Like all new mothers I feared the 'unknowns' of labor and delivery and found myself reading TONS of birth stories trying to get a hint of what I might experience. I knew giving birth was painful but I wanted to know HOW painful. What will my contractions feel like? Will I know when my water breaks? How long will I be in labor and how much of that time will be intolerable pain? How well will my bladder hold up through labor and of course, delivery?

In all of my reading I found one thing to be consistent……all births are different. In hindsight, I can say that I DID find other women's stories somewhat helpful and so here I am, sharing mine with you. I will try to be as thorough as I can with the hope that maybe, just maybe, you will find our story informative and perhaps comfort some of your worries about the 'unknown'.

At exactly 12 midnight two days after my due date, my water broke. My fear of not recognizing this milestone was thrown aside quickly since it woke me out of a sound sleep! It felt like a sudden urge to empty my bladder and of course, I could FEEL the water. I jumped out of bed and ran as fast as I could to the bathroom….trying to get there before the gush hit the floor…..and a gush it was!! In many of the birth stories I read, women described their water breaking as more of a trickle….not for me. I feared I'd never be able to get up from the toilet there was so much coming out. It seemed like a gallon or more of….well… pink water.

When I felt it was safe to stand up, I grabbed a hand towel from the rack, held it between my legs and hobbled out to the living room to alert my husband. He ran to get me some fresh clothes and as I cleaned up a little and then called the hospital, he calmly got everything together for our road trip. I was so proud of him! I then woke my mom who was staying with us for the baby's arrival and off we went. I have to admit that the ride to the hospital was something I really feared. I had no idea what my labor would be like and if my IC would be flaring as a result. I had mentally prepared myself for a very difficult ride but when it was time, I managed fine!! My IC did NOT flare and because my water had just broken, my contractions weren't unbearable. No problem!!!

We arrived at the hospital at about 12:45 am and I was wheeled up to Labor & Delivery right away. I didn't have to say a word when we walked into the ER either…..they just knew! *grins* After a quick check-in with Labor & Delivery Registration I was sent into the bathroom to do a litmus type test on the fluid I was loosing. I just dabbed the small test strip in the fluid and it turned blue immediately. Yup! Amniotic fluid! Here we go!!

Mom, Hubby and I were escorted to a Labor & Delivery room where I changed into one of those yummy hospital gowns and crawled into bed. If someone had asked me months earlier how my emotional state might be at this point, I would have said "terrified"…..but….that really wasn't the case. Everything had happened so fast at that point that I really didn't have time to think about any of it….or get scared.

The RN placed two Velcro straps around my belly to start monitoring the baby's heart rate and my contractions. So far so good…..I was having contractions about every 5 minutes at that point and although I could feel them, they weren't very painful. It was like sharp menstrual cramping very low in my abdomen that lasted about 30 seconds each. The baby was doing well and her heart rate was steady.

I was given an IV to stay hydrated with an additional antibiotic for my Mitral Valve Prolapse. I was able to get up and use the restroom by unhooking the monitors on my belly and wheeling the IV along with me. My IC was still quiet and I only got up about once an hour. The rest of the time I remained in bed lying on my left side as the RN had suggested. My contractions were steady at 4-5 minutes apart and I could easily breathe through them.

At 4:00 am the OB checked my cervix for dilation…..I was only at a 1 ½ - 2! No progress at all…and I was beginning to feel pressure on my bladder which was driving me crazy. I asked if I could take a Pyridium and was given the 'okay' so Mom dug into my overnight bag while the RN began Pitocin through the IV to encourage my contractions.

At 4:50 am, while the RN was watching the fetal monitors, I had a whopping contraction that really, really hurt. I couldn't talk at all during the contraction and in my 'fog' I heard the nurse say the baby's heart rate had dropped significantly and she called for the OB right away. She then began vigorously massaging my belly trying to stimulate the baby while I felt my own heart seize up in panic. As the doctors came running into the room and to my bedside, our little angel's heart rate went back to normal…right about the time that my contraction let up. I have never been so relieved in my life! I was placed on oxygen and my cervix was checked again…..still at a 2…no progress. The monitor straps were removed from my belly and internal fetal monitors were attached to the baby's head for more accurate readings.

By 6:45 am I asked for an epidural. Some of my contractions were stronger and more painful than others and although I was getting through them, I was getting weary. I was so frustrated and just wanted a break in the pain for a while. I had often wondered if the pain actually went away in between contractions allowing the laboring woman to rest. The answer is yes, it does, but a 4 minute rest isn't very long! My biggest fear with an epidural was that I would then be stuck in bed and would require a urinary catheter. With my IC I have had extreme difficulty with catheters and would suffer from urethral spasms and pain for weeks afterwards. I had really hoped to avoid an epidural through labor….thus avoiding the catheter. I couldn't do it. My frustration and exhaustion became stronger than my fear! The insertion of the epidural catheter in my back was slightly painful but nothing compared to what I had been experiencing for 6 hours. The epidural itself was wonderful. No more pain! I could see the contractions registering on the monitor but couldn't feel them. Finally a rest! I had expressed to the nurse that I really wanted to avoid a urinary catheter and she agreed she would put it off as long as possible.

