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Week by Week

Gina Aloise Pujals

Born Jan 5, 1998 at 12:59 PM
at the Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, GA

After two very disappointing "false labors", one of which prompted a 2:00 AM trip downtown to the hospital, I was finally sure that the contractions that woke me at 3:15 AM on the 5th of January were the real thing! I had spent the first hour in bed the evening prior whining to my husband that this baby was never coming out on her own. We were already several days past my due date which was very frustrating since my two previous children were born three and two weeks early. The OB told my husband that they would induce labor on the 12th if the baby had not been born before then. I had read so many horror stories about inductions that didn't work the first time, or those that caused terrible, difficult labors. My first two labors were relatively easy, lasting only about four and three and a half hours respectively once I was at the hospital.

Once I was able to determine that the contractions were occurring at regular intervals and were fairly strong, I got out of bed and sat upright in a rocking chair in the living room. (I am a firm believer in the power of gravity!) I didn't want to wake my husband since we had already been disappointed twice. I wanted to be absolutely sure. I had lost my mucous plug about a week earlier and believed I began leaking amniotic fluid slowly a few days earlier and I was surprised that my labor had not begun earlier, but I got more excited as I became more sure that this was it!! At 6:00 AM my husband's alarm went off. I told him that I was pretty sure that I was finally in labor and that I didn't want him to go to work. He was very concerned about the fluid leak and he wanted to call and discuss it with the OB to see what he wanted to do about the potential birth, the leak, and the fact that I was positive for Group B Strep and therefore requiring antibiotics as early as possible in the labor. The OB said to walk in to the clinic at 8:00 for a quick confirmation. My contractions were coming about 9-10 minutes apart at that point, so I showered and went in to work with my husband. (He is also a physician at the same medical center as my OB.) I was very encouraged that no matter what I did the contractions kept coming. I went to the OB clinic where they determined I was about 3-4 cms dilated and that I was in fact leaking small amounts of fluid. They hooked me up for a non-stress test and were concerned that the baby was experiencing heart rate decellerations with the contractions and they wanted me to get to the hospital as soon as possible to rupture my membranes and get the show seriously on the road.

We arrived at the hospital at about 11:00 and by 11:20 my water had been broken the rest of the way and the contractions took off! They came one on top of the other with fierce strength. I chose an upright sitting position since I couldn't walk due to IV antibiotics and fetal monitors. (The OB at the hospital wanted to insert an internal fetal monitor but I refused to allow it as my second child received a scalp burn from one. We were using an external monitor.) The anesthesiologist came in to explain epidurals to me and while it sounded tempting, I opted to go without since I had survived two other deliveries without one. I was also honestly worried about having things stuck in my back. I wasn't sure which pain would be worse! At around 12:30 I began feeling like I was going to pass out. I was getting very hot. I had slept only about two hours the night before and had not eaten in at least 18 hours. The power of the contractions coupled with the lack of rest in between was exhausting me. I decided to try lying down on my side. The nurse, who was absolutely wonderful, wanted to check my progress. She determined that I had progressed to about 5 cms. I couldn't believe it. After all those intense contrations I had only prgressed one or two cms? After only three or four more contractions in that position however I began to feel the urge to push. She checked one more time and said that she was going to get the doctor because I was at 10 cms and the baby was there. (My husband, who was watching the clock, later told me I had gone from five to 10 cms in less than 20 minutes!) Within seconds I was in "the position" and pushing for my life. I had all these people telling me to push when suddenly they all started telling me to stop. The cord was wrapped too tightly around the baby's neck for her to breath or to come out. Luckily the doctor was able to quickly get the cord cut and my little girl emerged pretty soon thereafter. While I felt the most tremendous physical relief, the scene quickly looked like an episode from ER. The baby wasn't breathing and she was already blue. A team of doctors and nurses were all around her, working to resuscitate her. Thankfully she came around quickly. I only got a fleeting glimpse of my baby as she was wisked away to the neonatal ICU. I felt terrible and fearful and the doctor delivered the placenta and stitched my tears and episiotomy area. My husband went with the baby and I waited in agony to hear something. I was tremendously relieved when he returned to tell me that she "pinked up" and was doing fine.

My recovery has gone very well. I was able to wear my own clothes the day after delivery and at one week postpartum I weighed less than I did before I got pregnant. I really attribute the short hour and forty of active labor, lack of need for anesthetic, and easy recovery to good diet and exercise during the entire pregnancy. Our baby Gina is the most beautiful little person I've ever seen (next to my other two children, of course!).