Friday, February 13th I was 39 weeks pregnant. It had just snowed the evening before and a lot of it was still sticking to the ground. The car would take forever to de-ice and Kacey was getting cabin fever. We needed a few things from the grocery store so I decided to let Kacey walk down to the store with me while I pushed the stroller. I figured when she got tired I could pop her into the stroller. She ended up walking ALL the way to Champion by herself, stepping on EVERY chunk of snow in the gutter on the way there. Then as she entered the store she grabbed one of those kiddie carts and pushed it around the store while I filled it. We ended up with a lot of heavy groceries. By the time I pushed the groceries, Kacey and the ‘off road’ stroller back up the hill I was quite tired. For the past several weeks after a walk like this I would get a few Braxton Hicks. This time was no different. I got a few very weak, very irregular contractions when we got home.
However, this time the contractions resumed a few hours later. They were still very weak. So much in fact that Nick and I discussed going to Disneyland for Valentine’s day. In addition these contractions were across the lower half of my stomach and I remember the ones with Kacey started across the upper half. As we were wrapping up dinner around 7:30 I still wasn’t positive the contractions would lead to anything that night. I put Kacey to bed at 8 and came back down at 8:30. I think knowing Kacey was tucked in bed helped me mentally get into the swing of things.
By 9’oclock we called Valerie (our doula) and the midwife. What I didn’t realize is that my chosen midwife was out of town this week. (I thought she was out of town last week.) A few quick phone calls on the part of our midwife and Valerie found a backup midwife that was free. About that time the contractions were getting strong enough I asked Nick to set up the labor pool so that I could use the warm water to help deal with them. As he set up we realized that my computer was still on. I changed my facebook status to “in labor” and shut down the machine.
Things really started to progress at that point. I don’t know when Valerie and the midwife arrived but I don’t think it was long after the initial phone call. When they arrived there was no doubt that the baby was on her way! It was wonderful to have our birth attendants come to us rather than interrupt the process to go to a hospital.
The next couple hours were spent in the pool and leaning over the side of the pool. Being in my own environment with three people that believed in the natural process made all the difference in the world in being able to cope. I remember feeling lost in the hospital with Kacey. There were so many people shouting, in two languages, literally arguing while I was in labor. I felt like a scared animal that needed to withdraw. This could not have been more different. Both Valerie and the midwife entered the room quietly and respectfully. Everyone was there if I needed something yet in the same moment ready to back off entirely and leave me be.
The midwife checked the baby’s heart rate several times with the Doppler. I barely had to shift my position for her to get a good reading. I know several times Valerie brought in a kettle of hot water to keep the pool warm. Somewhere along the way I stopped worrying about Kacey waking up and allowed myself to get vocal with the contractions. That helped immensely.
At one point I urgently asked Nick for the bowl and it magically appeared in front of me. Just in time too, as I started to lose my dinner. The midwife commented that I must be about 7 centimeters as that’s when women tend to barf in labor! Shortly after that my water ruptured and that’s when things really kicked into high gear. From then on I was just about oblivious to everything outside of that room.
Delivery this time was much different than with Kacey. This time I felt very aware of everything that was going on. I could tell you just about where the baby was at every point. During pushing Nick was literally a rock for me. He knelt down by the pool and let me grab his arm to pull on to. At a couple points he almost got a bite mark in his bicep. I know it killed his back but it was absolutely necessary. I don’t think he realized how necessary at that moment in time. He made a comment about draining some water at which point he was made very well aware of the fact that I didn’t care if the pool overflowed, HE WAS NOT MOVING! (They had been adding hot water to keep me warm but hadn’t drained the same amount off. When I got to the pushing phase I submerged myself with every contraction threatening to overflow the pool. Apparently at one point I almost pulled the midwife in with me but I didn’t even realize it until Nick told me after.)
I wasn’t watching any clock but it seemed like it didn’t take long for her to work her way down the birth canal. I paused to rest for a moment while she was crowning. This also gave me a bit of time to let everything stretch to accommodate her big head! One more contraction and her head was out, another and her body was out. Smooth as butter.
I lifted her up out of the water and the midwife gave her a once over. Her heart was beating well but she was not breathing on her own yet. Nick and I were told to talk to her while the midwife blew gently in her face and pressed on her chest a couple of times. She came right around at about a minute. We know now that it is common for babies to take up to three minutes to start to breathe on their own. In fact the midwife thought she started to breathing on her own very quickly. Not knowing that ahead of time that was a very long minute for Nick and I.
Within moments she was obviously doing well. The cord was very short and had stopped pulsing so the midwife clamped and cut it so that I could get out of the pool to deliver the placenta. They had a recliner all ready for me to lay in with baby on my chest. She nursed right away at just minutes old. That brought on the contractions needed to deliver the placenta. I couldn’t do it while laying on my back though.
Nick took his shirt off and held the new baby close to him, skin to skin, while Valerie put a blanket over them both. I will always remember the image of him with his brand new daughter cuddled into his chest. I am grateful to be able to carry that image with me always.
Once the baby was safe and warm with Nick the midwife and Valerie each took one of my arms and helped me sit. Within seconds the placenta was delivered. The midwife checked it out to make sure that it was intact and there was no excessive bleeding. She then offered to explain it to me. Not having had the opportunity with Kacey’s birth, I accepted. It really is a fascinating organ.
