What's L&d Really Like?

Hey vanessa, well I havent had a baby but I was there for my sis and she had a c-section and it wasnt so bad. She got injected and she went numb. So I was hitting her and stff cuz she couldnt feel me!Haha then they go through the whole process of cutting and lazer to get the baby out, then they sew her back up and she has a cut on her lower belly. She cant walk for a while. She didnt really feel any pain at all. She had to practice walking again. She said the only part that hurt was the shot for numbing. That was it. But alot of other women we talk to said geting the section hurts so bad and stuff so I dont know. Im only going by what my sis says. My mom walked alot, alot. So she went normal for all 4, no meds and she said she screamed a little but not too much pain. So I dont know!

:d do you know what door you have opened?!?

It all started the night before, I was due that night and I hadn;t gone into labor yet. I had, had a lot of previous false labors...So I was wondering what was going on. ...I went to sleep waiting to see what was going to happen.

I woke up at 5am and had to go to the bathroom and was a bit hungry. I went downstairs in a hurry and I went to the bathroom and then I grabbed a bowl of cereal..(like you care!!).. I went back upstairs to my room, and then I felt like I had to go to the potty again!I ran up and down the long stairwell about what felt like a million times....

I then layed in bed for about 30 minutes in pain, grabbing my stomach...Crying...Then finally I couldnt take it any longer and I screamed for my mom....She came running and was like laughing and stuff telling me it was going to be ok. Then she went and called my boyfriend and she was calling my family and that.

When we finally got in the car we were speeding down the winding road. We lived about 20 minutes from the hospital and we had lots of traffic lights. We almost hit someone and I was in so much pain. I wanted to push, I wanted to poop...It was a mess..

When we finally got there I had to walk into the hospital and they made me go into the er..Instead of the delivery section where I had been sent so many times before. They laid me down and the doc checked me and I was 7cm. Then I had to strip and I had to be taken upstairs, to the delivery.

They put me in a room, and I was wanting drugs or something to calm me I was in so much pain. I was having contractions like every 2 minutes...It was bad...With the medicine I would go to sleep and wake up for the contractions and then go back to sleep...

My water wouldnt break, and I was still not dilalting fully, so they broke my water. They put me on two round balls. Like yoga balls and made me bounce to try to make sean's head drop. It wouldnt so I went and laid back down. Funny story though, I guess when I was on the balls I asked my mom to take me to six flags..

I went back to sleep and I would wake up and wanna scream, but my mom told me if I screamed she would leave..That worked, even though I know she wouldnt leave. She woke me up at one point and told me that I had to have a c-section and that I had to choose who I wanted in there since we were only allowed to have one person in there. I puked on her. That was the hardest decision. My mother vs. My boyfriend..But I chose my boyfriend.

Change that...If I was put under totally I had to be alone, if I had an epadural then I could have one person.

I went in and they prepared me and gave me my epadural.. I went to bed, they brought in my boyfriend, and they took the baby out..

I slept for most of it so it was hard for me to remember things during. I know that it really does stink, and I know that maybe I should have tried to be stronger, but I was 15. I have to brag now, they said that I acted better than most women do....

I had to lay in a room flat for an hour afterwards, and then I went back to my room and go to see my son, I still had to lay flat though for eight hours, it was crazy!!

If you have anymore questions, just send me a message and I will be glad to help you out!!

Stacie & my son sean!!

Jess made a post furthur down about dilevery!

Stacie,
thats crazy! I totally look up to you for how strong you were...I would have been so scared, if you could have done it over would you do anything differently? Sounds like in the end its all worth it...Thanks for sharing your story
*vanessa*

Well what could I have done differently, the reason why I had to have a c-section is because how my body is and because his head wouldn't drop. I would have liked to have been more aware of what was going on , but I am glad that I was able to stay mostly calm...I wouldnt haven puked on my mom, and I wish that the doctor would have told me that I was going to have to have a c-section. I just found out yesterday that they knew 30 minutes before I knew. They didnt wanna tell me because they were scared I would freak. I am just glad that everything is ok. You can be just as strong!!!

Stacie

Your story was scary...Gosh, I thought that seeing my son for a couple hours was a big deal but days must have been hell..

Stacie

Where is yardley? Near sewickley or pitt?

Hello,
I was 17 when I had my first son (tripp, now 30 months.).

Labor was not bad. I woke up during the night when my water broke.

My grandmother took me to the hospital. I was not having any contractions, the doctor administered pitocin to make my uterus contract.

