My Labor Journey

Ruby Athena Hybbeneth was born on February 27th at 2:37 PM. Here is our story.

I am so blessed to have such amazing friends and family. I want to close the circle and share my labor and the birth of our family with you. it's not just story about us, it's about you, too. You all accompanied me on the journey a long time before Ruby's birthday. So, here is our story, thank you for being a part of it.

The OB did an ultrasound to confirm my pregnancy. Scott and I had kind of given up on conceiving for a while, so I had stopped tracking my periods. The ultra sound gave me a due date of 2/14/10 - Valentine's day!!! It wasn't until later that I found out the doctor was working off a due date of 2/18 - based on my WAG of my last period. Valentine's day sounded much better, so I stuck with that.

We were really hoping she would come on Valentines day or at least around there. Both my Mom and my Dad were leaving on the 17th to go to Hawaii for my sister's wedding. On the days leading up to their trip, I became more and more anxious and stressed. Will the baby come before they leave? No.

Scott's parents were coming out to be with us while my parents were in Hawaii. They arrived on the 18th. On one hand, I was relieved, at least now I knew what was going to happen: my parents weren't going to be here when Ruby was born. But now, a new stress I hadn't thought about.. What if Ruby doesn't come while Scott's parents are here? I know it sounds dumb, but I honestly felt guilty that she wasn't here yet. Everyone was asking, "Where is that baby???" It was stressful. Will the baby come before Scott's parents leave? No.

Well, back to square 1. At least we know my folks will be here. They were back from Hawaii. Seemed like everything was settling back down. We went to my OB appointment on the 22nd. I knew they were going to recommend an induction, what I didn't know was how disappointed I would be. Blame it on the stress, blame it on the hormones, whatever, it was really upsetting. Scott was so sweet, he reminded me that this was all part of our story. I needed to not stress out and just let things happen.

My induction date was set for March 1st. I *really* wanted to have an unmedicated, natural child birth. In my mind, I had induction attached to a medicalized childbirth. I was so afraid one thing would lead to another and the next thing you know I would be having a C-section, which was a really big fear of mine. Of course, now that Ruby is here, I realize that it would not have mattered one iota how she got into our arms, as long as she made it. And people told me that before, I just wasn't able to get my brain around it. So, here it was, Tuesday. I was going to be induced the following Monday. I had a week to get this baby out on my own. Here's what I did:

- Tuesday: OB stripped the membranes
- Wednesday: acupuncture, spicy food: hot wings, mall walking with Mom
- Thursday: acupuncture, spicy food: Mexican (now I know this is not recommended), mall walking again with Mom, more spicy food - pineapple curry
- Friday: curb walking (one foot on the curb, one foot on the street), driving over the bumps in the alley and lasagna and eggplant from Perici with Dad

(Scott and I also engaged in some other, more intimate activities trying to initiate labor.)

Friday night I was sitting downstairs watching the Olympics. Earlier that evening, I sent out an email to my friends and family letting them know that I still wasn't in labor and that I was scheduled to be induced on Monday. I had done everything I could think of and I still didn't feel like I was "sitting on a bowling ball" which is what my OB said I would feel like, and the exact words my friend Heather used when I saw her before she went into labor. In retrospect, I believe that email helped make things happen that evening. I received so many nice emails back from people, I know that all of you sending good thoughts and energy into the universe helped to make things happen for us.

Scott brought home a pineapple. I had been thinking what would be the least evasive way for them to induce me. They could either give me pitocin or break my water. I was thinking breaking my water would be best, because it was the most natural but then again, they really like to have the baby out within 24 hours of the water breaking. Would racing against the clock just lead to the pitocin anyway? See how I obsess over this stuff in my head? Scott told me not to worry and we'd discuss it with the doctor on Friday. He went around the corner to flip the laundry to the dryer and then he was going to go up and cut the pineapple for me. I stood up to go upstairs to the bathroom when all of a sudden I felt a huge gush of warm water running down my legs. 9:50 PM - My water had broken. I was so happy I started to cry. I yelled to Scott, my water just broke!!! What a relief!!!

