My wonderful little guy, my surprise bonus baby, is 1 week old today. As he sleeps on my chest with my other 3 children playing on the floor in front of me I realize that there are some things you don't know are missing until you have them right in front of you. 
*****
I wasn't getting much sleep on Monday night, the night of the 14th. I went to bed around 10 pm but between waking up to pee every 45 minutes (love having a bladder the size of a walnut at the end of pregnancy) and my 22 month old repeatedly waking up and needing me (2 year molars suck), there wasn't a great deal of sleeping going on. I was large and uncomfortable, felt like I needed the assistance of heavy machinery to help get me out of bed. But thanks to this I know that I was not having any contractions throughout the night, everything was calm in uterus-land.
Just after 4 am I got up to tend to Kira again. Got her some more water, settled her back down and made yet another trip to the bathroom. Started to go back to sleep and then.... hmmm, was that a contraction?
Involuntarily I was out of bed, kneeling on the floor and leaning over the side of the bed. I glanced at the clock and it was 4:15 am. I woke up DH who asked "so are we in it?" and I said I didn't know, maybe? He snorted and said "this is no maybe - last time you had the kid 2 hours later" and went downstairs to get things going. I grabbed my computer and sent a Facebook message to a local chiropractor, letting her know that something might be getting started so I might not make it to see her that morning.
The birth tub heater was broken and it was only maintaining about 92 degrees, so DH started the big stock pots of water boiling. After my last two 2 hour labors we knew we might be pressed for time. I brought down my iPod to listen to my Hypnobabies Birth Guide tracks but don't remember where I set it down. We spread out a shower curtain on the floor in front of the birth tub, put the waterproof sheet and spare sheet on the futon, then DH went upstairs to make some coffee. When a contraction would hit I would lean on my hands and knees over the futon, moving my hips and making really low vocalizations to keep myself relaxed and saying "open, open, open" (like on my Hypnobabies tracks). DH came and asked how I was doing and I looked at him and joked "stop the ride, please, I want off now!" This was probably about 4:30 am. I remember thinking that I couldn't really be in labor yet because I was still wearing my nightgown - I can't stand to have any clothes on when I'm laboring.
The contractions were intense, but not painful or overwhelming. It was like swimming in the ocean and looking up and seeing a huge wave coming - I could either fight it (and get dragged down in the undertow and swept along uncontrollably underwater) or get on top of it from the beginning and ride it in. I just listened to what my body was saying to do (be on my hands and knees rotating my hips, making the low noises to keep myself from tensing up, caught up instinctually in the same birth song and dance that women have done throughout the ages) and rode the wave, both yielding to and in awe of the power it contained. It was this amazing combination of spiritual and primal. I felt like the mama cat, safe and snug hiding in my little drawer to birth my kitten.
I went into the bathroom and thought about sitting down, but realized that if I sat down on the toilet then I probably wouldn't be able to get back up and didn't want to spend the rest of the time stuck on the toilet. I walked back into the family room and the tub looked so inviting - off came the nightgown and in I went. I was hot and sweating and the water was warm enough to feel comforting but not overheat me. The feeling of relief and support when I sank down into the water was amazing. DH came down with the first pot of boiling water and poured it into the other side of the tub, I was acutely aware of the feeling of the hot water swirling around in the cooler water of the tub and the coolness of the edge of the birth tub against my forehead as I knelt down, focusing on the physical sensations. DH went back upstairs to refill the pot and check on the others and I leaned over the side of the tub, enjoying the warm waters swirling around my legs.
I felt a bit of pressure, reached down and felt the baby's head & amniotic sac right at the vaginal opening, then my water broke. I yelled upstairs "honey, turn the stove off!". He yelled back "why, is it warm enough?" It was difficult to talk (I tend to be non-verbal in labor) but managed to say "baby!" as my body started to push with me half-kneeling, half-squatting. With one giant, uncontrollable, full-body push the head emerged as he ran down the half-flight of stairs saying "holy sh*t, you're kidding me!" and then the entire baby flew out into the tub. DH scooped the baby out of the water to hand to me as I turned over. I caught a glimpse between the legs as I cuddled him up and said "we have another little boy!". I kept his body down in the water to keep him warm and had DH hand me a chux pad to cover him up with. I told DH to open my computer and check the time, it was 4:39 am. 24 minutes after the very first contraction and, as DH said, "I didn't even have time to brew my coffee!".
