Thu-9-Mar-2006 - Samuel's birth story
Our baby was due March 1st, but we thought he would arrive earlier. By the time March arrived, I had jogged up and down numerous flights of stairs, walked miles, and moved a stack of bricks around our backyard. I had eaten 6 pineapples and taken a pint of flaxseed oil, which is nasty stuff to take by the spoonful, by the way!
I finally decided to relax. On March 8th, there was a large fire outside our city. I wanted to see it, so we drove from where the fire started and viewed much of the damage. (The fire had started when something metal fell off of a truck and hit the pavement and sparked.) That evening, I told Jay that I had a feeling we should get some rest. We were in bed by 8:30, which is early for us . . . .
. . . at 10:30 am I sat up with a bit of alarm. Something had woke me up! I went to the bathroom and turned on the light. There it was again. Hey, that was uncomfortable! Maybe I should time these, they seemed close together . . .
And my contractions were 5-7 minutes apart. I had never felt anything, not even a "practice" contraction, that was anything like this. By 10:45, I woke up Jay. His response: "Can you sleep through it and go back to sleep?" Nope, and neither was he!
At 11 pm, he called our midwife. While he was on the phone, my water broke. Our midwife, Kathy, sent over Bethany - the notes say as a labor coach, but her role was more as sofa sleeper and torturer. (I'll explain!)
Bethany arrived. I had to lay on my back, which was oh-my-word so painful! I was 3 cm. Um, I'm in labor now, I was 3 cm two days ago, not in labor! How discouraging. Bethany went to sleep on our sofa. I started screaming to cope with the pain. Finally, I suggested to Jay that we let Bethany sleep and go to the back bedroom. Evidentally, screaming like I was was normal enough to sleep through. I didn't feel normal, but I decided that her sleeping was a positive sign. And all I wanted was Jay. I needed to have his touch to get through each contraction.
In the bedroom, I sat on the edge of the bed and swayed back and forth. Finally I grabbed Jay's hands and swayed in a circle. It felt good. He told me he was going to wear out. I wasn't too worried about it! At one point, I took a shower. Ahhh, that felt nice. But I wanted to be clothed with Bethany there, so I got out and re-dressed.
Bethany wakes up and checks me again. All it does is (a) hurt to lay down (b) force me to move faster than I want to to a place I might not feel like being and (c) let me know I'm not progressing that fast. So I don't enjoy it. But this time, she says I'm at 6-7 cm and decides to call Kathy. 6-7? I have to get to 10? Not the most encouraging for 4 am in the morning after 5 hours of labor.
Less than half an hour later, things were getting really intense. At 5am, I want the jacuzzi. This is insane. The pain is you know, painful! I need relief. Just hearing the water run into the bathtub is so nice. Maybe the water will give me enough relief to labor on for another 5 or 6 hours, because I'm about at the end of my strength.
5:05 am ~ Relief comes, but not in the form of the jacuzzi. Kathy walks in the door, hears me screaming, and wants to know how long I've been like this. I think to myself since, oh, about 11 I've been screaming. It's how I cope. Ignore me, Bethany is.
Bethany says not long. Huh? Jay explains that I want the jacuzzi. Kathy says "Nope, you're about to have this baby."
But I want the jacuzzi!! Despair floods me. Kathy looks me in the eye and says "Honey, it's not going to get any worse than this."
Oh. Really. Okay. I can do this, then. I trust her like a child. She starts spreading out her equipment. It takes her like, 5 minutes to set up with Brenda, her assistant. "Now, I want you over here in front of the sofa in a squat." I stare at her. Is she kidding? Jay picks me up under my arms and moves me the required 6 feet and lowers me into the position she wants.
5:20 am ~ Pushing, the contractions are nearly painless. What a relief! All the tension eases away. Then comes back. Our baby's heart-rate has pulmeted. I have to have him now. There is urgency in Kathy's voice. Is she kidding? How soon is "now"? I push, and she looks at me, inches from my face. "You are not giving me all you have. Push, and push with all you have."
