This morning at about 1:30am I woke for what I though would be the first of my nightly pee breaks. When I got back to bed I started feeling a cramp coming on - again totally normal. It only took a few moments before I realized this was no cramp - this was a contractions and it was a *real* one! I decided to see if it would just go away - as I had been lightly contracting at night for the past week.....but sure enought a few minutes later another one came on just as strong. Finally at about 2:15 or so I went in Ainsley's room to wake up Dan and have him join me in our room.
I grabbed my birthball and put in my new DVD of the show 24 - telling Dan to go ahead and rest and I would wake him when I needed him. But not even 15 minutes later I could tell this was going to go *MUCH* quicker then my last delivery so I woke Dan and had him call our mw. I told her the contractions were about 5 minutes apart (looking back they were more like 3) and I was sitting on the birth ball. She said she woudl get on the way and told me I could fill the tub but not get in.
I got Dan started on filling the tub and getting things ready in our room. But after about a half an hour I *really* needed him to help me through the contractions - I was having the same back pain and hip pain that I had with Ainsley. He was wonderful and I got on my knees and leaned into the bed while he held pressue on my hips and back. At about 3:30 or so I told him to go wake up his mom so she could do some of the running around getting things - the contractions were *VERY* close and I could not have him leave my side.
I needed to go the the bathroom so I went into our bath and sat on the toilet - I knew this was also a good laboring position. My water had just broken and I knew that this was the begining of the end..... I had my mil call the mw again and let her know I could tell things were progressing *very* quickly - they were still about an hour away. When the mw heard I was on the toilet she told them to have me get off to slow things down....so I got down to hands and knees on the bathroom floor (we have a big Master Bath with carpeting on one side - thank goodness!)
I knew I was in transition - the baby was begining to move down the birth canal. This was actually a very sureal time - I knew he was coming soon and told Dan to be prepared. He was totally calm and ready to go. I had downward moving contractions for about 30 minutes - when they came on I blew them out - harder and harder (I still had yet to really make a sound - just breathing) I knew *exactly* what was happening and visualized a sailboat in the water and me as the wind filling it's sail. After about 20 minutes of so of that I told Dan that it was time to push - and my MIL got back on the phone with the mw to let her know.
During this time I was totally in control and knew exactly what my body was doing - I knew I was going to start pushing and was able to easily talk Dan through what was going on in between contractions. Again - he was AMAZING and not at all freaked out by what was going to happen. I started pushing - there was no way I couldn't - and this time around it actually felt pretty good to push. For the first two pushing contractions Dan couldn't see the baby yet. I felt a tad bit discouraged - I didn't want a long pushing phase. But by the third contraction he was crowning (with my MIL still on the phone with the midwife)
By the next contractions I was able to get his whole head out - Dan was there catching our baby, and doing a GREAT job! But then I didn't have another contractions right away and I could tell Dan (and my MIL) were a little freaked out that the baby's head was there sticking out of me but the rest of his body was inside LOL! Dan kept urging me to push - but I really had no urge without a contraction so I waited. The next contraction I pushed some more as hard as I could but he was going to come out slowly - via phone the mw suggested I lift up on my right foot to help things out (I was on hands and knees) so I did - keeping my left knee down and pushing up on my right leg. Dan immediatly said he could tell a difference and urged me to stay in that postion and push some more....but again I had to wait for a contraction. Finally on I think the 3rd contraction after the head was born he came out! And Dan did an expert job of catching!
I immediatly felt GREAT!!! My mil and Dan weren't 100% sure on what to do next - Owen didn't cry right way, but was perfectly fine, great tone and just kind of mumbling. I could hear my mw trying to tell them what to do and my MIL was having a hard time coveying the info to Dan - so I took over the phone. She was shocked to hear me on the phone clear and calm as day. I was able to direct Dan and my MIL on what to do - I was already turned over at this point and had them hand me the baby skin to skin and cover us with a warm towel. We had did it! The time was 4:42am - a mere 3 hours after my first contractions!
My mw showed up about 5 mintues later - and came into the bathroom to find us all on the floor baby on mommy and Ethan and Ainsley (we woke them moments after the birth) ohhing and aweing about our new baby.
I could not have asked for a more perfect birth! I have an amazing husband whom I am so eternally greatful for! PRAISE THE LORD!!!
