The Birth Of My Daughter Essays - Childbirth, Midwifery, Acute Pain

The Birth Of My Daughter The Birth of My Daughter The moment to give birth to my daughter Anais came very quickly. My doctor, a young male wearing blue scrubs wheeled me to the delivery room with the assistance of a female nurse wearing green scrubs, and my husband, which was also wearing scrubs. The hospital delivery room felt very cold and very sterile. The walls were painted white with gray tile covering one half of the walls, and there was a smell of soap in the air. The delivery room was equipped with a gurney covered with white starchy linen, a large stainless steel lamp with a microscope sticking out of one side stood next to the gurney, a baby incubator that look like a large clear plastic rectangular box with two round holes on one side, and a table covered with very neatly placed stainless steel surgical instruments. In the delivery room, were four people, a male anesthesiologist and three female nurses wearing green scrubs, facemasks, and gloves. The anesthesiologist was seated next to the head of the gurney with an air tank and IV, in the event I had to undergo a cesarean due to having developed gestational diabetes during my pregnancy. One of the major problems a woman with gestational diabetes faces is a condition the baby may develop called macrosomia. Macrosomia means large body and refers to a baby that is considerably larger than normal. All of the nutrients the fetus receives come directly from the mother's blood. If the mothers blood has too much glucose (simple sugar), the pancreas of the fetus senses the high glucose levels and produces more insulin (a hormone regulating the glucose level in blood) in an attempt to use the glucose. The fetus converts the extra glucose to fat. Occasionally, the baby grows too large to be delivered through the vagina and a cesarean delivery becomes necessary. On the other side of the gurney stood one of the nurses checking the baby incubator, while the other two were standing next to the table with the surgical instruments. Immediately upon entering the delivery room, two of the nurses transferred me to the gurney in the delivery room, where the doctor checked me and said I had a ways to go but that I had already dilated to 7 centimeters (the amount the cervix has opened in preparation for childbirth). The doctor proceeded to break my water (membranes that surrounds the fetus) and said he would be back later. While the doctor was out of the room I had several contractions. They were coming every two minutes with such a force that I was left breathless. My husband and one of the nurses coached me through the contractions reminding me to breath and not push until asked to do so. The pain caused by the contractions seemed to get stronger and stronger. About 15 minutes later I began to scream from the excruciating pain. While one of the nurses went to get the doctor the other checked me. I had dilated to 10 centimeters in only 15 minutes. I was ready to push! As soon as the doctor arrived, he sat at the foo t of the gurney, where he placed my legs on the stirrups and instructed me to push only when he asked me to do so. My daughter Anais was born at 1:37 p.m. after only three pushes, and the pain magically disappeared! Immediately upon my daughters birth, my feelings at that moment were just amazing. I was so awake, amazed, flabbergasted, delighted, ecstatic, happy and tremendously on a high (which I never came down for three weeks later and then with a terrific bang). I felt every emotion under the sun. I felt complete euphoria as the nurse put my daughter in my waiting arms. I just sat with my new little miracle in my arms, just so emotional and just so in awe of her. I could not believe that the 6lb 7oz baby who looked gigantic was just a few minutes before, inside me. Oh, it was wonderful. I remember crying from the strong emotions that were flowing through me. I said something like, I cant believe she is mine,