Name: Corbin Micheal Anderson
Birth Date: November 25, 2008
Weight: 10 lbs, 6.5 oz
Length: 21 in
Hi everyone! I wanted to get this all out on paper before I forgot so here I go!
On the morning of November 25 I had an ultrasound to measure amniotic fluid and an NST to make sure Corbin was ok. Everything went well so we went ahead for our appointment. I got checked and was found to be 5 cm. I was in awe! How could I be that open and not in labor? I had been dilating little-by-little since 32 weeks and I was now 40+5. My midwife offered to break my water since it seemed all my body needed was a kick-start. They had no idea!
I went back in at about 1:30pm to have my AROM. My midwife broke my water at around 2:00pm and I was in full blown labor by 2:30pm.
I spent the first part of my labor in the shower. I was coping well, but I was restless and having back labor. I got out of the shower and called for my husband. He tried counter pressure but it was too much for me. My labor was flying by and I wasn’t getting any breaks between contractions. It really felt like one 1.5 hour contraction. It was very intense and I was vocalizing a lot.
I got checked at 4:30pm and was found to be 9.5 cm. Before the midwife left the room I was pushing.
(During transition I was begging for drugs…but I think I was really just begging for a break! I’m really glad that they didn’t give me anything, I would have been mad at myself for giving up! Especially now that I know it’s doable.)
I HATED pushing. I did not like the sensation of my body pushing without my consent! I was still not getting breaks between contractions and now I was having pressure, burning and contractions with no break!
My husband was so great the whole time! He spent the whole time pouring water on my back while I was in hands and knees position. When I switched to my back, he rubbed my chest while the nurse poured water on my belly.
The most painful part for me was when he moved past my pelvic bones. There was almost a grinding feeling! When his head was out I didn’t feel any different, so when they told me to push out the shoulders I asked, “His head is out? Really?”.
When he was halfway out I instinctively reached down, grabbed him and pulled/pushed him the rest of the way out. Brandon said I pushed the midwife’s hands away to grab him but I don’t remember doing that.
He had a very short cord so we only left him attached for a little while. Brandon cut the cord and took him so I could concentrate on delivering the placenta.
I stayed in the tub to deliver it, and I’m glad I did! When my midwife told me to give a little push to get it out, there was an explosion of blood! It sprayed all over the tub like an 80’s slasher movie (without the bad music)! My midwife said, “Damn that was…interesting.”
When I went to get up I almost passed out because I literally couldn't breathe. They put smelling salts under my nose and that perked me up enough to get to the bed.
When they checked me they said I had 2 very superficial tears on either side of my labia. She wanted to go ahead and stitch me to avoid the possibility of them healing together so I got 2 stitches!
I birthed a 10 lb 6.5 oz baby with a nuchal arm and only got 2 stitches that I could have done without!
Overall, I think next time I will not have my water broken. Only laboring for 2 hours didn’t give my endorphins much time to help and everything was very intense. I would have preferred to have a longer, slower labor I think (to give my body time to ease into it, get used to the pain and then get more intense).
As for me I have a case of anemia that leads to tachycardia when I stand for too long. It sucks but they went ahead and sent me home so it can’t be that bad.
Baby is having a little bit of a latch issue but we’re working on it.
And I am so glad that I had my drug-free birth!
(Oh I forgot to mention, I had 2 hours of active labor and 2 hours of pushing)
Birth Date: November 25, 2008
Weight: 10 lbs, 6.5 oz
Length: 21 in
Hi everyone! I wanted to get this all out on paper before I forgot so here I go!
On the morning of November 25 I had an ultrasound to measure amniotic fluid and an NST to make sure Corbin was ok. Everything went well so we went ahead for our appointment. I got checked and was found to be 5 cm. I was in awe! How could I be that open and not in labor? I had been dilating little-by-little since 32 weeks and I was now 40+5. My midwife offered to break my water since it seemed all my body needed was a kick-start. They had no idea!
I went back in at about 1:30pm to have my AROM. My midwife broke my water at around 2:00pm and I was in full blown labor by 2:30pm.
I spent the first part of my labor in the shower. I was coping well, but I was restless and having back labor. I got out of the shower and called for my husband. He tried counter pressure but it was too much for me. My labor was flying by and I wasn’t getting any breaks between contractions. It really felt like one 1.5 hour contraction. It was very intense and I was vocalizing a lot.
I got checked at 4:30pm and was found to be 9.5 cm. Before the midwife left the room I was pushing.
(During transition I was begging for drugs…but I think I was really just begging for a break! I’m really glad that they didn’t give me anything, I would have been mad at myself for giving up! Especially now that I know it’s doable.)
I HATED pushing. I did not like the sensation of my body pushing without my consent! I was still not getting breaks between contractions and now I was having pressure, burning and contractions with no break!
My husband was so great the whole time! He spent the whole time pouring water on my back while I was in hands and knees position. When I switched to my back, he rubbed my chest while the nurse poured water on my belly.
The most painful part for me was when he moved past my pelvic bones. There was almost a grinding feeling! When his head was out I didn’t feel any different, so when they told me to push out the shoulders I asked, “His head is out? Really?”.
When he was halfway out I instinctively reached down, grabbed him and pulled/pushed him the rest of the way out. Brandon said I pushed the midwife’s hands away to grab him but I don’t remember doing that.
He had a very short cord so we only left him attached for a little while. Brandon cut the cord and took him so I could concentrate on delivering the placenta.
I stayed in the tub to deliver it, and I’m glad I did! When my midwife told me to give a little push to get it out, there was an explosion of blood! It sprayed all over the tub like an 80’s slasher movie (without the bad music)! My midwife said, “Damn that was…interesting.”
When I went to get up I almost passed out because I literally couldn't breathe. They put smelling salts under my nose and that perked me up enough to get to the bed.
When they checked me they said I had 2 very superficial tears on either side of my labia. She wanted to go ahead and stitch me to avoid the possibility of them healing together so I got 2 stitches!
I birthed a 10 lb 6.5 oz baby with a nuchal arm and only got 2 stitches that I could have done without!
Overall, I think next time I will not have my water broken. Only laboring for 2 hours didn’t give my endorphins much time to help and everything was very intense. I would have preferred to have a longer, slower labor I think (to give my body time to ease into it, get used to the pain and then get more intense).
As for me I have a case of anemia that leads to tachycardia when I stand for too long. It sucks but they went ahead and sent me home so it can’t be that bad.
Baby is having a little bit of a latch issue but we’re working on it.
And I am so glad that I had my drug-free birth!
(Oh I forgot to mention, I had 2 hours of active labor and 2 hours of pushing)
:
and YOU did it!! 
