A Scared First-Time Mom Gets Medication and an Epidural

Welcoming baby Thomas was an unforgettable journey. Before diving into the full story, here are a few precious moments captured from that special day.

My Labor Experience

(The details of my labor are very fuzzy because I accepted many “pain-relieving” drugs.)

Preparing for Labor

I was VERY ready to have this baby—I was so tired of being pregnant! Pregnancy was hard for me. I had 24-hour morning sickness for 4 months, then my stomach became SO heavy and I had stretch marks all over and felt UGLY. I was anxious to SEE the baby and make sure everything was well with him.

Gaining weight was hard for me because I was 5’1″ and before pregnancy, I’d never been in the hundreds with weight. I was a 93-lb weakling! I gained up to about 130 pounds during pregnancy, and I was so scared the weight would never come off. I was SO ready to go into labor that I considered using herbs such as blue or black cohosh, red raspberry, or even castor oil. I decided against doing anything like that since I did not want to jeopardize my baby’s health. Instead, I walked a LOT, went up and down stairs, and cleaned in hopes of encouraging labor.

The Final Prenatal Visit

On Friday, July 2, 1999, I had my last prenatal visit. They saw I was having mild contractions and were concerned about the amount of amniotic fluid. They sent me to the hospital for an ultrasound to check if I needed to be induced. Shannon and I were so scared! (He’s the father and my fiancée, by the way.) Everything was okay, but we waited forever, and my contractions started to hurt—though they weren’t consistent yet. They sent me home again.

Waiting for Labor

By Sunday, July 4, 1999 (my expected due date), I was going crazy. Was I never going to go into labor? I had contractions all day, but they weren’t in a set pattern. My friend Mary and I went walking, but my ankles started aching, so we stopped. Shannon kept asking if it was time to go…but no.

By 11 p.m., I was SURE I was in labor, so my mom and I went to the hospital. They said I wasn’t dilated far enough but advised me to walk around the hospital to see if things would progress. In agony, I walked until about 3 a.m. They gave me a shot to ease the pain and stop false labor. We went home at 3 a.m., but by 5 a.m. on July 5th, I woke up with horrible cramps.

Admitted at the Hospital

By 7 a.m., I couldn’t stand the pain any longer. Shannon took me to the hospital (again) and even stopped by McDonald’s on the way! Once there, I could barely walk. They had me lay in a waiting room bed to wait for a doctor. I screamed and howled in pain, scaring the poor nurse to death. When the doctor checked me, I was only 2 cm dilated! He admitted me because of the pain.

They gave me a shot for pain (I think it was Demerol), which only helped me sleep between contractions. Family members began visiting, and I was barely conscious of waves of pain. They broke my waters and catheterized me, but I don’t remember much of that part. I had to use a bedpan, which was really disgusting.

Epidural and Labor Progression

At some point, they gave me an epidural. Shannon held my hand while they administered it, and I yelled at the nurse because I was told they wouldn’t give the shot during a contraction—but they did. The epidural worked on only one side of my body. Shannon went to take a shower at one point, and I kept waking up thinking he’d left me. I was so relieved when he returned.

Finally, they got in touch with my best friend Mary at work, and she arrived to help calm me down. I was so thirsty, but they only allowed ice chips. My lips were cracked, and I kept trying to lick them for moisture.

Pushing and Delivery

The epidural wore off completely, and I had the urge to push. The nurse went to get the doctor. Everything about this part is blurry, but he apparently asked if medical students could watch. Even though my labor plan said NO, I agreed because I was so out of it. About ten doctors, my mom, Shannon, Mary, and my stepdad (who videotaped the birth) were all in the room.

I could feel when to push, which I think helped. I held my knees instead of Shannon’s hand like I wanted. My mom tried to help me breathe, but I got frustrated and told her to stop blowing in my face! Within about 25 minutes, my baby boy entered the world at 2:38 p.m. on Monday, July 5, 1999.

Meeting Baby Thomas

I was so scared when I first saw him because no one told me he’d be blue-ish and purple-ish. Thankfully, he let out a scream! He weighed 7 lb, 10 oz, and was 20 1/2 inches long. The doctor handed him to a nurse, who cleaned him up and placed him on my belly. I was so tired I could barely hold him.

I was babbling away to my new baby, Thomas, and lucky me, it was all caught on video. Everyone was remarking that he had a little dimple in his chin, like me. (By the way, I leaned down while he was being born and took pictures myself—I’m that into photos!)

After Birth

They had to help me onto another bed because my leg was completely numb. They wheeled us to our room, and Thomas and I successfully breastfed. That is pretty much all I can remember!