Birth Story: Benjamin 9/28/2005

This is my oldest child, Ben’s birth story, written in the fall of 2005.

I’ve updated a few details.

4 weeks ago tonight I was in Labor. Not a fun night. My water broke slowly on Tuesday afternoon, Sept 27. 11 days before my due date of October 8th. We had just finished construction on sheetrocking our ceilings the night before. I was extremely bitchy (and that so wasn’t me) the night before he was born. It felt like I had been pregnant for so long and I thought I had 10 days more. The next day, after I had taken a shower, did my hair (though I hadn’t eaten yet) and sat down to use the computer, I felt like I was leaking. I knew something was up, so I called my in-laws to take me to the doctor.. I called E. He insisted on taking me to the doctor himself (though I thought it was a false alarm).. Boy was I wrong! My water had broken slowly — not like the huge gush I had seen on tv and in movies!

On the way to the doctor, I made him stop at the post office to mail some books I sold on Half.com. Eric thought I was nuts! But if it was the real deal, I didn’t know when I would get to the post office. Also I had barely eaten anything, so I had my little microwaveable cup of soup. Did not fill me up, but I was afraid to really eat. We went to the doctor. Yup – water broke. We went to my mom’s to hang out. She made me a little broth and a egg, which didn’t cut it. I emailed my friends.. Hung out. This was the age before smart phones. I may have even had a flip phone.

We went to the hospital at 6:30PM (they had told me I was going to be induced, but I wasn’t dilated enough). So they gave me Cervadil. I was HATING the doctor (not my doctor, who I adore) who put in in me. IT KILLED when she did it. They hooked me up to monitors and the iv.. My parents and Eric’s parents were there, we sent them home, as nothing was happening. I spent all night like that. Contractions every 3-5 minutes.. Not a fun night. I kept waking Eric up.
FINALLY AT 8 am, I got the epidural.. Ahh.. sweet relief. Every nurse and doctor in Labor and Delivery was incredible at North Shore – Manhasset – now called Northwell Health (except the Cervadil giver, I’m still angry about thtat). I started pushing at 12 pm and Ben was born at 1:23 pm on September 28. The nurse Carol, basically delivered Ben. My favorite doctor from the practice I go to, Dr. Anita Sadaty (JLo’s doctor!) came in when the head was out. They had to help me with suction- I just could not push anymore. The epidural took away the pain, but I couldn’t feel my legs and pushing was hard. My labor was 16 1/2 hours ( but it was 25 1/2 hours after my water broke). Baby B is incredible and I am so glad he was born!