jivemama
11-01-2002, 07:27 AM
Ok, here is my birth story..
As most of you know I was 10 days late and willing to try *anything* to get this labor going. Our midwife, Lucille, was friends with an acupuncturist that worked at the birthing center and we scheduled an appt with her for 4:00. Around 2, I started having contractions. I called her and said we were still going to keep the appt (in case it was false labor, which I had had several times), but would keep her posted. We live one hour from the birthing center and on the drive up there, the contractions started coming 3 min apart, like clockwork. Getting pretty painful too. Brian drove like a mad man and we made it there early. Lucille checked me and I was 4 cm and 90% effaced. We cancelled the acupuncture appt, as it was not necessary at this point. Finally!
We were not allowed to labor at the birthing center if we were under 5 cm so our midwife suggested a drive or to go to Walmart. It was 4:15 and she said to page her at 5 and maybe we could go to her house with her to hang out until I could go to the birthing center. Well, there was NO WAY I was going shopping, these contrax were getting progressively more painful. So we decided to go for a drive to a beach access and walked over to look at the ocean, to kill time until 5:00. By the time we got over the dune walk to the beach, I had to stop. They were getting more intense. We turned around and drove back to the birthing center. It was 4:45pm. I told her I thought it was getting close. She let us stay and get cozy in our room. She started to fill the Jacuzzi and suggested I take a shower until the tub filled up. I did and the running warm water did help a bit, but the contractions were getting harder and more frequent. Brian came in the bathroom and told me the tub was ready. I got in and immediately began to get pounded by very intense contractions. At this point, I was in a different place..I vaguely remember people talking to me, asking me questions. It was so hot and I was so thirsty. Brian kept putting cold washcloths on my forhead. They kept an eye on the babys heart rate with an underwater Doppler. I looked up and saw the other midwife in the practice that we did not really see to often, Carin. We didn’t form the bond with her that we did with Lucille. Carin brought in a midwife in training attending her first birth. And Lucille had her helper, who we really liked too (forgot her name!). So all together there were the four women, Brian and I. My mom and dad were en route with Casey and Indica. Mom and Indica wanted to be there for the birth while Case and dad were to hang behind in the ‘family’ room.
The minute I looked up and saw Carin, I felt an unbelievable urge to push. I had only been in the tub for 20 minutes!! She told me to stand up so she could check me. As soon as I started to stand I was hit with an unbelievably intense contraction. I was in transition! There was no way I could stand. Lucille ran over and told me to lean back and she checked my cervix in the water. I was already 9 cm dilated! None of them expected this to go so fast, so they were all running around getting things ready, while Brian stayed with me, keeping me focused. He was my rock at this point. Lucille asked me if I wanted to give birth in the water. I nodded. Carin wanted me to go to the bed because they have never had a water birth at this clinic and she was nervous about doing it. Thankfully, Lucille pulled her aside and told her that this was going to be a water birth and for her to stop saying what we couldn’t do. At this point I was feeling ready to give up. I do remember telling Brian that I can’t do this. He kept me from giving up on my body. The contractions were coming one right after another, like huge intense waves of pain and pressure moving downward. With each one, I could feel the baby moving downward. I could actually feel my body working, laboring, other than just the painful aspect of it. They were telling me not to push, all of them. She was just coming too fast! I tried with every fiber in my being not to push, and it was the hardest thing I have ever had to do. Lucille told me if I pushed right now I would tear. So I breathed through about 2 or 3 more contractions before I could finally push. When it came time to push, Brian jumped into the water with me, fully clothed. He got behind me and I leaned against him while I pushed. What seemed like hours was only a matter of minutes. As soon as I started to push, my water broke. This was a strange feeling! Even though I was in the water, I felt it. No meconium. We kept pushing and we heard them say that the baby had a head full of dark hair. This kept me focused on the job at hand and not the pain. I pushed more for maybe 4 or 5 (I think ) minutes before I felt the baby’s head come out. Soon after came the body and they pulled the baby up and put her on my belly. What a rush! It was over! We did it! It was 6:20pm. Labor was only 4 hours and 20 minutes long.
