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Elliot Hudson Robins Sex: boy Born: 20 June, 2008 Age: 0 years & 80 days Birthday in: 285 days Starsign: Gemini Development: See the 2 months page. Biggest achievement so far: -

Birth details

Type of delivery: Cesarean section
Duration of labor: 25 hours
Weight @ birth: 8 pounds 6 ounces
Length @ birth: not sure

Elliot-Hudson-Robins`s birthstory

From about the halfway point of this pregnancy I began to read books and websites about labor. I wanted to do as much research as I could in order to make informed choices and create the birth experience that I wanted. This was my first pregnancy and I didn’t know what to expect, but I wanted to be prepared. After quite a bit of reading, I came to the conclusion that I wanted to have a natural childbirth, with as little medical intervention as possible. I had read “Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth” and I wanted a birth experience like the women in her book. From this point forward, I skipped over any reading material that had to do with a cesarean because I thought that it didn’t apply to me. I didn’t realize that the birth of my son would turn out to be the polar opposite of what I had planned for myself.

On June 18^th, two days before Elliot’s due date, I decided to go for a massage as nothing had really happened yet and I was now expecting him to come late. The massage therapist specialized in maternity massage and did some pretty intense stuff, hoping to spur things on. That afternoon I went home and relaxed and went to bed with my husband around 11pm. Around midnight I began to have contractions that were about 10 minutes apart. I knew that early labor could last a long time, so I stayed in bed and tried to sleep for a couple hours. Around 2 am I decided that the contractions were too painful to sleep through and got up and went on the computer. I didn’t want to wake my husband up until I was sure that this was the real thing. I ran myself a bath and then around 6am I woke up Aaron to tell him that I was in labor. We called my mom around 7am and she drove over and then finally at 9am we decided to go to the hospital. I had been timing my contractions and they were coming regularly but not at consistent intervals. Some were 5 minutes apart some were 3 and some were 10. When we got to the hospital the nurse took me into a room and checked me. She told me that I was only 1-2 cm dilated and that I should go back home and wait. Needless to say I was disappointed. I had already been having contractions for hours and had made no progress! I had lost some of my mucous plug and been having bloody show since earlier the day before and I was uncomfortable and tired.

I had an appointment with my obstetrician that afternoon and so when we got there she checked me again and told me I was still 1-2 cm (it was now 2pm). She performed a stretch and sweep and said that she felt like I would probably have the baby that evening! Finally some hope! I went back home with Aaron and continued to have contractions. The contractions were getting much stronger but were still not regular. I tried to sleep, but only managed to get about an hour before I was awakened by the contractions again. I couldn’t eat anything anymore and couldn’t lay down because it was too painful. I was frustrated because they had told us not to come back to the hospital until the contractions were regular and only a few minutes apart. I went into the bath tub again which helped a bit. By 9pm that evening I told Aaron and my mom that I wanted to go back to the hospital. I was exhausted and uncomfortable at home. All I wanted to do was sleep but I was in too much pain.

Once we got to the hospital I was checked again and told that I was only at 3 cm and that I either had the option to go back home and try to rest or stay at the hospital and they would give me some Demerol to try to help me with the pain and see if I could sleep. After discussing with my family I decided that I wanted to stay at the hospital and see if the Demerol would help. I knew that if I went back home I wouldn’t sleep and would become even more frustrated. I received the Demerol sometime after midnight and attempted to sleep. I dozed a bit in between the contractions but couldn’t fall asleep. The contractions were still painful but would slow down at times and then pick up again. Sometime during the night the nurse took me into the bath to help with the pain. My husband had gone home to try to get some sleep and my mom slept on the floor of the hospital room.

Morning arrived and I was checked again only to find out that I was only at 5 cm. I cried when I found out because I felt like the labor was going to last forever. I had vowed that I would have a natural childbirth, but at this point I had not slept for 3 days and I had been having contractions for 2 days. I knew that if I was going to have the strength to deliver this baby I would need the epidural. I took quite a while for the doctor to come and give me the epidural but finally at sometime early that afternoon she came and set me up. At first the epidural was great. I was pain free for a few hours and even managed to sleep! After a few hours I began to feel the contractions again as an intense pain in my back. Apparently this is known as back labor and is the one thing the epidural can’t help with. Elliot was facing backwards and was putting pressure on the lower back.

That evening I was checked again and was told that I was still at 5 cm. I couldn’t believe it! This was going to be the longest labor in history! The doctor on call that evening, Dr. Reyes, decided that they would give me pitocin to speed up my labor, as I wasn’t progressing. Pitocin was another intervention that I had swore I would avoid, but I had lost all resolve. After several hours on the pitocin I felt sure that the baby would come soon. I began to feel pressure in my bottom along with the back labor. The doctor finally came back to check me at 11 pm and told me that I was at 9cm, but that the baby couldn’t take any more of the pitocin and that my cervix was swollen. I would have to have a c-section he announced as he left the room. I was in shock. I asked the nurse to explain to me what was happening again because I didn’t believe it. How could I have come this far only to have a c-section? I was disappointed, exhausted and scared. I had never even had an i.v. before this, let alone a surgery.

Once the decision was made to operate things moved very quickly. All they had to do was to top off my epidural and wheel me to the OR. I felt confused and the nurse let me know that it would be the OR staff performing my surgery and not the obstetrical department, as they were understaffed that night. As they got me ready to go I began to have spasms in my neck and my head was shaking uncontrollably. I remember being asked if I was ok and if I was ready to begin. I just kept saying “no, someone needs to help me, my neck is not alright”. I was panicking and afraid. I kept vomiting because of the drugs that they had given me. I didn’t know where Aaron was and I didn’t know what was going on. I was told that I needed to relax and Aaron was finally aloud into the room to sit with me. Unfortunately, my mom was not aloud into the OR after all the patient waiting and support she had given me.

At 11:51 on Friday June 20^th Elliot Hudson Robins was born, weighing 8 pounds 6 ounces. The doctors gave him to Aaron to hold and he brought him over to me to look at while they stitched me up. I was taken to the recovery area for an hour or so afterwards while Aaron took the baby to our family to visit.

So after almost 36 hours of labor I finally gave birth to my little boy. It was not the birth experience that I had expected or planned for myself, but I have come to realize just how much of a miracle it is that he is here. After a previous miscarriage and such a difficult labor, I feel blessed just to hold him in my arms. He is truly the most important thing that has ever happened in my life and I feel so lucky to be able to share this experience with Aaron.

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