I knew we had time, and my contractions hadn't started yet. So I washed the dishes which Scott thought was pretty funny. We got checked in and settled at the hospital around 11. They wanted to give me some pitocin to get things going but I told them I didn't want it. The night nurse had suggested I walk the halls to speed up my labor. While Scott rested, I walked the halls, did squats (??!?!? yeah, I know!!) and moved my pelvis on my yoga ball. When the shift changed at 5 AM, my new nurse Christie came in to see me. She asked if I had gotten any rest. Of course I hadn't I had been trying to get my labor going. Well, she suggested I try. Well I tried, but by 7 AM, I was in active labor. My contractions were very manageable. My OB came in to see me. She said as long as I was progressing I could go without the pitocin. I labored all morning. I'll spare the gory details, but will say that labor is a messy business. I had no idea.

Around eleven I hit 8 centimeters. I was going into transition, the hardest part of labor. During transition, the cervix dilates from 8 to 10 cm. I had been saving the option to labor in the tub with warm water for this part. With Scott's help, I made my way to the tub. Scott held the shower sprayer and I labored in the tub for an hour. At this point, the labor was hard enough that we couldn't really have a conversation. I had to focus fully on my breathing, Scott was breathing with me and coaching me through each contraction. After an hour in the tub I had to get out so they could check me. I was really disappointed to find out I was still at 8. No progress. The nurse and OB talked to me about pitocin. Just enough to get things kick started again. I didn't want it, I had it so linked in my mind with pain. I thought as soon as they give me this medication, I won't be able to handle my labor and then I will have to get more and more medications. My nurse, Christie, knew how important it was to me to have an unmedicated, natural labor. She explained to me that they just wanted to give me a "whiff". They measure pitocin on a scale of 1 - 24 and they were going to give me 1 or 2. That was it. If I didn't get it, I may get too exhausted. Truth was, I was exhausted already. I had been doing squats at 3 in the morning for God's sake!! I was so scared - would I be able to handle it? She suggested I get the pitocin and then she would come back and check me and see how I was doing. If I needed an epidural, I could still get one.

I agreed. I got the pitocin and it did just what they wanted, kick started things right back up. Quite honestly, at this point my labor became almost an out of body experience. I could hear what was going on around me, but I was so in my body or out of my body that I couldn't really do anything else. I remember hearing Scott ask the nurse if this is what it was supposed to be like and her saying yes. I breathed and groaned though my contractions. During the most difficult times, I thought about all the candles burning for us. I pictured them in my mind's eye and it gave me a lot of strength. The experience was very primal, I literally reached into a part of me I didn't even know I had.

Scott and Christie were turning me from one side to the other to help my cervix finish dilating. She checked me and I was at 9. I completely forgot about the epidural, I was so happy I was almost there, I knew we'd be having a baby soon! It wasn't until later that Scott told me they had the entire thing set up and ready to go in the room if I needed it.

Christie had me push a couple of times and then asked me if it was ok to put a heart beat monitor on the baby's head. I told her it was and she put it on. She called in my OB and it was time to push. The room converted like I was in some sort of spy movie. Lights and equipment appeared out of no where. They had me pull my legs up and put my chin to my chest and push. So much for the squat bar and all the other exciting ideas I had about using gravity to help me push. I pushed 3 times during each contraction. I couldn't help but moan. I was so tired and kind of out of it at this point. Then the doctor said, "Stori, the baby's heart rate is dropping. I need you to focus and push her out now." Wow, it was like I snapped to. She pressed into me with her fingers, and said focus your pushing here. I was so glad I hadn't had an epidural, I could feel exactly where she was telling me and I pushed with everything I had. We had come too far and waited too long for this baby to let anything happen. I didn't even feel the "ring of fire" I just pushed - I don't know how many times but it was less than 10 minutes and she was out!! Scott says the doctor caught her and unwrapped the cord from her neck in one swift movement. She had it wrapped around her neck twice. Apparently having the cord wrapped around the neck is pretty common. My friend Diane who use to be a Midwife said it happens about 40% of the time! I wanted Ruby on my chest, gooey stuff and all after she came out but they needed to check her out first. I kept asking the doctor if she was ok. Then I heard her cry . It makes me teary even thinking about it now. It was the most beautiful sound I ever heard. It made me so happy. Of course, it ain't so beautiful now... but anyway. Ruby was fine and I got to hold her and nurse her a few minutes later. It was awesome. She was so alert and awake when she was born, which is common for babies who are born without the aid of pain medications.

Scott and I spent about an hour with her, just taking it all in and enjoying our first moments as a family. Then my folks came in and visited. We had to move rooms and then the rest of the family arrived. The rest of the day went by so fast, nurses and visitors in and out. I was exhausted. I finally sent out the message the next morning to let everyone know that Ruby Athena had arrived. Now, on to the next journey.