That is what they say.
A mom friend just told me she describes her natural births as her close encounters with death, but sooo rewarding. This is a pretty accurate description! :)
I checked into the hospital with all my fears, but I really had nothing to be afraid of. The nurse Danel, put a mobile monitor on my belly, checked to see how far along I was (2 cm and 50% effaced) and then told me to just keep laboring through the night. Dr. Teagle would come in the morning to check on me. That was it, we were left alone to let me do my thing. Nurses would come check periodically, to chat, to see if I needed anything, but there wasn't any pressure to have my baby out by a certain time.
Amy and I walked the halls of El Camino Los Gatos labor and delivery at least 500 times, back and forth, back and forth. Each contraction was getting stronger and stronger. This was no longer the "fun" part of labor. Scott got a little bit of rest in the room and would join us on walking on the halls. Amy and talked about anything and everything. If a contraction was coming on, we would stop our conversation, I would hang on her, breath through it, focusing on my cervix relaxing and opening up, listening to all her words of encouragement, and then go right back to talking about what we were before. El Camino is a small hospital and super chill. I kept looking in the empty recovery rooms, thinking I would be there soon with my baby girl. One room, near the end of the hall, had the most beautiful madrone tree outside. Each time we walked past, I would think of our hike up to our magic manzanita tree, that has the same gorgeous deep maroon colored bark. This madrone tree had the same magic, I could feel it..
My legs were so tired from walking, but I knew that walking is what my body needed to do to get baby girl to come out. I did rest a few times, but each time I laid down, the contractions would slow down too. But Amy and Scott would "let" me rest for a little while, before they would rally me to get back up and walk. I remember one rest period I had, almost and hour, and I really did go into a super deep state of relaxation, between the contractions. The contractions were getting crazy, I thought I must be progressing really far. The clock moved closer and closer to morning, when Dr. Teagle would be coming in. I thought I must be at least at 4 cm by now, I mean I have been having super crazy contractions now all night long.
I got in the shower at one point, the hot water felt so good on my body. I can't tell you how different laboring at El Camino was compared to where I labored with Kekoa. The nurses at El Camino encourage you to walk around. Dr. Teagle isn't super strict about the mobile monitoring either, since everything was going well. There were times when the monitor would slip down or whatever and it wasn't a big deal. I couldn't do anything when I was pregnant with Kekoa because I was completely hooked up to a machine. I had to fight for 5 minutes in the shower, it was horrible. At El Camino, there is a jacuzzi tub, that they offer to fill with hot water for you. I thought I would want the jacuzzi tub, but the thought of having to get all wet again, after the shower, just didn't sound good to me.
So, after enduring the whole night, I thought for sure I would be meeting baby girl really soon. That is what I thought.
Dr. Teagle came in around 8:30 am to check me. I was still only 2 cm but now 80% effaced. What?? Dr. Teagle is very dry and I thought she was pulling my leg. I was waiting for her to say, "no just kidding, you are already 5 cm dilated". I kept saying "you're joking right?", she would say "no, you are 2 cm", I would say, "no you're joking", this went on, back and forth a few times before I realized she really wasn't joking. At this point, all I could think of was that I was going to be induced again, that I wasn't progressing fast enough. She asked me if I wanted to break my water. I didn't know, I looked at Scott who was saying yes. I asked Dr. Teagle if I could think about it. Amy asked me if this is what I wanted. I just didn't know. Dr. Teagle explained that it would get things going faster. I asked her if it would hurt, and she said, "it's done".
I felt the warm gush and started to cry. I felt so defeated...still only 2 cm along. As Dr. Teagle left the room, she told me that she was really impressed at how far along I was. Last Tuesday when she had checked me, my cervix was super tight, so to come as far as I had was really great. She also told me to get up and get walking again. I still felt so defeated, like all these insane contractions were for nothing. I still felt like pitocin was looming out there, that I would have to be induced. This was not the case.
