Birth Story of Johnny McClean

Johnny McClean
June 9, 1993
7 lbs. 7.3 oz,
21 1.2 inches

I was due on June 7, and about two weeks before my due date I started having contractions. They were fairly strong, and about 5-6 minutes apart. Resting and walking had no affect on them. John called the doctors office, and they said to take it easy, but if they continued for a few more hours to come on down to the birth center. We decided to call our parents, because both sets lived at least three hours away, and it was a Saturday, so we knew they would be home. After about five hours of contractions, we decided to head down to the birth center & be checked out. When we got there, they said that I was dilated to three centimeters. They also checked my contractions and said they were steady, strong contractions and we should have this baby any time. They sent me home, and said to come back when the contractions got stronger or closer together. We went through these contractions until late Sunday afternoon, when I decided that they *had* to do something, because they weren't stopping or getting closer together, and I wasn't able to sleep through them and was exhausted. After all the nurses exclaimed how surprised they were that they hadn't seen me in there yet from the day before, examining me & determining I was still at three cm., they gave me some pills that would help me relax and sleep (I don't remember what they were). I took them as soon as we got home & went right to sleep. I woke up five hours later with no contractions!

My due date came and went, I was really getting impatient and was sure that labor would never start up again. On June 8, I suddenly got the urge to clean my house. I mean spotless. John came home from work that evening to find me on my hands and knees scrubbing the kitchen floor. I guess we should have taken it as a sign! That night, John & I stayed up to about 11 pm talking, then he went to sleep. For some reason, I couldn't sleep, just kept tossing and turning, with thousands of things going through my head. I finally fell asleep at 1 am. At 6 am I was woken up by a contraction. I had more, all following at 5 minutes apart, and about half a minute long. I just lay there in bed, not wanting to wake John up because I was sure this was the same as before - contractions, go to the hospital and be sent home. By 7:30, I was becoming aware that this time was different. I woke John up, saying that I was in labor. He wasn't so sure, and said he was going back to sleep because I seemed to be handling things OK. That was fine with me, I knew that he had worked a long day the day before, not getting home until 9 pm.

I went into the kitchen, taking my bag with me & checked to make sure I had everything I needed. I then decided to make some sandwiches to take to the birth center. Because of our previous experience there, we were aware of the fact that the vending machine food was overpriced and not that great, and I was sure that John would need some food while we were there. By the time I finished making two sandwhiches, I was having trouble breathing and standing unsupported through the contractions. By this time it was 8 am, and I decided to wake John up. He got up, and asked how long I had been having the contractions & I said two hours. He then helped me time them, and rubbed my back through the contractions. By 8:45 I told him that we had to go to the birth center NOW. I couldn't sit or stand through the contractions, and had to kneel. We drove there, only a 10 minute drive. We walked in, and went through admitting (all very familiar at this point!), and were then informed that there weren't any rooms available, they were all full! I was put into a sort of alcove at the end of a hall with a gurney to sit on. They checked me out, and said that I was only 4 centimeters dilated, I had plenty of time to go, and left us there.

By 10 am, I started to get really irritated at still being in the hallway, and made John go find the nurse to get us a room. She came back and said they were just cleaning up the room, and would have it ready in a minute. I finally got my room at 10:15! I was so happy to have some privacy. Meanwhile, my contractions were still strong, and about 4 minutes apart. They checked me again upon giving me the room, and found that I was still at 4 centimeters. At 10:30, my midwife came in and decided to break my water, then she left (she had three patients in labor at the same time!). At 10:35 I had to puke. I knew I couldn't make it to the little bathroom in my room, and lunged for the garbage can. After getting sick, I suddenly had to go to the bathroom. I hobbled over to the bathroom, and while peeing, had to puke again. John was really worried - here I was, sitting on the toilet & getting sick into a garbage can! Well, he started to leave the room, and I got all panicky. For some reason I didn't want him to get the nurse, I kept saying I was OK. He decided I was in no condition to be upsetting me, so he said he was just stepping out for a second, which, oddly enough, was ok with me! He then went right to the nurses station and got my nurse (I did thank him later!). She helped me to the bed, when I suddenly had a muscle spasm in my back and got stuck in a half sitting/reclining position and couldn't move. At that point she checked me, saw I was still at 4 cent., and gave me some Stadol. It helped sooo much. I still had all the pain, but it relaxed my muscles enough that I could move again. By this time it was 10:45 am.

Suddenly, I felt the urge to push. NOW. The nurse looked at the clock, and said no way, it was only 11:00. I said, I HAVE TO PUSH NOW, so she checked me. That's when all h*ll broke loose. I had gone from 4 centimenters to 10 centimeters in 15 minutes. The nurse left to get my midwife, came back and started grabbing all this emergency equipment off the wall. I started to kinda panick at this point, asking why she was getting that stuff, and was told that Stadol stays in your system for one hour, and that its not good for the baby to be born with it in it's system! Then came the pushing contraction. I mean one long contraction, that had no end. I had one hour of pushing, and Johnny was born, at exactly 12:00 noon. When he was born, I only had a tiny bit of a tear, they put him right up on my belly, and John cut the cord. I then nursed him right away. He was beautiful, 7 lbs. 7.3 oz, 21 1.2 inches long, with apgars of 9 & 9.

Johnny is now 4 1/2, and is excited that he is about to become a big brother. I am due May 2, and considering my first labor was only six hours and we now live 45 minutes away from the hospital, I will probably be heading to the hospital within the first hour of labor!

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