I have a version that I will post as well, but my sister wrote a version with pictures that I love and wanted to share. It's acurate and brings up so much emotion for me. I hope you all will enjoy.
The Birth Story according to my big Sis
My Version:
I'm not a clock watcher so times might be a bit scewed. I think it was around 5 am on Friday morning Jan 25th, I slept for a good 4 hours straight that night. I woke up laying on my side feeling extreme low pain. I knew this pain from my previous labors and knew that this was labor. But to my surprise as I waited for the next waive to come, it didn't. Well it took atleast 10 min. So I started thinking maybe I was wrong. As I doula, I know that no labor is ever really predictable or textbook but still. 10 min apart was discouraging. I decided to stay in bed and just close my eyes and try to get a little more sleep. I laid there for only 2 or 3 more contractions. Although they seemed to be spaced far apart they were so intense when they would come so I got up, went to the potty and called my husband (who had already left for work) I just told him that I was having hard contractions but they were still 10 to 15 min apart so he could take his time and even make his first delivery if he wanted. I decided to hop in the shower. Water is very relaxing to me. I figured the contrax would stop completely is it wasn't the real thing. The contrax continued in the water and came more freaquently but didn't hurt the same. But when I turned the water off it was very painful again. I thought about staying the shower for just a second then remembered I wasn't having a home birth this time and my last labor was only 4 hours start to finish. So I got out and got dressed and called my sister who lives less than 1 min from my house. I think it was about 6:30 by then. I told her contrax were 10 min apart but intense and strong and she should get ready to come over. I got some juice to drink and dryed my hair and even applied some makeup. Hey a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do, right!
I found myself swaying and leaning against the wall and decided I should call my DH again to let him know I wanted him to come home a little quicker. With the next contraction I went to the floor on my knees and called my sister back and told her to come now! I don't know what I would have done if the contractions had come faster than the 10 min apart. I called my doula and friend and my sister called my mom. I called my DH again, I was alone and was loosing it emotionally, I asked were the H*** he was and to come home NOW! I woke my kids and started getting them fed. I laid out thier clothes for the day and my sister and mom arrived and helped. Meanwhile I retreated to my room to finish packing my last min. items. I called my Midwife and told her that I was on my way. We waited for my DH and my doula to arrive. We got in the van and left for the midwife a little after 8am but my sister, who was driving said my van was on empty. So we went by Racetrack for gas and everyone got out for coffee, I got out to pee and had to walk in waddling through a contraction. I did wonder if we would make it. People in the gas station were freaked out, but I just ignored them and my doula accomanied me. I was loosing mucous and blood with every contraction. We finally made it back to the van and traffic wasn't too bad, dispite it being at the tail end of rush hour and it was raining outside. Some parts of the metroplex had ice but we had no problems.
We got to Baylor Hospital in Dallas around 9:20 I think. My doula walked me in and everyone else in my support group parked cars and started gathering all my bags. I checked in and my midwife met me in the hall. She listened to the babys heart beat for a little bit then asked if I wanted to be checked. I was 6cm 90% effaced and the big bugger was that Elijah had moved up instead of down. She said -3 station. What the heck. So the pressure I was feeling was my bag of water. Contractions slowed even more but didn't loosed thier intensity. My midwife reminded me why I had choses hospital vs. home this time because i had been on reg. doses of heprin for clotting issues so I accepted a heplock. I made more noise during that then any of the labor or birth
We talked about him being so high and needing his head to come down. I asked her about breaking my water and she said she could poke sever small holes so no gush and his head could come down gradually.
At 10:17 she did the small holes I laid flat for about 10 min to watch his heart rate then I got up and walked. We stayed gone for 30 min. My doula/friend and my husband supported me when the contractions came. I would feel little bits of fluid durring every surge but no huge gushes. The intensity stayed the same and contractions stayed about 10 -15 min with an occational 5 min one. I had a great nurse who noticed all the people supporting me and offered to get me a bigger room. She got us the biggest room on the birthing floor. Plenty of room for my birth pool and my kids and support team. Nurse Nikki came in every 30 min and just listened to the babe with a doppler wherever I was. My midwife poked her head in and said she was going to lay down if it was ok (She had not left the hospital since the previous Saturday and had had continuous births by herself) I had plenty of support so I was happy for her to get some much needed rest. I moved around the room, walking, talking, and laughing sometimes, using the potty, bouncing on the ball, leaning over the ball. Around 12:40 I got up to use the bathroom and picked up my cell phone and called my other birth doula who was unable to come because of the icy roads and she had been to two birth that Thursday evening. This is were things changed for me I think. She is so soothing. She listened to me during the contractions and told me instead of thinking about the amount of time that was in between each contraction to focus on relaxtion during the ones I did have. She suggested some hands and knees over the birth ball on the bed. I handed the phone to my friend and acting doula and she listened to Kathy's information. It seemed like the contractions started lasting longer now.
