Being the product of a natural home birth myself, I had always known I wanted to follow that path too. When my husband and I got the exciting news that we were pregnant with our first baby, we started to research birth centers and came across Alma. The moment we met Kori and got a tour of the beautiful rooms in the birth center we knew it was the perfect fit for us! As expected,my due date of May 20th came and went with no baby boy to hold in our arms.
The real fun started Thursday night May 26th 2011. Yet another day had gone by and still no signs of our baby Gus wanting to make an entrance into this world. I had had my 2nd membrane sweep on Wednesday and lots of cramping and I was even 3 cm dilated and his head was really low and engaged but still no contractions or water breaking or anything. I was getting impatient. We had been given some things to do by our midwives to start labor; spicy food, nipple stimulation, sex. I ate spicy curry from our favorite Thai place 2 or 3 times with no luck. Finally we had sex and did the nipple stimulation to try and get things going. That night, we went to bed around 10 and Joel asked me the same question he had asked me for weeks; “are we going to have a baby tonight?” This night felt different somehow and I told him I was predicting I would go into labor that night. Call it what you will but it was the very first time I had made a verbal prediction and I felt it in my bones somehow. Around 1 or 1:30 am I half woke up to a strange feeling in my abdomen. I wasn’t sure if it was a contraction or just my imagination. But every 10 minutes or so I was waking up with the same feeling. I was thinking maybe I had an upset stomach. At 2 am, I woke Joel up and told him I thought I was having contractions. We started to time them knowing that that was the way to tell if they were coming closer together and if I truly was in labor. By 4 am my contractions varied from 5-7 minutes apart and were lasting 45 seconds-60 seconds long, so we finally decided to call Kori and just let her know what was up. Joel called her and she told him to tell me to get some rest and eat something. I’m not sure if I ever did eat anything (it’s a blur). I was expecting my labor to start as it did for most women….slow and far apart contractions. Instead I was thrown into active labor from the beginning. I never had much of a chance to sleep between contractions because they were so close together. I kept thinking to myself “they are supposed to start out 15-20 minutes apart, what the hell?” But I was also thinking that this labor would go quickly since I was starting so fast….boy was I wrong!
By sunrise I was trying to “live normally” and just deal with the contractions as they came and then go back to what I was doing. They were very easy to manage at this point and Joel proceeded to call his supervisor, Matt, and let him know I was in labor and that he wouldn’t be coming into work. We were very excited thinking we’d get to meet our baby boy soon. I tried to rest as much as possible in between contractions and I believe we even went back to bed and laid down at some point, but it was hard to get rest since I would doze off and a contraction would hit. I remember eating a Luna bar for breakfast and then taking a prenatal vitamin (thinking it would give me some energy) and then promptly throwing it up, along with the previous night’s dinner. That was by far the worst part of early labor as I despise throwing up. The rest of that day is kind of a blur to me. I just remember at some point my contractions getting a little more intense and I was instinctually going on my hands and knees during each one. Then I started to moan through the contractions to deal with the intensity. They were very manageable once I was making noise. If you have never heard a woman in labor (especially a natural labor) it is pretty crazy to hear these guttural sounds coming from a laboring mama. I knew from reading Ina May’s guide to childbirth that making sounds during contractions helps your uterus contract without being tense, which in turn helps progress labor. I started making long “oooooooooooooooh” sounds every time a contraction came and was amazed with how it helped me deal with the contractions. And how naturally it came. It wasn’t forced it was just something my body knew I needed to do to cope. At some point on Friday Kori called Stephanie to come out to our house to check up on us. I remember when she got there my contractions completely stopped….it was the weirdest psychological thing. She checked my cervix and said I was just barely a 4. I was trying really hard not to get my hopes up but I thought I would be at least a 6 with 12 hours of labor under my belt already. But I didn’t let that deter me. I remember reading about the psychological aspect of cervical checks and how fast your cervix can dilate