Scenes from a delivery
A few vignettes from my labour and delivery:
- Werner packing for the hospital. I had begun to pick up things for the hospital bag, and he'd planned to start doing so on the weekend. I was in too much pain to pack, so he took care of it all. Happily, at least I'd typed up a master packing list!
- Getting out of the car, stumbling into assessment, and having another contraction just as I got there.
- Being unable to communicate - at all - during the contractions. I couldn't speak, and I couldn't hear anything that was being said to me.
- My signature not looking anything like my signature. Do those consent forms really stand up with a forged-looking signature?
- The glorious relief of the epidural.
- Shooing Werner away to get his lunch. He needed to eat and rest before pushing began. Even while in pain, I worried about him.
- Worrying about various things between contractions, including Phoebe's well-being.
- The gender bias. With the exception of the obstetrician, all care during labour and delivery was given by female medical staff - all the physicians, nurses, and residents. Come to think of it, Dr W. was the only other male caregiver during our whole hospital stay.
- The L&D nurse telling me how to breathe while I was fighting the urge to push. I remember being mightily ticked off with her! We had hoped to learn these things in the hospital's prenatal classes, but they weren't covered, and I was miffed that we spent all that money on the classes and they didn't bother to teach us then and when I was in terrible pain the nurse was trying to teach me something.
- A pregnant Dr H. and a pregnant resident; at one point, Dr H. counted a total of seven people in the room, once the three babies were accounted for. The resident was only two weeks behind me in her pregnancy.
- Said pregnant resident wistfully noting that I didn't have any stretch marks on my belly.
- Werner's coaching - at times I couldn't look at him without giggling as he encouraged me to push
- Dr S. coming into the room and smiling at my progress
- Werner giving me sips of water between contractions. He took seriously his duty to ensure I drank regularly!
- The light mood of the LDR room - light, at least, once I'd had the epidural. Random chatter, stories being exchanged, and so on. Since I wasn't feeling any pain, it was almost like being out for coffee with some interesting strangers.
- The strangeness of casually meeting people while splayed open like a turkey. I had heard that I really wouldn't care by that point, and it turned out to be true, although I was still very much aware of how odd it seemed.
- Getting the giggles during pushing. I cannot remember why, but I do remember giggling uncontrollably. It was actually about something funny, though!
- Dr S. staying past the end of her call shift, until 6:45. I was so close to delivery that she hesitated to leave, but had to collect her daughter at 7.
- I was given an additional shot of oxytocin as Jakob was being born, just as his shoulders were coming out. I remember lying there, realising the L&D nurse was going to give it to me in my right leg, and wishing that she'd give it in my numb left leg.
- Not using anything that was prepared, including things we'd brought to keep me marginally comfortable (vaseline for dry lips, socks for cold feet, Werner's swimsuit so he could bathe with me) and pain-management techniques (counterpressure).
- Being offered - several times - a mirror. It wasn't that I didn't want to see the baby's head, but rather that I'd already waited nine months and just wanted the whole baby at once, not just glimpses.
- Dr S. offering Werner the chance to catch the baby. Then, when Jakob was being born, Dr C. made the same offer to me; I told Werner it was his chance, and he caught our baby.
- Ravenous hunger, and an odd but appreciated selection of food once I'd delivered.
- Werner packing for the hospital. I had begun to pick up things for the hospital bag, and he'd planned to start doing so on the weekend. I was in too much pain to pack, so he took care of it all. Happily, at least I'd typed up a master packing list!
- Getting out of the car, stumbling into assessment, and having another contraction just as I got there.
- Being unable to communicate - at all - during the contractions. I couldn't speak, and I couldn't hear anything that was being said to me.
- My signature not looking anything like my signature. Do those consent forms really stand up with a forged-looking signature?
- The glorious relief of the epidural.
- Shooing Werner away to get his lunch. He needed to eat and rest before pushing began. Even while in pain, I worried about him.
- Worrying about various things between contractions, including Phoebe's well-being.
- The gender bias. With the exception of the obstetrician, all care during labour and delivery was given by female medical staff - all the physicians, nurses, and residents. Come to think of it, Dr W. was the only other male caregiver during our whole hospital stay.
- The L&D nurse telling me how to breathe while I was fighting the urge to push. I remember being mightily ticked off with her! We had hoped to learn these things in the hospital's prenatal classes, but they weren't covered, and I was miffed that we spent all that money on the classes and they didn't bother to teach us then and when I was in terrible pain the nurse was trying to teach me something.
- A pregnant Dr H. and a pregnant resident; at one point, Dr H. counted a total of seven people in the room, once the three babies were accounted for. The resident was only two weeks behind me in her pregnancy.
- Said pregnant resident wistfully noting that I didn't have any stretch marks on my belly.
- Werner's coaching - at times I couldn't look at him without giggling as he encouraged me to push
- Dr S. coming into the room and smiling at my progress
- Werner giving me sips of water between contractions. He took seriously his duty to ensure I drank regularly!
- The light mood of the LDR room - light, at least, once I'd had the epidural. Random chatter, stories being exchanged, and so on. Since I wasn't feeling any pain, it was almost like being out for coffee with some interesting strangers.
- The strangeness of casually meeting people while splayed open like a turkey. I had heard that I really wouldn't care by that point, and it turned out to be true, although I was still very much aware of how odd it seemed.
- Getting the giggles during pushing. I cannot remember why, but I do remember giggling uncontrollably. It was actually about something funny, though!
- Dr S. staying past the end of her call shift, until 6:45. I was so close to delivery that she hesitated to leave, but had to collect her daughter at 7.
- I was given an additional shot of oxytocin as Jakob was being born, just as his shoulders were coming out. I remember lying there, realising the L&D nurse was going to give it to me in my right leg, and wishing that she'd give it in my numb left leg.
- Not using anything that was prepared, including things we'd brought to keep me marginally comfortable (vaseline for dry lips, socks for cold feet, Werner's swimsuit so he could bathe with me) and pain-management techniques (counterpressure).
- Being offered - several times - a mirror. It wasn't that I didn't want to see the baby's head, but rather that I'd already waited nine months and just wanted the whole baby at once, not just glimpses.
- Dr S. offering Werner the chance to catch the baby. Then, when Jakob was being born, Dr C. made the same offer to me; I told Werner it was his chance, and he caught our baby.
- Ravenous hunger, and an odd but appreciated selection of food once I'd delivered.
posted by Melanie A at 9:23 a.m.
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