So I had a terrible induction, hospital birth with my first son. Wanted to do something different this time around, here's the story!
I did hypnobabies since about 21 weeks as I had serious anxiety over my second birth, I'd torn badly the first time around and was miserable for weeks after delivery, though I had an epidural and didn't feel the actual tear. I couldn't believe I was considering a natural birth where I might FEEL myself tear! Anyway, I went through my prenatal care with a generic OB/GYN I really didn't like in the city I'm living, all the while planning a home birth at my parent's house 7 hours away with a wonderful midwife. At 39 weeks I went to my parent's, telling the OB I had to go out of town. This was no biggie - I'm pretty sure they could have cared less. Anyway, I spend some great time relaxing and enjoying some last minute only-child time with my 3 year old. His dad stayed back in Nevada, but came and visited on the weekend. 40 weeks passed and I was calm - I'd been induced w/my first son and knew I might go over with this one and was NOT interested in repeating the induction. At 41 weeks I was getting a little antsy though b/c my husband was only getting one week off work so we wanted to get the timing right so he could spend time w/us after the birth but I really wanted him there when I went into labor. Long story short, we all decided Saturday Aug 22 was THE day to have this baby. DH showed up on the Thursday before.
So Friday the 21st, me DH and DS1 had a BEAUTIFUL day at the ocean, having lunch, long walks, it was gorgeous weather, sigh. What a great memory. I'd had my first BH contractions in the week or so before and may have had one or two that day also. That evening before bed I listened to my Hypnobabies birthing day track. During it, I started to have some kind of mildly crampy BH contractions but no biggie. I went to bed about 8:30. Around 12:30 they were a bit more constant, enough to wake me up and get me out in the kitchen for some RRL tea and a call to the midwife who was encouraged and told me to go back to bed and try to rest. I did and slept on and off until 4:30 when I thought I could actually start timing as the contractions had a definite beginning and end. Woke DH to get the laptop so we could use contraction master - timed four contractions and my water broke all over the bed! I was hollering "holy crap my water is breaking! Fill the pool, call the midwife!" Poor DH was headed in five million directions at once. Called the midwife who started on her way, the pool started filling and I headed to the bathroom to get out of my soaking dress (hah on the idea of fancy birthing clothes, mine would have lasted all of five seconds!) Up til then the contractions had been completely no big deal, maybe a 3 on the 1-10 scale. In about 10 minutes they'd worked up to the 7 or 8 range, but I always had a break in between, which was SO different from when I was induced. I had some intense times in the bathroom, my mom and dad woke up, my 3 year old was beside himself with excitement about getting up when "the sun isn't up yet!" There was a bit of chaos as I took the time between contractions to yell at everybody where towels and hose adapters and candles and essential oils and music etc were - guess I just hadn't told anybody b/c I thought I'd never go into labor if I was too prepared. Another thing was nobody but DH knew how to work the video recorder or camera so a lot went undocumented. Anyway the pool thankfully filled really fast and I got in just as my MW showed up. I was belting out "aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh" during each contraction making sure to have a loose jaw and completely relax my belly and well, every muscle I could possibly relax. I remember thinking and vocalizing that I didn't think I could do it anymore - my MW tells me she could tell I didn't mean it when I said it. I remember thinking I was a total natural birth failure b/c I was wussing out so SOON and there was no way I could go like this for several more hours which is what I thought I had left. But I think maybe it was like 10 minutes after getting in the pool, who knows time warps during labor, but really soon after I got in I felt like i had to poop (which I had already done in the bathroom) so it dawned on me it was time to push!!! CRAZY! From that moment on I had a whole new outlook as I realized I was almost there! I remember pushing and the CRAZY noises I was making, like I was having a huge BM but in front of a crowd but I could not stop the noises - I think the hpnobabies helped so much b/c with all the discomfort my MW tells me my behind was completely limp and relaxed. I faintly registered my mom's best friend, kind of a second mom to me, showing up and takins some pictures (what turned out to be FABULOUS pictures of my boy crowning with my son looking on and a bunch of wonderful immediately following birth pics - thank heavens for her!!!) Everybody laughs now b/c the MW told me to try and do some "puffy" breathing during pushing - think she was trying to help me not tear - anyway, so I took it literally and would go "puff puff puff puff" saying the actual word "puff" rather than puffing out air. Funny. Anyway, at 6:21am my son was born - just 1 hour and 21 minutes after my water broke. The relief was absolutely immediate, I did get a 2nd degree tear, we think it was scar tissue from the first time that kind of popped open, but I did not feel it at all, and I have had no pain since delivering him....well, the after pains hurt but pshaw - what's a little after pain? Anyway, he was 10lbs even and 24" of beautiful little man that we named Harvey Boone Branson, born on August 22 just as we had hoped. It was SUCH a beatiful experience. He's been so healthy and content and I know it isn't necessarily a result of the homebirth, but I can't imagine that coming into a peaceful environment like that hurt much. The midwives were mindbogglingly WONDERFUl, they were there for hours after his birth then every single day for a week then weekly, bringing herbs, food, books (they've got me addicted to Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series), advice, and so so so much love. If anybody in Mendocino County in CA needs a midwife, let me know, I LOVE them. I have a great slide show with music on a DVD that I'd like to post but don't know how, so if anybody has any suggestions, I'm all ears :-)
I did hypnobabies since about 21 weeks as I had serious anxiety over my second birth, I'd torn badly the first time around and was miserable for weeks after delivery, though I had an epidural and didn't feel the actual tear. I couldn't believe I was considering a natural birth where I might FEEL myself tear! Anyway, I went through my prenatal care with a generic OB/GYN I really didn't like in the city I'm living, all the while planning a home birth at my parent's house 7 hours away with a wonderful midwife. At 39 weeks I went to my parent's, telling the OB I had to go out of town. This was no biggie - I'm pretty sure they could have cared less. Anyway, I spend some great time relaxing and enjoying some last minute only-child time with my 3 year old. His dad stayed back in Nevada, but came and visited on the weekend. 40 weeks passed and I was calm - I'd been induced w/my first son and knew I might go over with this one and was NOT interested in repeating the induction. At 41 weeks I was getting a little antsy though b/c my husband was only getting one week off work so we wanted to get the timing right so he could spend time w/us after the birth but I really wanted him there when I went into labor. Long story short, we all decided Saturday Aug 22 was THE day to have this baby. DH showed up on the Thursday before.
