Madeline's Birth Story

Written shortly after I gave birth to Madeline. Warning, it is rather specific:

For about six weeks before I actually went into labor with Madeline, I was having false labor. I’d have random contractions, usually not more than uncomfortable, and the occasional middle-of-the-night event where I’d have contractions for several hours, but they wouldn’t get stronger and eventually I’d fall asleep.

I find random contractions very annoying.

I did NOT want to have a baby on my birthday. I was power walking in the evenings, drinking red raspberry leaf tea, trying to have this baby. As I reached five days over due, I was also starting to get worried that at some point I might need to be induced, and since I was GBS positive, I wasn’t able to just break my bag of waters or strip membranes, since those would increase the risk the baby would be exposed to GBS.

The day before my birthday, I did not power walk, just in case it actually worked this time and would go over midnight.

I woke up fairly early, before seven. I was having a few contractions, but I didn’t even think about them, since I’d been having contractions for weeks. I went on the scavenger hunt David had prepared for my birthday before the girls got up.

As the morning wore on, I realized the contractions, while not strong or frequent, were at least consistent. They weren’t going away. I read to the girls and tried to ignore them.

That afternoon I had a non-stress test as part of being overdue. The monitor they stuck on me could see my contractions. Madeline was so non stressed she slept until they poked my belly to wake her up. My midwife told me, “Well, I can’t tell you that you’re not going to have a baby on your birthday… just don’t wait too long to come in to the hospital.”

We decided to go get supper from Tropical Smoothie Cafe and then watch a movie. Mom was taking the girls so I could go get steak for my birthday, but I didn’t feel like eating that much.

By the time we got home and I’d eaten and was sitting on the exercise ball, the contractions were strong enough I couldn’t focus on the movie, which was the whole point of the movie, for me to not focus on the contractions. I wasn’t cracking jokes anymore, I felt serious. I told David I wanted to go in.

Mom stopped by with the girls as we were loading up. I was able to kiss them goodbye. I had to lean on Mom during a contraction and she’s like, “Oh yes, it’s time.”

This was my first time getting to the hospital before I was pushing. Even so, when I was in the parking garage, I had to hurry to get to the other side of a ramp and lean against the wall, since I didn’t think I could move once it started. I limped up to Birthways.

In the room, they checked me in, swiped my nose for covid, gave me antibiotics (for GBS), I spoke with my midwife who was standing safely by the door, not yet in full PPE. Alice had wanted to be there, be on call for my third, but she was recovering from a procedure in a different part of the hospital. Dawn was the one on call.

My contractions were very strong now, to the point where I was questioning my ability to deal with them. I would loop my arms around David’s neck and just drop my weight, letting my body hang, trying to relax my uterus and let it hang as well. It HURT. They told me I didn’t have to wear a mask in my room, since everyone coming in was in full PPE. It was good, because I felt like I couldn’t even breathe into David’s shoulder without feeling short of breath. I felt like I couldn’t just sit on the bed until the contraction because trying to stand up in the beginning put me behind, where I wasn’t in control of the pain. So I went to the end of the bed since I didn’t want to flash the doorway with my hospital gown, got on my knees, and just leaned on the bed.

For a moment, everyone was gone except David.

And then came a pushing contraction. I started to moan. I started to yell. I started to scream. My water broke all over the floor and the contraction wouldn’t end. My voice cracked and got hoarse and the scream went on. I thought my body was going to push the baby out right then, ripping through me. It was the most intense thing I have ever experienced.

It still didn’t feel like the contraction ended, but by the time I was able to stop screaming, the room was full of people.

“When you can, we need you to move around the side of the bed. We can’t get behind you right there,” they told me.

“I… can’t… move.”

Finally between David and a nurse, they helped me into the bed. Dawn was there and checked me. “From what I understand, you want to get an episiotomy so you don’t rip like the first time, correct?” she asked.

Well, I didn’t want one, but we had agreed to it to avoid tearing. “Yes.”

They got me flipped over. Dawn didn’t have time for pain killer, but, honestly, I couldn’t tell. I still didn’t think the contraction had really ended.

They were talking and I wasn’t entirely paying attention until I realized they were easing the baby out without me even pushing again, head, then shoulders then baby. And it was done. Without even another contraction.

They placed Madeline on my chest and she just stared at me with her wide slate-blue eyes. She didn’t even cry until a nurse said, “You have to cry,” and gave her a firm pat and Madeline let out a squawk.

And Dawn stitched me up and I delivered the afterbirth and Madeline hung out with me and nursed and there was baby number #3. The nurse, who was almost off shift, thanked me for a good delivery to end on.