Baby and I got to cuddle on the recliner while the midwife filled out the paperwork and cleanup was done. Baby got weighed and measured and then she and I got escorted upstairs and to bed, our own bed, in our own house.
From the time things got strong enough to call the midwife to the time I had baby in arms was 3 hours and 12 minutes. There was no injury to either mother or baby. There was no medical intervention and obviously no drugs. I wouldn’t ever choose do it any other way.
However, this time the contractions resumed a few hours later. They were still very weak. So much in fact that Nick and I discussed going to Disneyland for Valentine’s day. In addition these contractions were across the lower half of my stomach and I remember the ones with Kacey started across the upper half. As we were wrapping up dinner around 7:30 I still wasn’t positive the contractions would lead to anything that night. I put Kacey to bed at 8 and came back down at 8:30. I think knowing Kacey was tucked in bed helped me mentally get into the swing of things.
By 9’oclock we called Valerie (our doula) and the midwife. What I didn’t realize is that my chosen midwife was out of town this week. (I thought she was out of town last week.) A few quick phone calls on the part of our midwife and Valerie found a backup midwife that was free. About that time the contractions were getting strong enough I asked Nick to set up the labor pool so that I could use the warm water to help deal with them. As he set up we realized that my computer was still on. I changed my facebook status to “in labor” and shut down the machine.
Things really started to progress at that point. I don’t know when Valerie and the midwife arrived but I don’t think it was long after the initial phone call. When they arrived there was no doubt that the baby was on her way! It was wonderful to have our birth attendants come to us rather than interrupt the process to go to a hospital.
The next couple hours were spent in the pool and leaning over the side of the pool. Being in my own environment with three people that believed in the natural process made all the difference in the world in being able to cope. I remember feeling lost in the hospital with Kacey. There were so many people shouting, in two languages, literally arguing while I was in labor. I felt like a scared animal that needed to withdraw. This could not have been more different. Both Valerie and the midwife entered the room quietly and respectfully. Everyone was there if I needed something yet in the same moment ready to back off entirely and leave me be.
The midwife checked the baby’s heart rate several times with the Doppler. I barely had to shift my position for her to get a good reading. I know several times Valerie brought in a kettle of hot water to keep the pool warm. Somewhere along the way I stopped worrying about Kacey waking up and allowed myself to get vocal with the contractions. That helped immensely.
At one point I urgently asked Nick for the bowl and it magically appeared in front of me. Just in time too, as I started to lose my dinner. The midwife commented that I must be about 7 centimeters as that’s when women tend to barf in labor! Shortly after that my water ruptured and that’s when things really kicked into high gear. From then on I was just about oblivious to everything outside of that room.
Delivery this time was much different than with Kacey. This time I felt very aware of everything that was going on. I could tell you just about where the baby was at every point. During pushing Nick was literally a rock for me. He knelt down by the pool and let me grab his arm to pull on to. At a couple points he almost got a bite mark in his bicep. I know it killed his back but it was absolutely necessary. I don’t think he realized how necessary at that moment in time. He made a comment about draining some water at which point he was made very well aware of the fact that I didn’t care if the pool overflowed, HE WAS NOT MOVING! (They had been adding hot water to keep me warm but hadn’t drained the same amount off. When I got to the pushing phase I submerged myself with every contraction threatening to overflow the pool. Apparently at one point I almost pulled the midwife in with me but I didn’t even realize it until Nick told me after.)
I wasn’t watching any clock but it seemed like it didn’t take long for her to work her way down the birth canal. I paused to rest for a moment while she was crowning. This also gave me a bit of time to let everything stretch to accommodate her big head! One more contraction and her head was out, another and her body was out. Smooth as butter.
I lifted her up out of the water and the midwife gave her a once over. Her heart was beating well but she was not breathing on her own yet. Nick and I were told to talk to her while the midwife blew gently in her face and pressed on her chest a couple of times. She came right around at about a minute. We know now that it is common for babies to take up to three minutes to start to breathe on their own. In fact the midwife thought she started to breathing on her own very quickly. Not knowing that ahead of time that was a very long minute for Nick and I.
Within moments she was obviously doing well. The cord was very short and had stopped pulsing so the midwife clamped and cut it so that I could get out of the pool to deliver the placenta. They had a recliner all ready for me to lay in with baby on my chest. She nursed right away at just minutes old. That brought on the contractions needed to deliver the placenta. I couldn’t do it while laying on my back though.
Nick took his shirt off and held the new baby close to him, skin to skin, while Valerie put a blanket over them both. I will always remember the image of him with his brand new daughter cuddled into his chest. I am grateful to be able to carry that image with me always.
Once the baby was safe and warm with Nick the midwife and Valerie each took one of my arms and helped me sit. Within seconds the placenta was delivered. The midwife checked it out to make sure that it was intact and there was no excessive bleeding. She then offered to explain it to me. Not having had the opportunity with Kacey’s birth, I accepted. It really is a fascinating organ.
Baby and I got to cuddle on the recliner while the midwife filled out the paperwork and cleanup was done. Baby got weighed and measured and then she and I got escorted upstairs and to bed, our own bed, in our own house.
From the time things got strong enough to call the midwife to the time I had baby in arms was 3 hours and 12 minutes. There was no injury to either mother or baby. There was no medical intervention and obviously no drugs. I wouldn’t ever choose do it any other way.
:
I think so.