Brian and I were so transfixed on this little pink squirming body on my chest that we didn’t even look to see if we had a son or a daughter. After a minute we did and lo and behold, here was our little Abigail River. We kept her body under the warm water. She began to cry and I wanted to nurse her but couldn’t in the water. So Brian cut the cord and they took her away to swaddle her in towels fresh out of the dryer. Right then, mom and the gang arrive. Only a few minutes late! Lucille and Carin helped me out of the tub to the bed where I delivered the placenta. They inspected me and told me I had a small tear and would need a stitch. Everyone was passing Abigail around, kids were checking her out, running in and out of the room and there I lay, spread eagle getting stitches. Lol
What was supposed to be one stitch turned into 4. The shot of numbing meds they gave me did not work. I felt each needle poke and pull. Abigail was crying and I wanted to just hold her so bad, but I had to wait until they were done stitching me up. Finally, I was handed my baby and I tried to nurse her. She latched on right away.
Mom, Dad and the kids stayed for a bit, took pictures and checked her out and then a bit after, they left (they were going to keep them for the night for us, thank goodness). We just hung out in the bed for the next few hours. Lucille brought me some grapes, drinks, homemade bread and yogurt. At this birthing center, you can go home 4 hours after the baby is born so we had to hang around until 10:30pm. We took lots of pictures of us with Abigail and the midwives. Lucille dipped Abigail’s feet in pink paint and put her foot prints above the tub. Above it she wrote her name, weight, date and “First Waterbirth at Center” with waves under it. They do feet prints for all babies born there. I found it neat to walk around the room and check them all out.
Finally we could go home . It took us an hour. We have only had maybe an hours sleep since then. Total. Ahh, life with a newborn! The kids are very excited about her. She is very alert and aware of her surroundings. Now if we could only get some rest and routine back in our lives…!
As most of you know I was 10 days late and willing to try *anything* to get this labor going. Our midwife, Lucille, was friends with an acupuncturist that worked at the birthing center and we scheduled an appt with her for 4:00. Around 2, I started having contractions. I called her and said we were still going to keep the appt (in case it was false labor, which I had had several times), but would keep her posted. We live one hour from the birthing center and on the drive up there, the contractions started coming 3 min apart, like clockwork. Getting pretty painful too. Brian drove like a mad man and we made it there early. Lucille checked me and I was 4 cm and 90% effaced. We cancelled the acupuncture appt, as it was not necessary at this point. Finally!
We were not allowed to labor at the birthing center if we were under 5 cm so our midwife suggested a drive or to go to Walmart. It was 4:15 and she said to page her at 5 and maybe we could go to her house with her to hang out until I could go to the birthing center. Well, there was NO WAY I was going shopping, these contrax were getting progressively more painful. So we decided to go for a drive to a beach access and walked over to look at the ocean, to kill time until 5:00. By the time we got over the dune walk to the beach, I had to stop. They were getting more intense. We turned around and drove back to the birthing center. It was 4:45pm. I told her I thought it was getting close. She let us stay and get cozy in our room. She started to fill the Jacuzzi and suggested I take a shower until the tub filled up. I did and the running warm water did help a bit, but the contractions were getting harder and more frequent. Brian came in the bathroom and told me the tub was ready. I got in and immediately began to get pounded by very intense contractions. At this point, I was in a different place..I vaguely remember people talking to me, asking me questions. It was so hot and I was so thirsty. Brian kept putting cold washcloths on my forhead. They kept an eye on the babys heart rate with an underwater Doppler. I looked up and saw the other midwife in the practice that we did not really see to often, Carin. We didn’t form the bond with her that we did with Lucille. Carin brought in a midwife in training attending her first birth. And Lucille had her helper, who we really liked too (forgot her name!). So all together there were the four women, Brian and I. My mom and dad were en route with Casey and Indica. Mom and Indica wanted to be there for the birth while Case and dad were to hang behind in the ‘family’ room.
