bunnymama625: Camryn's Birth Story

Posted Thursday, October 06, 2011 5:03 PM

Google speeds things along

On June 24, I was 2 centimeters dilated, and I was ready to do just about anything to get my baby out. All of my Google searches produced one answer: sex. My seduction method consisted of looking at my husband and saying, “Please get this baby out of me!” It was uncomfortable, and I was half crying, half laughing the whole time. But apparently it worked! At 3:30 a.m., a little “gush” woke me up. Did I just wet my pants? I wondered. But it felt different. I reached over and tapped my husband. “Um, honey,” I said, “I think my water broke.” He jumped out of bed like a dad on a sitcom and ran into the living room, tearing everything apart to look for our doctor’s number.

Taking my time

My husband called a cab to bring us to the hospital. While we drove, we hit every pothole along the way. Meanwhile, I stared out the window, thinking about how one day I would tell my daughter about this early-morning ride through the empty city. That’s when the contractions started.

Slower than expected

I’d expected a cramping feeling for the contractions. Instead, I had a sensation in my lower stomach like someone was punching me—hard! But when we got to the hospital at 5 a.m., I was still at 2 centimeters, so the doctor said we could go home or go for a walk. We went down to the lobby and timed contractions. Around 9:30 a.m., the contractions were closer together, so we went back upstairs. They checked me, and I’d barely dilated at all—I wasn’t even at 3 centimeters! Regardless, I was on all fours clutching the bed, in a lot of pain. A wonderful nurse brought me to the shower, hoping the water would make me feel better. Once we were there, I started throwing up, and she actually clapped! While I looked at her, wondering if she was crazy, she explained that throwing up generally means you’re fully dilated.

Here comes Camryn!

But she was wrong: I was barely 5 centimeters dilated! I was given an epidural, and at 5:15 p.m. I was finally fully dilated and ready to start pushing. The doctor instructed me to hold my breath and push during each contraction. Holding my breath felt unnatural, so I secretly breathed while pushing. When the doctor said my baby’s head was visible, I had one very pressing question: “Does she have hair?” I asked. Everyone laughed, and the nurse assured me that she had lots of hair. It was 5:51 p.m. on June 25, and Camryn Marie was finally born! She was 8 pounds, 2 ounces, and 21 inches long. It was love at first sight, and I am so excited to be Camryn’s mom!

>> Want to share your birth story with The Bump? Email Bump Kathleen at kmulpeter@theknot.com.