Birth Story
This story started the Tuesday before.... I was trying to induce labor by eating curry. Well, all I got was the worst case of heartburn ever, so much that I woke in the night coughing because I had aspirated some. So for the next few days, I was coughing, so much, that I pulled the ribs on my left side. So Saturday, I was in so much pain I couldn't move my whole side, then the contractions started. They were not bad, just every 8-10minutes, all day. By the night time, I called Joni and she said, put your feet up and see what happens after Anna goes to bed. I was a little skeptical but she was right, they went away. But I did have some bloody show.
Sunday morning at 4am my side was KILLING me. So I got up, did the dishes, dusted the downstairs, crying, tired, then DH woke up and gave me some tylenol and sent me downstairs (our half finished basement) to get some rest. Then the contractions started again. This time they were the labor cx that I had last time. So when DD1 woke up we called our friend to come over to help watch DD1. The cx kept going most of the day 8-10min apart, slowing down when I slept. Which was interesting because I couldn't keep my eyes open all day. I slept almost the entire day away. DiD a couple of walks with DH and at the end of the day, My friend did some cranial sacral therapy on my ribs and hip.
Well, that stopped everything. LOL So my friend went home and we went out for dinner. While at Red Robin, the contractions started again, more painful.... STILL 8-10min apart. That night talked to our doula, discussed what was happening and thought maybe this is all BH from the dang UTI I can't get rid of. I was so upset, disappointed and fustrated. I went to bed but woke up at 1230 with really bad contractions, still 8-10min apart. Called midwife, she said to try a shower and get some sleep. So I went, took a shower, cx were really bad, I am crying, not understanding what is going on, watched some tv and came to the realization that I just couldnt' do this any longer, either midwife needed to come or I was headed to the hospital.
So DH called midwife and she agreed to come over. I was lying in bed, cx when DH said, you know, these aren't 8-10min, they are more like 4-6min. So we called the doula, too.
By the time our midwife came I was 4+ dialated and in active labor. I was so happy but yet couldn't really care at the same time. LOL This is when I feel like I became 2 different people. The rational person went deep into my brain and the other one was dealing with the pain of contractions. For the next 5 hours, I did what I wanted to do, went where I wanted to go, in the shower, lying in bed, walking around. We called our friend again and she came over about a half hour after DD1 woke up. We then moved into the bedroom.
At 8am, did another check, I was 8cm but the baby was really high. The contractions were really intense. But because the baby so high, I couldn't lie down. In fact, the doula encouraged me to do lundges and the stairs, two by two. UGh. By 10am, I begged them to break my water, they couldn't do it earlier because the baby was so high, so as she was checking my cervix, the bag broke spontaneously, baby was STILL high, and I was 9 3/4th dialated.
At this point, I don't remember much. I remember the midwife saying things "might" get worse....yeah. Like I said, I don't remember much, it was soooooo intense. I remember thinking....is that really me screaming? Luckily this only lasted 45min. to when I had to push. That lip on my cervix was still there, but the baby was down, so the midwife just pushed the lip over. That hurt. But then I had to push and push and push, wow did I have to push. And 7 minutes later, she was born. It was interesting, I didn't see anything, but had the image in my head that i was pushing out something the size of an apple....
They placed her on my chest and she was covered in vernix. She also had these looong fingers with very long fingernails. DH then checked and found out she was a girl. I think that was the ultimate highlight for him. To be able to do that.
Then I realized....she's NOT the size of an apple..... she was big, oh no, what kind of damage.... and then the midwife said, I had not torn at all. I was elated. And then I realized, we did it. We had a home birth, my body works, and no pain meds. We did it.
We spent the next couple of hours, holding her, talking, I took a shower, in my shower, and rested. The sun was warm in the room and it was quiet and very peaceful. It was wonderful.
DD1 had taken a nap just after the baby was born and when she woke up, came into our room and pointed to Sydney and said, "baby!" and "hi". It was so sweet. We then sat all together on the bed talking, hugging and holding each other.
Peaceful, serene, healing, and wonderful.
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