How I delivered my own daughter !!!!!!!

[Kalanit]

Last night, I was in the hospital because of dehydration. I got three liters of iv fluids. Before I left they did a cervical exam. I was 2 cm dilated and 70 % effaced. I was having contractions so minor, that while they registered on the monitor, I didn't even feel them. There was no reason for them to suspect I wouldn't make it until morning. I mentioned to the doctor that I would love to be induced in order to finally be able to eat again. He said there were no beds available, but that he has no problem stripping my membranes to try to speed things up. Well, it worked.
I went home, and at about midnight I felt a couple of really minor contractions here and there occasionally. Nothing even close to being painful, barely even a 1 on a pain scale. I went to sleep to try and get some rest. At four AM the contractions woke me up. Still not very painful, around a 2-3 on the pain scale. At 5 am I tried taking my normal morning medication, but every contraction made me wretch and I threw up the medicine. At 6 am, they were around 5 minutes apart but much stronger, so I called my father and asked him if he would be able to drive me to the hospital. He said he would show up in half an hour. I was not worried in the least. When my son was born two years ago, I had contractions 5 minutes apart for 12 hours before I even got to three centimeters! We got in the car at 6:30 am with the contraction still 5 minutes apart. It is slightly longer than a half hour drive to the hospital. I lay down along the back seat on my right side, while my husband sat in the front with my father driving.
In the car, the contractions got faster and faster. I pretty much got to the point that I was just nonstop screaming in the back of the car. (I am not the natural birth person and am very definitely the 'I want an epidural person') but still the contractions were only three minutes apart. Each contraction lasted two minutes, and then a minute break. I started to feel an urge to push, and my father said, we are less than 5 minutes away, try to hold it in. My husband called up the hospital on the phone to ask them to have a nurse meet us at the entrance. Suddenly, at 7 am, my waters broke and I put my hands between my legs to see how wet it was. I felt a head. I told my father, pull over to the side she's coming out. Before he even had a chance to finish stopping the car, she was already out. I immediately took her and placed her on my chest. I was totally not thinking at that point. I was acting completely on instinct. My husband was still on the phone at the time, and they said we should pull over and wait for the ambulance to arrive. In the mean time I wrapped her in the warmest piece of clothing I had. The gown I was planning on wearing in the hospital. We turned on the heat in the car and waited for the ambulance to arrive.
The ambulances misunderstood us as to where we were, and it took them about 20 minutes to arrive. Lo and behold, who was in the ambulance? One of the doctors from the urgent care. He also works part time in ambulances. He goes out in situations when doctors are needed. This is the same doctor that at 19 weeks sent me to the ER with contractions. He also continued to give me ivs numerous times throughout the pregnancy. He said he felt the circle was complete being that he was the doctor in the ambulance that came. They cut the umbilical cord, and then transferred me to the ambulance. In the ambulance, I delivered the placenta, and after that there was no real urgent need to get me to the hospital as soon as possible. I arrived at around 7:30 am. (btw, my husband bumped into my OB in the hallway, told him I gave birth, but didn't tell him how. Here your OB doesn't deliver you, but rather a midwife at the hospital.)
In the delivery room, they stitched me up (the tear I had was typical of woman who deliver to fast). I had a glass of watered down tea, and was able to drink it all down in one gulp. No nausea! Amazing how three hours can make such a difference. I still find some foods make me nauseous. Anything chocolate. Eating more than half a plateful during a meal. But the nausea doesn't cause me to vomit! And I am actually eating and drinking. And I can drink as much as I want. My daughter, Leah Gittel, decided she was going to be one memorable baby. Simply having a memorable pregnancy wasn't enough for her. She had to make sure the birth was memorable as well!
Leah is my husband's mother's name. She passed away 8 years ago from diabetes. Gittel is my husband's paternal grandmother's name. She was named after two important women in my husband's life in which my husband and I are the only ones who could possibly continue the family lines.
HG is gone! Yay!

