Some of you may know that DH became disabled from an accident this summer (he was run over by a schoolbus), so he could not be involved in much of my labor as we had originally planned. So we hired a doula, Julie, to be there for us in the way we had intended DH to be. (She had been our doula for my first birth too).
When I was in my 9th month, we moved to a new apartment in a new community (this was also b/c of DH's accident - we needed to move to a low-floor apt w/ elevator and w/o steps.) Once we realized we had to move, we did it quickly, since I was due so soon. We commandeered the help of family and friends to help us with the unpacking and getting the new apt. set up, and DH and I both felt that we couldn't have the baby come until a certain level of sanity and order had been made in the new place... Although we ended up having 3 weeks from moving day until I went into labor, it wasn't until the day before my due-date that Dh and I both agreed that we're ready for the baby to come!
I was due on a Wednesday. On Thursday night after my due date, I didn't sleep well, and finally got out of bed 4:30AM on Friday morning. I was not in labor, but "knew" I would be soon - I was feeling yucky and "different." Under normal circumstances, I would have woken DH, but since I wasn't yet in labor, and he sleeps only with the help of heavy sleeping medications since the accident, I knew he could use his sleep. So I chatted online with my SIL who lives overseas and was awake. I told her what I was experiencing, and she wanted me to wake up DH, but I held off - I knew he'd need his rest!
I started contractions by 5:30am, but was still very early labor. We tried timing some contrax with online counters, but I would lose track of them. I described them as one strong one, lasting about 45 seconds, and preceded or followed by a shorter mini-contraction. I finally woke up DH at 6:30 (He wanted to know why I woke him so early... then I told him he's lucky I let him sleep so long!!!)
Meanwhile, I was determined to get a few more things done in the house before the baby was born - so I hung up some curtain tie-backs, unpacked another box, and kept on saying "I am not having this baby until I vacuum the living room" - but kept on doing other things than vacuuming. This whole time my contractions were light, but noticeable, irregular, but there. I got ds dressed and sent him down the hall to the neighbor, so they could take him to school. DH stayed on the couch and offered words of encouragement. (He also pulled out the video camera, but I made him shut it off!)
I called the MW and doula after 9am, still early labor, alerted them that it looked like i was in labor but still early. We also called my MIL and told her that we'd need her help watching ds after school and to possibly prepare for coming for a couple of days. (And I took some chicken out of the freezer to defrost so someone else could cook it!)
So I puttered around the house more, then Julie, my doula came after 11am. We had determined that since she knew me in labor well, she would decide when to call the MWs to come.
She watched me labor, the contractions were still far apart and irregular in strength, but some of them were strong enough that I had to pause my activities and lean over through the waves. After I did some more stuff around the house and finally finished vacuuming the carpet (!!!) she convinced me to go outside for a walk. It was shortly after Noon. We walked up and down my street for about an hour. During our walk I felt the contractions getting more consistently strong and long. I'd pause, squat or lean on a tree or Julie, groan, and continue. Julie would squeeze my hips during the strong contractions, and that helped. (I wasn't having back labor this time!!!)
During our walk I expressed to Julie some anxiety I was having - that I was STILL not ready for the baby to come, and I was scared. I wasn't scared about the location of the birth. I was scared about all the responsibilities I have since DH's accident, and unsure that I could handle the added work of a baby. I was scared that I couldn't handle the intensity of birth - even though I knew I had done this before and intellectually I knew I could do it again. Julie listened and calmly reminded me that i AM doing it, that I was great with my first birth and I'm doing great now.
After an hour's walk, my labor was stronger, the contractions got consistently stronger during the walk, and Julie called the MW after 1pm to let her know to start on her way. We went back inside the apt (DH had been resting during this time because he knew he'd need his strength). Julie helped us set up the tub, then my MW, Anne, and her assistant, Gail, arrived shortly after 2pm. It was funny because my MW walked in the door and after assessing the situation and saw things were calm, excitedly announced "My daughter's engaged!" (her daughter had gotten engaged just moments before and she was thrilled!).
I started to become pretty serious during contractions, but was still chatty in between. I joked with Gail, the assistant, because she was wearing a white skirt. "You're wearing the wrong color skirt for this Gail!" (She then changed out of it).
By this time, I was actively laboring, and I soon went into the shower and experienced extremely intense contractions. I remember Anne saying to me "Look at you, you beautiful birthing Goddess!" and It made me feel so good. The contractions were so strong, I literally was climbing the walls of the bathtub. I felt overwhelmed by the intensity, and groaned and moaned out low breaths through every rush. The waves of contractions were one on top of another, and I felt overcome with the power and strength of them. I was unable to express all the thoughts running through my mind, and I just felt...overcome. Julie said "You're almost there, you're almost ready to push out your baby" - and it re-centered me. I hadn't realized that the end was almost here.
