Why I Am a Fan of Epidurals

Here's the story...

In keeping with Womack baby tradition, Josiah decided to enter the world on his own timetable. After seeing the doctor yesterday, we knew he would come in the next 24 hours but did not anticipate just how soon his birth might be.

We left the doctor's office and decided to run a few errands, thinking the walking and gravity would at least help the process along. After stops at Riverview (to update my mom), Wal-Mart (to purchase a few last minute items, including a watch to time contractions since neither Jim or I have a working watch), and College Church, we headed home.

Jim ate lunch and we kept timing. Contractions were between 6-10 minutes apart, depending on my position: up walking around or sitting or laying. They were, however, getting more intense and could last up to a minute or more. When a couple of contractions got to be 4-5 minutes apart and I was having to really breathe through them, I started to get a bit worried, so Jim called the doctor's office for advice. They said I was in labor and to head to the hospital.

Looking back, it's a bit scary to think what might have happened if we had waited any longer. By the time we got to the hospital (around 3:30), the contractions we about 5 minutes apart, but I could still walk and talk. We checked in and were told that they had just sent 4 girls up to labor and delivery and that another was headed to the hospital by ambulance. I think we took the last room.

They gave me a gown and said that they were assessing patients in the order they arrived, which made sense. So over the next half hour my contractions went from 5 minutes to 3 and a half minutes apart. I started getting worried about not getting the epidural. And while I'm not one for cutting in line or breaking rules in general, I sent Jim out to let the nurse know that things were progressing and that I have a history of fast labors (thus my two *natural* deliveries despite two requests for an epidural).

The nurse was on her way in and got my IV started, drew blood, and checked me: 5 centimeters. By this time (around 4 p.m.) our doula had arrived and things really started moving. They sent the blood work out to get approved for an epidural, I signed the paperwork for an epidural, and they even had the chair ready and called the anesthesiologist. However, my body was on a roll. The contractions got stronger and closer together, I went from 5-9.5 centimeters in a little over an hour, and I was ready to push by about 5:20 or so. Bottom line: no epidural. (ahhhhhh!!!)

I pouted briefly between contractions and considered my options, which at this point were very few. They prepped me to push and I remember telling everyone I couldn't do it and asking if they could just pull the baby out. They were not very accommodating and said the only way for him to come out was for me to push.

Three pushes (and an episiodomy) later, Josiah arrived. Our doctor saw how big he was, estimated that he was around 7.5 pounds and said something like, "We weren't expecting this." We were all surprised that he was a little over 8 pounds (no wonder it hurt!)

In the end, it was all worth it. He's a sweet little guy who (so far) sleeps and wakes up to eat (unless you undress him to give him a bath or take his photograph.) Pictures yet to come - we brought the wrong cord to the hospital and can't download them off of our camera. : )