Ella Grace arrived on May 20th, 2009, just under four hours after her due date had passed. 7 lbs. 10 oz, 19.25" long. I can not even begin to express how crazy and amazing that day was! I typed out the story within the first two days of her arrival, so it is probably somewhat poorly written, but I wanted to get it all out before the details began to fade away... Here it is 
I woke up around 3:25 am on May 20th, 2009. I had some uncomfortable crampiness in my lower abdomen. My initial thought was that I had indigestion, because I had a pretty spicy dinner followed by lots of chocolate. So, I rolled over and went back to sleep. Two minutes later I was awake again with the same crampy feeling. I got up out of bed and waddled to the bathroom thinking that might help. After going to the bathroom I stood up only to have the crampiness return. It wasn't extraordinarily painful, just uncomfortable feeling, and I did not feel any tightening in my uterus like I had been with Braxton Hicks contractions, so I was doubtful that I was experiencing contractions. Besides, at this point I was pretty sure I'd be pregnant forever. I decide to go downstairs to get a drink of water. The cramps still don't go away, so I try to use the bathroom again. After nothing happens, I begin to suspect that I could be in labor, so I try to time the cramps - just for fun. After four of them pass at 45 seconds long and 2 minutes apart (surely a fluke!) I decided to wake DH to see what he thought. I went upstairs and tried to wake him. He groggily told me to leave him alone. I figured that I would just let him sleep until I knew that I was truly in labor and headed back down the stairs. I had the urge to use the bathroom one more time, and this time I saw a small amount of blood. That was the sign I was looking for, so I grabbed my phone and called the midwife. She told me she would be there in about an hour and to go ahead and set up the pool. After we hung up, I clumsily dragged the dining room table and chairs out of the dining room and into the hall. Two contractions passed as I did this, and a third as I spread the shower curtain across the floor. I tried to pull the birthing pool from its bag, but then realized how ridiculous this was for me to be doing on my own. At the rate I was going the pool would be filled by the next day. I went upstairs to wake DH. This time he realized what was happening and practically jumped out of bed. I told him that I needed help to get the pool ready. I followed him downstairs, and DH immediately began to inflate the pool which must have woken my Mom up. The pump had a lovely high pitched squeal that only dead folks and exhausted kids could sleep through. She came downstairs to see what was going on. After confirming that I was in labor, she went outside to have a cigarette. I felt immense pressure with my next contraction and decided to go get my birth ball from the bedroom in hopes that it would relieve the feeling. After the contraction faded away, I rushed up, not knowing when another wave of cramps might strike me. I grabbed the ball, and halfway down the stairs the next contraction began. By the time I reached the main floor my water broke, and the pressure became really intense. Without hesitation, I ran to the bathroom and sat on the toilet. My phone is still on the counter from my last call to the midwife, so I texted her the words "Water broke", hit send, and then with the next contraction I could feel my body bearing down. I remember looking surprised at myself in the mirror - my initial reaction was to try not to push, but I couldn't physically stop myself from doing so. I wasn't in pain, but my body had full control of what was happening. The only thing that I could do was surrender to it - anything else would have been working against myself. I held my hand down, and I could feel the baby's head beginning to emerge. I called out to my husband, who was still inflating the pool, "She's coming!" and he said, "What??" "She's coming!!!" I shouted back. He came into the bathroom and dropped to his knees in front of me and I told him to call the midwife. He picked up the phone, but she was already calling us, as she knew after receiving my text that she would not make it in time. She was only 10 minutes on the road with another 45 or so to go until she could get to our house. At this point my Mom has reentered the house to see the baby's head already half out. I had my arms stretched out behind me, holding myself up with my back arched, so that the baby would come out into DH's lap. I could hear MW guiding DH through what to do, and then the next contraction began. I knew she would be born then. I remember DH saying "I can see her nose!". I wanted to look, but I couldn't see around my big belly in the position I was in. I know I said things, but don't remember clearly what they were. I do remember laughing because I just could not believe that this was happening the way that it was. The contraction squeezed the baby out easily into my husband's hands with very little effort on my part. After catching her, he wrapped her