So, after two false starts-- one last Thursday, and one on Tuesday-- Silas Christopher decided to wait until the day after Thanksgiving to show up. He is a mellow little sweetie and we love him so much!
My water broke with a weird POP at 3:30 Friday morning and sent me leaping out of bed! What a strange feeling! I was totally freaked out at the color (light greenish yellow) and called my midwife, who said all we could do was to wait for ctx to start. So out I went and walked until I was worn out-- which I know is what you shouldn't do, but I didn't want to hear "Go the hospital and they'll start you on Pitocin"!! After that we tried nipple stimulation, which seemed to get some regular but weak ctx going. We drove around on a local forest service road and got some stronger ctx but they spaced out. How frustrating! We did enjoy watching the sunrise though.
Decided to go for a walk in the woods, with the same result. I just felt like I couldn't get labor started and I was freaking out about the baby aspirating meconium and being stillborn (this has been a HUGE issue with me ever since my dairy doe had a stillbirth this spring, the week I found out I was pregnant).
Anyway, long story short, the MW called at 2:30pm and I was so frustrated. I knew if I'd been in hospital I would have been augmented by now. She suggested a warm shower and some black cohosh, which I did, and I also did an external application of castor oil which I'd read about and don't see how it could help, but figured it couldn't hurt either! Anyway, soon after all that the ctx finally seemed to get down to business but with nowhere near the intensity I'd expected. I did get DH to rub my back through them but I felt like I was kind of cheating, using labor to get a backrub, since I didn't really need the help! :D
We called the MW and said she may as well come. An hour and a half later she arrived and WOW, my ctx picked up incredibly! Suddenly I had to lean on the table and moan and do hip gyrations. I was amazed that my body would do that-- first hold off over Thanksgiving for the MW's sake, and then hold off with ctx until she arrived! DH and the MW pushing on my sacrum pretty much took away any discomfort but it was really intense. They got the tub set up and then she checked me and said, "You're at 9, almost ready to go, thank you Jesus!" Which made me laugh because I don't think I've ever had a health care provider who said that before!
Got into the tub and it wasn't quite full enough, so in order to be in the water through a ctx I had to squat like a frog. I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS! I'm so much more sore today than I would have been if I'd just listened to the MW and gotten into a supported squat right away-- but the ctx made me want to lean forward and it felt scary to be belly up. Anyway, eventually she explained that leaning forward like that there was really no way for the baby to make its way out, and if I did squat baby would come out quicker. The ctx still didn't hurt but there was SO much pressure, I was doing a weird mooing/roaring thing that made me really happy to live out in the country with no neighbors!! So finally I flipped over and DH held me, and the head was born with the next ctx, the body with the one after that. Baby Silas was so calm, he just opened his eyes and looked at us, then cuddled down on my belly under a towel and took it easy.
I checked and saw he was a boy! I don't know how many times I said so in the next ten minutes! I was flying high! It's a boy! Oh, wonderful baby!
We planned on waiting until the cord stopped pulsing, of course, but 20 minutes later it was still going! It was a monster thing thicker than DH's thumb, and we finally decided Silas would be okay on his own. So we cut it and DH took him while the MW and I dealt with the placenta, getting out of the tub, checked for tears (none) and to bed, etc. The midwife arrived at 5:20 and Silas was born at 6:39 (and would have been at least 15 minutes sooner if I hadn't been so stubborn about the stupid frog stance!). He was 9lbs 4oz, 22inches long.
Silas has been nursing like a champ, though I can tell he's moving into the sleepy phase. I slept on my back last night and am SO grateful not to be pregnant anymore!! It was funny holding his little foot while DH changed his diaper this morning-- I was like, hey! I recognize that pointy little heel! It's been poking me for the last three months! :D
congrats on an amazing birth, you did great and he is perfect :)
and a big boy!
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