.
Was my baby going to get COVID while in the hospital?
I had already had my birth class canceled.
I hadn't bothering hiring a doula, she wouldn't be able to come anyway.
Was I going to have any support?
My husband hoped our baby was going to come on May the 4th instead of her due date, May 3rd.
Can you tell he's a Star Wars fan?
May 3rd came and went.
May 4th came and went.
That's okay, a due date is just a guess date. First time moms normally go past their due date.
May 7th, my mom's birthday, came and went.
Mother's Day came and went.
Okay... is this baby going to come out soon?
The OB office had scheduled a "post due-date appointment for me". In I went, without my husband.
I saw a doctor I hadn't ever seen before.
"We're not really doing inductions right now because of COVID. Let's just wait a bit longer, I'm sure you'll go into labor."
I came home and googled home "induction".
Castor oil - eh no thanks...
Spicy food - tried that already.
Exercise - I can barely walk to my mailbox and back...
Sex - tried that too.
Well I guess I'll just try it all over again.
May 15th another OB appt.
Same doctor from that last one.
"Well, I guess we'll have to schedule an induction. Your baby really doesn't want to come out."
Eleven days after my due date, Tuesday, the 19th, 11am.
Finally this baby was going to come out!
My husband took the day off to come with, he was allowed to come!
"Hey, glad you could make it. Just so you know, now that you're here, if you leave you can't come back."
Well that would've been nice to know. He calls his boss.
He can stay, he's not fired. They gave him a week.
In went the IV, in went a tablet to efface my cervix, in came the nurses.
Masks were required whenever someone else was in the room.
Contractions started a couple hours later.
Maybe we'll have our baby today!
In went another tablet, contracts got more intense.
"You're not coming along very well. We're going to give you another couple hours then start Pitocin."
I'm not coming along well? I've been having contractions for hours!
Pitocin was started, contractions were long and painful.
My husband slept. I didn't.
I laid there, shifted when I could.
But I was chained to the bed by all the wires and monitors.
Morning came, my husband complained of the hard bed not being long enough for his 6 foot frame.
I tried to be compassionate.
I didn't know how much longer I could do this.
I was exhausted.
A midwife came in to check me.
"I'm sorry dear you're still not coming along well. I'd like to try some different positions to help your baby engage. After a couple hours we'll increase your Pitocin dose as well."
They placed a towel under by hips and leaned my back.
Uhm, can I have some pain medication? This is not comfortable....
IV pain meds went in.
That's a little better I guess.
Every half hour a new position.
A couple hours later, more Pitocin.
Soon the pain became too much.
Hey husband, I think I need an epidural. I can't do this anymore.
The pain decreased but I could still feel the contractions.
But I could now sleep between them.
Bedtime came again.
No food because of the epidural.
Is this baby okay? Why aren't they coming out?
Thursday, May 21st
5am - I think something is different.
Hey husband, can you wake up?
7am - Midwife says I'm ready to push.
Really? I don't feel pushy.
7:30am - Okay I can definitely push now.
8am - Is this baby EVER going to come?
I can't do this.
I'm a failure.
8:20am - It that a head?
8:29am - Relief, a baby crying.
8:30am - Husband: "Phill was wrong!"
I guess that means we have a daughter!
Cord cut, more pushing, stitches, baby bliss.
21 inches long
Head circumference: 14 inches
Weight: 8 pounds 10 ounces
I was able to get up and use the bathroom within an hour.
About 2 hours later we moved to the Postpartum Wing.
I kept Autumn in the room with us that night.
She snored right alongside her Daddy.
Thursday was spent getting used to moving again.
Friday we were discharged and were home around dinner time.
It has taken me a long time to process Autumn's 3rd trimester and birth experience.
I think all COVID mama's have had trouble.
The uncertainty, the chaos, the last minute changes, the lack of education, it has affected us all.
Looking back I am able to be grateful.
I was encouraged and able to work from home almost the entire 3rd trimester.
We did not feel pressured to have visitors in the hospital or in the postpartum/newborn phase.
Each pregnancy, birth, and postpartum is unique.
Each is valuable.
Comments