Date of Birth:10/26/2007 @ 12:30 a.m
Original Due Date October 31st, 2007
Height & Weight:20 inches, 7lbs, 2 oz
Autumn Jane's Birth Story
:All Natural
On Tuesday October 23rd I began having more regular contractions and losing my mucous plug. Wednesday my mucous turned to a bloody discharge and I knew we would be meeting our little Autumn very soon. Thursday the 25th, I woke up feeling energized despite getting little sleep the night before. My husband Bradley and I decided to go out and finish errands, get groceries, clean the house and prepare the birth tub. During the afternoon, my contractions were a consistent 8 minutes apart with 30 sec. duration. I came home and sat on my birthing ball for a couple of hours and timed my contractions. They quickly intensified, coming every 5-6 minutes with 1 min. duration. By 9pm, I was beginning to have to really breathe through them so I had Bradley call Lucy and Joy, my Midwife and her assistant. While waiting for them to arrive, I went into my bedroom and labored alone. I took a hot shower and tried out multiple labor positions during my 2-3 minute frequency contractions. I began to feel very shaky and nauseous and had to focus on my breathing and use positive mental imagery of what my cervix was doing through contractions, in order to remain focused. Lucy and Joy finally arrived at 10:45 pm. Lucy entered the room where I was squatting on the floor, my favorite labor position. I asked her if it was normal for me to be so shaky and nauseous this early on in labor and asked for an internal exam. To our surprise she checked and rechecked and told us that I was at 8 or 9 centimeters and well into transition. Bradley and I immediately got into the birth tub and I felt instantly rejuvenated. I went through the rest of transition in the tub, relaxing during contractions while Bradley performed phenomenal acupressure on my lumbar region. I remained in a squatting position during contractions and laid over the edge of the tub to rest between them. Bradley and I remained alone in the dimly lit birthing room until about 11:45 when I could feel Autumn descending my vaginal canal. Initially I tried to breath through the pushing contractions but found it more effective hold a full breath and use to help push. I paced my self with 4 or 5 shorter pushes during each contraction. After several pushing contractions, Bradley could feel the bag of waters bulging out of me. Lucy suggested that breaking the bag would shorten the labor so she snagged the sac and Autumn’s head was immediately delivered into Bradley’s hands. Because her head was delivered so quickly, I involuntarily stood up in pain. Bradley moved quickly to hold me up and with the next contraction Autumn’s body was delivered into Lucy’s arms. I was able to sit in the tub with Autumn on my chest and admire our beautiful daughter. With a strong rooting instinct, she latched on without hesitation.
We are both so in love with her and amazed at the beautiful person that we created. We are in absolute awe of every little noise and facial expression that she makes. This was truly the most life-altering experience for us and has given us a new perspective.
Original Due Date October 31st, 2007
Height & Weight:20 inches, 7lbs, 2 oz
Autumn Jane's Birth Story
:All NaturalOn Tuesday October 23rd I began having more regular contractions and losing my mucous plug. Wednesday my mucous turned to a bloody discharge and I knew we would be meeting our little Autumn very soon. Thursday the 25th, I woke up feeling energized despite getting little sleep the night before. My husband Bradley and I decided to go out and finish errands, get groceries, clean the house and prepare the birth tub. During the afternoon, my contractions were a consistent 8 minutes apart with 30 sec. duration. I came home and sat on my birthing ball for a couple of hours and timed my contractions. They quickly intensified, coming every 5-6 minutes with 1 min. duration. By 9pm, I was beginning to have to really breathe through them so I had Bradley call Lucy and Joy, my Midwife and her assistant. While waiting for them to arrive, I went into my bedroom and labored alone. I took a hot shower and tried out multiple labor positions during my 2-3 minute frequency contractions. I began to feel very shaky and nauseous and had to focus on my breathing and use positive mental imagery of what my cervix was doing through contractions, in order to remain focused. Lucy and Joy finally arrived at 10:45 pm. Lucy entered the room where I was squatting on the floor, my favorite labor position. I asked her if it was normal for me to be so shaky and nauseous this early on in labor and asked for an internal exam. To our surprise she checked and rechecked and told us that I was at 8 or 9 centimeters and well into transition. Bradley and I immediately got into the birth tub and I felt instantly rejuvenated. I went through the rest of transition in the tub, relaxing during contractions while Bradley performed phenomenal acupressure on my lumbar region. I remained in a squatting position during contractions and laid over the edge of the tub to rest between them. Bradley and I remained alone in the dimly lit birthing room until about 11:45 when I could feel Autumn descending my vaginal canal. Initially I tried to breath through the pushing contractions but found it more effective hold a full breath and use to help push. I paced my self with 4 or 5 shorter pushes during each contraction. After several pushing contractions, Bradley could feel the bag of waters bulging out of me. Lucy suggested that breaking the bag would shorten the labor so she snagged the sac and Autumn’s head was immediately delivered into Bradley’s hands. Because her head was delivered so quickly, I involuntarily stood up in pain. Bradley moved quickly to hold me up and with the next contraction Autumn’s body was delivered into Lucy’s arms. I was able to sit in the tub with Autumn on my chest and admire our beautiful daughter. With a strong rooting instinct, she latched on without hesitation.
We are both so in love with her and amazed at the beautiful person that we created. We are in absolute awe of every little noise and facial expression that she makes. This was truly the most life-altering experience for us and has given us a new perspective.