Owen is absoutly perfect - 9lbs 3 ozs, 22 inches long and a nursing pro! I will try and post pics tonight....right now it is time to go back to bed
I grabbed my birthball and put in my new DVD of the show 24 - telling Dan to go ahead and rest and I would wake him when I needed him. But not even 15 minutes later I could tell this was going to go *MUCH* quicker then my last delivery so I woke Dan and had him call our mw. I told her the contractions were about 5 minutes apart (looking back they were more like 3) and I was sitting on the birth ball. She said she woudl get on the way and told me I could fill the tub but not get in.
I got Dan started on filling the tub and getting things ready in our room. But after about a half an hour I *really* needed him to help me through the contractions - I was having the same back pain and hip pain that I had with Ainsley. He was wonderful and I got on my knees and leaned into the bed while he held pressue on my hips and back. At about 3:30 or so I told him to go wake up his mom so she could do some of the running around getting things - the contractions were *VERY* close and I could not have him leave my side.
I needed to go the the bathroom so I went into our bath and sat on the toilet - I knew this was also a good laboring position. My water had just broken and I knew that this was the begining of the end..... I had my mil call the mw again and let her know I could tell things were progressing *very* quickly - they were still about an hour away. When the mw heard I was on the toilet she told them to have me get off to slow things down....so I got down to hands and knees on the bathroom floor (we have a big Master Bath with carpeting on one side - thank goodness!)
I knew I was in transition - the baby was begining to move down the birth canal. This was actually a very sureal time - I knew he was coming soon and told Dan to be prepared. He was totally calm and ready to go. I had downward moving contractions for about 30 minutes - when they came on I blew them out - harder and harder (I still had yet to really make a sound - just breathing) I knew *exactly* what was happening and visualized a sailboat in the water and me as the wind filling it's sail. After about 20 minutes of so of that I told Dan that it was time to push - and my MIL got back on the phone with the mw to let her know.
During this time I was totally in control and knew exactly what my body was doing - I knew I was going to start pushing and was able to easily talk Dan through what was going on in between contractions. Again - he was AMAZING and not at all freaked out by what was going to happen. I started pushing - there was no way I couldn't - and this time around it actually felt pretty good to push. For the first two pushing contractions Dan couldn't see the baby yet. I felt a tad bit discouraged - I didn't want a long pushing phase. But by the third contraction he was crowning (with my MIL still on the phone with the midwife)
By the next contractions I was able to get his whole head out - Dan was there catching our baby, and doing a GREAT job! But then I didn't have another contractions right away and I could tell Dan (and my MIL) were a little freaked out that the baby's head was there sticking out of me but the rest of his body was inside LOL! Dan kept urging me to push - but I really had no urge without a contraction so I waited. The next contraction I pushed some more as hard as I could but he was going to come out slowly - via phone the mw suggested I lift up on my right foot to help things out (I was on hands and knees) so I did - keeping my left knee down and pushing up on my right leg. Dan immediatly said he could tell a difference and urged me to stay in that postion and push some more....but again I had to wait for a contraction. Finally on I think the 3rd contraction after the head was born he came out! And Dan did an expert job of catching!
I immediatly felt GREAT!!! My mil and Dan weren't 100% sure on what to do next - Owen didn't cry right way, but was perfectly fine, great tone and just kind of mumbling. I could hear my mw trying to tell them what to do and my MIL was having a hard time coveying the info to Dan - so I took over the phone. She was shocked to hear me on the phone clear and calm as day. I was able to direct Dan and my MIL on what to do - I was already turned over at this point and had them hand me the baby skin to skin and cover us with a warm towel. We had did it! The time was 4:42am - a mere 3 hours after my first contractions!
My mw showed up about 5 mintues later - and came into the bathroom to find us all on the floor baby on mommy and Ethan and Ainsley (we woke them moments after the birth) ohhing and aweing about our new baby.
I could not have asked for a more perfect birth! I have an amazing husband whom I am so eternally greatful for! PRAISE THE LORD!!!
Owen is absoutly perfect - 9lbs 3 ozs, 22 inches long and a nursing pro! I will try and post pics tonight....right now it is time to go back to bed
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: Congratulations to you and welcome to little Owen!
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