The Birth of SlowMo.
September 15th, 1996
6 pounds, 7 ounces
19 1/2 inches long

With all this pregnant belly talk going around (and if you don't know what I'm talking about, click here...people are still linking up! It's amazing!) I thought I'd post about my first birth. I don't know about y'all but I love LOVE reading birth stories, and I love watching them on TV when I go to my parents' house. TLC's Baby Story is the best!!! Since I only have 3 male readers, I thought it would be ok to tell all the gory details. Later on I'll post theBeast's birth story too.

Most of you probably know that I was pregnant with SlowMo my senior year in high school. I was 17 years old, very naive, and thought I was in love. Ha! (total loser who hasn't been in SlowMo's life since she was 2.) Anyway, onto the birth.

From the beginning of my pregnancy I knew she was a girl. When I went for the ultrasound I actually pointed out the girly part before the OB noticed. I just had a feeling. I also, somehow knew when I was going to give birth. In May, I told my mom and several friends that I knew I was going to have her September 15th, I was due on the 17th. I had my last OB appointment on Tuesday September 10th, I told my Dr. that I wouldn't be in the next week, that I was going to deliver that coming weekend. He said "I'll see you next week." Haha SUCKA...that next Saturday, the 14th I was out at the pool hall with a friend (yeah, I lead a real charming life back then) and my back started to hurt. We left the pool hall and went to hang out at a friend's house, but my back started hurting so badly I just asked her to take me home. I had just turned 18 two weeks before and I had no idea that was a sign of beginning labor. I didn't read any books on labor and delivery, I didn't even take a birthing class. I was too busy chasing around the dead beat. So my friend took me home, it was around 11:30 pm.
15 minutes later at 11:45 pm I started having contractions, but didn't know they were contractions and they didn't really hurt, just felt weird and tight. I tried to fall asleep but the tightness kept me awake. I called my friend that I had been out with and told her what I was feeling, she woke up her mom and told her and she said that I was having contractions and to start timing them. So, over the phone my friend and I talked and timed my contractions when they came.
At 1am we decided that I should wake up my mom. My contractions were about 10 minutes apart, but had become pretty regular. I woke up my mom and she had me walk around the house and walk up and down the stairs. The contractions continued to worsen and become more regular. I went to use the bathroom and my plug came out, and then I had a little spotting. I told my mom and she had me call my Dr. The Dr. said to go to the hospital and have them check me. My mom drove me to the hospital and it was the most uncomfortable ride ever. Every bump hurt and the contractions just kept coming. I believe I was probably holding my breath the whole time, which does not help! We arrived at the hospital at 3:30am and my friend and her mom met us there. The nurse gave me breathing lessons in the elevator ride to my room.
They checked me and I was dilated to 4 cm. They offered for me to walk, and my mom wanted me to walk more, I think I made one trip down the hallway and didn't want to walk anymore. I went back to the room and layed in the bed. They monitored me continually (because I was 18 and didn't know better, I allowed it.). I wanted to be on my left side, curled in a ball, and pulling on my bangs. The nurses kept coming in and putting me on my back because the monitors would fall off, when they left the room I would turn back on my side. They were getting very frustrated with me, but I just kept turning on my left side. The contractions were getting bad and so I started crying (I believe the only reason I cried was because I was young and scared.) so they gave me some pain meds through an IV (see how much I didn't know? I let them do anything they wanted!!) the meds made me feel very drunk, which I liked at the time and took the edge off the pain so I was able to sit up and talk to my mom, friend and her mom. This only lasted for an hour and then the pain was back. My mom rubbed my head almost the entire time and my friend and her mom took turns rubbing my back. I was having back labor, and man did it hurt!
At some point they broke my water and found that SlowMo had had a bowel Movement, so they had to continually flush me for the duration.
I was determined to get an epidural (boy how times change), so the anesthesiologist came in and administered one. IT DIDN'T WORK! They asked me to lift my legs, and I could. I could still feel everything and since I thought the pain was all going to go away and it didn't, I started bawling. I cried so hard that they had to put and oxygen mask on me. Soon after this they checked me and said I was at 10cm and ready to push. I wanted that baby out! I pushed 3 times and she was here. One push to the count of 10, one to the count of 5 and the last one to 10 and she was here! Born at 9:07 am on September 15th, 1996.
She was posterior, which is why I was having back labor the whole time, and the cord was wrapped around her neck several times and had to be cut off.
I didn't even get to hold her. They had to suction out her lungs since she had inhaled meconium, which sounded awful! Then they whisked her away to the nursery. Me being the concerned 18 year old mother kept saying "is she pretty? Is she pretty?" Geesh. I didn't end up seeing her (seriously, I didn't see her at all, they didn't even hold her over me or anything!) until 1:30 pm, four and a half hours after I gave birth to her!!

I regret a lot about my parenting decisions back then. I didn't room in with her, I had them keep her in the nursery over night, I didn't even attempt to breastfeed, in fact I thought it was gross! I let her cry it out, which makes me cringe just thinking back on it. I really think that teens need some sort of classes, not just birthing classes and parenting classes (they need those too though) but some sort of "here are you options, you do have a choice in the matter" classes.

So, tell me your story, or if you have it linked somewhere already, drop me the link in my comments!!