Back Labor, Ignorance and No One's Home: A Personal Birth Story

My first son was born toward the end of October in the year 2000. I was 20 years old and had previously suffered a miscarriage the year before. When I found that I was pregnant again after the miscarriage I knew I wanted this baby more than anything in the world. This first real pregnancy of mine came with mood swings, the gaining of weight and the ability to eat 2 hotdogs covered in chili, cheese, sauerkraut and mustard. The night my labor came though all the preparation in the world would not have had me ready for the events that took place.

Flashback to the night before the labor pains came: It was around 4pm and we had just gotten back from the Doctor's office. I was checked out, nothing much was happening, due date still at least a week away. Both my other half and my self had separate plans for the evening. I was going out to dinner with my best friend and he was going out with the boys for a while. We both went our separate ways for the evening.

I got back from dinner around 10 pm and my stomach felt a little queasy. I chalked this up to the thing in my uterus that kept moving around and poking me in the ribs, yeah the baby. Putting on pajamas I climbed into bed. At around 2 am I woke up with the urge to run to the bathroom for a number 2. My back felt like someone was stabbing it so I figured the baby was lying on a nerve. Little did I know that this was what people call "back labor". The child birthing classes didn't tell us about that little phenomenon. They said the pain would go from the belly outward when labor began.

My other half was still not home yet. I wasn't too concerned as I figured he got carried away with the boys. The pains in my back were coming about once every half hour until about 4 am. At this point I found I could not sleep so went to sit on a chair in the living room. I was also staring at the clock because now I was starting to get mad that the other half was not home. Now the back pains which must have been labor pains are coming about once every 10 minutes and I still feel like I have to poop. At 5 am I decided to call my significant others best friend. He tells me that he just left. I tell him I think I might be in labor. He freaks out, offers to come help. I see the head lights pull in the driveway. No I tell the best friend he is here now.

My other half walked, er, stumbled through the door and saw me glaring at him just as another pain came shooting up my back. He dropped to his knees in concern. I notice that he has not slept since 2 nights ago and can barely stand. I tell him about the pain. He decides we should lie down and he will rub my back which he does in one sweep of his hand. I sit back up because laying down is not working. We need to head to the hospital.

He drives yet I have no idea how we got there safely. I think the fear of a baby being born at home or in the car by him kept his adrenaline going. We arrived at the hospital around 6 am in the morning. I was admitted, checked, probed and it was determined that later that afternoon I would hopefully have a baby. He called my mom and told her then promptly fell asleep in the chair in the room. Less than an hour later the real labor pains began. I kicked a nurse across the room which led to the other nurse waking up the sleeping man to hold my leg steady. Women who are in labor have super human strength, be advised to never mess with them. I gave birth to my son at 9:37 am that morning and it was the most miraculous thing I have ever experienced.