I feel tearing. It hurts differently than labor, sharper, painful. "I'm tearing!" I gasp. I'm in control of each push. I don't have to push. Kathy looks me in the eye. "Your baby needs you." I'm swept with love for the unborn baby of mine. In that moment, I fear for my child and I don't care how much it hurts. I bear down.
At 5:36 am, Samuel was born. In shock I look down to realize it's a baby boy. A boy!
My son.
Samuel was 8 lbs, 2 oz. Our placenta was dying - he couldn't have waited much longer! He arrived on his daddy's twenty-fourth birthday.
Would I do it again? Oh, yes. For several reasons.
- I can scream if I feel like it.
- I have the whole house at my fingertips. I can wear what I want, eat/drink, shower, kneel on the bed, squat by the sofa, ect. (I gave birth to Samuel while wearing a neon green "Hang Loose" t-shirt we bought on vacation in Hawaii. Now that's fun to remember!)
- No driving. The way my labor took off, if Jay had tried to load me into a car I wouldn't have been happy.
- It was very relaxing to be in my own bed shortly after having Samuel, again, no driving required!
- Jay took care of me. No nurses, no iv's, no needles, no male doctors. No strangers because my normal doc isn't on call. They say in labor you don't care who sees you. Well, I did.
- When I wanted drugs, they weren't there, and I was able to have the birth I wanted. If I'd been in a hospital, I doubt I could have gone "drugless". I had not confidence in myself once labor actually started.
But, first and most importantly, where to give birth is something to be prayed about. I think that a hospital birth can be just as blessed as a homebirth. God has different plans for different people . . . this is just our story!
Comments
Wed-11-Oct-2006 - What a beautiful story!
Posted by chenny3
What a blessing to have a home birth. Your story was beautiful! I love reading birth stories. Midwifery is illegal here. I think itis a felony....practicing medicine without a license. That is soo stupid! Everyone knows midwives ARE NOT like medical doctors! But they are trying to change that. There is a new law on the books deling with that. Who knows when it will go through or if it will. It is kind of a pain becaues when I went to the hospital I was 10cm and had been for several hours, my water broke 2 days before and I couldn't say that or they would have given me a c-section as soon as I waked in the door. My midwife went with me but I couldn't act like she was the one or she would have gotten in trouble. My hospital experience was pretty good considering. It was funny though, everyone at the hospital thought we were an oddity. I didn't take any pain meds after the surgery, they knew we were having a home birth, they knew we had a midwife and they were trying to figure out who she was. Although everyone thought we were crazy at the hospital, the lactaion consultant told me in private she had a home birth withher last baby so that was cool! We plan on using a different midwife next time and try for another home birth. It was a blessing in a way too because woman around here are always wondering what hospiatl they should go to if the need arises and well I can recommend one now. It was a difficult birth but Lily is more than worth it and even if I have to have another c-section (which I was told by another midwife may not be necessary if I start getting chiropractic adjusments) it will be worth it! I would like to have 4 kids, but we will see what the Lord blesses us with. Thank you for sharing your story! Sorry this is so long! Blessings, Jennifer
Fri-16-Feb-2007 - ... A Response to An "Old" Post... :-)
Posted by rellamom
I was just "browsing" your blog, tonight. Most of the children are asleep, and it is quiet. :-)
I enjoyed reading your birth story. Thanks for sharing it!
I, too, appreciated our home births much more than the hospital births. They're so very different.
And the freedom to move, make sound, no iv's, monitors...
How I desire another birth such as this...
Carrie
Wed-13-Feb-2008 - Beautiful
Posted by Anonymous
What a beautiful birth story! I had my first homebirth (my third child), last July and it was a true blessing. I came here via Jennifer's blog. (Homekeeping heart)
Thu-14-Feb-2008 - Untitled Comment
Posted by Christine
I posted the last comment , my website is www.christine-mary.blogspot.com
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