updated birth story:
picture:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8526548@N07/?saved=1 (i was going to take my 40 week belly picture on Wed, the 17th)
Sabine Ruths birth story
Monday October 15 I woke up and we discovered Ryan had a flat tire. I ended up driving him to work and Jayden to school. We were instant messaging at 9:00am and he told me to jump up and down to put myself in labor. I think with all our recent car problems and him being sick, he was tired of going to work. Oh yes, and he wanted to meet our newest family member 9:30am I have some sort of gush and lose some plug, then the short easy contractions start. He asked if he could come home and I told him no because it’s not real labor and I have things to do today.
I keep having short contractions every 4-20 minutes all morning and afternoon long. I had to pick up Jayden from school and I had a few in the van. I thought this was why I was having a home birth, so I wouldn’t have to labor in the car At 2:00pm I went to the chiropractor to get adjusted. She said she could do some stuff to kick start but I told her I had an appointment for a massage at 5:30pm and I really wanted to do that. She did say she didn’t have anything going on that night, so I could have the baby and she could help.
4:00pm I go get Ryan from work and are still having them. They are more consistent, like 10 minutes apart lasting a minute. Still totally bearable and all in the front.
5:00 I called my mom to warn her I thought I was in labor and I also called the midwife just to give her a heads up that I had been contracting all day.
Ryan came home and took his car to get the tire fixed, came home and I left for my massage. The massage was wonderful. It was nice to have a little me time.
I get out to my van at 8:00pm and because I told the massage therapist I had a bunch of contractions in the shower, she followed me home. I had 8 missed calls from Ryan. He thought I was going to be done at 7:00 and was worried I was dead. I then had a missed call from my mom and the midwife called because the massage therapist called her. Seriously, everyone around me was freaking out more than I was! So the massage therapist followed me home. She wanted to keep me at her office but that doesn’t make sense when I’m going to have her at home!
I get home, Ryan got the kids ready for bed and I brush their teeth. I had to tell them they had 5 minutes to get in there before I had another contraction. I was getting pretty frustrated with them during them because they’re kids and was making noises. We got them in bed and the midwife called at 9:00pm to see how things were. They were coming every 4 minutes and lasting a minute 10 seconds. She said she was going to come over even though I told her I was still laughing between contractions and I think I’m fine. Obviously I forget that’s just how I labor.
So around this time is when she decides to flip posterior and I start having really bad back labor. I started doing hands and knees while the midwife and Ryan tried to turn her, no luck. They made me do lunges and my knees were killing me, no luck. I did stairs 2 at a time, still no luck. I sat on the birth stool and started getting a bit more serious with each contraction. Everything around me was driving me crazy! I then went to hands and knees with my top half on the birth ball. The doula, midwife and Ryan were doing counter pressure. It was 11:30 and my midwife called the chiropractor so she could come and do some adjustments to help out my poor back.
I asked Ryan to give me a blessing because I knew I was losing it. After I had this thought “Get in the tub!” I got up, went to the bathroom and told the midwife I was going to get in the tub. She suggested I try standing up and I said no, I’m getting in the tub!
I had a few contractions in the tub and about midnight the chiropractor got here. She did a few adjustments and maybe 15 minutes later I had a contraction when I felt like I needed to push, so I did. It took everyone around me doing this through 2 contractions to figure out that’s what I was doing. So the midwife asked if I was pushing and what I was feeling. I was still having major back labor and every time they had to push on my back.
I started freaking out and she told me to do short fast breaths when I started feeling her crowning. It hurt in the front and she told me to push on that area. I did and I felt her coming out. I remember saying “I don’t feel any hair” So I pushed again and this thing came bulging out. It wasn’t her head; it was the bag of waters. I pinch it and it broke. I really wanted to feel her head and that water was just in the way! Sure enough, she had hair.
I kept doing the quick short breaths and she came barreling out at 12:45am! Ryan said one minute I was pushing and the next there’s a baby! I turned around because I was on my knees hanging over the edge of the birth tub and saw my beautiful little girl! She was so tiny and I knew it because I’d had a 9lb and 8lb baby before. I said she would be less than 8lbs and sure enough she was 7lbs even!
She was a little purple and the chiropractor knew just what to do. She came around to my back and checked out her neck and behind her ear. She did a few adjustments and she pinked right up and was opening her mouth ready to try nursing.
I delivered the placenta and got out of the tub and into the bed. She nursed some more. Ryan cut the cord so we didn’t have to carry the placenta around with her anymore. The chiropractor adjusted me while she got measured and weighed. Sabine wasn’t very happy while they were doing all their things but she passed with flying colors! They got her dressed and she promptly fell asleep. I took her back and everyone headed home while the midwife and doula cleaned everything up. Ryan, Sabine and I went to sleep.
Amazingly the boys slept through the whole thing! They woke up in the morning before my dad took them to school and said hello to their new baby. Connor was trying to pry her eye’s open so she would wake up.
She’s a very happy baby and I was so glad I could do it in my own room and in water. It was such a better experience than my past two.
We figure I was holding off until I got all the day to day stuff done and then got down to the hard work!
So her final stats are 7lbs 0oz, 19 inches long, head circumference is 13inches. Born at home in the birth tub at 12:45am on October 16, 2007.
Sabine
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