in later labor so I wasn’t too concerned. But then Stephanie dropped a bombshell and said that August had actually turned a little to the side and that was bad news. He needed to turn with his face toward my spine before pushing (ideally at least). She told me to labor on my hands and knees as much as possible to try and turn him. I found out later on that the reason I progressed so slowly (even though my contractions were close together from the beginning) is that my body was trying to turn him into position with the contractions and not necessarily helping dilate my cervix too much. By about 4 am Saturday morning my contractions started to get more intense and we called Stephanie out for support. She suggested I get into our bathtub with warm water to deal. That was heavenly let me tell you. Every time I felt a contraction coming, I would have Joel put the water on the hottest setting and take the shower head and run the water up and down my back. It gave me something to focus on other than the contraction. At this point my contractions were 3-4 minutes apart and lasting 70-90 seconds. (on a sidenote- contractions are not NEARLY as painful as people will make you believe. Especially if you are psychologically prepared to deal with them. For me, imagining my cervix opening helped a lot.) I also really don’t know how to begin to describe contractions to people who have never been in labor. To me contractions felt like a tight wave of intensity going from my abdomen and then to my lower back. But it wasn’t really all that painful. It was more uncomfortable.I couldn't sit still during them or they became painful. It took a lot of focus as they got more intense to stay completely relaxed during them. Wonderful Stephanie stayed at our house until 10 am to check me, check baby’s heart rate during contractions and give us tips to support me during labor. She was truly amazing! When she left, she told Joel we could head to the birth center at noon if my contractions were still 3 minutes apart and at least 90 seconds long. Those 2 hours were pretty long because at that point I really just wanted to go to the birth center and get the car ride over with. I had heard from a lot of people that the car ride is usually the worst part of labor so I was kind of dreading it. We ended up leaving at 11:15 because I became impatient and it takes about 30 minutes to get to the birth center. My contractions were still 3 minutes apart and 90 seconds or more long each time so I was in very active labor. I had probably a dozen contractions on the way to the birth center but I just held Joel’s hand during each one and dealt with them fine. It wasn’t near as bad as I thought it would be.
Once we got to our room at the birth center Stephanie was there to greet us and we got settled into our beautiful room. As weird as it sounds, I was actually much more comfortable laboring in the birth center than I was at home. Stephanie checked me shortly after arrival and I was at 6 cm. I was a little bummed once again but knew I could progress very quickly after that (although unlucky for me I didn’t). Stephanie had us go out for a long walk to get my labor progressing a little more. I remember walking along East Burnside and having tons of contractions during our walk. Every time I had one I had to stop and either hold onto Joel or a railing to get through them. One lady stopped Joel to ask if I was ok…I’m sure I looked interesting moaning and leaning over every 3 minutes. By the time we got back from our walk, Kori had arrived and checked me. I was still around 6 cm but she said she felt my bag of waters bulging, which meant it was ready to break. She said once that broke, it would push his head against my cervix and should dilate me pretty quickly after that. So she showed me how to use the handles on the birth tub to squat really low during contractions to try and break my water. (they don’t do any interventions, including breaking the water because having it happen naturally is much more effective). I remember squatting 2 or 3 times during each contraction trying to will my water to break- to no avail. I tried for 2 or 3 hours and was getting really tired so I decided to get into the birthing tub…which again was absolutely great during contractions. I even had my “trashy” celebrity magazine propped up so I could read it during my breaks in between contractions. At one point I remember reading the same page over and over again because my contractions were coming so frequently and I had a hard time concentrating. All of our midwives found it amusing that I was reading a celebrity magazine during the throes of labor, I guess it was a first for them! But it kept me distracted and that was the key for me! In some of our pictures, you can even see the magazine nicely propped up at the back of the tub so I could float over to read it!
