https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Mon, 27 Apr 2026 18:05:01 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/baby-bs-birth-story#post-2728958 Tue, 25 Apr 2017 15:43:00 +0000 peaches1038 2728958@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Congrats! 🎉 </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/baby-bs-birth-story#post-2728951 Tue, 25 Apr 2017 15:32:40 +0000 Kitkat 2728951@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@travellingbee: owww! I can't even imagine...kudos to you for getting through that. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/baby-bs-birth-story#post-2728897 Tue, 25 Apr 2017 14:12:02 +0000 azjax 2728897@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Congratulations on your beautiful baby boy! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/baby-bs-birth-story#post-2728874 Tue, 25 Apr 2017 13:52:24 +0000 travellingbee 2728874@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Great story! With my second I had an epidural that failed on one side and it was hell. I was in so much freaking pain during crowning. He was also big like your guy. :) Congrats. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/baby-bs-birth-story#post-2728842 Tue, 25 Apr 2017 13:19:30 +0000 snowjewelz 2728842@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Aww, a great story! I'm glad you finally got that epidural! With my first, there was this one spot it never got to either and that really hurt! I suck at pushing so both times I really needed to feel the pressure to get motivated lol. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/baby-bs-birth-story#post-2728832 Tue, 25 Apr 2017 13:09:56 +0000 Kitkat 2728832@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Forgot to add a picture :happy: </p> [attach=6383/17/ooz94k.450x600.FB566D68-3CC6-4E2D-A1A0-02FDADE5EBAE.JPG] https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/baby-bs-birth-story#post-2728712 Tue, 25 Apr 2017 09:44:25 +0000 Kitkat 2728712@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I’ve been meaning to write my birth story for 6 months now, since, like everyone says, I enjoyed reading them while I was pregnant. So, here it is! (This ended up being a lot longer than I thought - tl;dr at bottom)</p> <p>My EDD based on LMP was October 7, 2016, but we had had some trouble getting pregnant so I was tracking my cycle through temping and was also on Clomid. Through temping, I knew when I ovulated, and this put my EDD at October 12. However, my doctor used the 10/7 date. The 7th came and went with no sign of baby. Throughout my pregnancy I kept the 12th in my head as the due date, hoping that it would make me less impatient, but I have to admit I was pretty disappointed when there was no baby on the 7th.</p> <p>I had weekly appointments from 36 weeks on, and I believe I was 1cm dilated at 36 or 37 weeks. When I had my appointment on October 11, I was 2 cm dilated and had my membranes stripped for the second time. An induction was scheduled for the 17th and my doctor seemed to think I would make it that far. I left that appointment so upset, not so much because I was uncomfortable (I actually enjoyed being pregnant), but because I wanted to meet the baby so badly and waiting 6 more days seemed like an eternity. I had an acupuncture appointment scheduled for that afternoon, and my acupuncturist had told me he would do everything he could to induce labor, but I was not feeling optimistic.</p> <p>I called my husband after my OB appointment sobbing (thanks, hormones) and he tried to talk me down, but there was no convincing me that 6 days was not a long time and that we would, in fact, actually have a baby at some point in the near future. I ended up driving to his office and we went out to an extremely spicy Thai lunch. After lunch, I left and went to the mall to pick up some makeup before my acupuncture appointment. The acupuncturist hooked electrodes up to the needles and told me if nothing happened within two days to come back in. I headed home, DH and I had dinner, watched some TV and went to bed.</p> <p>I woke up at 1:00am to go to the bathroom, and as soon as I laid back down I felt a huge gush. I jumped out of bed, ripped the sheets off in an attempt to save the mattress, and yelled at DH to wake up. As he groggily got up, I went back into the bathroom and my water continued to gush. I am still amazed at how much amniotic fluid was in there. It would not stop. Based on our childbirth classes, I figured we had some time before we actually had to go to the hospital, so I started straightening up the house (luckily my nesting instincts had ensured it was already pretty clean) and took a shower. My bag was already packed, but I kept thinking of random things to add to it.