After an extremely short one hour labor last night (this morning?) we welcomed baby #5, ds2 into the world.
John-Paul Xavier was born at 2:40am, 7lbs9oz, and 21". He is our biggest baby yet! (huge, right?)
This was a successful UBAC waterbirth, which is a really great thing considering how fast it went, at least we were prepared at home! NEVER would have made it to the hospital, even if we wanted to.
John-Paul and I are doing great, he is a natural nurser, and his siblings are over the moon for him.
Birth story and pics to follow soon.
Birth Story:
I kinda wish I had more to tell you all, but since it was so fast, here is the long version!
Tuesday night, while watching TV I decided to start timing some contractions just for the heck of it, and I was having them about 8-10 mins apart; they weren't exactly bothering me or anything, so I knew it would be a while and that I would likely be having a baby the next day. Eventually they piddled out and I was really tired, so I figured I would go to bed and wake up with some real working ones like I did with dd4. Well, I went to sleep about midnight and woke up at 1:30 to pee, but I felt kinda weird, and when I moved to get out of bed I could feel that something was about to gush out of me so I did my best kegel ever and rushed to the bathroom. When I got on the toilet a bunch of stuff gushed out of me, I had definite bloody show (which was kinda freaky, I never had that before) and I think my water may have possibly broken, but I'm not sure because that was it for anything gushing. I still didn't have any contractions yet, but knew they would be starting soon, so I put a cover on my side of the bed and propped myseld up on some pillows, and then felt a lot of pressure and had a couple of intense contractions. I started timing them and they were 2 mins apart and each one was more intense than the one before. I knew things were going to go fast from this point on, so I woke up dh and told him to start filling the tub; while he was doing this I was already moaning through my contractions and he demanded to know why I didn't wake h im up earlier, while I tried to explain that I had just woken up like, 5 mins ago! The contractions were getting pretty difficult to manage so quickly without the water and dh suggested I lay on my side, which I did, and I am sure that made them MORE intense and made things go even faster. The pool was full enough for me to get in by 2:10 and I was already shaking and in obvious transition by the time I got up and tried to walk across the room to get in. Then I got in the water, and oh sweet relief! Let me just say, if I EVER have any more children, no way would I do it without a pool to labor and deliver in!!! Once I got in I was immediately able to relax and let my uterus do the work, and had a couple of very powerful contractions then I felt that immense pressure on my bottom and couldn't believe I already had the urge to push. I told dh that his head was right there and I was pushing, and he was just incredulous that it could be happening already. Maybe three or four pushes for about 10 minutes and our beautiful son joined us at 2:40.
He was so calm he was making dh worry, but I could tell he was breathing fine, it just took him a while to pink up and he never cried since we delayed cord clamping and the water was so comforting. BUT, since he was so calm he just stayed asleep and had no desire to nurse, so it took about 45 mins to deliver the placenta because I wasn't having any more contractions. I felt SO much better after that. My oldest and youngest kids woke up and came to meet their new little brother, and then the two middle girls woke up at their normal time and met him later that morning.
We are doing great, and he nurses wonderfully, and we are so glad we planned to deliver at home, because if we hadn't planned on it he would have been born at home anyway and we would have been unprepared......I believe it was meant to be this way, and am so glad we were ready for it. So there you have it.....a one hour labor with my biggest baby, at home, in the water, UC. I couldn't have asked for more, feel totally fulfilled, and for the first time ever, have no desire to do it again.
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pi...1&id=580133489
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pi...1&id=580133489
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pi...1&id=580133489
John-Paul Xavier was born at 2:40am, 7lbs9oz, and 21". He is our biggest baby yet! (huge, right?)
This was a successful UBAC waterbirth, which is a really great thing considering how fast it went, at least we were prepared at home! NEVER would have made it to the hospital, even if we wanted to.
John-Paul and I are doing great, he is a natural nurser, and his siblings are over the moon for him.
Birth story and pics to follow soon.
Birth Story:
I kinda wish I had more to tell you all, but since it was so fast, here is the long version!
Tuesday night, while watching TV I decided to start timing some contractions just for the heck of it, and I was having them about 8-10 mins apart; they weren't exactly bothering me or anything, so I knew it would be a while and that I would likely be having a baby the next day. Eventually they piddled out and I was really tired, so I figured I would go to bed and wake up with some real working ones like I did with dd4. Well, I went to sleep about midnight and woke up at 1:30 to pee, but I felt kinda weird, and when I moved to get out of bed I could feel that something was about to gush out of me so I did my best kegel ever and rushed to the bathroom. When I got on the toilet a bunch of stuff gushed out of me, I had definite bloody show (which was kinda freaky, I never had that before) and I think my water may have possibly broken, but I'm not sure because that was it for anything gushing. I still didn't have any contractions yet, but knew they would be starting soon, so I put a cover on my side of the bed and propped myseld up on some pillows, and then felt a lot of pressure and had a couple of intense contractions. I started timing them and they were 2 mins apart and each one was more intense than the one before. I knew things were going to go fast from this point on, so I woke up dh and told him to start filling the tub; while he was doing this I was already moaning through my contractions and he demanded to know why I didn't wake h im up earlier, while I tried to explain that I had just woken up like, 5 mins ago! The contractions were getting pretty difficult to manage so quickly without the water and dh suggested I lay on my side, which I did, and I am sure that made them MORE intense and made things go even faster. The pool was full enough for me to get in by 2:10 and I was already shaking and in obvious transition by the time I got up and tried to walk across the room to get in. Then I got in the water, and oh sweet relief! Let me just say, if I EVER have any more children, no way would I do it without a pool to labor and deliver in!!! Once I got in I was immediately able to relax and let my uterus do the work, and had a couple of very powerful contractions then I felt that immense pressure on my bottom and couldn't believe I already had the urge to push. I told dh that his head was right there and I was pushing, and he was just incredulous that it could be happening already. Maybe three or four pushes for about 10 minutes and our beautiful son joined us at 2:40.
He was so calm he was making dh worry, but I could tell he was breathing fine, it just took him a while to pink up and he never cried since we delayed cord clamping and the water was so comforting. BUT, since he was so calm he just stayed asleep and had no desire to nurse, so it took about 45 mins to deliver the placenta because I wasn't having any more contractions. I felt SO much better after that. My oldest and youngest kids woke up and came to meet their new little brother, and then the two middle girls woke up at their normal time and met him later that morning.
We are doing great, and he nurses wonderfully, and we are so glad we planned to deliver at home, because if we hadn't planned on it he would have been born at home anyway and we would have been unprepared......I believe it was meant to be this way, and am so glad we were ready for it. So there you have it.....a one hour labor with my biggest baby, at home, in the water, UC. I couldn't have asked for more, feel totally fulfilled, and for the first time ever, have no desire to do it again.
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pi...1&id=580133489
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pi...1&id=580133489
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pi...1&id=580133489
John-Paul Xavier
Enjoy your baby!!!
