The Birth Story of Noah John Hamel

I typed out 5+ pages of Noah's birth story a few weeks after he was born so that I wouldn't forget details but didn't feel up to really going through and making it readable.  As time flew by I kept thinking "I need to post Noah's birth story!" and told myself I would have it up by his first birthday.  For some reason I got the bug today, opened up my notes and realized I didn't have as much work to do as I had remembered (I guess as a new mom anything other than taking care of my lil man seemed a bit more intimidating than it does now).  So without further ado, almost 11 months later, here is the birth story of Noah John Hamel.

On Tuesday, 4/3/12, I had Braxton Hicks all night and got up every hour to pee but figured it was just from dehydration/doing too much.  On Wednesday, 4/4/12 I had some Braxton Hicks, 15-30 seconds long but sporadic in the morning, then again from 5:00-11:00 pm.  I slept really well that night and woke up to no Braxton Hicks on Thursday, 4/5/12, but had some from about 6:00-9:00 pm.  Again I figured it was from “nesting” a lot that day (I didn't recognize it as nesting then, I just thought I finally had some time and was close enough to my due date that I better get it in gear).  I slept really well again that night. 

On Friday, 4/6/12, I had a bunch of random errands to run and was having some sporadic contractions but didn't really pay attention until I was sitting on the patio of the car wash waiting for my car to be done.  I pulled up the contraction timer app on my phone and started timing them at 2:00 pm (they probably actually started around 11:00-11:30 am).  They were 30 seconds long, 2 ½ min. apart and relatively uncomfortable.  I COULD walk and talk through them but I preferred not to.  My next errand stop was Walmart for the final things on my hospital packing list and to stock up on some groceries needed for all the holiday plans that weekend.  I figured if this was really labor, walking would help me progress and if it wasn't, walking might stop it.  So I spent an hour in Walmart slowly getting everything on my list while still timing contractions on my phone.  I texted Matt while I was in line that they were still 30-45 seconds long, and consistently 2 ½ min. apart.  He decided he’d head home since he knew there’d be holiday traffic and I told him I was going to skip the rest of my errands (which were all a lot further from home) and just go home and rest, eat, drink water, etc. to see if it changed anything.  When I got home I put away the groceries, got into comfy clothes and got in bed.  I had been texting my sis-in-law about the pattern and she suggested that I have my mom come be with me since it could have taken Matt anywhere from 30 min. to 2 hours to get home depending on traffic.  I got home at 3 and called my mom, telling her not to get too excited but that I was having pretty consistent contractions 2 ½ min. apart (I heard my dad in the background go “2 ½ min.?! SHE NEEDS TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL!”). When my mom got there around 4:00 pm I did get up and I was walking around, still timing contractions which were now consistently 45 seconds long, 2 ½ min. apart.  She unloaded the rest of my groceries and started cleaning up around the house.

At some point after Matt got home at 5:00 pm and my mom left, I had decided lying on the couch on my left side was the most comfortable.  Again, I could still talk and walk if I wanted but it felt better to not.  I had been asking my Mom a lot of questions about what her labors were like since, even though I know all labors are unique, she would be the closest thing I have to compare it to.  In our Bradley class one of the key signs to look for before going to the hospital was to not be able to walk or talk through contractions but when I asked my mom at what point she remembers hitting that in her labors, she said that she was able to talk pretty much throughout her entire labor except for the 15 or so min. actually in transition.  After she left, Matt pulled out our Bradley book to go over the signs of labor to see if we could pinpoint where I might be (if this was even the real thing).  I was still timing contractions and they slowly kept creeping up in length and were consistently 2 ¼ -2 ½ min. apart.  Based on the Bradley book, we were a bit confused as to where I might be but I had Matt get my list for the hospital bag and finish packing it all up.  When they had been 1:05 in length, 2:15 seconds apart consistently for over an hour Matt finally said he thought we should go in.  I left it up to him (since based on how I felt I really could have gone either way and our biggest priority at that point was trying not to go in too early to avoid any unnecessary interventions).  He packed up the car, we texted our moms to let them know, and headed out around 8:00 pm. 

