For those worried about tearing after tearing badly from a previous birth - I only got a skid mark this time after a bad 4th degree tear last time that resulted in an anal fistula that needed to be surgically repaired! 
: It can be done!!
Here's the story:
I am woken up at 3:00am by stronger contractions but they are spaced very far apart - 15 to 20 minutes. They eventually get a little closer together by morning but they are very random (10min, 5 min, 16min, 6 min, 12 min.). Finally it’s time for DH to go to school at 6:20 and we sit and debate whether he should go or not. I really am not sure, afraid to believe it was the real thing and have it be a false alarm. Eventually I decide it’s just up to him because it could go either way. DH decides to stay home because he says I’m acting like it’s “different” this time. I spend all morning bouncing on a birthing ball and tuned into my iPod (with the song I found last night) hoping to help the contractions get more regular. Finally around 9ish or so the contractions start getting more regular, 5-6 minutes apart consistently and I have to concentrate through them.
DD was not liking the fact that mommy wasn’t really available to play and that contractions make mommy unavailable during them. So, we decided to call my friend to see if she could play with DD. GOOD thing she could, oh my! My friend came around 10:15 and took DD for a fun day of playing. Right after DD left my body somehow just “knew” and got serious very quickly about this whole labor thing. I went off to the bathroom and this time there was some blood when I wiped so I decided to put on a pad. I also had around 3 good contractions and by the time I got from our bathroom to the bedroom door I just shouted my midwife’s name to DH from the door and stood there through another contraction. He knew what I meant and called my midwife. While he was on the phone I walked to stand next to the pool because I had a sudden urge to jump into it immediately. I wanted DH to double check with my midwife that it wasn’t too early to get in because I didn’t want to slow things down (which was funny, in retrospect, because I still didn’t realize just how far along in labor I was - the contractions were all bearable and nothing like the bone-crushing pitocin contractions and back labor I experienced with DD’s labor)!
While I was standing there I was glad I had put a pad on because my water broke as I was standing next to the pool and I felt the baby move down. I got the “okay” from my midwife to get in the water and it was instant relief! Oh - it felt SOO good to be in the water! With the next contraction I instinctively started vocalizing low pitches and felt the baby moving down further with each contraction. I also started feeling the urge to push but did everything in my power to breath through them.
Comically, through this whole ordeal - I didn’t want DH even in the same room as me. He was great and trying his best to be supportive and I even had pictured this being an intimate time together with the two of us. My body had other ideas, I guess! At one point, he came over and put his hand on my shoulder and got yelled at, “DON’T TOUCH ME!” At another point he came over and just stood in the room and looked at me with a look on his face that said he wished there was something he could do. Poor guy got yelled at to leave the room and busy himself on the computer or something!
I realized that I was getting really close to having this baby and decided to feel how close the head was. I reached and felt it - it was CLOSE but it still had a little ways to go. I told DH that this baby was coming soon and asked where everyone was. He said they were on their way and should be there soon. What I didn’t know is that DH was sitting in the other room looking up how to deliver a baby and scared out of his mind that he’d have to catch the baby (he made it quite clear to me that he was not interested in catching the baby lest he drop the him)! He called my midwife again (who was on her way) and stayed on the phone with her this time. Meanwhile I was just working through each contraction trying to let my body do the pushing for me and I had DH tell her that my lips and arms were starting ti feel tingly. Finally, one of my doula’s came! She walked in the door saying and doing all the right things and put me at ease at a perfect moment. Another one of my doula’s showed up very shortly after. Next my midwife came and I remember my eyes were closed tightly from a contraction and when I peaked out from my eyelids she was sitting there smiling at me by the tub! She quickly listened to the baby’s heartbeat which she said sounded great.
The baby was officially crowning by this point. I did everything in my power to go slow and not push but the “ring of fire” HURT with all that scare tissue and I just wanted it to be over with. Finally the head came out and they asked me if I wanted to feel it. I said no but eventually I did and I’m so glad! It snapped me back into reality that I got a baby at the end of this! Plus, every time I feel his head now I remember feeling his sweet head for the first time! Next his shoulders came and before I knew it I was holding him! He was born at 11:49am - only about 3 hours of active labor.
I don’t remember how much time passed but it never even occurred to me to see if he was a boy or girl until they asked if I wanted to check! Even then, I was thinking that I didn’t even care to know yet - I was just so happy to have my baby! But - I checked and when I found out it was a boy I got all teary! DH was a mess of tears as well. So - both of my doulas showed up around 20 minutes before Ethan was born and my midwife only 9 minutes!! Whew - just made it! My midwife told me thanks for waiting - haha.
Ethan nursed shortly after looked so sweet! Finally, it was getting a little cold in the pool so I got out. My dog was peaking at me through the clear pool after Ethan was born and while I was getting out he even jumped and put his paws on the edge to see what it was that I was holding! They helped me to the bedroom where one of my doulas helped me deliver the placenta. After the cord had stopped pulsing, my midwife clamped and had DH cut the cord. Then my midwife weighed and measured Ethan. Ethan Henry Kuhn, born December 18th, 11:49am, 6 Ibs. 10 ounces, 20 inches long!
Post Partum:
I cannot believe the high of having a successful waterbirth at home! I felt so amazing afterwards. I came from a previous birth of having a 4th degree tear that needed additional surgery to repair an anal fistula. This birth all I got was a skid mark! I took a shower right afterwards and just stood in the shower in wonder at how it felt like a shower I’d take on any other day but I had just given birth to my son who was being held in the other room!
