Editor’s note: We believe that all birth stories and all birth experiences matter. This post is part of an ongoing series of birth stories submitted by readers and fellow bloggers, featuring a diverse range of women and their birth experiences.
Today’s birth story is short and painful. Brenda doesn’t remember much about her daughter’s delivery and her retained placenta, but she remembers it was traumatic. If you would like to share your own birth story, please visit this post to learn how. ~Olivia
I was two weeks overdue so went in to be induced. I was 30 years old, and this was to be my one and only child. It was to be a horrific birth experience, but the only warning of that was earlier during an ultrasound when the nurse simply said, “Hmm, big head” and nothing more.
Photo Credit: Ultrasound by Augie Schwer is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
I suppose the inducing went normal. I remember my water eventually breaking, but the length of time is a blur to me. I do remember agreeing to the epidural, and was surprised that it wasn’t as painful as people had said. A small blessing for what was to come I suppose.
The birth experience itself was terribly painful. I can’t recall anything of it other than the pain. When my daughter was finally out they told me she was 10 pounds 1 ounce and 22 inches long, but it wasn’t over. I had a retained placenta. The doctor reached in with what felt like enormous man hands and removed it.
I was ripped every which way and in pain. They gave me Tylenol 3s with codeine, but I hallucinated on them. I felt the birth experience (including the doctor’s hands) all over again, and again, and again.
The hospital itself was great. They let me stay three days rather than kicking me out after one. I took baths to help with the swelling. The nurses were good and showed me how to bathe my daughter. We had a private room (not because I could afford it, but just because they had extra rooms available and preferred to keep people that way as it was more restful) and my daughter stayed in the room too.
6 months later I had my tubes tied.
Thanks for sharing your wonderful story!
That’s so scary about the part with her retaining placent/ product. But it’s good they got it out, missing that could have led to infection and/or fertility issues in the future!