in a blanket that my Mom must have grabbed. She let out a few cries to let us know she was okay. A little less than 30 minutes had gone by since I woke up that morning, and our baby had already made her entrance into the world, albeit somewhat unexpectedly. A minute or two later the placenta was delivered while DH and I got to know our beautiful daughter. The midwife was on the phone saying that she wasn't sending an EMT or ambulance, all was well, just sit tight and wait for them to arrive. We wrapped the placenta into a chux pad and DH helped the baby and I move over to the couch, which was covered and waiting for me. I sat down with Ella and began to nurse her. She caught on quickly. I suddenly felt ravenous and asked for a bowl of watermelon, which my Mom brought to me. I devoured it and soon after I finished, the midwife and her apprentice arrived. They sterilized their tools and helped us to clamp and cut the cord. After writing down the details of the birth, the midwife felt my uterus and checked for tears. There were none. I wanted to get cleaned up and lay down, so I passed the baby on to DH so that they could do the newborn assessment while I showered. The apprentice helped me up the stairs and brought me towels, waiting outside the bathroom in case I needed help. DS Noah woke up as I showered and met his baby sister. When I came in to the room his face looked like he thought it was Christmas. I could tell he was completely in love with her, as we all were. After I got settled in to bed with a giant turkey sandwich (still starving, thanks Mom!) and had Ella back in my arms, my midwife briefed me on what I needed to be looking out for in terms of complications and then she was on her way. Our family became four that morning and I was on top of the world! I could not have asked for a better birthing experience, and I am so grateful that we planned on having a home birth as opposed to a hospital birth. If we had planned on going to the hospital, Ella would have probably been born in the driveway and we would have been frightened and ill prepared. Instead, we were more than prepared for her to come and we had a trusted and experienced friend who was able to guide us through what to do. Not once did I feel afraid or worried - only surprised and extremely blessed! And most importantly she was brought in to the world peacefully and in a loving environment filled with trust - not into a stressful "emergency" situation surrounded with fear. Her birth was truly a miracle in every way and I can't wait to see what other surprises she will bring into our lives.
For pictures visit my flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/oochygoochygoo
Congratulations to all the other Mommas, too!
:
Katie
I woke up around 3:25 am on May 20th, 2009. I had some uncomfortable crampiness in my lower abdomen. My initial thought was that I had indigestion, because I had a pretty spicy dinner followed by lots of chocolate.
So, I rolled over and went back to sleep. Two minutes later I was awake again with the same crampy feeling. I got up out of bed and waddled to the bathroom thinking that might help. After going to the bathroom I stood up only to have the crampiness return. It wasn't extraordinarily painful, just uncomfortable feeling, and I did not feel any tightening in my uterus like I had been with Braxton Hicks contractions, so I was doubtful that I was experiencing contractions. Besides, at this point I was pretty sure I'd be pregnant forever. I decide to go downstairs to get a drink of water. The cramps still don't go away, so I try to use the bathroom again. After nothing happens, I begin to suspect that I could be in labor, so I try to time the cramps - just for fun. After four of them pass at 45 seconds long and 2 minutes apart (surely a fluke!) I decided to wake DH to see what he thought. I went upstairs and tried to wake him. He groggily told me to leave him alone. I figured that I would just let him sleep until I knew that I was truly in labor and headed back down the stairs. I had the urge to use the bathroom one more time, and this time I saw a small amount of blood. That was the sign I was looking for, so I grabbed my phone and called the midwife. She told me she would be there in about an hour and to go ahead and set up the pool. After we hung up, I clumsily dragged the dining room table and chairs out of the dining room and into the hall. Two contractions passed as I did this, and a third as I spread the shower curtain across the floor. I tried to pull the birthing pool from its bag, but then realized how ridiculous this was for me to be doing on my own. At the rate I was going the pool would be filled by the next day. I went upstairs to wake DH. This time he realized what was happening and practically jumped out of bed. I told him that I needed help to get the pool ready. I followed him downstairs, and DH immediately began to inflate the pool which must have woken my Mom up. The pump had a lovely high pitched squeal that only dead folks and exhausted kids could sleep through. She came downstairs to see what was going