The minute I looked up and saw Carin, I felt an unbelievable urge to push. I had only been in the tub for 20 minutes!! She told me to stand up so she could check me. As soon as I started to stand I was hit with an unbelievably intense contraction. I was in transition! There was no way I could stand. Lucille ran over and told me to lean back and she checked my cervix in the water. I was already 9 cm dilated! None of them expected this to go so fast, so they were all running around getting things ready, while Brian stayed with me, keeping me focused. He was my rock at this point. Lucille asked me if I wanted to give birth in the water. I nodded. Carin wanted me to go to the bed because they have never had a water birth at this clinic and she was nervous about doing it. Thankfully, Lucille pulled her aside and told her that this was going to be a water birth and for her to stop saying what we couldn’t do. At this point I was feeling ready to give up. I do remember telling Brian that I can’t do this. He kept me from giving up on my body. The contractions were coming one right after another, like huge intense waves of pain and pressure moving downward. With each one, I could feel the baby moving downward. I could actually feel my body working, laboring, other than just the painful aspect of it. They were telling me not to push, all of them. She was just coming too fast! I tried with every fiber in my being not to push, and it was the hardest thing I have ever had to do. Lucille told me if I pushed right now I would tear. So I breathed through about 2 or 3 more contractions before I could finally push. When it came time to push, Brian jumped into the water with me, fully clothed. He got behind me and I leaned against him while I pushed. What seemed like hours was only a matter of minutes. As soon as I started to push, my water broke. This was a strange feeling! Even though I was in the water, I felt it. No meconium. We kept pushing and we heard them say that the baby had a head full of dark hair. This kept me focused on the job at hand and not the pain. I pushed more for maybe 4 or 5 (I think ) minutes before I felt the baby’s head come out. Soon after came the body and they pulled the baby up and put her on my belly. What a rush! It was over! We did it! It was 6:20pm. Labor was only 4 hours and 20 minutes long.
Brian and I were so transfixed on this little pink squirming body on my chest that we didn’t even look to see if we had a son or a daughter. After a minute we did and lo and behold, here was our little Abigail River. We kept her body under the warm water. She began to cry and I wanted to nurse her but couldn’t in the water. So Brian cut the cord and they took her away to swaddle her in towels fresh out of the dryer. Right then, mom and the gang arrive. Only a few minutes late! Lucille and Carin helped me out of the tub to the bed where I delivered the placenta. They inspected me and told me I had a small tear and would need a stitch. Everyone was passing Abigail around, kids were checking her out, running in and out of the room and there I lay, spread eagle getting stitches. Lol
What was supposed to be one stitch turned into 4. The shot of numbing meds they gave me did not work. I felt each needle poke and pull. Abigail was crying and I wanted to just hold her so bad, but I had to wait until they were done stitching me up. Finally, I was handed my baby and I tried to nurse her. She latched on right away.
Mom, Dad and the kids stayed for a bit, took pictures and checked her out and then a bit after, they left (they were going to keep them for the night for us, thank goodness). We just hung out in the bed for the next few hours. Lucille brought me some grapes, drinks, homemade bread and yogurt. At this birthing center, you can go home 4 hours after the baby is born so we had to hang around until 10:30pm. We took lots of pictures of us with Abigail and the midwives. Lucille dipped Abigail’s feet in pink paint and put her foot prints above the tub. Above it she wrote her name, weight, date and “First Waterbirth at Center” with waves under it. They do feet prints for all babies born there. I found it neat to walk around the room and check them all out.
Finally we could go home . It took us an hour. We have only had maybe an hours sleep since then. Total. Ahh, life with a newborn! The kids are very excited about her. She is very alert and aware of her surroundings. Now if we could only get some rest and routine back in our lives…!