Family Life : Elisa's Birth Story

Elisa was born just yesterday, but I wanted to write down what I remember from her birth before I forget it all.

This pregnancy has been pretty easy and good for the most part. Until last week things had been going very smoothly and though I was got quite uncomfortable, it was going really well. I started to get a really bad headache one night along with some vision changes. I decided to call the midwife who sent me to be monitored and to get blood work done at the hospital just to make sure things were still well.

My blood work came out a little off but nothing extreme. The modwifes still didn't like what kind of symptoms I was having so they decided to send me back for the same tests a few days later.

At that hospital visit, the midwife decided I should see a Dr and to get induced at the end of the week. This was on a Saturday and so I waited until Monday to go see a Doctor. Thankfully Ricardo had taken this week as his vacation week so he was able to go with me.

At the appointment on the Monday, it was decided that I needed to be induced by Thursday. We went on our way and knew on Thursday we would be getting induced and having a baby! The Doctor also wanted to me to go the hospital the next day (Tuesday) to have blood work done, an ultrasound done and to make sure the baby was still doing well.

These tests all came out good except she was concerned that I was still experiencing a bad headache and vision changes. The Doctor decided I was close enough to term (I was currently 36 weeks pregnant and "term" is 37 weeks) and wanted me to get induced that day.

I was quite excited that I didn't have to leave the hospital and we would be having a baby in the next couple of days. I texted ricardo and told him and he came and met me at the hospital.

The induction was the same kind of induction that I had with Lily. Instead of being given a IV drip of oxytocin, I was given something called cervidale which was to soften the cervix and to help your body to go into labor. Sometimes this works for people and sometime people need both cervidale and the oxytocin.

It stated off as a slow process, I started having some contractions that were uncomfortable, but nothing too terrible. Around 8pm, I stared getting more contractions that were coming closer together and were getting stronger, but then at times they would move further away and get less intense which was becoming a little frustrating.

At 1:00am the Doctor oncall came to see me and knew that I didn't want to be in labor all night. She checked me and I was at a 3cm which was progress as I was only at a 1cm when I got to the hospital. She broke my water and that is when the contractions got really intense and started getting closer together. At around 2:30am (I think) I started having very instense contractions and asked for the laughing gas. The gas made me quite nauseous and I really didn't like it. I then asked when I could get my epidural, knowing I could go quick and I really wanted to enjoy this birth more then I did with Lily. The nurse checked me again and I was still at a 3cm and I needed to be a 4cm. I was so frustrated because I was in so much pain and wanted that epidural.

The contractions kept getting really strong. This was at 3:00 by this time. I started not coping as well as I had been and I asked to be checked again. I was at 4cm, which was exciting but I knew it could still be a while longer for the epidural. At this point at each contraction, I would feel like I needed to push, which shouldn't have been the case as I was only at a 4cm. The epidural guy came and I was in massive amount of pain and knew she was trying to come out. As I was getting the epidural, I said she's coming and the midwife was the only one who really believed me, but we were halfway through the epidural being put in and there wasn't much I could do.

The epidural finally was in and I was in the most horrible pain I have ever been in since Lily's birth, I knew she was coming. I laid back down crying, wanting this epidural to kick in and it wasn't. I said she is coming and I was right, 2 minutes after they put the epidural in she was out. It went so quickly that most of the people who needed to be in the room for the birth were not there. Thankfully my midwife stayed at the hospital because otherwise the nurses would have had to deliver Elisa.

Elisa came out wide awake with her eyes open, she was a healthy little girl who weighed 6lbs, 12oz and 19.5 inches long. She was born at 4:05am

Though it was a very painful birth (what birth isn't painful?!) it was a really good and easy on the body birth. My recovery is amazing again which I am very thankful for as it is not always that way.

Last Ultrasound before Elisa was here