The Long Version of the Short Birth

Here is the much requested birth story. For the short version see Matt's timeline of events below. For ALL the gory details keep reading...

Before having Charlotte I thought first time labor would be...
-LONG (most things I've read say average is 18 hours the first time)
-Extremely, extremely painful to the point of wanting to scream my head off and thinking you can't go on
-Late (both of my sisters had their first babies late, she was measuring small, I hadn't had any false labor)
-I would have to be induced (again both of my sisters' first babies were at least partially induced so I figured we Diehl girls just don't go into labor alone although my mom and grandma did)

I really hoped this would happen...
-I could go into labor on my own a little bit early (like Sept 17th) before everyone got too anxious or my doctor tried to induce
-I could do it naturally (no epidural, no narcotics, no IV, no episiotomy, not too much fetal monitoring) I just wanted to try it. I wasn't dead set against those things but I didn't want to go in thinking I was getting it if I didn't need it. I had a lot of faith my body could do it and I don't like needles sticking into me or having to stay in bed. Plus some things say they are more likely to make labor longer or lead to a c-section neither of which I wanted.
-I could use my breathing, and relaxing techniques- take a bath, listen to my music, try the birthing ball, walk around, different positions
-I was the most worried about a long labor. I was hoping for about 7 hours of labor and only 1 hour of pushing without much hope. A girl can dream right?

Now here's how the labor actually "went down"
The night before Matt and I both slept terribly. Matt finally got up at 3 am and went to work. I was big and pregnant so that's my excuse. He claims he must have known what was going to happen and he was too excited to sleep. Yeah right. Anyway not a good start to the day. I tried to go back to sleep and dozed off and on. I noticed I was having some harder than usual Braxton hicks. Just a few and not painful, just more noticeable than usual. I got up and did some things around the house then went to my regular Thursday appointments.

11:40 Dr. Office. Really quick appointment in and out in 10 minutes with a pelvic exam. Heartbeat good, dilated to a 2, 90% effaced, 0 station. When she checked me she joked that I was dilated to a 9 and that she'd see me later tonight. ha ha

12:00 NST test at the hospital. Very busy day. 9 women in labor while I'm there and 2 more show up before I leave. My NST looks good. My contractions are looking a little harder than usual on the monitor and I can feel a few of them. Nurse says they are nothing to worry about unless they become harder and more regular but they'll probably go away. As I leave the hospital I notice some light spotting but decide not to go back in since my discharge instructions say spotting is normal after a pelvic exam.

Matt's already home having worked his 8 hours. He's anxiously waiting for the video camera he finally ordered and paid extra for the 2 day shipping "Just in case the baby comes." I rolled my eyes and assured him I wasn't having a baby in 2 days. The camera showed up 3 hours before the baby. We barely had time to charge it.

My contractions keep getting stronger, but not uncomfortable. I clean the bathrooms, we keep saying we should take naps but never do. Around 6 o'clock they still haven't gone away and I'm having to pause when one comes. Matt goes and finally installs the car seat (can you tell he's a man who does well with a deadline while I'm the planner). I'm still in denial this is actually going to happen and tell Matt not to e-mail work taking Friday off. He does it anyway.

6:30 Matt makes me dinner, I have to stop twice during dinner and have Matt help me through a contraction. They are getting painful now, it's starting to sink in this might happen. It's super windy and stormy outside.

7:00 I decide to take a shower (I heard they help). It feels super good, I have 2 more contractions still about 10 min apart and 30 sec long.

7:30 I lay down on the bed. Matt rubs my back and helps me breathe during contractions. He's timing them all the time now. 7 min apart 50 sec long. In between we finish getting ready. I feel a strong urge to use the bathroom and walk around in between contractions and lay on my side and moan during contractions. I love counter pressure. That racquetball is my new best friend. Didn't like the birthing ball or being on all fours like I thought I would.

8:00 Matt wants to go to the hospital. I tell him I'm not ready. I like being in my house, using my bathroom, laying on my bed, wearing my pj's. Contractions are getting pretty hard. It's amazing that you feel totally normal in between. That's a real life saver. I call Cortney to tell her I probably won't make it to the gym tomorrow. I haven't called any family because I figure I'll have plenty of time at the hospital to do that.

8:30 Contractions are finally 5 min apart when the Doctor said I should go in. I have a major contraction. I scream for the first and last time. I feel the need to push and a relief in the pressure. This is when I get scared and tell Matt that yes I am ready to go to the hospital and hurry up about it. I was being pretty bossy at this point. He's already got everything in the car. I get up to use the bathroom and change my clothes and notice there is fluid running down my legs. That big contraction broke my water. I soak 2 pads while I'm getting dressed. I put my dirty laundry away, turn off my computer, get a drink (I've forgotten to drink during most of this). I'm a creature of habit what can I say. I can't possibly be in that bad of labor if I can do things like that can I? I'm thinking I'm probably finishing the first stage of labor, except for that urge to push during contractions... We get in the car, I sit on the towel I'd put in there a week ago for this purpose.

8:55-9:10 Drive to the hospital. I swear we hit every single red light. I'm writhing in pain in the seat holding Matt's hand when a contraction hits. Matt's going 60 in a 45 and I don't care.