Around 9:00 am I felt the first contraction coming on. OMG. This post water breaking contraction took contractions to a completely different level. Let's say that before my water breaking, the pain level was at a 7 or 8, the level now was about 500. I was laying in the bed, Scott next to my side, Amy at the foot of the bed, both of them comforting me, telling me what a great job I'm doing, that it is ok, when another contraction hit. Holy *%@#, these contractions were crazy. They both rallied me to get out of bed, I did not want to, I just wanted to curl up on my side. I remember Amy saying, let's just take it in baby steps, first sit up in bed and then stand and then walk. At this point, walking the halls was not going to be an option for me. The hallway seemed like a marathon course to me, a long way away from the room. Instead we paced around the bedroom.
Contraction after contraction hit me, each one stronger, more intense. Thank goodness for Amy and Scott, keeping me focused on my breath. My nurse Sharon was also coming in to check on me, reminding me to try and relax through the contractions, to not squeeze Scott's hand, let him squeeze me. I was trying so hard to relax, but man oh man, it was so hard. I kept thinking of an ocean wave, just ride it out Hsiaolei, just ride it out, it will pass. Pass it did, but then the next wave would be coming in, right behind it, not really giving me any rest in between. We were not using the word "pain" or "hurt" but at this point, it the pain was searing through my body. I didn't even know what to do, just hang for dear life on Scott or Amy, telling them how much it was hurting. The thought of getting something to numb the pain did cross my mind, I remember thinking, this is why women get epidurals, but I knew I would regret it for the rest of my life if I did. I also kept telling myself that we are only having 2 kids and this was the last time I would have to endure this!
I kept looking at the clock. Dr. Teagle said, once I reached 4 cm, then I would progress about a 1 cm an hour.I thought, OK, than I should have my baby around 3:00. But the next time she came in, very soon afterward, I was already at 4 cm. As she left, she said, just let us know if you need anything at all. I know she was implying, if I needed any pain medication. I appreciated that she didn't ask me if I wanted an epidural, that she respected my birth plan. The nurse told me afterwards it was so hard to see me in so much pain. Just like with Kekoa, I progressed very quickly, which is why my contractions were coming right on top of one another. I started to get a little back labor too, nothing like I had with Kekoa, but still there. This sounds crazy, but the back labor was a welcome distraction to what was going on in my belly. Scott and Amy took turns massaging my back.
I went from standing, to sitting in a rocker, to laying in the bed, back to standing. Standing was the best place, even though I was so tired. I remember telling Scott that I just wanted this to be over, that I was done. I couldn't believe how long this was taking, where was my "easy" second baby labor??
Dr. Teagle came in and told me I was at 7 cm. I knew that the transition part of labor was coming, the most intense part, right before I would have to push. I really didn't think it could get any more intense, but it did. There were definitely 4 letter words coming out of my mouth and a lot of groaning. The nurses and everyone were getting the room ready for the baby coming. I was going to do this, I was going to have natural birth again.
I reached a different state of being sometime after my water broke, an altered state. I definitely went to another place. People were asking me questions "did I want to get back in the shower, did I want the jacuzzi tub", but it was like I was in a dream. I could see their lips moving, hear what they were saying, but they weren't really talking to me. It was really crazy. I remember trying to focus on their words. Scott did say something to me though that helped me focus again on my breathing and not the incredible, intense contractions. He said, "You need to breathe, you need to breathe for our baby girl." This snapped me out of hyper-venilating immediately.
Dr. Teagle said to let them know when I felt like pushing. So when I thought that I felt like pushing, she came back in with the nurses. I was trying to push, I remember how great pushing felt with Kekoa, it finally didn't hurt...but it wasn't feeling like that. I couldn't remember how to do it and it just didn't feel right. The nurse, Sharon, told me that if I didn't feel like it, she wanted me to save my energy and have a few more contractions.
