Anya Marjorie Joy was born at home on 11/20/08. I've written out a birth story but it's way too long to be published here, so the condensed version: I went into labor Wednesday morning. My bh ctx were much more regular than ever and I went on a cleaning frenzy, but still no pain or show.
Around 6 my mucus plug started coming out. Ctx became more painful then, and at about 10 it was clear I was going into real labor. Didn't get a chance to rest much and my adrenalin was pumping hard. The mw arrived at 2:30 am moments after my water broke, and my other birth attendant arrived around 4 am. I was only 2 cm at that point though I felt like I could be between 4-7 (of course not knowing what any of this felt like!). Got in the tub for the rest of the night trying to rest. I was making low deep noises and saying things like "Ohhhhhhhhhh...open...." and "Goooood pain!" Ctx were not really subdued by the water. I was very active during labor, trying lots of different positions from the living room to my bedroom and outside. The second mw came around lunchtime and when the mws checked me I was about 6 cm but could be stretched to 8, and my cervix remained there. Around 1 pm I began having pushing urges. I was fully dilated except for a cervical lip. I pushed against that lip forEVER - until about 5, when the mws laid out the options - I could go to the hospital (the babys heart tones were still fine), I could take some herbs to try to rest, or I could try some more different positions to try to shift something. DH and I went outside and then took a shower. I did some stairs and started to feel a shift. Did supported squats at the top of the stairs, using the handrail, then did some pushing on my back, knees to chest, then some on the birth stool, and repeated this repetition 6 times or so before the baby's head finally started crowning in the supported squat position. After her head was born the mws commanded me to flip over because her shoulders were a little stuck, but she came out just fine then. I wanted to hold her and nurse her right away but her respiratory rate was too high initially and the mws needed to watch her for a minute to make sure it started to go down to a more normal speed. Everyone attending (dh, 2 mws, and 3 birth attendants) started crying when she was born but me. I saved my bawling for after the placenta was out. Then I was so so happy to be finished I was wailing, "I don't have to push anymore! There's nothing in my womb!"
Anya's a good nurser and seems to like feeling her papa's beard. Yay!
Here she is wearing her first outfit.
Around 6 my mucus plug started coming out. Ctx became more painful then, and at about 10 it was clear I was going into real labor. Didn't get a chance to rest much and my adrenalin was pumping hard. The mw arrived at 2:30 am moments after my water broke, and my other birth attendant arrived around 4 am. I was only 2 cm at that point though I felt like I could be between 4-7 (of course not knowing what any of this felt like!). Got in the tub for the rest of the night trying to rest. I was making low deep noises and saying things like "Ohhhhhhhhhh...open...." and "Goooood pain!" Ctx were not really subdued by the water. I was very active during labor, trying lots of different positions from the living room to my bedroom and outside. The second mw came around lunchtime and when the mws checked me I was about 6 cm but could be stretched to 8, and my cervix remained there. Around 1 pm I began having pushing urges. I was fully dilated except for a cervical lip. I pushed against that lip forEVER - until about 5, when the mws laid out the options - I could go to the hospital (the babys heart tones were still fine), I could take some herbs to try to rest, or I could try some more different positions to try to shift something. DH and I went outside and then took a shower. I did some stairs and started to feel a shift. Did supported squats at the top of the stairs, using the handrail, then did some pushing on my back, knees to chest, then some on the birth stool, and repeated this repetition 6 times or so before the baby's head finally started crowning in the supported squat position. After her head was born the mws commanded me to flip over because her shoulders were a little stuck, but she came out just fine then. I wanted to hold her and nurse her right away but her respiratory rate was too high initially and the mws needed to watch her for a minute to make sure it started to go down to a more normal speed. Everyone attending (dh, 2 mws, and 3 birth attendants) started crying when she was born but me. I saved my bawling for after the placenta was out. Then I was so so happy to be finished I was wailing, "I don't have to push anymore! There's nothing in my womb!"
Anya's a good nurser and seems to like feeling her papa's beard. Yay!
Here she is wearing her first outfit.
: Wow, she has so much hair! Absolutely beautiful!