I was able to walk and talk the entire time, answering all the questions during admittance, etc.  They put us in triage and started monitoring contractions.  I got a bit nervous then because being on my back was SO uncomfortable and I was worried if I did get admitted too soon I’d somehow end up with some intervention that left me stuck on my back.  After about an hour in triage, the nurse came in and said that I was definitely having contractions and she was going to check me.  I was at 3-4 cm., 100% effaced (I had declined all previous cervical checks at my doctor appointments so I don’t know if that was all new developments or not) so yes, they were going to admit me.  Plus I was GBS+ so they wanted to get me started on the IV.  We had a bit more time in triage while they got my room ready and since Matt and I had still not talked about our final decision on a middle name I said I guess we better now.  I asked him how much it meant to him to use his grandpa's name as the middle name and he said it meant a lot.  Case closed, Noah John Hamel it would be.  (It wasn't intentional but it was very special to tell the family since it was a surprise to them)

We got to our labor & delivery room at 10:00 pm.  We were blessed with the most amazing nurse I could have ever wished for!  She had given birth naturally twice before so she was really supportive and encouraging of us doing it that way ourselves.  She understood my desire not to be hooked up to an IV the whole time and made sure I got a Hep Lock. She even let Matt’s mom come in as a “visitor” and then gave her a bracelet to let her stay in the whole time (which was an answered prayer since we knew it was a busy night and that’s usually when they’re strict on the 2 support people in the room only policy).  We had forgotten our birth plan in the car and she kept reminding us to go get it because she really to have it for the doctor. 

When the doctor came in to meet us, he was really pushy with, I guess, his “typical procedure”.  I had been in the L&D room for maybe an hour the first thing he says after introducing himself is “So you’re OK with me breaking your water?”  He had to regroup when we immediately said no.  He then said something along the lines of “ OK, well you know that if your water does break and you don’t progress fast enough, most likely it will end up in a c-section because there’s risk of infection to the baby.” When I asked something about inducing with Pitocin first he quickly interrupted me…“I mean, we would try other inductions first like with Pitocin but most likely it’d be a c-section, would you be OK with that?”  All of us in the room (Matt, my mother-in-law, my mom and I) were all trying to process what he was saying “um…we…uh…” and then I said “as long as I’m fine and baby’s fine, we’d prefer no intervention and to give my body time to do its thing, can we discuss it IF we get there?”  He pushed back, almost like he was trying to intimidate me to just give him permission to do whatever he wanted to do to hurry my labor along unnaturally but when we were firm he said “oh… OK, then I won’t even check you” and walked out.  At that point I asked the nurse when his shift would be over.  She said he’d be off at 7:00 am so while, of course, I would have preferred a shorter labor than longer; I was also partially hoping I’d take long enough to at least get the next doctor on call.  I remember random things about laboring, but don’t really know the timeline of them all.  I know that as soon as I was able I was lying on my side like I had been at home and had NO desire whatever to move from that position.  I didn't want any massages, had no desire to eat or drink (but I already miss that AMAZING hospital ice!), and just focused on relaxing and breathing through contractions like our Bradley class had taught us. 

As labor progressed, I was still able to talk and laugh with everyone in between contractions but they were pretty on top of each other (they never got further than 2 ½ min. apart until I hit/passed transition).  I started needing to focus more and the only thing I wanted was to be holding someone’s hand to squeeze.  Matt was usually there but my mom did step in a few times when he was in the bathroom or she just got to me faster.  I didn't mind them chatting and talking through it, the only time I minded was when they’d say something funny and I’d WANT to laugh but then a contraction would hit.  The nurse came in around 12:30 am and said she’d be back at 1:00 am to check me.  I was even considering at that point declining the check because it had been such a short amount of time.  I was worried that if I hadn't progressed much I would be disappointed but I was also so curious to know if I was progressing at all or, in the event that I wasn't  that we might need to be firm on not augmenting my labor since the doctor seemed pretty trigger happy with induction/c-section. 