My dad showed up a liittle after 1pm. The kids were happy to see Grandad. He prayed with me, then in his true form started cracking jokes. The laughter brought on more contractions. My sister noted that around 2pm the contractions started coming faster, and longer. I stood up to go to the bathroom again and had a huge gush of water. Everyone thought I had peed my pants wich made me laugh and more huge gushes till I was completely soaked and the floor was a huge mess. The nurse got me a pair of scrubbs. I proptly soaked through those too and she graciously again got me another pair of pants. I was still walking in the room and didn't want everything just bare, KWIM By this point my husband was working hard to fill up the pool. And my niece and nephew and dad and my oldest daughter Breaunna were all helping with big buckets. I made it back to the bed and did hands and knees over the ball. I would say transition hit somewhere around 2:30. I cried and asked for James, he was right there beside me. My sister suggested that I get in the tub. That was at 2:38. I got in and nurse Nikki came in and listened to the heart beat with a doppler. I remember a contraction durring that time and I wanted to scream but didn't want to scare the nurse. So I talked to myself in my head and said to become a part of the water. You can see just how relaxed i was able to become in the water, by looking at a picture in my sister birth story (link above). My family had already gone out and asked for my midwife lynsey. Nikki left to get a drink of water and lynsey stepped in. Another contraction came and I suddenly felt that amazing fullness of his head. I shouted at my midwife "He's comming" No sooner had she turned to put on some gloves, his head was out. I felt a bit of shock. I reached down and started rubbing his head. Lynsey asked me to pull my legs back to help free the shoulders. He was fully born in to my hubby's hands at 2:43 just 5 min. after getting in the pool. I didn't even look to see if he was infact a boy. I started rubbing him and telling him to cry. I must have help him for several min. before we noticed his cord had slipped around his neck and was so short he was turning blue. Things had happened so quickly that there were no nurses in the room, so my midwife asked my sister to push the code button. Nikki came in and handed her a clamp and the MW cut the cord and began to breath for Elijah. Just a few puffs and he began to cry. They did take him over to the warmer and gave him some blow by oxygen and checked him out. I got out of the pool and leaned up against it to deliver the placenta. My daughter and my niece (both age 5) watched as I pushed out the placenta. They were in awe. My midwife explained how that was Elijahs home and now he didn't need it anymore. Lynsey check me and said no tears. I got a new dry shirt on and got into the bed and Elijah was placed in my arms. he was so alert and already rooting. He latched on and nursed the next 4 hours. The afterbirth pains were worse than actual labor and I asked for some Motrin. It took a little over a week for those to subside, but I was just so greatful for all the support from my family and friends. It was a great birth.
Elijah James Campbell
8lb 130z and 21 in.
born Jan 25th at 2:43pm
The Birth Story according to my big Sis
My Version:
I'm not a clock watcher so times might be a bit scewed. I think it was around 5 am on Friday morning Jan 25th, I slept for a good 4 hours straight that night. I woke up laying on my side feeling extreme low pain. I knew this pain from my previous labors and knew that this was labor. But to my surprise as I waited for the next waive to come, it didn't. Well it took atleast 10 min. So I started thinking maybe I was wrong. As I doula, I know that no labor is ever really predictable or textbook but still. 10 min apart was discouraging. I decided to stay in bed and just close my eyes and try to get a little more sleep. I laid there for only 2 or 3 more contractions. Although they seemed to be spaced far apart they were so intense when they would come so I got up, went to the potty and called my husband (who had already left for work) I just told him that I was having hard contractions but they were still 10 to 15 min apart so he could take his time and even make his first delivery if he wanted. I decided to hop in the shower. Water is very relaxing to me. I figured the contrax would stop completely is it wasn't the real thing. The contrax continued in the water and came more freaquently but didn't hurt the same. But when I turned the water off it was very painful again. I thought about staying the shower for just a second then remembered I wasn't having a home birth this time and my last labor was only 4 hours start to finish. So I got out and got dressed and called my sister who lives less than 1 min from my house. I think it was about 6:30 by then. I told her contrax were 10 min apart but intense and strong and she should get ready to come over. I got some juice to drink and dryed my hair and even applied some makeup. Hey a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do, right!
