He was born at home, weighing 10 lbs. 2 oz, at 1:41 pm two years ago yesterday, at 40 weeks, 2 days.
Here's the story in short form:
Mild cramps the night before, tried to sleep through them, knew I wasn't getting any more real sleep by the wee hours, called the midwife at 5 am, said she'd be there by 10:30. Popped a turkey in the oven between contractions, stayed vertical because lying down hurt more, leaned my head on the counter and fanned my bent knees like a cat taking a large poop for each strong contraction, which actually helped, sang and laughed and cried and had some private time in a shower, sent my hubby and DD on errands so I could have that time, used a labor pool, got out of the pool when I started to feel pushy, (my choice) went upstairs pausing to push, and he was out at 1:41 on my hands and knees, and we all had turkey and pie.
I did fear that I wouldn't dilate after the nightmare that was my prior experience, of a failed induction and a crash cesarean. My midwife did not perform cervical checks usually, but did it when I requested it, and I was astonished that I was at 7!
Fear that you won't go into labor on your own, or that you won't dilate, are common in women who were induced and/or sectioned before, and are reinforced by medical professionals along with the idea that if you don't go into labor by 40 weeks, you are somehow overdue and something must be wrong. 42 weeks is the actual limit of normal, so you aren't overdue until after 42 weeks.
Anyway, thanks Mothering, thanks ICAN, thanks my homebirth Midwife, and thanks Gut, for guiding me to know that HBAC was the way to go.
Happy birthday, my 2-year-old son, and happy birthday to me as a Birthing Woman.
Here's the story in short form:
Mild cramps the night before, tried to sleep through them, knew I wasn't getting any more real sleep by the wee hours, called the midwife at 5 am, said she'd be there by 10:30. Popped a turkey in the oven between contractions, stayed vertical because lying down hurt more, leaned my head on the counter and fanned my bent knees like a cat taking a large poop for each strong contraction, which actually helped, sang and laughed and cried and had some private time in a shower, sent my hubby and DD on errands so I could have that time, used a labor pool, got out of the pool when I started to feel pushy, (my choice) went upstairs pausing to push, and he was out at 1:41 on my hands and knees, and we all had turkey and pie.
I did fear that I wouldn't dilate after the nightmare that was my prior experience, of a failed induction and a crash cesarean. My midwife did not perform cervical checks usually, but did it when I requested it, and I was astonished that I was at 7!
Fear that you won't go into labor on your own, or that you won't dilate, are common in women who were induced and/or sectioned before, and are reinforced by medical professionals along with the idea that if you don't go into labor by 40 weeks, you are somehow overdue and something must be wrong. 42 weeks is the actual limit of normal, so you aren't overdue until after 42 weeks.
Anyway, thanks Mothering, thanks ICAN, thanks my homebirth Midwife, and thanks Gut, for guiding me to know that HBAC was the way to go.
Happy birthday, my 2-year-old son, and happy birthday to me as a Birthing Woman.