At some point I said I felt like I needed to pee but was scared to get up because every time before I was admitted when I stood up I got hit with a contraction.  I was scared that now that they were even more intense, if I stood up and was stuck in a really uncomfortable position the pain would be really hard to handle and I really wasn't getting a FULL break from the pain in between contractions now.  But finally my mom and mother-in-law convinced me it would be much better to empty my bladder.  Turns out, moms know best!  Matt helped me to the bathroom and then I apparently labored on the toilet for about 30-45 min.  I remember being there for a while, but it didn't seem like that long because apparently my contractions spaced out a bit and I was getting a complete break from the pain in between them.  I would have stayed there longer but my feet were falling asleep so in between contractions I was having to bounce and shake them to wake them up and that wasn't relaxing or restful at all.  I made it back to the bed and noticed I felt slightly nauseous with the next few contractions.  I didn't know if that meant transition (since the pain wasn't different) or it was because of walking back to the bed.  I wasn't able to think it all completely through but looking back it makes sense I was in transition. 

Contractions were a lot harder, I was moaning/groaning softly through them to relax my jaw (where I tend to keep the most tension in my body) and my support people just kept reminding me to relax and BREATHE (I also tend to hold my breath a lot, so we had discussed before-hand those two things were what I would probably need to be reminded the most).  A few times Matt or my mom would reach over to rub my shoulder or arm and I would just shake my head.  It distracted me from focusing on relaxing where I was tense.  I remember saying things like “I’m done”, “I can’t”, “It hurts so bad”, “I’m ready to go home now” (which was partially humor because my mom and mother-in-law both said they remember saying that) and saying how I wish I didn't know how much better it was for me and baby to do it without intervention because I totally understand WHY women get epidurals now.  Apparently I was on the toilet laboring at 1:00 am when the nurse came in to check me but she left me there thinking I had just gone in to pee.  My mom says she thinks if the nurse had known I had been laboring in there for so long she might have realized how far along I was and wanted me back in the bed.  She did ask if I wanted to push when she came in and I was on the toilet but I didn't   At 1:15 am I was 7-8 cm.  I was shocked!  I asked the nurse “so that means I’m in transition right now?” and she said “You’re done with transition!”  I was so relieved that I made it through without anything unbearable!  At some point a little while later I tried a little push again during a contraction realized it did make it feel better.  I mentioned it and they called her back in to check me. 

The nurse checked me and said I was complete but with a little lip so we weren't ready to push quite yet.  Because I had progressed so quickly she also said she would give me my second dose of antibiotics for the GBS quickly so that the baby wouldn't have to get any or potentially be kept for observation (the hospital requires you to get at least 2 doses of the antibiotics spaced 4 hours apart).  I learned in our Bradley class that if it feels better to push, then it’s OK to push (so long as baby’s tolerating it of course).  If it was doing damage to my cervix, I would feel it (since I had no pain medication) and it would NOT feel better to push.  So for the next 20 min. or so I lay on my side and would slightly bear down during contractions.  At first my mom and Matt kept telling me to breathe and relax (because they could see me tense up and hold my breath).  I kept shaking my head, and in between contractions finally told them it felt better to push slightly and I knew it was OK for me to so I was going to do it anyways.  Then they stopped and would just remind me to breathe & relax in between contractions.  It wasn't intense pushing, just a slight steady bearing down that relieved the edge of the pain.  I believe it was around 2:30-2:45 am when the nurse came in and started having me push in earnest.  My water still hadn't broken and I asked if we could since I knew I was in labor and the baby would come within the time restriction they give before suggesting intervention but she knew that our original intentions were to do it all naturally and encouraged us to stick with that (I’m glad she did).  She kept a towel between my legs during pushes because she said they've had it where the water breaks during a push and it goes all over the room.  While I was pushing on my back, they were having a hard time keeping the baby’s heart rate on the monitor so she had me roll over to my side to push.  Turns out it was just the way the monitor moved when I was push that lost the heart rate, not the baby himself.  They also gave me an oxygen mask to make sure the baby was getting enough during the pushes.  

