Behind the screen: Getting settled
December 1st, 2009
I know that I promised to have a new hijabtrendz television episode on the first of each month, and if any of you noticed, we didn’t have one on November 1st.
That’s because I ended up having my baby that day.
I was a little relieved that Layla wasn’t born on Halloween because everyone was on my case at work about how my daughter would never enjoy her birthday because everyone would be out trick or treating. I know that sounds silly, but it was great to have a day all to herself. I’m guessing when she gets older she’ll like the idea.
It’s not like you can actually plan when your baby is born unless you have a c-section or are induced, then you can get closer to your preferred date. I remember my doc asking me (I was overdue) if there was a specific date I’d like to be induced? Thankfully no induction was necessary.
Around 2am on November 1st (right at the time change) I woke up not knowing why. Then I felt my water break. With my first daughter my water broke in a huge gush, but this was a little more subtle. Yet, I knew it was time to head to the hospital soon even though there were no contractions. I woke up my husband, “My water just broke, I’m going to go call the doctor.”
My husband was non chalant, “Why don’t you just go back to sleep and wait a bit.”
I could have done that because with my first baby it took hours for contractions to begin after my water broke and looking back I wish I just slept because I had no idea the lack of sleep that would be coming my way!
For some reason I just felt like I should call the doctor even though the hospital is about a 5 minute walk from our apartment. I left the doctor a message and waited for her to call back. I then called my mom who happened to be in town and staying at my brother’s place. My brother luckily lives just 3 doors down from us.
“Mama, my water broke can you come and sleep here, Sarah is sound asleep.”
“How exciting! I’m coming over right now.”
It’s now 2:20am and I’m talking to the doctor that’s on call.
“Hi, this is Mariam, my water broke about 20 minutes ago and I think my contractions are ….. OH MAN… yeah that was a contraction.”
The doctor told me to head on over to the hospital soon.
“OK yeah we’ll be there in a bit, we live nearby so if these get any stronger we’ll start to walk over.”
I figured we had at least a few more hours ahead of us.
The contractions started to come closer together and feel stronger and stronger so I told my husband we better get going. By this time it’s a little after 2:30am.
We’re walking with a small rolling suitcase and the funny thing is a bunch of taxi cabs kept stopping thinking we wanted a ride to the airport.
All of a sudden I remember something. “Oh shoot I forgot my glasses! Should we walk back and get them?”
“No, you’ll be fine.” My husband says, but he tells me if I really want we can walk back.
OUCH another sharp contraction.
“Never mind, let’s just get to the hospital.”
We get there and head to the waiting area where you sign in, and the receptionist tells us we’re not preregistered.
“What, I’m already in the system, my doctor said if I had a baby here before I should be up to date?”
“No ma’am” the lady looks tired and annoyed. “You have to preregister each time.”
My husband starts to fill out forms as I pace around the room while my contractions continue to increase. I’m starting to feel really nervous and sick to my stomach.
“Breathe, relax, breathe, relax” I keep telling myself. I start to pray and just hope that this will be an easy delivery.
There are two girls in the waiting area chatting. One looks about 5 months pregnant. I’m guessing they’re waiting for someone cause this woman was obviously not in labor. They see me and one of them says, “Why don’t you sit down, it might help.”
I’m about to smack her because right then a really strong contraction hits. “Sitting will kill me.” is my answer to her as I try to muster up a friendly smile.
“Oh, yeah right,” she laughs. Realizing her comment was a little random.
Finally the receptionist puts our information in the system. Apparently all the computers are having problems because of the daylight savings time change.
Now we have to wait until they call my name. The two girls who were chatting go in and we’re still waiting. Then my name is called.
We follow the nurse and someone interrupts her on the way down the hall, “Hey Lena, Jake called.”
I’m put in a room and told to change into the hospital gown. Lena the nurse disappears. I have a feeling it’s so she can go talk to Jake.
I felt pretty good so far despite the contractions. This place was different from my experience with my first baby. This time the room looked nice and there was a clean bathroom attached. I change and just start to feel really panicky. All of a sudden I have to rush to the bathroom, I’m feeling so sick. I throw up and (let me tell you throwing up while contractions are taking place is painful) I try to calm down.
The pain just seems to intensify and I’m feeling all this pressure pushing down on my lower stomach.
“Abdullah go get the nurse pleeeeaassssse.” I’m about to start crying. It’s been more than 10 minutes and she’s nowhere to be found. She didn’t even check to see how dilated I was.
Abdullah goes out into the hallway and another nurse walks by. “Please, we’re looking for our nurse, my wife is in labor.”
The nurse I’m sure has heard this a million times, “Sir, we’re working as fast as we can, there are 8 other women in here and we’re going through the rooms one by one.”
Oh great. I’m really freaking out now. I’m not sure if it’s the pain or if it’s because I know the nurses are not with it tonight. Maybe it’s because the computers were down or something that made them work really slow that evening but it was very stressful. Finally my nurse Lena comes back to my room.
She checks me and says I’m 6 cm dilated (you have to be 10cm to deliver a baby). Then she gets on the phone to call my doctor. Again she seems to be taking her time. Meantime I’m in agony and writhing around trying to find a comfortable position. I’m begging her for some pain medication.
“Sorry, you can’t get that down here. When we take you up to the floor you can have the epidural.”
Lena leaves the room again and I have no idea how much time has passed all I know is the pain has become so severe I can barely contain myself. I just started to scream out for my mom and start crying. I tell my husband that I feel like I have to push. I wasn’t totaly fibbing, but I knew that was something that would get the nurse back in there.