By late evening my contractions had spaced out, but as soon as I went to take a nap, they would start back up again. That was extremely frustrating. I felt that if my contractions were spacing out I should at least be able to sleep! But labor had other plans! So Stephanie had us go for yet another walk, this time it only lasted 15 minutes though because I couldn’t walk more than 10 feet without having a contraction. Walking really ramped up labor for me. By the time we got back Mirra had arrived. She checked me at some point and said I was close to 8 but my water needed to break in order for me to progress quickly the rest of the way. I got back in the tub for about 2 hours and that’s when I hit my wall. I wasn't in pain and I was handling the contractions fine but I was exhausted and I wasn't progressing. I remember looking at the clock and it was 10 pm saturday night and it was discouraging knowing how long I had been in labor and we weren't close to having a baby yet. I had tried to eat peanuts in between contractions but my appetite completely went away during labor so it was a chore just to eat a bite of food. I knew I needed all the energy I could get so I kept eating them, one at a time between contractions. I haven't eaten them since because I still remember how awful they tasted while I was dealing with labor.At some point, I remember having Joel call Mirra into the room to talk to me because I was getting really frustrated and thought I would never have the baby. I remember at that point thinking “great I am going to be that damn person that gets transferred because I didn’t progress.” I felt really defeated. I just wanted to have the baby and I remember wanting to cry and give up but I KNEW Joel and the midwives would never let me do that. I also didn't want them to see me cry.I told Mirra I was frustrated and she suggested taking a nap (because ONCE AGAIN my contractions decided to space out). I did not want to take a nap, I just wanted my water to break so labor would progress! As she was talking to me about my water needing to break and me possibly taking a nap, I was on my hands and knees in the tub and I felt a “pop”. I ecstatically told her that I thought my water just broke and she checked and said indeed it had! Now I am not a superstitious person but it’s pretty damn ironic that my water broke RIGHT at the moment when I felt like giving up. After that, I had a whole new energy and motivation because I KNEW I was going to go quickly, and I did. I think my water broke at 10:30 or 10:45 pm and the next 3 hours felt like they went by in about 30 minutes. I labored in the tub some more and then I remember Mirra telling me to move to the toilet to help his head press against my cervix. When you are on the toilet, you automatically relax your perineum and it makes the contractions more intense to get the baby out quicker…and I was all for that. I sat on the toilet and within 4 contractions the intensity ramped up to a level I didn’t think possible. Joel was sitting right in front of me and I would wrap my arms around his neck and lean on him every contraction while he did counterpressure on my sacrum. Really quickly the contractions took over. Your body literally MAKES you push the baby’s head down. You are no longer in control. During each contraction, my uterus would “push” the head down 3-5 times completely spontaneously. I wasn’t pushing but my body was. I could only yell and scream during each contraction because each one had 3-4 peaks and I could only “hold on” for the ride. I remember looking out the window of the bathroom and trying to focus on the street lights outside during the most painful parts. The contractions at this point felt like there was very little break in between them and when I asked Joel later he said there was maybe a 15-30 second break between each one. The pressure I felt was nothing I could have ever imagined. I don't know how to describe it other than to say my perineum bulged and you FEEL it bulge out. I did do a really good job of not thinking about the previous or the next contraction and just trying to relax as much as I could before the next one hit. It was the most intense and yes painful experience of my life. My legs were shaking uncontrollably at this point and I remember screaming “it hurts it hurts”. (I now know, although I didn’t at the time, that I was in transition, which is by far the most intense and painful part of labor) Suddenly I looked up and realized Kori, Mirra and Stephanie were all in the bathroom with us so I knew I had to be close. Eventually I felt like my hips were being pulled apart and I also felt the dreaded “ring of fire” when the head starts to crown. That was the pain I was most worried about prior to labor and it ended up not being painful at all. I only felt the burning for about 5-10 seconds then it completely went away (this is because your body sends massive amounts of hormones like oxytocin through your body to help deal with the pain and to “numb” you. ) After my next contraction, Kori told me to get up so I could walk to the birth tub. I told her I couldn’t walk (the baby’s head was crowning so I was very close to giving birth and could only waddle). But she quickly replied “yes you can”. So I did. And someone had filled the tub and I got in. The pain immediately went away until my next contraction and I felt his head crowning more. My first question was “what color of hair does he have” and Mirra replied with “looks like lots of brown hair”. As stupid as it sounds that