And somehow, finally, in the depth of feeling doubt and overwhelmed, there was finally a lull, a bit of calm. Julie, Anne and Gail encouraged me to get into the tub now, before I had the urge to push. DH asked if I wanted my son there, (I had previously expressed that I may want 4y.o ds there during the birth) but I said "no." He asked "Are you sure?" and I said "I'm sure."
I got into the tub (probably about 3pm.). The warm water felt great, and as I relaxed in the water for a minute, my water broke. I was sitting back, and started to push. The women and DH encouraged me to squat, but I refused, I just didn't want to! I was on my knees facing the side of the tub, leaning over onto Julie's shoulders, and I gave slow pushes, but not really strong ones (I was still feeling like I wasn't ready to have this baby come - I felt like I wasn't ready to really push, and wished it was crowning already!). They kept on encouraging me to lift up into a squat. I lifted one leg with their help, and pushed a bit more, until finally, with their continued urging, I got into a full squat (they knew I'd feel a much stronger pushing urge in the squat position).
Finally, I felt like I HAD to push. I started giving stronger pushes and when the head was right there, Anne asked "Do you want to feel the baby's head?" I shook my head, "NO!" (still wasn't ready!). Finally, after a good push, I felt the ring of fire (it wasn't as intense as it had been with ds#1). As the head came out, and I announced "I want to meet my baby! I want to see my baby!" and I gave one more push, and then, at 3:27pm, my baby was born! I remember seeing him as we brought him out of the water, and my impression was a reddish, round bundle. I saw he was a boy and said "Oh my gosh, it's a BOY!!!" (We ALL were convinced this was a girl!).
I stayed in the tub, holding the baby. (The MW's covered us with towels, kept us warm.) DS burst in the door with my MIL (DH had called them moments after the baby was born). He saw the birthtub, and announced "Hold on everybody, I want to get into my bathing suit!" Anne quickly distracted him and he got to cut the cord of his little brother!
My labor was 10 hours, but less than 3 hours of active labor - those few hours were REALLY intense. We named our son Noam Elimelech. Noam means "peace" or "tranquility" and Elimelech means "God is king."
When I was in my 9th month, we moved to a new apartment in a new community (this was also b/c of DH's accident - we needed to move to a low-floor apt w/ elevator and w/o steps.) Once we realized we had to move, we did it quickly, since I was due so soon. We commandeered the help of family and friends to help us with the unpacking and getting the new apt. set up, and DH and I both felt that we couldn't have the baby come until a certain level of sanity and order had been made in the new place... Although we ended up having 3 weeks from moving day until I went into labor, it wasn't until the day before my due-date that Dh and I both agreed that we're ready for the baby to come!
I was due on a Wednesday. On Thursday night after my due date, I didn't sleep well, and finally got out of bed 4:30AM on Friday morning. I was not in labor, but "knew" I would be soon - I was feeling yucky and "different." Under normal circumstances, I would have woken DH, but since I wasn't yet in labor, and he sleeps only with the help of heavy sleeping medications since the accident, I knew he could use his sleep. So I chatted online with my SIL who lives overseas and was awake. I told her what I was experiencing, and she wanted me to wake up DH, but I held off - I knew he'd need his rest!
I started contractions by 5:30am, but was still very early labor. We tried timing some contrax with online counters, but I would lose track of them. I described them as one strong one, lasting about 45 seconds, and preceded or followed by a shorter mini-contraction. I finally woke up DH at 6:30 (He wanted to know why I woke him so early... then I told him he's lucky I let him sleep so long!!!)
Meanwhile, I was determined to get a few more things done in the house before the baby was born - so I hung up some curtain tie-backs, unpacked another box, and kept on saying "I am not having this baby until I vacuum the living room" - but kept on doing other things than vacuuming. This whole time my contractions were light, but noticeable, irregular, but there. I got ds dressed and sent him down the hall to the neighbor, so they could take him to school. DH stayed on the couch and offered words of encouragement. (He also pulled out the video camera, but I made him shut it off!)
I called the MW and doula after 9am, still early labor, alerted them that it looked like i was in labor but still early. We also called my MIL and told her that we'd need her help watching ds after school and to possibly prepare for coming for a couple of days. (And I took some chicken out of the freezer to defrost so someone else could cook it!)
