My Birth Story
Who run the world? GIRLS! Beyonce definitely got that one right. Us, women we run the world, we strengthen the world and we bring life into the world. Quite frankly we are some dope creatures. Debate ya maw on that one. I learned my strength as a woman when I became a mother for the first time. Something in me changed, but you see that second time around, whew chile. My strength was enhanced in ways I hadn't even imagined. Shout out to women, I mean it is our month right?
Pregnancy isn't always an easy thing. Some women have complications, some even lose their babies or their lives. The delivery process isn't always that simple either. I know we see the dramatics on t.v. and think it’s just that simple, but that isn't always the case. Here's my story…
I had my first son in April of 2012 and its safe to say that I had a “normal” delivery. Everything went as smooth as possible and honestly I think that experience spoiled me. 5 years later I was pregnant again, but this time it was a girl. Everything was different. EVERYTHING! From the start I was sick. Constantly vomiting and just feeling horrible. They say those girls do it to you. I couldn't wait to be out of my first trimester. During my second trimester the sickness eased a bit, but I suffered with everything from chest pains to sciatica. I remember losing all feeling in both my legs one day. Just imagine you are up and fine then boom you can not walk. It was the most scariest experience ever. Then in May that year I was at work delivering my mail and I passed out. The New Orleans heat is no joke, but I never suspected I’d be a victim of heat exhaustion. I was rushed to the emergency room scared out of my mind. I didn't know what was going on. The verdict was heat exhaustion. “It only gets hotter as the months go on,” my doctor says. So of course I couldn't work the rest of my pregnancy.
I was scheduled to be induced on August 14, 2017, but my baby girl decided to come one day earlier and share a birthday with her dad. My doctor was out of the country and wouldn't be back until my scheduled date. Imagine how disheartening that was. On the morning of my husband's birthday I started to experience contractions. These were no braxton hicks, I was sure these were the real deal. I didn't want to go to the hospital just to be sent home so I held out as long as I could. I even acted like nothing was going on so my husband wouldn't suggest I go. But the pains came more frequently and more intense and I couldn't hide any longer. “I think it’s happening,” I tell my husband. Yet I still wasn't ready to go to the hospital. Unlike on t.v. the process is not as quick as they portray and I didn't want to be there any longer than I had to. So I held out, I held out for a few hours til about noon. My husband drove me to the hospital in what seemed like the longest, most bumpy ride ever. I swear the man hit ever bump possible.
We get to the hospital and I get all checked in. The nurse comes in to check my cervix and my reason for holding out comes knocking at the door. “You’re only 2cm dilated we’re gonna send you home,” she says. Immediately I get upset cause I knew I should have held out longer. But then the doctor on call comes in and she says, “Baby I know I'm not supposed to check you again right now but something tells me I need to.” So she does and we find out that I am infact not only 2cm dilated but I’m 6cm dilated. Not even 5 minutes had passed so there's no way I jumped 4cm that fast. I wanted to curse the “stupid nurse” out, but as my contractions continued to hit, I didn't even have the energy to do so.
So now that I’m 6cm, I’m not going home. They put me in a room. I decided I was going to go natural and not get the epidural this time around. “Stupid Nurse” kept urging me not to get it anyway. She explained that an epidural would slow down the process. Honestly I was handling my contractions very well, but something kept telling me to get the epidural. I now know it was God talking to me. I’m so glad I listened. But when I told the nurse that I wanted the epidural, she seemed upset and reminded me yet again of how it would slow up the process, but this time she added that she would be getting off at 7 and wanted to be here for the baby's birth. If looks could kill, sis would be dead. Ignoring her stupidity AGAIN, I opted for the epidural. Like I said my delivery with my son was smooth, when I got the epidural it wasn't bad at all. I thought I would have that same experience, but boy was I wrong. This man stuck me atleast 8 times before he got it right. 8! I was so annoyed, my only thought was “does this hospital only hire incompetent people?” Not only did he stick me about 8 times he decided to tell horrible jokes as he did it. Talk about a mad somebody.
As the medicine kicked in I felt less and less pain from the contractions. At about 6ish “stupid nurse” comes in to check my cervix again. All I’m thinking is “are they really gonna let this lady touch me again?!” She checks my cervix and tells me I’m 9 and half cm dilated and that it was time. She called the doctor back to the hospital and I was prepped for delivery. My water bag was busted, my husband on one side of me and my first lady on the other and only God knew what we were about to face.
All I hear is “this lady is not fully dilated!” What? My heart and mind begin to race. My body is all discombobulated. All kinds of emotions are flowing through and I don't know what is about to happen. Many frightening questions filled my head. There was no time to answer them because by now this doctor's whole arm was inside of me all the way up to her shoulder attempting to pull my baby out. She told me to push, I tried so hard, but I guess it wasn't good enough. The doctor snapped at me and told me I wasn't doing it right. She made me feel like a child. She snapped at me again and told me to push harder along with some other words I really can’t remember. I wanted to give up, but my baby need me. It was only by God's grace that she pulled my baby out. I don't know if I did it right. I can't remember if I pushed correctly. All of a sudden panic feels the room because the umbilical cord is wrapped around my baby's neck. As if I need any more bad news. My half paralyzed couldn’t take anything else. After what seemed like forever I was afforded the opportunity to hold my baby girl. She was safe in my arms. Prayer saved us, God did his thing yet again. I almost gave up on her, but she never gave up on me. She fought to be here and raised hell in the process. She encourages me to be my best self each and every day. I won’t ever hesitate when it comes to her again.
Today my baby girl is alive and healthy. She’s currently still raising hell. LOL I thank God for getting us both through! To all the women with a story, no matter what it is, Sis you made it and so did I. Keep on going you’re not done yet.
Did you have a traumatic delivery experience?