So Friday the 21st, me DH and DS1 had a BEAUTIFUL day at the ocean, having lunch, long walks, it was gorgeous weather, sigh. What a great memory. I'd had my first BH contractions in the week or so before and may have had one or two that day also. That evening before bed I listened to my Hypnobabies birthing day track. During it, I started to have some kind of mildly crampy BH contractions but no biggie. I went to bed about 8:30. Around 12:30 they were a bit more constant, enough to wake me up and get me out in the kitchen for some RRL tea and a call to the midwife who was encouraged and told me to go back to bed and try to rest. I did and slept on and off until 4:30 when I thought I could actually start timing as the contractions had a definite beginning and end. Woke DH to get the laptop so we could use contraction master - timed four contractions and my water broke all over the bed! I was hollering "holy crap my water is breaking! Fill the pool, call the midwife!" Poor DH was headed in five million directions at once. Called the midwife who started on her way, the pool started filling and I headed to the bathroom to get out of my soaking dress (hah on the idea of fancy birthing clothes, mine would have lasted all of five seconds!) Up til then the contractions had been completely no big deal, maybe a 3 on the 1-10 scale. In about 10 minutes they'd worked up to the 7 or 8 range, but I always had a break in between, which was SO different from when I was induced. I had some intense times in the bathroom, my mom and dad woke up, my 3 year old was beside himself with excitement about getting up when "the sun isn't up yet!" There was a bit of chaos as I took the time between contractions to yell at everybody where towels and hose adapters and candles and essential oils and music etc were - guess I just hadn't told anybody b/c I thought I'd never go into labor if I was too prepared. Another thing was nobody but DH knew how to work the video recorder or camera so a lot went undocumented. Anyway the pool thankfully filled really fast and I got in just as my MW showed up. I was belting out "aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh" during each contraction making sure to have a loose jaw and completely relax my belly and well, every muscle I could possibly relax. I remember thinking and vocalizing that I didn't think I could do it anymore - my MW tells me she could tell I didn't mean it when I said it. I remember thinking I was a total natural birth failure b/c I was wussing out so SOON and there was no way I could go like this for several more hours which is what I thought I had left. But I think maybe it was like 10 minutes after getting in the pool, who knows time warps during labor, but really soon after I got in I felt like i had to poop (which I had already done in the bathroom) so it dawned on me it was time to push!!! CRAZY! From that moment on I had a whole new outlook as I realized I was almost there! I remember pushing and the CRAZY noises I was making, like I was having a huge BM but in front of a crowd but I could not stop the noises - I think the hpnobabies helped so much b/c with all the discomfort my MW tells me my behind was completely limp and relaxed. I faintly registered my mom's best friend, kind of a second mom to me, showing up and takins some pictures (what turned out to be FABULOUS pictures of my boy crowning with my son looking on and a bunch of wonderful immediately following birth pics - thank heavens for her!!!) Everybody laughs now b/c the MW told me to try and do some "puffy" breathing during pushing - think she was trying to help me not tear - anyway, so I took it literally and would go "puff puff puff puff" saying the actual word "puff" rather than puffing out air. Funny. Anyway, at 6:21am my son was born - just 1 hour and 21 minutes after my water broke. The relief was absolutely immediate, I did get a 2nd degree tear, we think it was scar tissue from the first time that kind of popped open, but I did not feel it at all, and I have had no pain since delivering him....well, the after pains hurt but pshaw - what's a little after pain? Anyway, he was 10lbs even and 24" of beautiful little man that we named Harvey Boone Branson, born on August 22 just as we had hoped. It was SUCH a beatiful experience. He's been so healthy and content and I know it isn't necessarily a result of the homebirth, but I can't imagine that coming into a peaceful environment like that hurt much. The midwives were mindbogglingly WONDERFUl, they were there for hours after his birth then every single day for a week then weekly, bringing herbs, food, books (they've got me addicted to Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series), advice, and so so so much love. If anybody in Mendocino County in CA needs a midwife, let me know, I LOVE them. I have a great slide show with music on a DVD that I'd like to post but don't know how, so if anybody has any suggestions, I'm all ears :-)
