Sorry its been nearly 2 weeks, im still around just have a babe that wants to nurse every 15 mins and be held every moment. Thank goodness I finally got my sling sewed. Kids also taking advantage of me being distracted or tied up nursing getting into everything! Baby is fine. He was a bit jaundiced for the first week but its all gone now. Had I been in the hospital Im sure they would have insisted I put him on formula or even do the light therapy but midwife assured he was fine and he was.
Here is my story....
Well, I had been having probs getting around since month 6 and thought I had something wrong with my pelvis like pubis symphasis dysfunction or something that maybe a chiropractor could fix so I finally scheduled an appointment when my midwife recomended a good one that would only charge me 35$ for an adjustment. So I made the appointment for the day before my due date but my youngest was so ill with a fever and clingy to me and I knew my hubby couldnt give her the kind of attention she needed as busy as he was so I called and delayed it until the next day (my original due date the 18th).
So, next day, Korban is all better and I am exited that I may get some releif from the pelvic pain. I get to the chiro and he is very nice and warns me that an adjustment could throw me into labor. I laughed it off and said it would be a blessing if it did I wasnt worried. He wasnt able to fix the problem as we found it was muscular but he did a few adjustments anyway. I didnt feel any different except I got an immediate headache. He said that adjustments stir up spinal fluid so thats why and it went away within a few minutes.
I had been having braxton hicks all day. Actually had been having them all week at a more intense rate than before. However, checking my cervix a few times through out the week revealed nothing had changed. Still not much effacement and about 2.5 dilated. Been that way since week 36 or so. Didnt think much about it since I hadnt had all the signs I had with my last pregnancy.
Last time I had started loosing plug and everything about a week before and had timeable contractions for nights before the real thing. Nothing this time until the night before and I actually had a few strings of mucus but assumed they were just from checking my cervix.
ANYWAY...coming home from the chiropractor I was quite disappointed having just spent 35$ and not getting anything out of it. As I turned on my street I had a sharp contraction. I came in, sat on the couch and joined in the conversation between my husband and my brother. We were talking and laughing etc and I noticed I was having tons of contractions. They were actually starting to hurt. I had to stop talking and would just stare off during one. They only lasted about 20 seconds but it was enough as strong as they were. Not 5 minutes later I had tears in my eyes and was laughing through one and my brother thought I was nuts and I had to tell him and hubby I was having contractions and they were pretty bad. (the crying and laughing was from a strage wave of emotions I was having out of no where, the hormones were obviously surging) Hubby asked if he should call midwife and I said no it wasnt labor, and reminded him how last time I had timeable contractions weeks before labor. I was definately in denial. I went to the bathroom and laughed it off but decided to check my cervix. I definately noticed some effacement. Not a lot but enough to notice. I still thought it must be my imagination but entertained the idea it was possible I was in labor. However after coming out of the bathroom I shut down my brothers idea it was real labor and told him it probably wasnt. All the while still having regular strong contractions that I have to pause through.
By this time only 20 to 30 mins had passed since I had been home and started contracting. I think Billy had some instinct that told him otherwise so he went upstairs and got the bed ready according to the midwifes instructions which we were supposed to have done weeks ago putting the mattress pad on and all that.
While he did this I needed to lay down so went into the other room upstairs which is my daughters. I finally asked for the phone myself to call the midwife. I just wanted to ask her what she thought. I couldnt get ahold of her or her partner as I lay there on my side. Within 2 minutes I knew it was the real deal. I had to breathe through them and they were definately painful. I started getting nervous that I couldnt get in touch with either midwife.
I told hubby to take over calling. He also couldnt get the student midwife. Thats 0 for 3. I got nervous. Finally got a call back and realized one of the midwives had been calling back but thanks to vonage, it was going straight to voicemail becase we were dailing out at the time. (this happens all the time here). She was 20 mins from home and on her way.
I was on the floor of the livingroom when she arrived leaning forward over the birthing ball. I had to breath deeply through them as I learned with the hypno birthing book. This helped. Pretty soon the pool was full enough and I got in. It felt nice...at first. The contractions slowed a good bit but picked right back up. At this point I felt on my fundus and noticed the baby had dropped. Oh, now ya get down so I can breath, lol.
It wasnt long before I got overheated and started to feel sick despite all the cool water they were adding. Baby's heartrate had gotten a tad high as well probably from the heat. At this point I said Im getting out now and went to the bathroom but from this point on it seems I had a huge contraction every time I sat on a toilet. My midwife followed me right in and talked me through it.
I then went upstairs. I laid on the bed on my side and tried to manage the very intense contractions all the while hushing my mom. It became a joke almost as my midwife tried to explain to everyone (my mother in law, sister in law, mom and husband) that some women need compelte silence to get through a contractions. I am one of those women. However though, my mother never got the message and during the middle of each contraction when I was trying to hard to use deep breathing or visualization to get me through it I could only hear my mom jabbering away. Pretty much every other contraction was spent moaning for my mom to hush. I was still in good enough spirits to joke to my midwife to find me the duct tape. She knew I was talking about for my moms mouth.
I knew it was taking a lot out of me when I hadnt even realized I had dozed in between contractions (which were only 2 mins apart at the least) until I was awakened by someone moaning. It was me of course but it took a few seconds to realize it. Oh why couldnt I have stayed asleep?
