Contractions started in earnest at 10 pm Monday night. It's funny, but that was right around the time of the complete full moon. We had joked that I'd go into labor once the moon was full. All day I had felt sick and my system was cleaning itself out so I had slept about 5 or 6 hours over the course of the day. The kids had gone to sleep around 9. I laid down about 11 to try to get some sleep but the contractions hurt terribly laying down. So I got up and started walking around and trying different positions. I started losing pieces of my mucous plug around midnight so I knew this was the real thing. At 12:40 I called my parents to ask them and my aunt to come over. They arrived about 2:30. At 1 I called my midwife to let her know what was going on. I told her when I needed her I would have my husband call back.
Miss A woke up at 2 and was a little chatterbox. She was so excited that the baby was finally coming. Around the time my parents and aunt arrived the contractions got stronger and I started my labor song. It really helped to "sing" to the contractions. About 4 my husband called the midwife and said we needed her to come. I was still "singing" when she and her assistant arrived. Mr. Man woke up about 5. He cuddled right up with my aunt.
By around 7 I was quite cranky. It was hard to pee because the head was so low. No matter what position I tried it still hurt badly. I was having mostly back labor which is awful, but then every once in a while I'd have a completely front contraction and that was awful because I was used to the back ones. At one point during the middle of a contraction I yelled at everyone in the room at the time to help me (that was at least my husband, the midwife, and the assistant, and I think my mom, too). Of course they all just sat there and so I very sarcastically said (still in the middle of the contraction) I see you all just jumping up to help. I was mostly fine between contractions but during them I wasn't happy at all.
I got in the shower about 7:30 and that helped a lot but standing up really cranked up the contractions so by the time I got out I was having them pretty frequently and they were hurting both in the front and back at the same time. Then I started having awful vaginal pain as well as the rectal pain I had had already. And then I threw up. I believe that is when my cervix must have finished dilating. I don't know for sure because I had no dilation checks during pregnancy/labor. In three labors I have never been told I am complete since all three have been in the birth canal before we noticed. I said it felt like the baby was starting to come into my vagina and so my midwife told me to check. I did and I was confused because I could feel the head but it seemed like something was in front of it (turned out he had a seriously molded head and it was his head all squished up).
At this point I realized that the contractions had just changed. They were shorter and farther apart but hurt more. I did not feel like pushing. I had absolutely no urge nor did my body push on it's own (neither ever happened). But I was in major pain from the contractions so I decided pushing was a good idea even if I didn't want to do it. This was about 8:15. I pushed a bit sitting up. That hurt, but I felt my water break. There was a little bit of meconium in the water so I just wanted to get the baby out as fast as I could knowing that (turned out the meconium in the water was very minimal). I tried pushing on my hands and knees. I think that was productive, but the pain was unbearable and the contractions just came one on top of another in that position so I couldn't handle it. I was sure I was being torn and ripped apart from the inside. So then my midwife suggested laying on my side. My husband held my leg up and I pushed for all I was worth. It was uncomfortable but by far the most comfortable of the three positions I tried. I felt the "ring of fire" this time (didn't with Mr. Man, had an epidural with Miss A). And suddenly his head popped out. And then his whole body. They handed him to me and after a few moments he started screaming and pinked up (apgars were 8/10). I pushed for 20 minutes and he was born at 8:34 am July 11th, 10 days past his due date. I looked between his legs and was shocked to see he was a boy! I had been so sure he was a girl, but am so thrilled to have another little boy.
Near the beginning of the time I started pushing I vaguely remember Mr. Man leaving the room. Apparently around the time he started crowning Miss A did, too. They went out on the balcony and my mom followed them. Both kids were so perfect throughout the labor. Anything I asked them to do they did immediately. When watching the baby getting born became too much for him they just left silently. At some point after the baby was born the blood got to be too much for my husband and so he had my aunt take my leg and he left the room for a bit. I never noticed that changeoff. I was too occupied with little the baby. My dad, right after the baby was born, went out to the balcony to let them know we had a boy. My kids were so excited. Mr. Man really wanted a baby brother. Miss A's just happy to have a baby to hold. Mr. Man keeps asking when Fritz can play and walk with him holding hands and things.
Over the hour after he was born Miss A put on his first diaper, I cut his cord, he nursed, and the midwife checked him over. He was 7 pounds 13 ounces (over a pound bigger than Miss A was and almost 1 1/2 pounds bigger than Mr. Man was) and 20" long (1/2" longer than Miss A, 1/2" shorter than Mr. Man) with a 14 1/2" head (same size as Mr. Man's, 1/4" smaller than Miss A's). He loves to suck and was even born with a bruise on the back of his hand like his big sister was from all the sucking he did in utero. His latch needs a little work, but he is getting it. I did not hemorrhage this time and everything went quite well afterwards. Even though I could've sworn I ripped open while he was on his way out I did not tear and was left with only a "skid mark" and needed no stitches this time. He had his first visitors (other than those there for the birth) when two of my friends came by around 10:30. My midwife and her assistant left after about three hours.