</p> <p>About an hour later (2:00am) I decided we should probably get to the hospital because contractions were starting to get uncomfortable. At that point they felt like bad period cramps. I don’t know how close they were or how long they were lasting because for some reason it never occurred to me to time them. Our hospital is only about 10 minutes away and my contractions were getting more uncomfortable. I told DH on the way there that I was definitely getting the epidural, but was going to try and wait as long as possible.</p> <p>We went to the ER and they wheeled me to the maternity ward while DH parked the car. When I got to the room, the nurse told me to change into a gown and she would test the fluid to make sure it was actually my water breaking. After seeing the giant puddle on the floor in the bathroom, she said there was no need to test. Seriously…I still can’t believe how much fluid there was.</p> <p>DH got to the room as they were hooking me up to the monitors and by that point my plans of waiting as long as possible for the epidural went out the window. I wanted it and I wanted it now. Unfortunately, at that hour, there was only one anesthesiologist, and he was needed for a C-Section. I was in so much pain that I was vomiting. They offered me Fentanyl and explained it wouldn’t take the pain away, but it would make me high enough that I wouldn’t care about the pain. This was not true; I still cared very much about the pain.</p> <p>Finally, around 5:00am, I was able to get the epidural. It took a couple of tires because I couldn’t stay still enough through the contractions, but once it was in, it was heaven. I was able to sleep for a little bit, but once I woke up, I started feeling pain again in one small area of my stomach. I kept pushing the button the increase the medicine, but it wasn’t working (I later found out this was because I had maxed it out. Oops). I called the nurse in and she said she said she would see if the anesthesiologist would give me more. He warned me that he could give me more, but I would probably be completely numb and unable to move. I was so terrified of feeling the pain of the un-medicated contractions again that I told him to do it.</p> <p>I was completely numb from my stomach down and it was wonderful. The nurses had me lay on my side with a peanut shaped yoga ball between my legs to assist with dilation and they would come in every so often to help me roll over to my other side because I could not move. This was so contrary to what I thought I would want, but at that point I didn’t care. I thought I would want to try pushing in different positions, like squatting or on all fours, but after feeling the pain I was in before the epidural, I could not have been happier with my choice. I’ve heard contractions are more intense after your water breaks, so I’m not sure if things would have been different if contractions had started before my water had broken. All I know is that was the most intense pain I had ever felt and I just wanted it to stop.</p> <p>We mostly spent the morning napping. My mom came around 8:00 and my MIL stopped by for a few minutes around 10:00. This was also something I didn’t think I want – I always said I just wanted it to be me and DH in the room and we’d call everyone after the baby was born, but I was feeling so good after the epidural that it was nice to have some company to visit with. At 11:00, the nurse came in to check me and I was fully dilated. This surprised me because I had heard horror stories about the pain of transition, but thanks to the world’s best epidural, I had not felt a thing. She said she was going to turn the epidural off so I would be able to feel when to push. I was not on board with this idea at all. We ended up compromising and she just turned it down instead of off.</p> <p>The nurse took one leg and DH took the other and we started the pushing process. DH would tell me when a contraction was coming because I still couldn’t feel them and then the nurse would count for me while I pushed. I was actually really good at pushing even though I was so numb, so they didn’t have to turn down the epidural anymore (thank goodness). After about 20 minutes, the nurse said they baby was right there and it was time to call the doctor. It ended up taking her 30-40 minutes to get there and I can’t imagine what it would have been like waiting that long with the baby was crowning without an epidural.</p> <p>Once my doctor (plus a ton of other people – I was amazed at how many people were there and amazed at how much I did care) arrived, I pushed one more time and the baby was out. He came out faster than she was expecting and my placenta came out immediately after. It was such a whirlwind that some had to ask if anyone had looked at the clock to see what time he was actually born. It was decided that he was born at 12:08, so it was almost exactly 11 hours from my water breaking to delivery. I had a second degree tear that has had some issues healing, but all in all, it was a great experience; much better than I expected and I can’t wait to do it again. Baby B was born 10/12/16 (his due date based on when I ovulated), weighted 8lbs 15ounces and was 21 inches long. He’s 6 ½ months old now and the happiest, most adorable baby ever.