******************TMI ALERT****************************

During one of the pushes on my side, the towel had slipped down and, of course, that’s the push when my water broke and just exploded across the entire room, splashing my mom J 

*******************TMI ALERT END**********************

After my water broke the pressure got really intense at that point but even I remember laughing in my head about it for a second (the reason it was humorous can be found in the TMI Alert).  I pushed for about an hour total officially.  Once my water broke they called the doctor in immediately and he had just enough time to suit up and catch Noah.  I remember mentally preparing myself for the “two steps forward, one step back” feeling after each push but didn't feel that at all.  I was actually surprised when I realized he was right there and in the next push his head was out and one more push his whole body was out.  I believe it was about 15-20 min. after my water broke. 

Noah John Hamel was born at 3:35 am on Saturday, 4/7/12.  He weighed 7 lbs. 3 oz. and was 20 in. long.  The doctor asked if Matt wanted to cut the cord and I asked if we could wait for it to stop pulsing on its own but he said “no, we need to get him alert.”  I just said OK thinking maybe they needed to take care of something serious (since they had made a little bit of a fuss over the heart rate monitor and giving me the oxygen mask) but as soon as Matt cut the cord they handed Noah to me and were just rubbing his back and getting him to start crying (it took a lot, he was a very happy baby from the beginning!).  I think the doctor just didn't want to wait to stitch me up.  I held him for about 5 minutes before they took him to weigh and measure him (I remember hearing them call out the weight and thinking, “only 7 lbs ! I had a tiny baby) while the doctor delivered the placenta and stitched me up.  I asked if I had torn, he said “I’ll tell you in a minute”, apparently I was losing a lot of blood.  Then when I asked how many stitches I had he said “well, it’s not like a 1, 2, 3 stitch, it’s kinda complicated, but on a scale of small, medium, large, it’s a small tear.”  He seemed annoyed that I was asking questions and wanted to know what was going on and didn't just let him do whatever he wanted. 

Matt and the grandmas got to hold Noah for about 10 minutes while the nurses finished cleaning me up and then I got a good 2 ½ hours of skin-to-skin bonding time with him.  My sisters came to see him while I was still in the delivery room.  They did his vitamin K shot and eye drops right before they transferred me to my recovery room and during my transfer Matt went down to the nursery with him for his first bath which turned into 2 hours since they said his temperature was low after his bath and made him lay under the warmer.  No duh when you take a baby that’s been warmed by their mother’s body for 9 months, strip them naked and put them in water their temperature drops!  I bet if they had just given him back to me for some skin to skin his temperature would have gone right back up.

They transferred me to my recovery room at 6:00 am and Matt finally came back with Noah at 8:00 am (longest 2 hours of my life, felt even longer than labor!).  We spent all day Saturday in recovery.  People kept telling me to sleep but I wasn't really tired; I wanted to show off my new son!  We were visited by both sets of grandmas & grandpas, Aunt Chelsea, Aunt Rachel, cousins Janna (who was on break from her shift in the cardiac unit at the hospital)& Jonathan, Great Aunt Elaine & Great Uncle Dave, and Richard & Lisa Tucker.  We were discharged Sunday afternoon around 1:00 pm on Easter.  Uncle Geoff, Uncle Caleb, Uncle Michael, cousin Danielle, cousin Lily, Uncle Andy, Aunt Mandy, cousin Mason, The Maynards & the Francises came and visited/had Easter dinner that day.