9:10 Arrive at the hospital. Walk in with water seeping through my shorts. Very embarrassing. A couple tells us good luck. I guess I look in labor. We ring the bell at the maternity door, they let us in. I go to the check in desk and say, "Hi I'm in labor and my contractions are coming pretty close together and my water is broken." I'm a pro at this right. This mean lady I don't know tells me she'll help me in a minute and to have a seat. Huh?!!! Fine it's your couch lady. Matt and I sit on a couch (still leaking water mind you) people are looking at us funny. I'm moaning and writhing some more. She finally calls us in after the longest 5 minutes of my life. Asks for my insurance card, have I preregistered?, etc. I tell her I've been coming in for weeks, they have everything just give me the three papers to sign. She gets a little mad at me and tells me they need my insurance card anyway blah, blah, blah. She finally realizes how much pain I'm in and sends me to triage and leaves Matt to fill in the paper work that she then realizes I'd already done. I rapidly change my soaking wet clothes and put on a hospital gown. There is less pain with contractions now but more of a need to push.

9:15 Matt comes in, the nurse checks me and tries to hook me up to a fetal monitor. She keeps saying, "breathe in through your nose, out through your mouth." They can't find the heart beat for a while because she is down so low. They ask me if I want an epidural. I say I can probably keep going without one for now. They do an exam (I'm thinking I'll be dilated to a 5 if I'm lucky) and tell me I'm dilated to a 10. Yep a 10. This is when Matt and I look at each other and say something equivalent to HOLY COW! One nurse calls the other nurse over and (pointing between my legs) What's that? Great, I'm thinking what's wrong. The other nurse says it's my amniotic sack. Way to freak me out. Didn't anyone tell her it's not polite to point?

9:20Matt starts calling our parents as they wheel me to labor and delivery. I meet my labor nurse and about 5 or 6 other nurses come in and they call my doctor. She happens to be at the hospital eating dinner having just finished another delivery. How lucky am I that MY doctor was already there? I got a chance to personally thank the other lady who had her baby at 9:00pm after 24 hours of labor. Poor woman. Don't worry, I didn't tell her my labor story, that's just mean.

9:25They put my legs up in the stirrups. I feel a contraction and feel the need to push so I grab Matt's hand and push. When it ends I'm talking to the nurses and my doctor shows up. A nurse tries three times to stick me for an IV until my doctor tells her there is no point and to stop trying. The needle being stuck in my arm was more distracting than the pain, and I have more bruises from that as well I might add. I push again. They say they can see the head. They let me touch it- kind of weird. The doctor numbs me and does a small episiotomy because she says it's pretty tight.

9:30 They tell me to push even though I'm not having a contraction so I do. When the contractions comes I just keep going.

9:35 It was probably about 2 or 3 more pushes but I wasn't counting and out she comes. It was the weirdest feeling to feel her slide out of me. It was painful but it felt so good to push I didn't really notice the pain. They took her to the side first to check her over. Her first Apgar score was an 8 she was crying pretty loud, her second score was a 9. Matt's still holding my hand and I'm frantically trying to get another glimpse of my baby. The doctor is stitching me up and dealing with a lot of blood and the placenta. She shows me the placenta, it looks like a heart. I'd rather see my baby.

After what seems like forever they finally bring Charlotte over and I get to hold her. I just start crying I'm so overwhelmed that I'm her mother. It was an amazing feeling. I just keep thinking labor can't be over I just got here. It's supposed to be longer than that. I was in complete shock that it was so quick. Matt gets to hold her, we are so overwhelmed and happy she's here.

After labor they bring in all these papers asking if you want an epidural, giving permission for the delivery, etc. It was pretty funny to fill them out after the fact. She had to have her foot poked for blood sugar a few times because she is small. Her number was never too low but they had me feed her some formula to bring it up. This upset me a little because I was worried it would mess up breastfeeding. Later that night Matt says, "I'm sorry you had to have the episiotomy I know you didn't want that." All things considered I think I'll take the episiotomy and my labor story any day. I feel SOOOOOO lucky that it was so short and so much less painful than I anticipated. My imagination was much worse. Afterwards I honestly felt like I shouldn't be done. I had such an adrenaline rush after I felt like I could do the whole thing again right then. I'd geared myself up for a labor at least twice that long. Pushing was super fast probably due mostly to her small size. I feel so blessed.

Here are the theories I've heard for why my labor was so fast:
You can add your own theories in the comments if you want.
-The weather- the storm changed the pressure causing my water to break (a nurse at the hospital)
-I exercised while I was pregnant (a friend who's an exercise teacher)
-What I ate
-Her small size (mom and sisters)
-My relaxing summer (my sister Marti)
I don't know what my theory is. I prayed for that kind of labor every day of the 9 months. Of all the prayers I've had answered the way I wanted I'm glad this was one of them. I think staying home helped me. But I won't stay home as long next time! I wanted to try that hospital jacuzzi tub.

For some reason many women get mad at me when they hear this story...don't hate me for my labor. I'll sell you my secrets for a fee...I'll probably get my 18 hour labor and 10 pounder next time.

Our First Family Picture