It worked and within the hour, I was dilated to 7 cm. That's when I received an epidural. It wasn't until I was ready to push that I realized the concerns of the doctor. I was not due for another 9 weeks. I then became scared. Pushing was a breeze. I pushed 3 times, and there he was. I sat up, waiting for a cry. Nothing. Chaos began to fill the room. "is my baby dead" I cried out. No one answered. They began giving him oxygen, and wisped him away to the newborn intensive care unit. A nurse came in and told me that he weighs 4lbs.5oz. 17 in. Long. She said that I had to wait until the epidural wore off before I could see him. I sat in my room for the next 4 hours, thinking of how I had hoped for a quick and easy delivery like this, but had never thought that a problem could occur with my baby. Finally I could feel my legs enough to get into a wheelchair. My best friend wheeled me to the nicu. We had to sterilize up to our elbows, and put masks on. The nurse buzzed the door open and wheeled me up to a small, clear, plastic box with two holes in it. Inside, amongst the tubes and bandages, was a tiny baby boy. My baby boy. The next 4 weeks were spent sleeping in the nicu, in a rocking chair. There, tripp learned to breathe on his own, fight off a mild case of jaundice, and finally learn to suck a bottle so that he could gain enough weight to come home. Exactly 30 days after my baby was born, he came home. Now, tripp is a very healthly, happy, smart, active, and loving 2 1/2 yr. Old big brother. If you would like to read about the birth of my youngest son, ethan, it will be posted below this one. Thank you for listening...... Marissa

My first son was doing very well, and so was i. I was due to give birth to my second son in about 5 wks. Unlike my first pregnancy, my unborn babies' father and I were together, and everthing was perfect, almost...


It was aproximately 7pm, (exactly one wk. After spending the night in labor and delivery, and being sent home, 3 cm. Dilated), and I had not felt my baby move in a few hours. My boyfriend reassured me that he was sleeping and I shouldn't be worried, but after continuing to feel uneasy, we agreed to go to triage. My boyfriend left to take my then 22 month old son tripp to my mothers house. Within minutes of him leaving, I began to have contractions. At first, I blew tham off, not wanting to go to the e.R. And get sent home again, but by the time my boyfriend came back, I was on the floor, pleading in pain. He helped me into the car and we rushed toward the hospital. About half way there, (5 min.), the pain became so intense. I knew that he was coming now. I felt his head bulge between my legs! "please, god, don't let me have my baby in the car!" in the nick of time, we made it to triage. The nurse checked me, to find that I was fully dialated, but my water was bulging. They wheeled me in my bed, to the delivery room. There, my doctor ran in and broke my water. I felt his head come barreling down onto my tail and pubic bones. I pushed so hard! Over and over again, I pushed, but nothing.Because the nurses had not had time to hook the fetal heart monitors up, they didn't know whether or not he was in distress, so they wanted to get him out a.S.A.P. The doctor used the vacuum suction, and his head came out. "stop!!!" the doctor yelled, "do not push." at the time, I was in so much pain that I didnt realize that the umbilical cord was wrapped around the babies' neck twice. After 6 minutes passed, and the cord had yet to be unraveled, they had no choice but to push him back inside me and free the cord. In doing so, my sons arm was broken. I looked up to see him on the table with nurses and doctors everywhere. He did not cry. I thought back to when my first son was born. "i can't bear this again,"i thought. He then was rushed to the newborn intensive care unit. He was not breathing. Two weeks passed before I saw my baby open his eyes. He weighed 6lbs.7 1/2oz. Was blue and swolen from head to toe. On his second day of life he indured a blood transfusion . It was succesful.I stayed extra time in the hospital due to hemoraging. Over a month passed before my son was well enough to come home. Once home, he was diagnosed with profound bilateral hearing loss and cranial synostosis (premature fusing of the scull bones, {soft spot}). So instead of his scull being plyable enough to move through the birth canal, it was like a bowling ball that would not budge. We now know that this is the cause of the horrific birth. While I was still in the hospital, my boyfriend asked me to marry him. The ring was beatiful. Anyway, ethan is now receiving multiple therapies. He is awaiting a cochlear implant and possible skull surgery to releive pressure from his brain. He suffers from seizures among other things. Please keep us in your prayer's. Thanks, marissa.

Marissa,
thank you for sharing your stories, I cant imagine the worrying and the pain that you went through....I'm so sorry you had to go through those horrific events not only once, but twice....I guess its true when they say "whatever doesnt kill you only makes you stronger". I will definitely keep your boys and you in my prayers...I hope that ethan gets the surgery that he needs and advances in his therapy and the implant and that tripp keeps striving as an energetic 2 1/2 year old...You are such a strong person to have dealt with this....Stay strong and dont lose hope!
*vanessa*

Thank you for your prayers. I hope that everyone who reads this knows that I was'nt trying to scare anyone. I just think that if someone would have been more truthful with me about what delivery could be like, than maybe I would not have panicked.
Again, we thank you for your prayers.
Marissa

Wow marissa, your story was great! Im glad you all made it out ok. That is pretty scary. My sister had it where the baby weighed 4.1 pounds but she was only in the nicu for like a week. Because she learned everything in that time and they let her come home. So did you get married or are you still engaged?

Hi! Thanks!
Yep, we were happily married on july 11,2003!
The marriage has been a dream come true!
He is a wonderful man.
Thanks for asking.

Marissa

I've been a surgical tech for almost a year and a half and until about 4 months ago I worked in l&d. So if any of you have any questions from an employee prospective i'll be happy to answer them. I used to be so afraid of having a baby until I worked in l&d. Now i'm not so scared which is a good thing since i'm pregnant! I work in the main operating room now which is not nearly as much fun! Being pregnant and working in the or sucks and I don't see how women do it!!!


Angie

Marissa,
i never knew. I am so glad things are going well for now. You will always be in my prayers. Keep us posted on both children ok.
Love,
chanda