So this is what I did. Scott and Amy rallied me out of bed and when I was standing, that is when I felt like pushing. It was like something took over my body and I was bearing down standing. One of the nurses came in and brought the birthing stool, I tried sitting in it, but didn't like it at all. She then brought in the squat bar. I did like this, but when she examined me, she told me that my cervix had a lip on it, like if you got punched in the mouth and your lip gets swollen. This was preventing our baby girl from coming down and if I kept on pushing, the cervix can actually get swollen shut. She was going to get Dr. Teagle, who could move the lip somehow so our babies head could get around it.
In came the team of nurses and Dr. Teagle. I had to get on my back, which I was trying to avoid the whole time. The bed was angled up, so at least I wasn't flat on my back. I was so scared that being on my back would stall everything, but it didn't. It actually worked out in my favor to be in this position. Dr. Teagle was able to maneuver whatever she needed to. There was nurse counting in my ear as I pushed, keeping me focused, the other nurses were pouring mineral oil down there to keep me from ripping. I could feel my baby girl moving down, I couldn't wait to meet her. Each push was getting me closer and closer, everyone was rallying behind me. 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 is what I was focusing, take another small sip of air and count down again. I would do this 2 or 3 times in a row. Dr. Teagle told me my best pushes were the first two, so to just do two counts to save my energy. I didn't push for very long at all, didn't have to push that many times, maybe 15 minutes. I could feel her head, crowing, they call it the ring of fire, and that is a pretty accurate description. I didn't feel any sort of burn when I gave birth to Kekoa.
I heard Dr. Teagle say something about her arm. Our baby girl's head and arm came out at the same time. Her arm was around her neck, just like she was in her 3D picture! No wonder why she wasn't coming down that easily. Another big push and the rest of her wriggly body came out. I looked up to see her wet, bluish body and heard her cry.
HOLY MOLY, I birthed our baby girl, without any sort of drugs or interventions and I didn't rip at all. I really did it!
Malia Belle entered the world at 1:28 pm on May 28th, all 7 pounds and 13 ounces of her. Did I really give birth to an almost 8 pound baby?
She was placed on my belly because her umbilical chord was so short, it didn't reach up to my chest! I can still feel her newborn, slippery body in my hands. Dr. Teagle waited until the umbilical chord stopped pulsing, then Scott cut it. This time I got to see it, got to watch the whole thing. Malia was then put on the little table next to me to be examined quickly. I was so worried they were going to take her to the NICU, but all was good. Dr. Teagle was so relaxed too, kept saying, "oh yea, she looks great, look at the color", when I would keep asking if she was OK. Dr. Teagle was so patient, waiting for my placenta to come out. No Pitocin this time, no heavy bleeding, trying to find where I was bleeding from. I gave a final push and out came my placenta, the most amazing organ that kept Malia Belle alive and kicking all those months. Dr. Teagle showed it to me, it is pretty amazing.
To say that I am happy that I have Dr. Teagle as my doctor is an understatement. I have never had a doctor like her, she truly loves her job and isn't in it for the money. She truly respected my wishes and desires because everything was going ok. What a difference it makes to have a doctor that is on your side. She was so proud of me too, for birthing Malia without any pain medication.
Malia was placed on my chest, skin on skin where she immediately latched on to nurse. It was magical, like it is supposed to be. Everyone left us alone for a long time, at least an hour, so we could bond as a family. They waited to do the bath, waited so we could those crucial minutes after birth to bond.
Eventually we made it down to the recovery room. I requested the room with the Madrone tree, 1026. How weird it was to come full circle. After walking by the room so many times and to now be in the room, with my beautiful baby girl...like a dream.
I don't have enough good things to say about El Camino Los Gatos. It was the best place to give birth, super mellow, super relaxed, super supportive. I am so grateful to have had this birth experience.
Amazing birth story! You look so beautiful, even in pain! Love that hospital and nurses, too.
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