[Pamcakes]

Congratulations on having your precious baby girl in your arms! Your birth story is amazing - I can't imagine having the strength to deliver in a car after months of HG. Your daughter has one tough mama! I think her name is beautiful, and even more beautiful is the tribute it is to your husband's family.

Thank you for posting. It helps so much to read about other HGers finally being free from sickness again. It keeps me going.

[Alwayshappy39]

Kalanit,
Congratulations! I am so happy for you. I am sure it was scary and stressful in the moment but, what a relief it must be to have that little one in your arms. Your little girl will ask you to tell her the story of her delivery over and over. She will be so proud of her mama! It is so wonderful to hear that for the most part your HG is gone! I find it miraculous that a few hours after delivery we can actually feel normal after months of barely surviving. Thank you for sharing your story. It gives me hope and strengthens my faith that I will also feel better in 15 weeks (my induction date) Enjoy your angel!!!

[AnneCan]

Of course I've already read the 'short version' of this that you sent me, but it's so great to hear about what happened in more detail. I still can't believe it! How wonderful! Maybe next time you could try for a homebirth, since this one was an unassisted, unmedicated car birth (one of my friends was born in a car, and it sure makes for a good story)!

I'm so glad that you're able to drink to your heart's content. People who've never had HG don't realize that giving birth after HG is like a renewal and re-birth of our own, not just of our children! Drink a delicious hot tea for me!

I'll be thinking about you and wishing you the best recovery, and a baby that sleeps 10 hours a night, eats like a champ, and fusses very little! Congrats mama, you did a good job!

[krsweetpea]

amazing story!!!

She is a lucky little girl to have such a strong mama!!

Yay for no more hg!!!! Enjoy eating and drinking again.

Congrats!!!

[DebbieS]

Congratulations on the birth of Leah. You are a hero!! Great that the HG is gone so that you can enjoy life again.

[gremlinsmummy]

Wow, what an incredible story! Well done mama! You survived HG hell, now enjoy every single second of your precious reward!

(Just quietly, I live in fear of delivering this wee bub on the bathroom floor coz my last labour was less than two hours from the first contraction and my OB thinks this one will be faster - eek!)

[Kalanit]

i'm pretty sure one of the reasons i had the strength was because i had gotten 3 liters of Luis less then 12 hours beforehand. Though to be honest, i never really even pushed. She just came out despite my best efforts otherwise. Gremlin, i never thought i would be able to handle something like this, and I still don't know how i did, but instinct just took over. I have no emotional memories of it happening. Just logical thoughts of now I need to do this... Now I need to do that....
I bumped into the doctor today who did the stripping. He said, in the future, if I have my membranes stripped, I will need 24 observation afterwards.

[AnneCan]

I bumped into the doctor today who did the stripping. He said, in the future, if I have my membranes stripped, I will need 24 observation afterwards.

That's funny....no kidding!!!!

[gremlinsmummy]

LMAO @ the doctor - ya think? We've had a few stories in the news here lately about babies being born in weird places, one lady gave birth in her car on a gas station forecourt during peak hour traffic and all the people sitting in the traffic got front row seats. There were people calling talkback radio saying 'OMG I just saw a woman have a baby!'

Good on you for keeping your wits about you, I guess you never know how you'll react til you're in a situation, but I'd probably freak out big time! I bet your dad and your DH got a big fright too - what an adrenalin rush!

[Kalanit]

To quote my husband ' that was one thing I NEVER wanted to see.'
my father ' that took 10 years off my life'

[Kate]

Congrats! What a birth story!

[Melster]

Amazing! I love it!

So happy that HG is gone. Congrats!

[sweetpea]

Congratulations! So glad she's here!

[saskHG#2]

What an amazing birth story. We almost had our birth in our vehicle too! Congrats

[Cin]

How did I miss this??? WOW, what a birth! Congratulations!