All of a sudden she comes running in with someone else. They put up the railings on the bed and wheel me to the elevator. Lena keeps telling me to breath in and out slowly. I get wheeled into the delivery room and everyone is running about getting things ready. Again I try to ask for something to ease the pain. No one is listening. I’m not sure why they’re ignoring me.
“Please, please I can’t take it anymore, I need something, please!”
Another nurse tells me to relax, she has to check me first and see how far along I am.
“You’re a 10, by the time they get up here to give you the epidural you’ll already have had the baby.” Is she kidding me? I WANT RELIEF NOW!
Then another woman appears, “I’m the chief resident here, your doctor is on her way. Would you like to wait for her? Or would you like for me to deliver this baby?”
Is she serious? “I have to push!!”
“Allright, looks like we’re going to have a baby!” She is practically cheering. At least she’s excited, that means she’s really into her job, which means that I can trust her.
Two minutes later Layla was born and came screaming into the world.
I couldn’t believe it was over that fast.
WOW what an adrenalin rush. It feels like it’s been hours since we checked into the hospital.
I look up at the clock and it’s only 3:29am. Did I really just have a baby an hour after my contractions started? I realize that if I had gone back to get my glasses I would have delivered Layla on the living room floor or on the sidewalk.
I’m so thankful the my prayers were answered. I had an easy delivery and although the labor was painful it went fast.
The funny thing is with my first baby I swore that was it, no more kids. But this time around the experience was so remarkable that I would definitely go through the whole thing again. It was amazing and it made me realize that something I was afraid of ended up being the best thing that ever happened to me.
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i am never having a child.
that is an amazing story! although it does make me nervous considering i will be going thru labor soon i’m glad that yours went so well and fast. Hopefully my second time will be better than the first too.
Wow its simply amazing to bring life to this world isn’t it?!. In my case regarding the “water-breaking” I didn’t even realized mine broke, including the nurses. Long story short, when I started demanding to do a C-section instead going all natural, the doc finally came in to see all the “haa-hoos” and he discovered that my son’s head was popping out already! I know, i know, he was very annoyed with the nurses for being careless on their side *lol* but all good! No hard feeling since the experience was all worth it in the end
alhamdhulillahi!….thts pretty amazing….n scary as well..reading urs made me feel tht i was in labor for few seconds just now….im thinkin of having ma first baby soon.prying god tht it would be a safe delivery
Aminath..Inshallah you’ll have an easy/labor delivery. What I’ve learned is not to have any expectations and just go with the flow
Hooma don’t say that
hehe.. you really forget all you went through the moment you see your baby.
Soumaya… inshallah yours will go well. I’m guessing after the first baby it’s easier because your body has already been prepped.
yay!! i love that, i was hopeing thats whas was going to happen as i kept reading, that you would end up having her pure natural.
. i had epidural with my first two and with my third he came out while in the wheelchair while we were trying to get upstairs! i waited way too long to go to the hospital, but after that happened i decided no more epidurals. despite the pain, its just a great feeling. there is nothing that can be compared to it and you feel like you can do anything after giving birth!! (not RIGHT after, lol). i am shocked they made you wait so long at the hospital i mean being the fact that you couldnt sit down and you were very unconfortable, i would have expected they put you in a room first and then they can bring you that paper work once your in a bed? thats ridiculous! with my daughter i just had i couldnt even sit in the wheelchair because she was bearing down they put me in the pre-labor/triage/testing l&d room and she came out 5 min, if that, after i got in the bed. i wonder why they do things like that when the situation is so obvious, lol.
with giving birth, u never know what is going to happen. I thought i was going to go until full term, but instead i had my daughter reaaalllyy early. After my exp and hearing stories of others, u just have to take it as it comes!!
MashaAllah! This piece literally made me tear, subhanAllah the miracle of giving birth and having Allah answer your dua’as! Congratulations and may Allah give every woman the opportunity to experience this miracle =).
That is a really great story, thank God you made it in time! My first I had an epidural(male ob and all that), with #2 I did hypnobirthing with a midwife, and #3 also with a midwife but no hypnobirthing.
#3 was by far the worst experience. They let me go several days overdue, and they knew I’ve already had “large” babies. So I three month old for #3. (10# 2 oz)
I as begging for drugs at the end and they were like “well, you really wanted to go without” and I told them I don’t care bla bla bla. They went to get them and didn’t make it down the hall before it was time.
Anyhow, with no drugs aside from pitocin #2 was the absolute best and easiest delivery.
Salams, I am so proud of you girl you did it. How does it feel doing it all natural? What a beautiful story. Once you realize you can do it then it is mind over matter. I truly beleive that because when I was having Selma and i was like 8 cm dilated I started to panic and I asked for pain medication but all my family and husband told me I could do it and made me focus again. I also no for a fact that without drugs you are able to work with your body and have a healthier and easier pregnancy for yourself and your baby.!!!!
I agree birth without taking anything is a totally different experience. However, I don’t want to discredit the fact that giving birth regardless of getting an epidural or not, is something amazing.
I think I’m going to follow up this post with another one next week about the whole competitiveness of motherhood hehe
i don’t think i’m less scared that i was before reading this lol, but it’s so amazing how fast it happened!I hope it will be the same for me the day when… ( anyway i already know i’m going to shout as anyone ever heard!) congratulations lucky mummy!
Sascratch that is hilarious!! It’s funny how the professionals are sometimes a little too laid back.