motivated me and I used the next contraction to push his head out- which felt amazing. The pressure went away and I knew the hardest part was over. I heard Stephanie giving instructions to Joel on how to catch the baby (that was our plan) so I knew I was so close. I remember asking if I could push the rest of him out or if I had to wait until the next contraction and the answer was that I had to wait. It was a surreal feeling knowing your baby is halfway out just chilling out under water. The next contraction I suddenly felt this insane feeling; it felt like the baby was being pulled out of my and turning around over and over. I thought to myself that Joel was taking the baby out before the next contraction and I thought he was insane. I remember yelling something to him about stop touching the baby. Well it was actually August turning and situating himself to get his shoulders out and it was very uncomfortable and painful. I feel bad that I yelled at Joel but I truly thought he was trying to pull the baby out. Anyway, during that contraction I pushed and his shoulders and whole body came out very quickly. Joel told me later that Kori was telling me to “reach down and grab your baby” but I don’t remember that part at all. I was so exhausted and in a blur where time suddenly ceases to exist. All I remember is Joel placing August in my arms and him looking up at me with wide open eyes, completely calm. He was born at 1:53 am, 7 pounds 11 ounces, 22 inches long. Just shy of 48 hours of labor. He had huge feet and long fingers too! He stayed on my chest for the next 20 minutes still attached to the cord while we waited for my placenta to come out. The placenta was a piece of cake, just a tiny push and it slid right out. I looked at it for 2 seconds and we donated it to stem cell research. It was way bigger than I thought though (imagine a 2 pound liver looking thing!). Joel got to cut the umbilical cord and that’s when I looked in the water and saw all the blood and kind of freaked out. It looked like I had been attacked by a shark, but the midwives said it was completely normal and nothing to worry about. They got us out of the tub and situated in our bed while I nursed. August nursed for 15-20 minutes and then I handed him off to Joel and Mirra and Kori checked my vitals while Stephanie checked out August. Kori told me I had torn (it happened when August turned and wiggled his shoulders out) and it was a 2nd degree tear. She started giving me numbing shots and stitching me up when she realized I was having pretty bad contractions from my uterus contracting. She did an internal exam and found that my blood was clotting inside my uterus (which it’s not supposed to do) at the site where the placenta had detached from the uterine wall. She had to take out 3 or 4 plum size blood clots from my cervix and let me tell you that was way worse than any part of labor. I was sore and it hurt but she was great and talked me through it as she tried to get all of the clots out. Then she had Mirra give me a shot in the thigh to help my uterus contract (because it was not contracting as it was supposed to, hence the blood clots). I remember laying there for a long time while Kori carefully stitched me up. Meanwhile August and daddy snuggled up to sleep. Apparently, a 48 hour labor with no sleep really wore out my husband too haha!
The real fun started Thursday night May 26th 2011. Yet another day had gone by and still no signs of our baby Gus wanting to make an entrance into this world. I had had my 2nd membrane sweep on Wednesday and lots of cramping and I was even 3 cm dilated and his head was really low and engaged but still no contractions or water breaking or anything. I was getting impatient. We had been given some things to do by our midwives to start labor; spicy food, nipple stimulation, sex. I ate spicy curry from our favorite Thai place 2 or 3 times with no luck. Finally we had sex and did the nipple stimulation to try and get things going. That night, we went to bed around 10 and Joel asked me the same question he had asked me for weeks; “are we going to have a baby tonight?” This night felt different somehow and I told him I was predicting I would go into labor that night. Call it what you will but it was the very first time I had made a verbal prediction and I felt it in my bones somehow. Around 1 or 1:30 am I half woke up to a strange feeling in my abdomen. I wasn’t sure if it was a contraction or just my imagination. But every 10 minutes or so I was waking up with the same feeling. I was thinking maybe I had an upset stomach. At 2 am, I woke Joel up and told him I thought I was having contractions. We started to time them knowing that that was the way to tell if they were coming closer together and if I truly was in labor. By 4 am my contractions varied from 5-7 minutes apart and were lasting 45 seconds-60 seconds long, so we finally decided to call Kori and just let her know what was up. Joel called her and she told him to tell me to get some rest and eat something. I’m not sure if I ever did eat anything (it’s a blur). I was expecting my labor to start as it did for most women….slow and far apart contractions. Instead I was thrown into active labor from the beginning. I never had much of a chance to sleep between contractions because they were so close together. I kept thinking to myself “they are supposed to start out 15-20 minutes apart, what the hell?” But I was also thinking that this labor would go quickly since I was starting so fast….boy was I wrong!