So I puttered around the house more, then Julie, my doula came after 11am. We had determined that since she knew me in labor well, she would decide when to call the MWs to come.
She watched me labor, the contractions were still far apart and irregular in strength, but some of them were strong enough that I had to pause my activities and lean over through the waves. After I did some more stuff around the house and finally finished vacuuming the carpet (!!!) she convinced me to go outside for a walk. It was shortly after Noon. We walked up and down my street for about an hour. During our walk I felt the contractions getting more consistently strong and long. I'd pause, squat or lean on a tree or Julie, groan, and continue. Julie would squeeze my hips during the strong contractions, and that helped. (I wasn't having back labor this time!!!)
During our walk I expressed to Julie some anxiety I was having - that I was STILL not ready for the baby to come, and I was scared. I wasn't scared about the location of the birth. I was scared about all the responsibilities I have since DH's accident, and unsure that I could handle the added work of a baby. I was scared that I couldn't handle the intensity of birth - even though I knew I had done this before and intellectually I knew I could do it again. Julie listened and calmly reminded me that i AM doing it, that I was great with my first birth and I'm doing great now.
After an hour's walk, my labor was stronger, the contractions got consistently stronger during the walk, and Julie called the MW after 1pm to let her know to start on her way. We went back inside the apt (DH had been resting during this time because he knew he'd need his strength). Julie helped us set up the tub, then my MW, Anne, and her assistant, Gail, arrived shortly after 2pm. It was funny because my MW walked in the door and after assessing the situation and saw things were calm, excitedly announced "My daughter's engaged!" (her daughter had gotten engaged just moments before and she was thrilled!).
I started to become pretty serious during contractions, but was still chatty in between. I joked with Gail, the assistant, because she was wearing a white skirt. "You're wearing the wrong color skirt for this Gail!" (She then changed out of it).
By this time, I was actively laboring, and I soon went into the shower and experienced extremely intense contractions. I remember Anne saying to me "Look at you, you beautiful birthing Goddess!" and It made me feel so good. The contractions were so strong, I literally was climbing the walls of the bathtub. I felt overwhelmed by the intensity, and groaned and moaned out low breaths through every rush. The waves of contractions were one on top of another, and I felt overcome with the power and strength of them. I was unable to express all the thoughts running through my mind, and I just felt...overcome. Julie said "You're almost there, you're almost ready to push out your baby" - and it re-centered me. I hadn't realized that the end was almost here.
And somehow, finally, in the depth of feeling doubt and overwhelmed, there was finally a lull, a bit of calm. Julie, Anne and Gail encouraged me to get into the tub now, before I had the urge to push. DH asked if I wanted my son there, (I had previously expressed that I may want 4y.o ds there during the birth) but I said "no." He asked "Are you sure?" and I said "I'm sure."
I got into the tub (probably about 3pm.). The warm water felt great, and as I relaxed in the water for a minute, my water broke. I was sitting back, and started to push. The women and DH encouraged me to squat, but I refused, I just didn't want to! I was on my knees facing the side of the tub, leaning over onto Julie's shoulders, and I gave slow pushes, but not really strong ones (I was still feeling like I wasn't ready to have this baby come - I felt like I wasn't ready to really push, and wished it was crowning already!). They kept on encouraging me to lift up into a squat. I lifted one leg with their help, and pushed a bit more, until finally, with their continued urging, I got into a full squat (they knew I'd feel a much stronger pushing urge in the squat position).
Finally, I felt like I HAD to push. I started giving stronger pushes and when the head was right there, Anne asked "Do you want to feel the baby's head?" I shook my head, "NO!" (still wasn't ready!). Finally, after a good push, I felt the ring of fire (it wasn't as intense as it had been with ds#1). As the head came out, and I announced "I want to meet my baby! I want to see my baby!" and I gave one more push, and then, at 3:27pm, my baby was born! I remember seeing him as we brought him out of the water, and my impression was a reddish, round bundle. I saw he was a boy and said "Oh my gosh, it's a BOY!!!" (We ALL were convinced this was a girl!).
I stayed in the tub, holding the baby. (The MW's covered us with towels, kept us warm.) DS burst in the door with my MIL (DH had called them moments after the baby was born). He saw the birthtub, and announced "Hold on everybody, I want to get into my bathing suit!" Anne quickly distracted him and he got to cut the cord of his little brother!
My labor was 10 hours, but less than 3 hours of active labor - those few hours were REALLY intense. We named our son Noam Elimelech. Noam means "peace" or "tranquility" and Elimelech means "God is king."
