An Almost Bathroom Birth - Drako

I had your average, uncomplicated pregnancy. I was due on Friday, 9/23/11. That following Monday the 26th, I went into the OB’s office for an ultrasound and stress test. Stress test was first, baby was fine. We went up for the ultrasound and the tech was too quiet. I knew from her measurements my fluid was low. I was scheduled to have a follow up appointment with my OB 2 hours later. Well by the time I walked downstairs, they told me to go straight over to the OB’s office. My OB told me they needed to induce me because my fluid was low, it was measuring 4.2.

I went home, grabbed my hubby and hospital bag and off to Memorial we went. I arrived and was checked in at 2:30pm on 9/26/11. It took the nurses 3 tries to get an IV set up. At 5:15pm the on-call OB decided to show up. She checked me, I was 1cm dilated and not effaced at all. They told me to prepare for a long road. They inserted Cervadil and told me to rest up.

Around 8pm I was bored, and not feeling any contractions so I got in the tub. No jets, but it was relaxing. I figured it might help things along. They had pretty much left me alone. I had no meds going in and no fluids either. They let me have a liquid dinner tray around 9pm, yeah for Jell-o!

Around 10pm, I started feeling the contractions. They were not bad, just felt like moving menstrual cramps. The nurse came in to check me; I was 3cm and 50%. Things moved fast after that!

I wanted to go as pain med free as possible; I really did not want an epidural. Around midnight I asked for a Demeral shot. All that did was make me feel drunk in between contractions. At the same time, I started feeling like I needed to go #2. Honestly, sitting on the toilet was the most comfortable place to be! For the next couple of hours I was going back and forth to the bed and toilet. By 2am, my contractions were back to back. I could not get off the toilet. The nurses kept telling me they needed to check me and I told them to go away! Shane, my hubby, would just follow me back and forth and stand in front of me for support. I was addicted to his scent. I did not want him to touch me, just stand there so I could rest my head on his belly and smell him.

Around 3am, my body started pushing on its own. (I had no idea that is what was happening until after the fact.) I started moaning and my mom knew something was wrong. Yes, apparently I was trying to give birth on the toilet! The nurses kept asking if I wanted an epidural, I finally caved in. When the anesthesiologist got there I was, big shocker, on the toilet. The nurse came, took one look at me, and said they needed me on the bed immediately and that my body was pushing the baby out.

I refused to get off the toilet! My husband grabbed one arm, and my mother grabbed the other and they threw me on the bed. The anesthesiologist started the epidural. He got one third of the way done (only a partial shot and the tube set up, but nothing in it) and I had to lie down. The nurse checked me and yelled at the other nurse to call the OB.

 After waiting and breathing through contractions for another 20 minutes, my OB showed up. She told me to push and two pushes later my 7 pound, 7 ounce 19.5” baby boy was born at 4:17am 9/27/11. The epidural did not kick in until the OB was stitching my 2nd degree tear. Moreover, I could still feel most of that. I felt fine afterwards, and Drako was perfect! No cone head or anything!

If you would like to share a birth story, please email me at corilynngentry@gmail.com