Because of Amy’s history of relatively short labors, the plan was that she’d come into the hospital a little bit earlier this time. She called and sure enough, her doctor wanted them to come right in. Fast forward to the triage nurse checking her cervix and telling Amy that she was only at a 3. We’ll call this test #1. This meant that she had zero progress to show for the 5 hours of labor as she had been a 3 at my last appointment. The nurse started to ask about how Amy would feel about going back home until things escalated and Amy asked to talk to the physician from her practice rather than the resident. She had to advocate for herself because she just had a feeling it WAS time and the plan all along was for her to get there earlier, so going home did not feel like the best option. The attending from her practice came down and they made a plan. It was far too busy to admit her without any sign of progress, so they gave her an hour to make some progress.
Drew and Amy left triage and basically did an hour workout by walking stairs and around the hospital. Drew was keeping things light hearted, assuring Amy that he knew she was in labor. When they got back to triage the nurse said, “You are a solid 4. I’m calling your doctor.”
They headed up to the room they would meet their baby in. Drew and Amy had the best time laboring. She was breathing through the contractions, but during her breaks the world was just the two of them. Amy loves to move and squat during contractions. Once things started to get stronger, she made her way into the tub. The pain and intensity was escalating nicely, but Amy was working her way through it. The birth environment was perfect and Drew was amazing.
After maybe an hour in the tub, things started to really escalate. They all made the decision that she should get out to get checked and see where things were. The resident came in. Y’all, he told her: “You’re a 6.” She literally responded, “A f… 6?! Are you kidding me?”
After the nurse ruptured Amy’s bag, she went from 6 to 10 in about 45 minutes. She hopped back into the tub right away and worked through just a few contractions in there. She actually nodded off to sleep between contractions and then like a tidal wave, she sat straight up with the next contraction. Amy was feeling SO much pressure and intensity. She had planned to stay in the tub much longer…but, just felt like she needed to be in a position to deliver the baby.
Her doctor checked her and said Amy was an 8. She hopped out of bed and did the next 2 contractions standing at the edge of the bed. She has never felt such intense contractions in all of her life. Everything in Amy’s body was saying she needed to push after those. Amy uttered frantically, “I honestly don’t know what to tell you. I know you just checked but I know my body is telling me it needs to push.” She watched the doctor gown up and get ready and in her head she was thinking, “You FREAKS! HURRY UP! Someone needs to catch this baby because my body is going to push this thing out.” It felt like the labor was possessing her and Amy’s body was telling her what it needed. What came out was, “I REALLY think I need to push.”
The doctor decided she would check Amy again as the nurse took the baby’s heart rate. The doctor said, “Amy, you are 10 and your baby’s heart rate is dropping. Give me everything you have during this next contraction.”
The pushing phase was Amy’s redemption song because their baby came out over 1 contraction and about 1.5 pushes. Her first push, she could feel the baby’s head come out. Everyone in the room was yelling to keep going and how close she was. With all she had, she pushed the last part of the babe out. At 1:50 am, they had a BABY!
Unfortunately, Amy’s placenta would NOT deliver. Her entire body was shaking uncontrollably. All she wanted to do is enjoy their newest addition that she had just worked SO freaking hard for. At the half hour mark, the doctor told Amy that they had to go to the OR. This was NOT something she was planning on. As Amy was on the way to the OR, the doctor’s words were running through her head.
It was surreal to be surrounded by so many people. To have her legs splayed open under the brightest of lights. To have an anesthesiologist talking to her about what medications she was going to put into my vein. The next thing Amy remembers is being wheeled back into the delivery room. She just started bawling and she couldn’t stop. Amy was relieved to hear things went as well as possible and RELIEVED to be back with her family. She took her baby back and it felt like things were finally over. Amy had her baby and her husband and that was all she needed in the world right then.
Resources
Needed
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