Personal Narrative: The Moment I Entered Motherhood

The Moment I Entered Motherhood

In the early weeks of March, in the year 2007, I was weeks away from delivering my first child. At the doctor’s appointment I had five days prior to delivering, my doctor had decided I would be induced early. My doctor made this decision because my baby was measuring big and lying low in my pelvic region causing me pain. The feeling of excitement and fear flooded my body, but I knew the result of the pregnancy was going to be a gorgeous healthy baby I would love for the rest of my life. The morning of my induction my husband and I arrived at the hospital a few minutes past midnight. The nurses wheeled me into the room where I would spend the next twelve hours of my life in the most intense pain I would ever experience. The nurses placed my IV, so I would not get dehydrated through-out labor. Then my doctor arrived to examine me, broke my water and gave orders for a Pitocin drip that would help my body kick start labor. Because of my baby measuring big, the doctor inducing me early, and laboring for twelve hours I was welcomed into the world of Motherhood.

I arrived at my doctor’s appointment with nervous anticipation just wondering if today was going to be the day the doctor decides the time has come to deliver. My appointment time was early in the morning but like always the

doctor was running behind. When the nurse finally called my name, I followed her back to the exam room. My vitals were taken and then it was time to hear my baby’s heartbeat. The heartbeat was strong and just hearing it helped me to relax. The doctor entered the room shortly after. He went over the results from my latest ultrasound and looked at me and said, “Kayla I think it is time to have a baby”. The ultrasound measurements had showed that if I were to go till my due date the baby could weigh over nine pounds. At the time of my appointment I was only thirty-seven weeks, so I had some concerns as to if delivering early was safe for the baby. He took my concerns into consideration and scheduled my induction a week later the exact day I hit thirty-eight weeks. When I left the doctor’s office I called my husband and informed him that our baby was coming two-weeks earlier than planned. He could tell I was nervous, so he reassured me that the doctor would not schedule the delivery early if it was not necessary. So, I went home and began packing for the hospital.
My husband and I arrived at the hospital at midnight and was wheeled up to labor and delivery.

A nurse came in to help me get in a hospital gown and lay down on the hospital bed. She then placed an IV in my arm and attached monitor leads to my stomach. These leads were held on by one blue strap and one pink strap. These leads were to monitor the baby’s heartbeat and labor contractions through-out labor. My doctor came into examine me a little after one am and broke my water. As he was leaving the room he gave the order to start the Pitocin drip to help progress my labor. The contractions started almost immediately and that is when I knew labor had

started.
The pains from labor were so intense at times I felt like I could not breathe. In active labor contractions are every 1 to 2 minutes. Mine on the other hand were coming every 1 minute and breathing through them was impossible. The nurse slowed the medicine and every 2 hours would increase it just enough to keep me progressing through labor. At around four a.m., the pain had once again intensified that I demanded an epidural. The anesthesiologist was with other patients, so the nurse administered a light sedative to take the edge off the pain till the epidural could be placed. When the epidural was finally placed I was able to get some sleep, which helped my labor to progress. They labor progressed steadily once my body had relaxed, and the pain was managed. After about nine hours of labor I was finally fully dilated, and the time had come to deliver.
I quickly realized the delivery was going to be just as hard as laboring. My baby would not descend into the birth canal. With every push I gave the baby would come down but just as quickly go back up. I was so exhausted at this point the nurse decided to give me a little reprieve from pushing. I was glad for the break because I had been pushing for three hours with little progress. Then all at once the strangest sensation came over my body and I screamed for the nurse to get the doctor. The baby was coming, and I was scared my doctor was not going to make the delivery and my nurse was going to have to deliver the baby. The doctor barely had time to suit up before a beautiful eight-pound 4-ounce baby boy made his grand entrance into the world. In that very moment when he had finally arrived I had forgotten all about the pain, frustration and exhaustion from labor. I was just overwhelmed with how beautiful he was with his chubby checks and full head of black hair and how I made it through labor and delivery.
The doctor congratulated my husband and I on our new addition, and then he exited the room. The nurse finished examining my son and placed him in my arms. He was here, and he was mine and I knew I was never going to let anything happen to him. I never thought I was going to be able to make it through labor and delivery. I have never been one who tolerates pain well. It is truly amazing what your body is capable of when put to a test. Once the chaos had settled and the nurse placed my son in my arms my heart melted. I was finally looking at the tiny human that had been kicking me for the past nine months. As a result of, my son being a large baby and needing to be induced I was now a member of the greatest club, Motherhood.