Ian Grainger
6/15/10 at 4:39 am
9 lb 8 oz, 21.5"
My longest pregnancy (40+4 by ovulation), shortest labor (24 minutes) and next-to-smallest baby. It took longer to write the birth story than the actual birth itself.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y173/srbug/ian11.jpg
*****
I wasn't getting much sleep on Monday night, the night of the 14th. I went to bed around 10 pm but between waking up to pee every 45 minutes (love having a bladder the size of a walnut at the end of pregnancy) and my 22 month old repeatedly waking up and needing me (2 year molars suck), there wasn't a great deal of sleeping going on. I was large and uncomfortable, felt like I needed the assistance of heavy machinery to help get me out of bed. But thanks to this I know that I was not having any contractions throughout the night, everything was calm in uterus-land.
Just after 4 am I got up to tend to Kira again. Got her some more water, settled her back down and made yet another trip to the bathroom. Started to go back to sleep and then.... hmmm, was that a contraction?
Involuntarily I was out of bed, kneeling on the floor and leaning over the side of the bed. I glanced at the clock and it was 4:15 am. I woke up DH who asked "so are we in it?" and I said I didn't know, maybe? He snorted and said "this is no maybe - last time you had the kid 2 hours later" and went downstairs to get things going. I grabbed my computer and sent a Facebook message to a local chiropractor, letting her know that something might be getting started so I might not make it to see her that morning.The birth tub heater was broken and it was only maintaining about 92 degrees, so DH started the big stock pots of water boiling. After my last two 2 hour labors we knew we might be pressed for time. I brought down my iPod to listen to my Hypnobabies Birth Guide tracks but don't remember where I set it down. We spread out a shower curtain on the floor in front of the birth tub, put the waterproof sheet and spare sheet on the futon, then DH went upstairs to make some coffee. When a contraction would hit I would lean on my hands and knees over the futon, moving my hips and making really low vocalizations to keep myself relaxed and saying "open, open, open" (like on my Hypnobabies tracks). DH came and asked how I was doing and I looked at him and joked "stop the ride, please, I want off now!" This was probably about 4:30 am. I remember thinking that I couldn't really be in labor yet because I was still wearing my nightgown - I can't stand to have any clothes on when I'm laboring.
The contractions were intense, but not painful or overwhelming. It was like swimming in the ocean and looking up and seeing a huge wave coming - I could either fight it (and get dragged down in the undertow and swept along uncontrollably underwater) or get on top of it from the beginning and ride it in. I just listened to what my body was saying to do (be on my hands and knees rotating my hips, making the low noises to keep myself from tensing up, caught up instinctually in the same birth song and dance that women have done throughout the ages) and rode the wave, both yielding to and in awe of the power it contained. It was this amazing combination of spiritual and primal. I felt like the mama cat, safe and snug hiding in my little drawer to birth my kitten.
I went into the bathroom and thought about sitting down, but realized that if I sat down on the toilet then I probably wouldn't be able to get back up and didn't want to spend the rest of the time stuck on the toilet. I walked back into the family room and the tub looked so inviting - off came the nightgown and in I went. I was hot and sweating and the water was warm enough to feel comforting but not overheat me. The feeling of relief and support when I sank down into the water was amazing. DH came down with the first pot of boiling water and poured it into the other side of the tub, I was acutely aware of the feeling of the hot water swirling around in the cooler water of the tub and the coolness of the edge of the birth tub against my forehead as I knelt down, focusing on the physical sensations. DH went back upstairs to refill the pot and check on the others and I leaned over the side of the tub, enjoying the warm waters swirling around my legs.
I felt a bit of pressure, reached down and felt the baby's head & amniotic sac right at the vaginal opening, then my water broke. I yelled upstairs "honey, turn the stove off!". He yelled back "why, is it warm enough?" It was difficult to talk (I tend to be non-verbal in labor) but managed to say "baby!" as my body started to push with me half-kneeling, half-squatting. With one giant, uncontrollable, full-body push the head emerged as he ran down the half-flight of stairs saying "holy sh*t, you're kidding me!" and then the entire baby flew out into the tub. DH scooped the baby out of the water to hand to me as I turned over. I caught a glimpse between the legs as I cuddled him up and said "we have another little boy!". I kept his body down in the water to keep him warm and had DH hand me a chux pad to cover him up with. I told DH to open my computer and check the time, it was 4:39 am. 24 minutes after the very first contraction and, as DH said, "I didn't even have time to brew my coffee!".
Ian Grainger
6/15/10 at 4:39 am
9 lb 8 oz, 21.5"
My longest pregnancy (40+4 by ovulation), shortest labor (24 minutes) and next-to-smallest baby. It took longer to write the birth story than the actual birth itself.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y173/srbug/ian11.jpg
Congrats!
Ha, we named our DD Sonya! And I do think that listening to hypnobabies didn't hurt either. Great birth! Congratulations!
