Bruno's Birth

Dear Dawn,

Thank you for let me share this beautiful letter you sent me last May.

I am sure, everybody will enjoy it.

Paulina

I started having contractions Thursday morning (3:30am). I worked that whole day and then started keeping track of them. I was up at home the whole night Thursday (my husband slept)…the contractions were 20 then 10 then 7 minutes apart…..then they went back to 20 minutes apart and I fell asleep for 2 hours. I then decided not to go to work on Friday. So, Mike and I ran errands around town until my contractions were 3-5 minutes apart and stronger. We called the doctor and they suggested I go to the hospital since I am group B Strep + and wanted to get the antibiotic IV in before my water broke. We arrived at 3:30pm on Friday – I had now been up for 36 hours pretty much. I was not tired though.

I was only 2 cm dilated at 4pm but completely effaced. Baby was at -1 station. Two hours later, the story was the same, contractions were still 3-5 minutes apart and water had not broken yet. Dr. Oshea suggested breaking my water and asked him to wait two more hours. My water broke on its own. At 8pm, I was STILL only 2 cms dilated but contractions were harder. Dr. Oshea suggested pitocin. Again, I asked him to wait. They put a hep lock on my IV and I got in the shower….I was SO disturbed at this point after hearing that I should be considering pitocin. His reasoning was that I had been now up for over 40 hours and would not have the energy to push when the time came. The emotional disturbance actually started to affect my body….this was so amazing to me. My contractions started to become further apart and not as strong. It was as though I had given up. I had intermittent monitoring on my birthing ball – which I used the whole labor.

I decided that the Dr. was right and I would be completely exhausted and perhaps need a more significant intervention if I wasn’t careful (like a cesarean). So, I asked for the epidural and the pitocin. I was able to rest though the night and was 7 cm dilated at 3:30am Saturday morning. HOWEVER, I could not move from the bottom of my ribs down AT ALL. I was like a fish out of water….couldnt roll to my side etc. So, the doctor decreased my epidural drip for the next hour or so….this then got quite painful … he checked me again at 4am and I was completely dilated. I pushed for 1hour and 15 minutes. The doctor did a great job with oil and pressure to prevent tearing. I had a small tear on my right labia – I felt fortunate for this.

Bruno was born at 5:32 am…7lbs 13 and a half oz. and 22 inches long. He spent the first two hours with us in the delivery room. Skin to skin. I tried to get him interested in breast feeding right away….he mostly just nuzzled…

After the two hours, he went to the nursery with Michael and was pronounced healthy.

I did have a spinal headache from the epidural which just resolved today…it was not severe, but enough to bug me.

That is my story…as you had promised – everyone has one… and it was great.

Dawn, May 2008