By sunrise I was trying to “live normally” and just deal with the contractions as they came and then go back to what I was doing. They were very easy to manage at this point and Joel proceeded to call his supervisor, Matt, and let him know I was in labor and that he wouldn’t be coming into work. We were very excited thinking we’d get to meet our baby boy soon. I tried to rest as much as possible in between contractions and I believe we even went back to bed and laid down at some point, but it was hard to get rest since I would doze off and a contraction would hit. I remember eating a Luna bar for breakfast and then taking a prenatal vitamin (thinking it would give me some energy) and then promptly throwing it up, along with the previous night’s dinner. That was by far the worst part of early labor as I despise throwing up. The rest of that day is kind of a blur to me. I just remember at some point my contractions getting a little more intense and I was instinctually going on my hands and knees during each one. Then I started to moan through the contractions to deal with the intensity. They were very manageable once I was making noise. If you have never heard a woman in labor (especially a natural labor) it is pretty crazy to hear these guttural sounds coming from a laboring mama. I knew from reading Ina May’s guide to childbirth that making sounds during contractions helps your uterus contract without being tense, which in turn helps progress labor. I started making long “oooooooooooooooh” sounds every time a contraction came and was amazed with how it helped me deal with the contractions. And how naturally it came. It wasn’t forced it was just something my body knew I needed to do to cope. At some point on Friday Kori called Stephanie to come out to our house to check up on us. I remember when she got there my contractions completely stopped….it was the weirdest psychological thing. She checked my cervix and said I was just barely a 4. I was trying really hard not to get my hopes up but I thought I would be at least a 6 with 12 hours of labor under my belt already. But I didn’t let that deter me. I remember reading about the psychological aspect of cervical checks and how fast your cervix can dilate in later labor so I wasn’t too concerned. But then Stephanie dropped a bombshell and said that August had actually turned a little to the side and that was bad news. He needed to turn with his face toward my spine before pushing (ideally at least). She told me to labor on my hands and knees as much as possible to try and turn him. I found out later on that the reason I progressed so slowly (even though my contractions were close together from the beginning) is that my body was trying to turn him into position with the contractions and not necessarily helping dilate my cervix too much. By about 4 am Saturday morning my contractions started to get more intense and we called Stephanie out for support. She suggested I get into our bathtub with warm water to deal. That was heavenly let me tell you. Every time I felt a contraction coming, I would have Joel put the water on the hottest setting and take the shower head and run the water up and down my back. It gave me something to focus on other than the contraction. At this point my contractions were 3-4 minutes apart and lasting 70-90 seconds. (on a sidenote- contractions are not NEARLY as painful as people will make you believe. Especially if you are psychologically prepared to deal with them. For me, imagining my cervix opening helped a lot.) I also really don’t know how to begin to describe contractions to people who have never been in labor. To me contractions felt like a tight wave of intensity going from my abdomen and then to my lower back. But it wasn’t really all that painful. It was more uncomfortable.I couldn't sit still during them or they became painful. It took a lot of focus as they got more intense to stay completely relaxed during them. Wonderful Stephanie stayed at our house until 10 am to check me, check baby’s heart rate during contractions and give us tips to support me during labor. She was truly amazing! When she left, she told Joel we could head to the birth center at noon if my contractions were still 3 minutes apart and at least 90 seconds long. Those 2 hours were pretty long because at that point I really just wanted to go to the birth center and get the car ride over with. I had heard from a lot of people that the car ride is usually the worst part of labor so I was kind of dreading it. We ended up leaving at 11:15 because I became impatient and it takes about 30 minutes to get to the birth center. My contractions were still 3 minutes apart and 90 seconds or more long each time so I was in very active labor. I had probably a dozen contractions on the way to the birth center but I just held Joel’s hand during each one and dealt with them fine. It wasn’t near as bad as I thought it would be.
