Happy Labor Day

Hey, why not talk about our labor and deliveries on Labor day? Sounds like fun. So when I read that Rocks in My Dryer was hosting this little game I figured why not? So here are the stats on my Labor and Deliveries for my three kids.

How long were your labors?
Natalie: 2 hours from the time my water was broken. I'm really not sure beyond that. I was contracting for some time, but apparently didn't know it.

Kaitlyn: Again 2 hours from the time they broke my water. I did feel some contractions with her before then, but really I could have gone about my normal activities. So I count from the time I actually truly felt the contractions.

CJ: Well, I was having contractions for weeks. Not terrible, but I was in and out of the hospital a couple of times because of them. It was more of a precautionary thing though to make sure I didn't get into full blown labor with him being breech. I had a planned c-section and really didn't have a labor with him.

How did you know you were in labor?
Natalie: The doctor told me, hahahahaha. I went in for my 40 week check up with her and my bp was up so they sent me to the hospital. By the time I got there my bp was down, but they had put me on the monitors and I was contracting every 5 minutes. Who knew? I know you all hate me, hahahaha. So they checked me and I was five almost 6 centimeters. So I wasn't going anywhere. I walked the halls and watched women doubled over in pain stopping every few minutes, but I felt nothing. I was playing cards with Joe and my mom when the midwife came in and decided to break my water. Then woe baby that hurt. I felt it instantly and there was no break.

Kaitlyn: Joe told me I was in labor. Okay, I know that sounds weird. The day I went into the hospital with her we had been shopping all day. So that night we were just relaxing playing a game on the computer and Joe noticed every five minutes or so my face would change. He kept asking if I was okay. I said I was fine. So he started timing my face changes. Sure enough it was a steady every five minutes. So giving how quickly I had Natalie and the hospital we needed to go to was half an hour away we figured we best give the doctor a call. He told us to go in. We got there and I was put on monitors and my contractions were every three minutes and again I was 5 centimeters dilated. However, they actually told me I still might not stay. I guess I wasn't in enough pain for them. Again I walked the halls with no pain while other women were in pain. Finally they broke my water at midnight and Kaitlyn was born at 2:10 a.m.

CJ: He was a scheduled c-section. I was having contractions the entire time they were prepping me though. They were pretty good contractions, but again I wasn't feeling much pain.

Where did you deliver?
Natalie: St. Vincent's Hospital in Bridgeport, CT

Kaitlyn: Griffin Hospital in Derby, CT

CJ: New Britain General in New Britain, CT

Drugs?
Natalie: None, it all happened too quick

Kaitlyn: None, I was determined not to after having an 8 pound 12 ounce baby naturally I thought for sure I could handle this one naturally and I did and she was bigger ;).

CJ: I had no choice but to get a spinal since I had to have that c-section. I wouldn't have wanted to try that without pain meds.

C-Section?
Just CJ and only because he was breech. I could have tried to turn him, but thankfully we didn't. Otherwise he would have been born at 36 weeks instead of 39 weeks because he had the cord wrapped around his neck twice. So thankfully I didn't have to have an emergency c-section and it was a planned c-section. Still very nerve wracking and I do still have pain if I hit the incision just right 10 months later.

Who delivered?
Natalie: A midwife that I can't remember the name of. She was on call and I had never met her before.

Kaitlyn: Again I ended up with the on call doctor. I think his name was Dr. Allen. I had never met him before either. Hey, those doctors aren't present too much anyways, right? There was a point when I felt something cold and I said to him what are you doing, hahahaha? He was giving me a local so he could do an episiotomy. That ticked me off. My doctor at the time was Dr. Riskin and I wish he were there he was so great. He came in later that day and was like oh I guess I forgot to give you my private number. Apparently he gave that out to his patients when they got close so he could be the one to deliver them. Oh well, what can you do?

CJ: Dr. Kerrigan. She was probably my best. I really wish I could have experienced a vaginal birth with her. Oh and she was very pregnant herself when CJ was born. Another doctor joked that he'd have to roll her into the operating room.

So those were the stories of my labors. I know you all hate me for not feeling my contractions till I was halfway through. I never would have guessed that I had such a high threshold for pain, believe me.