Nothing is Worth More Than Giving Birth

Giving birth is a most memorable experience any woman can ever endure. This is the start of a new life and the beginning of a family. In preparation for giving birth, some women attend lamaze classes. Contrary to popular belief, it does help as it did for me. I was skeptical at first because after hearing horror story after horror story, I was led to believe that NOTHING can prepare you for "the day". While I do agree with that to a degree, it helped me with identifying instruments used during the delivery and ways to cope with the pain.I know there are mommies-to-be out there reading this just waiting to hear what I've gone through and are probably watching Bringing Home Baby or Baby Story. Those were my two favorite shows when I was pregnant.

As part of a routine procedure, I was tested for GBS during my third trimester. Ironically, I was more worried about becoming tested positive for gestational diabetes as it runs in my family. That came out negative. I, however, tested positive for GBS. For those who are unfamiliar with the GBS term, it stands for Group B Streptococcus and according to the American Pregnancy Association's website, GBS "is a type of bacterial infection that can be found in a pregnant woman's vagina or rectum. This bacteria is normally found in the vagina and/or lower intestine of 15% to 40% of all healthy, adult women." For the daddies-to-be who are reading this, I apologize for the explicit terminology but for your big-bellied other halves, modesty goes out the window at this point.

Being pregnant for the first time, I was quite the neurotic after hearing I was tested positive for ANYTHING. The part that struck me the most was knowing that I could pass this infection onto my baby girl as she would pass through my vagina. The motherly instinct set in and I would do anything to make sure I had a healthy baby girl.

On my due date, I was so certain that I would feel a contraction and be deemed to enter the delivery room. I didn't know what it would feel like and I remembered as much as I could from lamaze class in terms of knowing what the contraction would feel like and when I should admit myself into the hospital. I knew all that. It was just a matter of waiting! During the week following my due date, it had occurred to me that I was GBS positive and that I should page my doctor to induce me. I wanted to make sure that I could take the antibiotic as early as possible so I wouldn't infect my baby girl with sepsis.

If my memory serves me right, I paged my doctor three days in a row. I may have paged her about thirty times. Throughout this ordeal, I hadn't felt one contraction, not the slightest bit. Finally, I received a phone call and she told me to come in whenever I was ready so she could check my progress and go on with the induction. My husband and I were so excited to know that when we'd come back to our home, we would officially have a child of our own. On the way to the hospital, we decided to go to Blockbuster Video and rent some DVDs (for the curious, one was Juno). At the hospital, I was checked and I only made some minor progress in terms of dilation. I don't remember the exact numbers, but honestly they don't matter since nothing will predict when your baby will come.

I had a big room all to myself with my husband at my side and I was wired up. I had a catheter which was great. If I had the choice, I'd walk around with one of those 24/7. They also gave me pitocin which is a labor inducer. It brings on the contractions and they didn't feel as strong as the nurse said they were. I was a trooper...until I got to the epidural. For something that numbs the pain, it really was a trip getting it injected into my spine. Now, I know every woman is different but for me, the epidural HURT! It was worth the pain since the aftereffect numbed my labor pains. You also cannot move while they inject you.

Off I was hours away from having my baby. The nurses and my doctor left me alone for a little bit until the big moment was to arrive. From midnight to five in the morning, I was watching the movies we rented as my husband slept in the not-so-comfortable chair bed (as I like to call it). When I got checked at five in the morning, I was at 9 centimeters and ready to have my firstborn. This was where the fun began.

I started feeling my contractions full-on and kept pressing my epidural button but all I kept hearing was beep. That meant I couldn't have anymore. When I asked the nurse this, she said I needed to start feeling my contractions so I could push. I panicked. I was bracing myself and thinking of what I learned in lamaze. The breathing techniques, focal points and pushing. These were all helpful. For two hours straight, I was waiting for a contraction, pushing once felt, and hearing a countdown to ten by my husband. There was a point where I felt like I was going to vomit once I felt her head. For those who can't envision the feeling, picture going through a moment in your life where you may have been punched in the stomach or experienced pain like you've never felt in your life. Pain that induces an involuntary nauseated reflex. I almost asked for a pail but I went through that without vomiting.

Suddenly, a group of doctors stormed into the room. I didn't find this out until afterwards, but my baby had an abnormal fetal heart rate which is common. In with the forceps and out with a baby! This part was painful in itself since I had metal tongs retrieving a baby out of me! I will never forget the feeling. And what a bizarre feeling it was. It was relieving in the sense that the two hours of pushing had ended and I was about to be united with my firstborn, but bizarre in that the umbilical cord....well...felt a little warped coming out.

It felt like a half hour until I could hold her since they had to stitch me back up and check her, but it was all worth the wait. I may have been five days past my due date, but now I have a healthy 9 month old girl named Allison.