</p> <p>We were in the hospital for two nights. Because of his relatively big size, B had to have his blood sugar checked every 12 hours to make sure he didn’t have diabetes. They also kept getting conflicting jaundice readings – the head scan they did would come back high, so they would do a blood test which would come back normal. After this happened three or four times they decided that he did not have jaundice (or at least not enough to warrant being under billi lights.</p> <p>****tl;dr: easy 11 hour medicated labor, possibly induced by a mixture of spicy food and acupuncture. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-did-you-labour-at-home-with-your-first/page/2#post-2644164 Fri, 28 Oct 2016 06:42:49 +0000 AprilFool 2644164@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Went into labour about 6/6:30 pm and left for the hospital around 2:30am. I was a 5 when we got there and DD was born 5 hours later with 2 hours of pushing. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-did-you-labour-at-home-with-your-first/page/2#post-2644131 Fri, 28 Oct 2016 01:26:51 +0000 birdofafeather 2644131@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsB2012: whoa!! Very similar FTM stories!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-did-you-labour-at-home-with-your-first#post-2644129 Fri, 28 Oct 2016 01:26:01 +0000 birdofafeather 2644129@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Water broke at 830 am, went for a long walk to breakfast and back home. Labored at home til I threw up and said, we gotta go, around 1230/1. Checked at hospital and was 9cm. Baby born at 3:15 pm. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-did-you-labour-at-home-with-your-first#post-2644103 Thu, 27 Oct 2016 22:24:20 +0000 MrsB2012 2644103@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My water broke at 8am, but contractions didn't start until about 9/930am. We got to the hospital by about 11am and baby was born before 2pm. It was quicker than usual for a first time birth, but I think the judgement was the same as any birth. I went to the hospital when things started to really hurt haha. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-did-you-labour-at-home-with-your-first#post-2644097 Thu, 27 Oct 2016 22:04:10 +0000 avivoca 2644097@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>With DD1, contractions started at about 5:30 pm and we went to the hospital at 4:00 am the next morning. So, about 10 or so hours. Labor was 15 hours long. </p> <p>With DD2, Contractions started at 12:30 pm and we went to the hospital at 5:30 am the next morning. Labor stalled at about midnight and I took a nap, but it moved quickly once Inwas at the hospital. 22 hours in all. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-did-you-labour-at-home-with-your-first#post-2644095 Thu, 27 Oct 2016 22:03:30 +0000 winter_wonder 2644095@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Labored at home from 2 am to 11 am. It seemed like it took awhile to get epi. I had to have some fluids first and then wait like 30 minutes. I remember feeling SO done by the time I got it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-did-you-labour-at-home-with-your-first#post-2644090 Thu, 27 Oct 2016 21:58:07 +0000 cascademom 2644090@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Goldengirl: The nurses put in a shunt or something like, so they can quickly hook you up to meds. It's a small needle with a plastic opening that they tape to your hand. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-did-you-labour-at-home-with-your-first#post-2644083 Thu, 27 Oct 2016 21:45:20 +0000 Goldengirl 2644083@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@cascademom: Sorry, what do you mean getting your hand prepped? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-did-you-labour-at-home-with-your-first#post-2644078 Thu, 27 Oct 2016 21:35:22 +0000 MrsSCB 2644078@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Not long. I started having contractions at about 3 am. Decided to try to get more sleep and woke up at 5 am with much more intense contractions. Headed to the hospital at 5:45, though I was really afraid of getting sent home. When I got there, I was 3cm and contractions were three minutes apart. I was admitted, got an epi and baby arrived at 1:47 pm! