Theresa's Story

My husband and I had been married about 2 years when we decided to try to start a family. I was totally convinced that I would never get pregnant, and we would end up adopting end of story. Well, we went to Florida for a week at the end of August as a de-stress week. About 4 weeks later I felt like I had the flu. I thought it was from to much partying down south, or I had caught something down there. When I figured out that I was pregant I was shocked. I ended up with morning sickness so bad, I was a prisoner in my own bathroom. I didn't miss one day of work though! The rest of my pregnancy went smooth. At my last Dr.s appointment when I got off the table she took one look at me and told me to get undressed because I had dropped. I was carrying so low in the 1st place, to this day I can't figure out how she new I dropped, I couldn't have gotten any lower than I was before! She did an internal and told me that it was anytime. I didn't really believe her. I felt I had to work right up until the end. My last day of work was May 31st, and I was due June 4th. I thought I still had LOTS of time. Little did I know.....

I went downtown Toronto to the Dorthy Madgett Clinic to buy a relaxation tape for labour. This was my 1st offical day of freedom, and I wasn't wasting a second of it. We took the subway up because for some unknown reason, I just couldn't walk all the way from the Skydome to just below Sick Kid's. We went our separate ways, and I planned to take the GO train home. On my way down Front Street I met a freind of ours, and we walked together. I had a few minutes and I said I would walk with her to her office. We got to the corner of Bay and Wellington, and OH my god I thought my waters broke. Nancy had just finished reading me the riot act about my cel phone, my husband's pager, office number, and her office number. I knew if I said anything she'd be calling 911 to air lift me to Mount Sinai that second. I said my good byes to her, and wadled as fast as I could to Union Station to check things out. Well, my waters didn't break, but it was time for me to head home. I got on the train, and sat by the washroom JUST IN CASE. I did have some weird pains on the way home, but didn't think they could be labor, they weren't anything like the pains the prenatal teacher described, and this was my 1st day of freedom, I had too many things to do before this baby came. I went home, and slept.

That night, I was up every hour, on the hour, my back ached SO bad. I had a bath about 4 am, and noticed when I was getting out that there were little floaty bits in the tub, I thought I had dropped a kleenex in there, and now in retrospect I should have clued in that this was my membranes shedding. I finally strapped a hot water bottle to my back and got some sleep. My husband told me that maybe I was in labor and that he should stay home to make sure. I told him I was fine, and I wasn't due until tomorrow, and besides who goes into labor on their due date anyways!!! Besides I had plans. I sewed a dress, and then went to a friends. While I was there, I was telling her that I hadn't felt the baby move a lot, and I kept having pains, but I had an appointment with my Dr. the next day, so should I wait until then to have it checked. She said that if the baby hadn't moved by 7:00pm then I should go and have it checked. My husband called while I was there and said he was going home because he wasn't feeling well. I decided that I'd better go too. I did have some funny pains again when I was driving, but nope they are still not like the pains the teacher described. My husband phoned me in the car to tell me that my unemployment papers where ready at work, so we'd better go to pick them up. I got home, and we headed out to pick them up, and we also went to the Price Club to pick up pictures. We were in the middle of dinner, when I decide that I really wasn't felling well, and these pains were really annoying. I was still convienced that it was my due date, I could not be in labor. My neighbor came over to ask my husband to go and pick up a perscription for her, he said yes, but she would have to sit with me, to make sure I was okay. I got about 3 phone calls and I had to kick everybody off. When my husband got back, I told him to time these pains, and I sat in the bathtub. My brother and my brother-in-law called. I told them not to tell anyone we thought I was in labor. I didn't want to alarm, nor have them calling to find out what was going on. At 11:30 pm we decided to go to the hosptail, We live in Oakville, and I was going to the Mississauga Hosptial which is a 15 minute drive away. My husband also thought he would need money (don't ask me why) so he stopped on the way.