Miss A woke up at 2 and was a little chatterbox. She was so excited that the baby was finally coming. Around the time my parents and aunt arrived the contractions got stronger and I started my labor song. It really helped to "sing" to the contractions. About 4 my husband called the midwife and said we needed her to come. I was still "singing" when she and her assistant arrived. Mr. Man woke up about 5. He cuddled right up with my aunt.
By around 7 I was quite cranky. It was hard to pee because the head was so low. No matter what position I tried it still hurt badly. I was having mostly back labor which is awful, but then every once in a while I'd have a completely front contraction and that was awful because I was used to the back ones. At one point during the middle of a contraction I yelled at everyone in the room at the time to help me (that was at least my husband, the midwife, and the assistant, and I think my mom, too). Of course they all just sat there and so I very sarcastically said (still in the middle of the contraction) I see you all just jumping up to help. I was mostly fine between contractions but during them I wasn't happy at all.
I got in the shower about 7:30 and that helped a lot but standing up really cranked up the contractions so by the time I got out I was having them pretty frequently and they were hurting both in the front and back at the same time. Then I started having awful vaginal pain as well as the rectal pain I had had already. And then I threw up. I believe that is when my cervix must have finished dilating. I don't know for sure because I had no dilation checks during pregnancy/labor. In three labors I have never been told I am complete since all three have been in the birth canal before we noticed. I said it felt like the baby was starting to come into my vagina and so my midwife told me to check. I did and I was confused because I could feel the head but it seemed like something was in front of it (turned out he had a seriously molded head and it was his head all squished up).
At this point I realized that the contractions had just changed. They were shorter and farther apart but hurt more. I did not feel like pushing. I had absolutely no urge nor did my body push on it's own (neither ever happened). But I was in major pain from the contractions so I decided pushing was a good idea even if I didn't want to do it. This was about 8:15. I pushed a bit sitting up. That hurt, but I felt my water break. There was a little bit of meconium in the water so I just wanted to get the baby out as fast as I could knowing that (turned out the meconium in the water was very minimal). I tried pushing on my hands and knees. I think that was productive, but the pain was unbearable and the contractions just came one on top of another in that position so I couldn't handle it. I was sure I was being torn and ripped apart from the inside. So then my midwife suggested laying on my side. My husband held my leg up and I pushed for all I was worth. It was uncomfortable but by far the most comfortable of the three positions I tried. I felt the "ring of fire" this time (didn't with Mr. Man, had an epidural with Miss A). And suddenly his head popped out. And then his whole body. They handed him to me and after a few moments he started screaming and pinked up (apgars were 8/10). I pushed for 20 minutes and he was born at 8:34 am July 11th, 10 days past his due date. I looked between his legs and was shocked to see he was a boy! I had been so sure he was a girl, but am so thrilled to have another little boy.
Near the beginning of the time I started pushing I vaguely remember Mr. Man leaving the room. Apparently around the time he started crowning Miss A did, too. They went out on the balcony and my mom followed them. Both kids were so perfect throughout the labor. Anything I asked them to do they did immediately. When watching the baby getting born became too much for him they just left silently. At some point after the baby was born the blood got to be too much for my husband and so he had my aunt take my leg and he left the room for a bit. I never noticed that changeoff. I was too occupied with little the baby. My dad, right after the baby was born, went out to the balcony to let them know we had a boy. My kids were so excited. Mr. Man really wanted a baby brother. Miss A's just happy to have a baby to hold. Mr. Man keeps asking when Fritz can play and walk with him holding hands and things.
Over the hour after he was born Miss A put on his first diaper, I cut his cord, he nursed, and the midwife checked him over. He was 7 pounds 13 ounces (over a pound bigger than Miss A was and almost 1 1/2 pounds bigger than Mr. Man was) and 20" long (1/2" longer than Miss A, 1/2" shorter than Mr. Man) with a 14 1/2" head (same size as Mr. Man's, 1/4" smaller than Miss A's). He loves to suck and was even born with a bruise on the back of his hand like his big sister was from all the sucking he did in utero. His latch needs a little work, but he is getting it. I did not hemorrhage this time and everything went quite well afterwards. Even though I could've sworn I ripped open while he was on his way out I did not tear and was left with only a "skid mark" and needed no stitches this time. He had his first visitors (other than those there for the birth) when two of my friends came by around 10:30. My midwife and her assistant left after about three hours.
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thanks for sharing your story!