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-did-you-labour-at-home-with-your-first#post-2644075 Thu, 27 Oct 2016 21:29:42 +0000 cascademom 2644075@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>LO #1, I labored at home for about 5-6 hours. I came home from work and felt off. The contractions ramped up from there. I got an epidural about 2-3 hours after I was admitted. The key to getting your epi early is to have your hand prepped in triage for it. From there, it's quicker for them to get it started when the time comes.</p> <p>LO #2: I labored at home about the same time as my first. I woke up like a normal day, but felt off. We went to do something with our toddler. At that event, I labored through contractions. We left early. On the phone with the doctor, she told me to get my childcare in order and then come to the hospital. By the time I got there, the contractions were bad. It took awhile to get my epi because of a blood test. After that, they let me alone to labor 4 hours for the GBS meds. LO #2 already kicked out the bag of waters and was ready to go. He was delivered soon after the 4 hour mark. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-did-you-labour-at-home-with-your-first#post-2644073 Thu, 27 Oct 2016 21:25:40 +0000 Corduroy 2644073@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Goldengirl: Yes, I couldn't wrap my head around the difference and I was in total denial with #2. I knew baby was on his way all day I was only having time-able "sensations" and not even a hint of pain... until it all came on at once. Even when I got to the hospital I didn't believe I was going to be admitted, I thought I was a 3 or 4 at most based on the first round. I was waiting for an update on how dilated I was when the doctor said "push." </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-did-you-labour-at-home-with-your-first#post-2644070 Thu, 27 Oct 2016 21:13:38 +0000 Goldengirl 2644070@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Corduroy: Omg! Such different experiences :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-did-you-labour-at-home-with-your-first#post-2644068 Thu, 27 Oct 2016 21:12:28 +0000 Corduroy 2644068@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>With LO1 I went to the hospital after 30 hours and was sent home and was admitted after 40-something. With #2 I labored at home for about 3 minutes and was 10cm when I arrived. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-did-you-labour-at-home-with-your-first#post-2644055 Thu, 27 Oct 2016 20:52:29 +0000 Alba4 2644055@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>For #1, I labored at home for about 4 hours. I went to the hospital once I was puking and my contractions got super intense. Then I labored another 4 hours at the hospital. I didn't have/need an epidural with #1.</p> <p>For #2, I didn't labor at home at all. I was already dialated 5 cm when I went to my 38 week appointment. They sent me to the hospital @11 am, but I wasn't admitted until @4 pm. Labor didn't start until they broke my water @ 8 pm. I got an epidural @ 2:30 AM when I was 8 cm dilated.. Delivered an hour later. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-did-you-labour-at-home-with-your-first#post-2643443 Thu, 27 Oct 2016 12:10:17 +0000 Goldengirl 2643443@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Thanks for all the stories! Seems like majority definitely took awhile. I'm really hoping not to rush to the hospital like a madwoman but also realize I'll probably be freaking out and nervous about waiting too long... hopefully my body will tell me what to do. It is so strange waiting/planning for something that you just have no idea what it will be like or feel like. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-did-you-labour-at-home-with-your-first#post-2643140 Thu, 27 Oct 2016 08:41:01 +0000 Maysprout 2643140@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>About 25 hours. They started very mild about 10 min apart. By the afternoon they were often like 4 min apart but still fairly mild. I might have to stop and breathe for a few seconds but I could feel them getting closer and stronger. I wasn't quite sure what would be the signal to go in. I lost my MP like 16 hours after contractions started and they were ramping up. I had to pace and didn't feel comfortable sitting down. Around 3 am or so I tried to get some rest and my water broke. Contractions started coming very strong then. I got to the hospital at 6 cm and it was still 12 hrs before she was born. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-did-you-labour-at-home-with-your-first#post-2643127 Thu, 27 Oct 2016 08:32:24 +0000 catlady 2643127@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I pretty much didn't. My water broke in the morning and when I called, they told me to come into L&amp;D to get checked out and that if labor wasn't progressing, they'd send me home for awhile. I took about an hour to get ready and felt only minimal contractions the whole time, and then as soon as we got in the car, it seemed like they started coming fast and painfully. By the time we checked into L&amp;D (less than 30 min later), they were already every 5 min apart, so I just stayed.