8:15 am - The OB checked me again for progress and again, I was still at a 2. They had been increasing the dosage of Pitocin throughout the night hoping to make my contractions more productive but despite their efforts, this baby wasn't coming out! Because my water had broken and the baby's heart rate was dropping with contractions, the OB suggested that if there wasn't any progress over the next few hours, they would have to do a C-Section. I was so exhausted and frustrated and hearing of a possible C-Section broke me down. For the first time throughout my labor I began to cry. I'm so thankful that my mom and hubby were there with me for support and encouragement.

9:15 am - This is the turning point for me and important for all IC'ers to know! My contractions had pretty much stopped completely and despite the epidural I was beginning to feel bladder pressure….like my bladder was full and I needed to use the restroom. Of course, I wasn't allowed out of bed so I had no choice but to succumb to a urinary catheter. With the epidural I didn't feel the catheter at all. The pain and spasms I feared may have been there but I sure didn't notice them and boy, was my bladder full!! The nurse couldn't believe I hadn't complained earlier about the pressure! Both my OB and the nurse hoped that by keeping my bladder empty, there would be more room for that baby to start moving down. They increased the Pitocin again.

Exactly an hour later I was dilated to a 4!!!! The nurses, my mom and Hubby and I all cheered with the thought that this baby might deliver vaginally after all! My full bladder seemed to be the problem! The doctor left the room with the promise of coming back in an hour to check again. I think we all relaxed a little bit after that and began chatting with the new nurse who was just starting her shift.

At 11:20 am the OB returned as promised and we all crossed our fingers hoping I might have progressed to a 6. To our surprise she said I was dilated to a 10 with just a slight little lip left to go. Finally!!!! After being awake for almost 29 hours this news gave me a burst of energy! I honestly didn't feel anything for the last few hours. My contractions had started again after my bladder was emptied but I was pain free and relaxed.

I was told by the OB to let them know when I felt like I needed to start pushing and by noon I was pressing the nurse button. The urge to push is an overwhelming feeling! It feels just like you need to have a bowel movement only much more intense. After the nurse removed the urinary catheter and I got the 'go ahead' my husband held one leg and my mom held the other and I began pushing with each contraction. Actually it was more like 2 or 3 pushes during each contraction. (Push for the count of 10, take a quick breath, push again for the count of 10.) Again, I felt the urge to push and some pressure as the baby moved down but no pain at all.

With each contraction I was having the baby's heart rate was dropping again and she was clearly in distress. The doctor was having me roll onto my side between contractions which seemed to be better for the baby (rather than lying on my back). I was also still wearing the oxygen mask. At some point the OB expressed to me that she normally would give me more time for the pushing stage but that we needed to get the baby out soon. She wanted me to push harder! I honestly have never put so much physical work into anything else in my entire life. Pushing is exhausting!!

After an hour of pushing I was feeling like it would never end despite everyone telling me they could see the baby's head and I was "almost done". It wasn't until I saw the OB put on her face mask and pull the utensil cart over that I felt the end was near. The last couple of pushes I focused everything I had and pushed with all my might and I finally felt the pressure (and a little pain) of the baby's head moving through and out. I was told to stop pushing while they sucked the goop out of her throat and nose and with one final burst of energy I was able to push her shoulders and body out. I did feel some pain as her shoulders passed through but it was for only a second or two…no problem!!

Everyone cheered as she made her appearance and I was able to get a quick peek at her before she was swooped off to get her 'work over'. She had swallowed a lot of mucus and fluid so I wasn't able to hold her right away but I could hear her crying and my mom and husband were telling me all about her from across the room.

While our little miracle was being taken care of I had to give one last ounce of energy to push the placenta out (which was a breeze in comparison). And, of course, I had to be stitched where I was given the episiotomy. Why didn't I mention the episiotomy above? Well….I honestly didn't feel it! My husband later told me that the OB waited until one of my last contractions and made the cut while I was busy pushing. Pretty tricky!

It wasn't too long before I was finally able to hold my tiny little daughter in my arms. With tears streaming down my face I studied all of her little features and hugged her and kissed her. She was the most amazing little thing I had ever seen and she was looking right back at me! My heart swelled up so much I thought it would burst out of my chest just holding her for the first time. I had wanted her more than anything in the world but nothing could prepare me for how much love I would feel for her at that moment. She is truly a miracle.

- With Love, Lesa & Michael

It's a Girl!

Kaitlin Marie

Weight - 7 lbs 1 1/2 oz

Height - 21 inches long!