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Lauren Grace

Well it all started on Sept. 8, 1998...contractions 3-5 minutes apart so off to the hospital we go. We arrived, check in and I was given a pelvic exam. 1 cm and 50 % effacement and completely posterior. I stayed 4 hours and walked for 1 hour and then had another exam still nothing. The pattern of my contractions was just perfect and did not change...I went back to two office visits and changed to 80% effacement and 1 1/2 cm..this was on Sept 18th. On Sept 19 my contractions became stronger and were 2 minutes apart so we went back to the hospital..another exam...1 1/2 cm still and still very posterior. Back home again with another sleeping pill to wait until it was my time. My due date was still 9 days away on the 29th. On Sunday the 20th..my contraction became harder and they were still coming every 2 minutes so we called the doctor. I told him that I really felt stupid for going to the hospital so much and what did he think I should do...he told me not to feel dumb that If I thought I need to go then to go on. At 11:00 we went back to the hospital another exam.

1 1/2 cm and still posterior, but the contractions we harder this time and I left the hospital crying. Before we got home..10 minutes away I could barely talk threw them. We got back home and I took a bath and got my husband to rub my back, but nothing helped so we called the doctor back. My husband talked to him and then I did..he said that he just didn't think that it was my time yet and that the sleeping pill would kick in soon and that sometimes an exam will cause cramping, but If I didn't feel better soon to come back to the hospital. We waited 35 minutes and back we went. I was really hurting at this point and the nurse from earlier helped me back into the bed and did another exam. 5 1/2 Cm and completely anterior and my water had broken( which I did not know). She called the doctor and he was with me within 10 minutes and never left my side. My husband ask if he could call our family and the nurse said I would probably wait because with a first child it will probably we 12 to 14 hours, but he called anyway. My parents and his arrived as will as a few friends and the nurse told them the same think and that they would probably want to go home and get some sleep. This was at 12:30 and I had to wait and take a bag of IV fluid before I could have my epidural. This seemed like the longerst 1 hour I have ever had in my life. My contractions were 1 minute apart and very hard with back labor to boot. When I finally got the epidural it was wonderful and not painful at all. I did have one hot spot that did not take (my left buttocks cheek) It wasn't that bad however, but I could feel every contraction there. I do think that this helped me in the long run.

I was 8 Cm when I finished my epidural and my mother-in-law came in and said they were going to go home and get some sleep until the doctor announced she is at 9 cm already and it looks like we will be pushing soon. 5 minutes later we started pushing...I pushed for 35 minutes...had a level 3 episiotomy and a healthy baby 7 lb 13 ounce 21 3/4 inch baby girl who scored a 10 on her test at 1 minute. I started breast feeding immedialely and she latched on perfectly the first time. Everything was just wonderful! I guess it was my time and nobody could believe that I went from 1 1/2 cm and completely posterior to having a baby in 3 1/2 hours. I do have to remind them that I had been having contractions for 13 days that we exactly 3-5 minutes apart...so I guess my labor was about 13 days long. I was all worth it to now look at my beautiful, healthy baby girl.

Dana

RainyBouv2@aol.com