</p> <p>I got stuck in triage for a long time (I think 4 or 5 hrs) and when they finally opened up a room for me, they checked and said I was a 4 and it would be a good time to get an epi if I wanted one. I hadn't been planning on the epi but all that time in triage sucked (you can't really move, don't have access to birthing balls and tub and all the stuff I counted on) so I told them I wanted the epi at that point. They checked me again about an hour after it kicked in and I was a 10 and ready to push. I have no idea if I would have been able to get the epi if I had waited but I'm glad I did it when they first offered. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-did-you-labour-at-home-with-your-first#post-2643102 Thu, 27 Oct 2016 08:09:51 +0000 Anagram 2643102@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Goldengirl: not long enough, is the short answer. Afterward, I knew I should have waited longer at home.</p> <p>Long version: I was in early labor the night before but didn't really realize till 11 pm. I SHOULD have taken a dang Tylenol pm and gone to bed, but I was so excited and anxious I couldn't sleep. By 4 am, I was in very early "real" labor with timeable (but not super painful) contractions, so I took a shower, dried and straightened my hair, added some things to our hospital bags, and then woke up my husband. At 7 am, the contraction were more painful and (being a ftm and not having a clue what I was in for), I thought I was maybe halfway there (ha. ha.), so we woke up my mom and told her we were going to the hospital at 8am.</p> <p>I did not deliver until after 12 am that night. =( And unfortunately, after I was at the hospital, they had me laying in bed on my back hooked up to monitors and that SUCKED and I'm pretty sure stalled my labor. I should have been up walking around. And laying on your back during contractions is way more painful, too.</p> <p>I vowed to wait at home much longer the next time. However, with #2, I didn't get the chance because the whole labor was only 2 hours from start to finish and I barely made it to the hospital. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-did-you-labour-at-home-with-your-first#post-2643095 Thu, 27 Oct 2016 08:06:03 +0000 lilyofthewest 2643095@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I birthed at home, so, the whole time. But, I called the midwives to come to me about 20 hours from the time I was pretty sure I was in labor. At that point I'd been having contractions that were consistent, lengthening and strengthening for about 8 hours and I was having transition-like symptoms. I had another 21 hours of labor yet to go :shocked: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-did-you-labour-at-home-with-your-first#post-2643091 Thu, 27 Oct 2016 07:58:59 +0000 Smurfette 2643091@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Water broke at like 9pm, and we left for the hospital around 10pm, since the doctor on call told us to just come right in. I was almost 3cm when we got there. Around 3-4am, I got the epidural cause I was shaking and freezing so bad, I was maybe 5cm then. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-did-you-labour-at-home-with-your-first#post-2643073 Thu, 27 Oct 2016 06:41:03 +0000 chibee 2643073@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I realized I was definitely having contractions around 5:30pm, headed to the hospital around 11pm. It wasn't terrible at that time but I asked for the epidural right away (I might have asked the ER receptionist and got "honey, you have to ask the doctors ok?") I was afraid it would progress fast and I wouldn't have time! I actually didn't get it until 2:30am because there was an emergency, and I was starting to get REAL uncomfortable at that time so I was super grateful for it! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-did-you-labour-at-home-with-your-first#post-2643071 Thu, 27 Oct 2016 06:34:34 +0000 hilsy85 2643071@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>With #1 was at home from 5am (when my water broke) til 8:30am. Got the epidural at 11:30am--ish, and had the baby at 2pm </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-did-you-labour-at-home-with-your-first#post-2643070 Thu, 27 Oct 2016 06:28:24 +0000 MrsKoala 2643070@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My contractions with my first started at 9:30 am and I worked a full day and went home. I didn't go to the hospital until my contractions were unbearable and 2 minutes apart/1 minute long at about 8:45 pm. I got to the hospital at 9:15, asked for an epidural right away, got it at 10:15, was complete and ready to push at 11. I labored down for a little bit and my son was here by 11:55. </p>