on. After confirming that I was in labor, she went outside to have a cigarette. I felt immense pressure with my next contraction and decided to go get my birth ball from the bedroom in hopes that it would relieve the feeling. After the contraction faded away, I rushed up, not knowing when another wave of cramps might strike me. I grabbed the ball, and halfway down the stairs the next contraction began. By the time I reached the main floor my water broke, and the pressure became really intense. Without hesitation, I ran to the bathroom and sat on the toilet. My phone is still on the counter from my last call to the midwife, so I texted her the words "Water broke", hit send, and then with the next contraction I could feel my body bearing down. I remember looking surprised at myself in the mirror - my initial reaction was to try not to push, but I couldn't physically stop myself from doing so. I wasn't in pain, but my body had full control of what was happening. The only thing that I could do was surrender to it - anything else would have been working against myself. I held my hand down, and I could feel the baby's head beginning to emerge. I called out to my husband, who was still inflating the pool, "She's coming!" and he said, "What??" "She's coming!!!" I shouted back. He came into the bathroom and dropped to his knees in front of me and I told him to call the midwife. He picked up the phone, but she was already calling us, as she knew after receiving my text that she would not make it in time. She was only 10 minutes on the road with another 45 or so to go until she could get to our house. At this point my Mom has reentered the house to see the baby's head already half out. I had my arms stretched out behind me, holding myself up with my back arched, so that the baby would come out into DH's lap. I could hear MW guiding DH through what to do, and then the next contraction began. I knew she would be born then. I remember DH saying "I can see her nose!". I wanted to look, but I couldn't see around my big belly in the position I was in. I know I said things, but don't remember clearly what they were. I do remember laughing because I just could not believe that this was happening the way that it was. The contraction squeezed the baby out easily into my husband's hands with very little effort on my part. After catching her, he wrapped her in a blanket that my Mom must have grabbed. She let out a few cries to let us know she was okay. A little less than 30 minutes had gone by since I woke up that morning, and our baby had already made her entrance into the world, albeit somewhat unexpectedly. A minute or two later the placenta was delivered while DH and I got to know our beautiful daughter. The midwife was on the phone saying that she wasn't sending an EMT or ambulance, all was well, just sit tight and wait for them to arrive. We wrapped the placenta into a chux pad and DH helped the baby and I move over to the couch, which was covered and waiting for me. I sat down with Ella and began to nurse her. She caught on quickly. I suddenly felt ravenous and asked for a bowl of watermelon, which my Mom brought to me. I devoured it and soon after I finished, the midwife and her apprentice arrived. They sterilized their tools and helped us to clamp and cut the cord. After writing down the details of the birth, the midwife felt my uterus and checked for tears. There were none. I wanted to get cleaned up and lay down, so I passed the baby on to DH so that they could do the newborn assessment while I showered. The apprentice helped me up the stairs and brought me towels, waiting outside the bathroom in case I needed help. DS Noah woke up as I showered and met his baby sister. When I came in to the room his face looked like he thought it was Christmas. I could tell he was completely in love with her, as we all were. After I got settled in to bed with a giant turkey sandwich (still starving, thanks Mom!) and had Ella back in my arms, my midwife briefed me on what I needed to be looking out for in terms of complications and then she was on her way. Our family became four that morning and I was on top of the world! I could not have asked for a better birthing experience, and I am so grateful that we planned on having a home birth as opposed to a hospital birth. If we had planned on going to the hospital, Ella would have probably been born in the driveway and we would have been frightened and ill prepared. Instead, we were more than prepared for her to come and we had a trusted and experienced friend who was able to guide us through what to do. Not once did I feel afraid or worried - only surprised and extremely blessed! And most importantly she was brought in to the world peacefully and in a loving environment filled with trust - not into a stressful "emergency" situation surrounded with fear. Her birth was truly a miracle in every way and I can't wait to see what other surprises she will bring into our lives.For pictures visit my flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/oochygoochygoo
Congratulations to all the other Mommas, too!
:Katie