I found myself swaying and leaning against the wall and decided I should call my DH again to let him know I wanted him to come home a little quicker. With the next contraction I went to the floor on my knees and called my sister back and told her to come now! I don't know what I would have done if the contractions had come faster than the 10 min apart. I called my doula and friend and my sister called my mom. I called my DH again, I was alone and was loosing it emotionally, I asked were the H*** he was and to come home NOW! I woke my kids and started getting them fed. I laid out thier clothes for the day and my sister and mom arrived and helped. Meanwhile I retreated to my room to finish packing my last min. items. I called my Midwife and told her that I was on my way. We waited for my DH and my doula to arrive. We got in the van and left for the midwife a little after 8am but my sister, who was driving said my van was on empty. So we went by Racetrack for gas and everyone got out for coffee, I got out to pee and had to walk in waddling through a contraction. I did wonder if we would make it. People in the gas station were freaked out, but I just ignored them and my doula accomanied me. I was loosing mucous and blood with every contraction. We finally made it back to the van and traffic wasn't too bad, dispite it being at the tail end of rush hour and it was raining outside. Some parts of the metroplex had ice but we had no problems.We got to Baylor Hospital in Dallas around 9:20 I think. My doula walked me in and everyone else in my support group parked cars and started gathering all my bags. I checked in and my midwife met me in the hall. She listened to the babys heart beat for a little bit then asked if I wanted to be checked. I was 6cm 90% effaced and the big bugger was that Elijah had moved up instead of down. She said -3 station. What the heck. So the pressure I was feeling was my bag of water. Contractions slowed even more but didn't loosed thier intensity. My midwife reminded me why I had choses hospital vs. home this time because i had been on reg. doses of heprin for clotting issues so I accepted a heplock. I made more noise during that then any of the labor or birth
We talked about him being so high and needing his head to come down. I asked her about breaking my water and she said she could poke sever small holes so no gush and his head could come down gradually.At 10:17 she did the small holes I laid flat for about 10 min to watch his heart rate then I got up and walked. We stayed gone for 30 min. My doula/friend and my husband supported me when the contractions came. I would feel little bits of fluid durring every surge but no huge gushes. The intensity stayed the same and contractions stayed about 10 -15 min with an occational 5 min one. I had a great nurse who noticed all the people supporting me and offered to get me a bigger room. She got us the biggest room on the birthing floor. Plenty of room for my birth pool and my kids and support team. Nurse Nikki came in every 30 min and just listened to the babe with a doppler wherever I was. My midwife poked her head in and said she was going to lay down if it was ok (She had not left the hospital since the previous Saturday and had had continuous births by herself) I had plenty of support so I was happy for her to get some much needed rest. I moved around the room, walking, talking, and laughing sometimes, using the potty, bouncing on the ball, leaning over the ball. Around 12:40 I got up to use the bathroom and picked up my cell phone and called my other birth doula who was unable to come because of the icy roads and she had been to two birth that Thursday evening. This is were things changed for me I think. She is so soothing. She listened to me during the contractions and told me instead of thinking about the amount of time that was in between each contraction to focus on relaxtion during the ones I did have. She suggested some hands and knees over the birth ball on the bed. I handed the phone to my friend and acting doula and she listened to Kathy's information. It seemed like the contractions started lasting longer now.
My dad showed up a liittle after 1pm. The kids were happy to see Grandad. He prayed with me, then in his true form started cracking jokes. The laughter brought on more contractions. My sister noted that around 2pm the contractions started coming faster, and longer. I stood up to go to the bathroom again and had a huge gush of water. Everyone thought I had peed my pants wich made me laugh and more huge gushes till I was completely soaked and the floor was a huge mess. The nurse got me a pair of scrubbs. I proptly soaked through those too and she graciously again got me another pair of pants. I was still walking in the room and didn't want everything just bare, KWIM By this point my husband was working hard to fill up the pool. And my niece and nephew and dad and my oldest daughter Breaunna were all helping with big buckets. I made it back to the bed and did hands and knees over the ball. I would say transition hit somewhere around 2:30. I cried and asked for James, he was right there beside me. My sister suggested that I get in the tub. That was at 2:38. I got in and nurse Nikki came in and listened to the heart beat with a doppler. I remember a contraction durring that time and I wanted to scream but didn't want to scare the nurse. So I talked to myself in my head and said to become a part of the water. You can see just how relaxed i was able to become in the water, by looking at a picture in my sister birth story (link above). My family had already gone out and asked for my midwife lynsey. Nikki left to get a drink of water and lynsey stepped in. Another contraction came and I suddenly felt that amazing fullness of his head. I shouted at my midwife "He's comming" No sooner had she turned to put on some gloves, his head was out. I felt a bit of shock. I reached down and started rubbing his head. Lynsey asked me to pull my legs back to help free the shoulders. He was fully born in to my hubby's hands at 2:43 just 5 min. after getting in the pool. I didn't even look to see if he was infact a boy. I started rubbing him and telling him to cry. I must have help him for several min. before we noticed his cord had slipped around his neck and was so short he was turning blue. Things had happened so quickly that there were no nurses in the room, so my midwife asked my sister to push the code button. Nikki came in and handed her a clamp and the MW cut the cord and began to breath for Elijah. Just a few puffs and he began to cry. They did take him over to the warmer and gave him some blow by oxygen and checked him out. I got out of the pool and leaned up against it to deliver the placenta. My daughter and my niece (both age 5) watched as I pushed out the placenta. They were in awe. My midwife explained how that was Elijahs home and now he didn't need it anymore. Lynsey check me and said no tears. I got a new dry shirt on and got into the bed and Elijah was placed in my arms. he was so alert and already rooting. He latched on and nursed the next 4 hours. The afterbirth pains were worse than actual labor and I asked for some Motrin. It took a little over a week for those to subside, but I was just so greatful for all the support from my family and friends. It was a great birth.
Elijah James Campbell
8lb 130z and 21 in.
born Jan 25th at 2:43pm