: It can be done!!Here's the story:
I am woken up at 3:00am by stronger contractions but they are spaced very far apart - 15 to 20 minutes. They eventually get a little closer together by morning but they are very random (10min, 5 min, 16min, 6 min, 12 min.). Finally it’s time for DH to go to school at 6:20 and we sit and debate whether he should go or not. I really am not sure, afraid to believe it was the real thing and have it be a false alarm. Eventually I decide it’s just up to him because it could go either way. DH decides to stay home because he says I’m acting like it’s “different” this time. I spend all morning bouncing on a birthing ball and tuned into my iPod (with the song I found last night) hoping to help the contractions get more regular. Finally around 9ish or so the contractions start getting more regular, 5-6 minutes apart consistently and I have to concentrate through them.
DD was not liking the fact that mommy wasn’t really available to play and that contractions make mommy unavailable during them. So, we decided to call my friend to see if she could play with DD. GOOD thing she could, oh my! My friend came around 10:15 and took DD for a fun day of playing. Right after DD left my body somehow just “knew” and got serious very quickly about this whole labor thing. I went off to the bathroom and this time there was some blood when I wiped so I decided to put on a pad. I also had around 3 good contractions and by the time I got from our bathroom to the bedroom door I just shouted my midwife’s name to DH from the door and stood there through another contraction. He knew what I meant and called my midwife. While he was on the phone I walked to stand next to the pool because I had a sudden urge to jump into it immediately. I wanted DH to double check with my midwife that it wasn’t too early to get in because I didn’t want to slow things down (which was funny, in retrospect, because I still didn’t realize just how far along in labor I was - the contractions were all bearable and nothing like the bone-crushing pitocin contractions and back labor I experienced with DD’s labor)!
While I was standing there I was glad I had put a pad on because my water broke as I was standing next to the pool and I felt the baby move down. I got the “okay” from my midwife to get in the water and it was instant relief! Oh - it felt SOO good to be in the water! With the next contraction I instinctively started vocalizing low pitches and felt the baby moving down further with each contraction. I also started feeling the urge to push but did everything in my power to breath through them.
Comically, through this whole ordeal - I didn’t want DH even in the same room as me. He was great and trying his best to be supportive and I even had pictured this being an intimate time together with the two of us. My body had other ideas, I guess! At one point, he came over and put his hand on my shoulder and got yelled at, “DON’T TOUCH ME!” At another point he came over and just stood in the room and looked at me with a look on his face that said he wished there was something he could do. Poor guy got yelled at to leave the room and busy himself on the computer or something!
I realized that I was getting really close to having this baby and decided to feel how close the head was. I reached and felt it - it was CLOSE but it still had a little ways to go. I told DH that this baby was coming soon and asked where everyone was. He said they were on their way and should be there soon. What I didn’t know is that DH was sitting in the other room looking up how to deliver a baby and scared out of his mind that he’d have to catch the baby (he made it quite clear to me that he was not interested in catching the baby lest he drop the him)! He called my midwife again (who was on her way) and stayed on the phone with her this time. Meanwhile I was just working through each contraction trying to let my body do the pushing for me and I had DH tell her that my lips and arms were starting ti feel tingly. Finally, one of my doula’s came! She walked in the door saying and doing all the right things and put me at ease at a perfect moment. Another one of my doula’s showed up very shortly after. Next my midwife came and I remember my eyes were closed tightly from a contraction and when I peaked out from my eyelids she was sitting there smiling at me by the tub! She quickly listened to the baby’s heartbeat which she said sounded great.
The baby was officially crowning by this point. I did everything in my power to go slow and not push but the “ring of fire” HURT with all that scare tissue and I just wanted it to be over with. Finally the head came out and they asked me if I wanted to feel it. I said no but eventually I did and I’m so glad! It snapped me back into reality that I got a baby at the end of this! Plus, every time I feel his head now I remember feeling his sweet head for the first time! Next his shoulders came and before I knew it I was holding him! He was born at 11:49am - only about 3 hours of active labor.
I don’t remember how much time passed but it never even occurred to me to see if he was a boy or girl until they asked if I wanted to check! Even then, I was thinking that I didn’t even care to know yet - I was just so happy to have my baby! But - I checked and when I found out it was a boy I got all teary! DH was a mess of tears as well. So - both of my doulas showed up around 20 minutes before Ethan was born and my midwife only 9 minutes!! Whew - just made it! My midwife told me thanks for waiting - haha.
Ethan nursed shortly after looked so sweet! Finally, it was getting a little cold in the pool so I got out. My dog was peaking at me through the clear pool after Ethan was born and while I was getting out he even jumped and put his paws on the edge to see what it was that I was holding! They helped me to the bedroom where one of my doulas helped me deliver the placenta. After the cord had stopped pulsing, my midwife clamped and had DH cut the cord. Then my midwife weighed and measured Ethan. Ethan Henry Kuhn, born December 18th, 11:49am, 6 Ibs. 10 ounces, 20 inches long!
Post Partum:
I cannot believe the high of having a successful waterbirth at home! I felt so amazing afterwards. I came from a previous birth of having a 4th degree tear that needed additional surgery to repair an anal fistula. This birth all I got was a skid mark! I took a shower right afterwards and just stood in the shower in wonder at how it felt like a shower I’d take on any other day but I had just given birth to my son who was being held in the other room!
