By Janelle Nash:
After 41 weeks of body jail, I was pretty excited that my induction was scheduled and I was finally closer to meeting my daughter. My birth plan was pretty straightforward: check-in to the hospital at the scheduled induction time, get the epidural and repeat the near-perfect (quiet, serene, pain-free) delivery that I had with my first child.
Well, my tidy little plan did not go quite that way.
The “something’s not right here” feeling started when my nurse began describing her three unmedicated, natural births and her encouragement that I, and anyone really, could do this without the epidural. She described the feeling as “the ring of fire” and it sounded scary. Here’s a tip: If you’re trying to sell me on giving birth without drugs (no thanks, by the way), I suggest not telling me that the feeling of pushing out a baby’s head feels like someone set my nether regions on fire.
A couple of hours after the “ring of fire” conversation with my nurse, my contractions started to get painful. I was ready for my friend, the epidural, to join me so I put in my order. They started the IV fluids and I was well on my way to getting that sweet nectar that would make the pain go away. My nurse assured me that the anesthesiologist would be right behind her the next time she entered my room. Okay, good…just a little longer.
All of a sudden, my contractions started to get crazy strong, my water breaks and this baby made it very clear she was ready for a quick entrance. I start to panic. I notice one of the nurses nonchalantly push aside the chair and table (set up for the anesthesiologist!) and replace with a delivery table and slew of staff. I look around, positive that this was a mistake. My nurse pats my arm and says, “It’s still possible that you’ll be able to get the epidural, honey.”
Luckily for her, I didn’t have much time or ability to respond. I was having a baby. It was about this time when I thought to myself, “Guess I should have practiced some of that crazy breathing after all. Yikes.”
Five minutes later and after my unplanned natural birth, I was singing the Johnny Cash song “Ring of Fire” and welcoming my daughter into the world without my old pal, the epidural.
Thankfully, the delivery was short and little Quinn is healthy. My husband is very impressed with me (despite my embarrassing screams and yelling “why won’t anyone help me?”). Here’s the moral of my story, Smarties. If you don’t want to know what the “ring of fire” is then get that epidural as soon as someone offers it up.
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6 comments
OMG!!! Hilarious story to read, not so hilarious to you (I can imagine). My sister-in-law had TWO natural births and has lived to tell about them. In fact, she hasn't even complain! This makes me think she has one of those odd illnesses where she can't feel pain . . . but I digress. Me, on the other hand, would have an epidural at 5 months if the medical community wouldn't frown upon it. Congrats on Quinn, love the name, and double congrats on being considered a Super Woman in my eyes!
HILARIOUS! I had kind of a similar experience. For some reason, 9 1/2 years ago, some expert told me that I should get an enema right when I get to the hospital. Ya know, cuz who wants to poop on your nurse, or even worse, your doctor?! As soon as that thing was administered, I was in full-on labor, climbing the bathroom walls. Yeah, I would much rather poop on the entire world than to go through that pain again. Next time, I'll take an epidural at conception, thank you very much! ~Jen
Epidurals do not always work! With my first child, the epidural only worked on my left side and I was having back labor on top of the regular labor – not fun! With my second, the epidural worked except that it wore off before the baby came. They got me a booster for the epidural which made me shake and vomit – not fun, again! The booster had worn off by the time the baby was ready to be born. Fortunately, the stomach contractions from vomiting really helped push the baby down. AND, the doc gave me a nice 'cocktail' in my iv afterwards! Somehow, we all make it through.
My little boy was born in the lobby of the maternity floor – no one was there to help until we yelled, "Baby's here – help!. At least you were set up with a nurse and a room, etc.! I obviously had no epidural either!
My 2, that's right 2, epidorials did not take during my birth. I didn't realize it until the Dr. swiped something cold down there and I said "Whoah, that's cold." Her face was priceless when she heard me say that. No ring of fire, but I'm guessing I got lucky since my son arrived in 2 1/2 pushes.
I am terrified of needles and therefore never planned to partake in the epidural business….seemingly crazy I know, but it is what it is. HOWEVER, in all the classes that Presby offers, I was never told about "the burning" and/or "the ring of fire"…..that is of course until my sweet girl was LITERALLY ready to enter this world…you can imagine the horror that filled my ears and body upon those words and well THE BURNING!!!!You would think that I had learned my lesson with my second little bundle of burning but indeed I had not…when the contractions began at home and the nurse was called (3:00 a.m.) she felt that because I was “speaking through my contractions” I was surely not ready to come in…(must have been a busy night)….we had this exact conversation twice more and once with my husband over the next hour until I told my husband to get me in the car … either something is wrong OR my girl was ready to darken the ring!!! We checked into the parking deck at 4:24 a.m. and Baby Ella checked into the world at 4:42 a.m. I am not pretending that I would have chosen the needle but it would have been nice to have had the choice!! Incidentally, my disclaimer is that I love Presby and all the wonderful people there….they took excellent care of me and my two little burners!!