I soon realized this position wasnt working and told Cindy (midwife) I was thinking of getting on the floor and leaning over the ball again. However I had gas and was desperately trying to hold it in. Yes I still had a little modesty to me even though I was in a sports bra and nothing else with a towel draped over my hips. I was also afraid to get up because any change in movement brought on the most intense...oh who and I kidding..downright internal organs in a meat grinder kind of contractions.
I had been to the toilet 5 or so times by this point and was scared to go again. No lie, as bad as I needed to empty my bladder, the types of contractions I had on the toilet would have blown my mind had I had the capacity to think during them. So when cindy asked if I wanted to go to the bathroom again I admitted my fear of the toilet and she suggested what I had been thinking all along. That we put a chux pad down and sit on it and go. WHOO HOO! Who knew her giving me permission to "pee the bed" so to speak would have brought such relief. However I found it hard to preform with an audience but it soon came and I felt so much better, for about 10 seconds until the next contraction.
This is when things started happening. about 5 and a half hours had passed since I got home and had my first few contractions. I kept wondering what was taking so long as my last 2 labors were only 3 and 4 hours. I had no vag exams so no idea how far along besides listening to my body. I knew it was moving right along but prayed it wouldnt be long. I kept praying it would be before midnight as the 18th was my lucky number and I thought it cool to be one of those women who actually had their babies on their due dates.
Leaning over the ball worked for a bit as Cindy rolled a cold can of pepsi on my lower back for the bit of back labor I was having. counter pressure was working best though.
Soon I gave up on that as well and decided to sit on the ball and lean over the bed. However, as I went to sit on the ball it felt all wrong and I jumped back up as another contraction hit and instinctively threw my arms around my husbands neck and held on for dear life and yelled for him to support my weight and the midwife squeezed my hips together and this new position (standing) seemed to really help. It was still very painful but somehow less. It just felt right at the moment. I guess it was what my baby needed.
I heard the midwife tell someone "Thats just bloody show, thats a good thing" and I looked around to see what she was talking about. It was on the chux pad on the bed I had sat on a few minutes before. It was encouraging. As another wave hit I grabbed on to Billy again and rode it out clinging to him so tightly to hold my body up through the pain that I got some pain in my neck and shoulders from the strain. As the contraction passed I felt incredibly connected to my husband and amazed that the one person I thought would be of the least help ended up being my savior through out this. I continued to pray for a healthy baby and easy delivery. I was actually in constant prayer from the beginning now that I think back.
Now for the most embarrasing part of my journey. As if standing there in my bedroom in the low lights naked from the sprts bra down in front of my MIL and SIL (im usually a VERY modest person) I managed to make things even more interesting. Remember how I said I had gas and was trying to hold it in? Well...one of my contractions forced it out...while my midwife was on her knees behind me pressing in on my hips. So...pretty much her face right there...
It happened right in the middle of a contractions and all I could do was moan through it "Soooooorrryyyyyy" and as if it were completely normal she said not to hold anything in that would work against me. Im just glad I couldnt see my SIL and MIL's faces at that moment. I probably would have been dying laughing had I not been the one in pain.
During about the 5th standing contraction my water broke and gushed to the chux pad below. My midwife asked if I peed and I told her it was my water. The very next contractions brought on the pushing urge a bit. for about 15 to 20 mins I had been slightly bearing down with each contraction but not actually pushing. It just eased the pain a bit when I beared down a bit. It was just an instinct I guess.
Now though this sensation was familiar I knew what was coming. With the next contraction and bearing down I knew it was time for full blown pushing which I had been trying not to do up until this point because I didnt know how dilated I was. I knew now though I was complete.
I felt the baby getting into the birth canal and told everyone it was coming. I tried for about 5 seconds to push while standing since it had been so much better than any other position but it felt wrong and impossible to me so I plopped onto my bed flat on my back and started pushing.
I dont remember much besides my other midwife Lynda kept telling me to open my legs, I guess I kept drawing them together and the incredible pressure and buring as the baby stretched things down below. Just as I thought I couldnt stretch any farther...I did. 2 pushes and the head was out, no cord around neck. Then a popping feeling as the first shoulder slipped from under the pubic bone. I knew the sweet relief that was coming next. It was never long from the moment the shoulder freed up until the entire body slid out and the rush of fluid and the sudden absence of pain and endorphine rush as it came to an end.
However, she stopped baby from coming out midway about the chest area so that Billy could catch baby but the pause in my relief trigger me to order she "pull him out!"
He was placed right on my chest and not suctioned or anything and allowed to find his own way to the nipple and breastfeed and clear his own lungs as I delivered the placenta. I got to help her examine it.
My kids had been brought in just in time to see and my oldest son (6 years old) got to cut the cord one hour after birth. It was amazing. My sister in law cried. Who knows how my MIL took it, I was later told she just kept making comments all though my labor about how she was cutting her sons thing off to prevent this again. Thank GOD I was already at that point in my labor where I tune the rest of the world out and couldnt hear her. Who does that while the woman is sitting there in labor? Who talks about preventing future miracles instead of focusing on the one trying to make his way into the world. I just think its inappropraite. Everyone else agreed. Glad I didnt hear it though. I would have ordered her out of my room.
David Patrick was 9 lbs 4 oz and 22 inches long born at 11:59 pm. So I was 1 minute away but still managed to have him on the 18th...my due date. It was a great, but intense birth experience and in all was about 6 hours from first contraction to delivery. I dont regret a thing.
