I’m terrified that something is wrong with the baby but I try to remain calm as we head for the hospital. Though my ever calm husband has sudden lapse and starts driving in the opposite direction of the hospital, we arrive shortly and get checked into triage. We see a wonderful resident who makes me feel much better about the whole thing.
March 18, 2012
At 3:50am in the hospital, Mommy is 4cm, 75% effaced, and -2 station. An ultrasound reassures us that all is well with Mommy and baby Robin. But the contractions have once again faded. Mommy is given the choice to stay (and have labor augmented medically) or to go home. She opts to go home and let nature take its course.
March 19, 2012
Mommy has a morning OBGYN appointment. She is still at 4cm, 75% effaced, and -2 station. Now, at 10 days past her due date and with more than a few false labors, Mommy and her doctor agree to schedule an induction for Thursday. Signing the induction papers was a crushing emotional blow for Mommy. She sounds exhausted, lost, and nearly hopeless on the phone. She is now, officially, the most “post-due” mama I have doula’ed for. I decide to drop my kids at a friend’s house and go take a walk with Mommy to cheer her up. It’s a beautiful sunny spring day outside. Before I get to her, she calls me and says, “I don’t want to get your hopes up [or her own, I’m assuming], but I just had 3 really strong contractions in a row- 3 minutes apart each.” I can hear the excitement in her voice, but also the apprehension. She’s too jaded to believe it REALLY could be time this time. . .
What Katrina’s log doesn’t say is that I came home from the doctor’s appointment and burst into tears. I was terrified of induction but couldn’t imagine waiting much longer to have this baby and afraid of the risks. I was tired of being in labor and just wanted to hold my baby. When the contractions kicked up again I tried to ignore them but when I called my husband at lunch I could barely talk and he insisted I call Katrina and then he called my mother. In the mean time I walked around the house, still contracting regularly and trying not to scare my toddler. The best moment was when I groaned in pain and my daughter looked worried, so I told her I was cheering Robin on. So during the next contraction she jumped up and cheered “Hoo, Robin.”
I arrive at Mommy’s house at 1pm. Her mother is there with daughter, Thea. Mommy is on the yoga ball, and a contraction hits. I see Mommy sway on the ball, and hear the sound of been waiting for- the unmistakable sound of a woman having a TRUE labor contraction. It’s a low, primal moan. Mommy works through a few more contractions, and then we all head out for a walk. The contractions are coming every 5-7 minutes. Mommy makes use of the many trees along our route- stopping to lean over them and sway through her contractions. As she’s coming out of a contraction, we look over and Thea is mimicking her mother (quite well) and working through her pretend “contraction” with the use of a tree. We have a good laugh- and she tells her Nonni that her back hurts too .After our 30 minute walk, Mommy resumes her yoga ball position and works through another hour of contractions (coming every 6 minutes). She snacks on an ice cream sandwich and milk. She briefly speaks with Daddy on the phone- reassuring him that he has more time to finish up at work- and promising to NOT have the baby without him. Thea also gets out her little ball and works through her “backache” on the ball.
At 3:30, Mommy and I go for another 30 minute walk. When we return, Mommy showers. The contractions space out to about 7 minutes now. She feels refreshed and again makes use of the yoga ball. At 5:03pm I hear a change in Mommy as she works through a contraction. 5:08pm- I mark “BIG ONE” in the contraction log. She has 3 more of these (7 minutes apart each, but lasting 60-90 seconds). Daddy arrives home at about 5:40pm. The contractions are now coming about every 6-7 minutes, but there are definitely the strongest ones so far. Mommy finds that a hands and knees position works best with these contractions. As soon as one hits, she’s on her knees, and I’m behind her doing the “double hip squeeze” to help with the back pain. Nonni takes Thea for the night, and Daddy makes some buttered noodles for us (7pm). At 7:31 pm the contractions intensify again. I tell Mommy if she has more like that, we’re going. She has another. Then at 7:43pm- she’s on hands/knees- I’m double-hip-squeezing- She has the STRONGEST one yet- I catch Daddy’s eye and mouth, “IT’S-TIME-TO-GO”. He nods. When Mommy recovers from that contraction, she says she thinks it’s time to go. Yes- we all agree
Stay Tuned for Part III
Catch up on the story here: Part I