I thought I was going to die! That is the longest anyone has ever taken to get cash! We got to the hosptial and I was sure they would send me home. I got put on the monitor and then they did a exam and she told me I was 4 cm! I asked if I could go home, and she said NO! I couldn't belive it was actually happening. I had been looking forward to the whirlpool soak I was going to have ever since they told me they had one. It was suppose to be the highlight of my labor. Well, I lasted about 10 minutes. The baby was so low I couldn't sit, I could only sit on the toliet with the arm rests up, leaning back. My back hurt so bad, I couldn't stand it. I remember hanging from the door frame in the whirlpool room and I told my husband I thought I needed an epidural. The next thing I know I can hear him at the nurses station saying "I think my wife needs an epidural NOW!" About 15 minutes later the dr was there to give my mine. I slept for about 15 minutes and woke up thinking I'd slept for 8 hours. I rested on and off, unitl 7am when the nurse and resident came in to check me. They said I was 10 cm! My dr. came in about 30 min later to do her rounds and asked if I felt like pushing yet. I said no.

We chose to have a friend of ours with us during my labor etc. We felt that if my husband needed a break I wouldn't be alone. She was also pregnant herself, and going to the same hospital and we also shared the same dr. This was her chance to get everything 1st hand. She came about 9 am, and about a half and hour later I decided that it was now or never! I started to push. After an hour nothing. The nurse got everything ready, she brought in the heater for the baby, the bassinett, got the weigh scale and everything, and she told me that this baby would be born before noon! At this point I was ready to give up, I couldn't really feel any urges to push, and my back and hips were KILLING me. I kept asking if they could take away my pain. They did a further exam and the baby was postieier, and pushing on my side would turn him around. Another hour of pushing. Still no baby. They decide to give me pitocin to speed up the contractions because they have slowed down. They kept telling me that this baby would be born before noon. I kept thinking that I couldn't possibly push this thing out, and how was I gonna do this! I also thought I had the flu, but they told me that nope it's a part of labor and it helps the baby come out. I wanted to stick my fingers down my throat but my labor partner wouldn't let me! Another hour goes by, it's past noon, and now they are telling me soon, this baby will be born soon. I am thinking that this pitocin drug really doesn't work, and I got a new nurse who got orders to turn it up. In another hour they really kicked in! They kept asking me if they could turn down my epidural, and I kept asking if they could turn it up! At 1:30 pm I told the nurse to go and get the doctor, cause I wanted to know what was going on. She said the baby was still postierier and we would have to do a forcep delivery, and if she couldn't turn it around she would have to do a c-section. That wasn't in my plans. I couldn't have coped afterwards with a c-section. I said I would push for one more hour, and then if it wasn't born she was coming back to get me to go to the forcep room! An hour went by and wouldn't you know it I was on my way to the forcep room. At this point I looked up and as they were wheeling me down the hall, I told my husband that this wasn't like ER at all! We spent an hour in the forcep room waiting for an anethisesit to put more in my epidural. I screamed and ranted and raved, and watched the clock. I convineced the dr to try to vaccum this kid out, she tried, but the baby's head was so close to the opening that the suction cup popped off all the time. FINALLY he showed up. He injected the drug and he wanted to wait for a few minutes to let the drug take effect, I said NO WAY JOSE you are deliverying this baby now! I don't remember how many pushes I had to do, but Kyle Douglas, all 7lbs 13.5 oz was born. I kept asking my husband if it was a boy or not, and we didn't know until the doctor screamed that he was peeing all over her! They suctioned him then and then while they were taking care of me, they suctioned him again and then they asked if they could take him to special care nursery. I said yes, ( I didn't want my kid turning blue on me or something because I had said no!) He spent about 7 hours there and he was fine.

Even though my labour and delivery were so long I have not gotten discouraged from having another baby. It was worth it. I have thought about doing the home birth or the mid-wife birth in a hosptial, but I have decided that I liked the care I recieved at the Mississauga Hosptial and I will go back when ever that might be!