Mama: Jodi Roberts
Baby: Titus
Blog: http://jodirobertsinmalaysia.blogspot.com/
This story is about a planned induction, with an unplanned c-section.
Every first time pregnant woman probably wonders what contractions will feel like. Is child birth as painful as it sounds? How many hours will it take? Can I handle the pain?
I felt like a ticking time bomb. Yes, we had a due date and knew our precious boy would make his appearance somewhere around that time. However, I was so nervous. I had no idea what a contraction felt like and the element of surprise made me anxious.
My due date came and went. Still no baby… My doctor decided that if I didn’t go into labor by Thursday, April 30th, I would need to be induced. I trust my doctor and continued to trust that I could go into labor naturally before then.
April 30th arrived and I still had zero signs of going into labor. So, my husband and I drove to the hospital at 7 a.m. to check in. By 8 a.m., my doctor came in and told me he was going to burst my water bag and make me go into labor. Upon bursting the water, he saw that my son had passed the meconium. In simpler terms, my son pooped inside me. To have him naturally would have been quite dangerous for him. If he would breathe in any of his poop, he could get quite ill. Therefore, my doctor informed me that I would need an emergency c-section.
So there I was…laying in the hospital bed. I had been all geared up for quite a long day of labor and contractions. However, I was 1 cm dilated when being induced. The little boy wanted to stay in there as long as he could. 🙂
Between 8 and 8:30 a.m. was quite eventful. I had nurses coming and going, asking me a LOT of questions. I was taken to the operating room and was given an epidural to numb the lower half of my body.
I was in the c-section from 8:30-9:30. With this being my first child, I was excited to see the look on my husband’s face when our son was born. But the hospital would not allow dad’s to be in the operating room. With no glasses on to see, things were a blur all around me. I had to remain calm, as I was flooded with emotions.
Being numb from the chest down is quite an interesting experience. I barely felt vibrations. It didn’t hurt and I didn’t feel any pressure. Thankfully, I couldn’t see what they were doing. 🙂 The nurses and doctors kept me calm by talking to me and patting my arm.
At 9:01, I heard a really odd cry. I had never heard a baby cry quite like that before. It almost sounded like an animal noise. Ha! The very first thing the paediatrician said when she took him from my doctor was, “Wow, big head!” — I should note he was born in Malaysia. Asian babies tend to be quite a bit smaller. My son weight 9.6 lbs at birth! 🙂 —
The paediatrician held my son up to my face and took a few pictures of me with my son. Then, they took him away to clean him and show him to my husband. I was left in the operating room, without my son and without my husband. I was then in recovery for quite a while. It was at least 11 a.m. or after before I got to go back to my hospital room and see my family.
We then had a wonderful day spending time with our new boy, and celebrating with family and many friends who came to visit.
So there are still questions I cannot answer… I have no idea what a contraction feels like. I do not know what a natural birth looks or feels like. Many people make plans of how the day should go… I decided not to and it was a good thing I didn’t! I am very thankful for how everything turned out. My son was born happy, healthy, and a great sleeper. 🙂