Once we got to our room at the birth center Stephanie was there to greet us and we got settled into our beautiful room. As weird as it sounds, I was actually much more comfortable laboring in the birth center than I was at home. Stephanie checked me shortly after arrival and I was at 6 cm. I was a little bummed once again but knew I could progress very quickly after that (although unlucky for me I didn’t). Stephanie had us go out for a long walk to get my labor progressing a little more. I remember walking along East Burnside and having tons of contractions during our walk. Every time I had one I had to stop and either hold onto Joel or a railing to get through them. One lady stopped Joel to ask if I was ok…I’m sure I looked interesting moaning and leaning over every 3 minutes. By the time we got back from our walk, Kori had arrived and checked me. I was still around 6 cm but she said she felt my bag of waters bulging, which meant it was ready to break. She said once that broke, it would push his head against my cervix and should dilate me pretty quickly after that. So she showed me how to use the handles on the birth tub to squat really low during contractions to try and break my water. (they don’t do any interventions, including breaking the water because having it happen naturally is much more effective). I remember squatting 2 or 3 times during each contraction trying to will my water to break- to no avail. I tried for 2 or 3 hours and was getting really tired so I decided to get into the birthing tub…which again was absolutely great during contractions. I even had my “trashy” celebrity magazine propped up so I could read it during my breaks in between contractions. At one point I remember reading the same page over and over again because my contractions were coming so frequently and I had a hard time concentrating. All of our midwives found it amusing that I was reading a celebrity magazine during the throes of labor, I guess it was a first for them! But it kept me distracted and that was the key for me! In some of our pictures, you can even see the magazine nicely propped up at the back of the tub so I could float over to read it!
By late evening my contractions had spaced out, but as soon as I went to take a nap, they would start back up again. That was extremely frustrating. I felt that if my contractions were spacing out I should at least be able to sleep! But labor had other plans! So Stephanie had us go for yet another walk, this time it only lasted 15 minutes though because I couldn’t walk more than 10 feet without having a contraction. Walking really ramped up labor for me. By the time we got back Mirra had arrived. She checked me at some point and said I was close to 8 but my water needed to break in order for me to progress quickly the rest of the way. I got back in the tub for about 2 hours and that’s when I hit my wall. I wasn't in pain and I was handling the contractions fine but I was exhausted and I wasn't progressing. I remember looking at the clock and it was 10 pm saturday night and it was discouraging knowing how long I had been in labor and we weren't close to having a baby yet. I had tried to eat peanuts in between contractions but my appetite completely went away during labor so it was a chore just to eat a bite of food. I knew I needed all the energy I could get so I kept eating them, one at a time between contractions. I haven't eaten them since because I still remember how awful they tasted while I was dealing with labor.At some point, I remember having Joel call Mirra into the room to talk to me because I was getting really frustrated and thought I would never have the baby. I remember at that point thinking “great I am going to be that damn person that gets transferred because I didn’t progress.” I felt really defeated. I just wanted to have the baby and I remember wanting to cry and give up but I KNEW Joel and the midwives would never let me do that. I also didn't want them to see me cry.I told Mirra I was frustrated and she suggested taking a nap (because ONCE AGAIN my contractions decided to space out). I did not want to take a nap, I just wanted my water to break so labor would progress! As she was talking to me about my water needing to break and me possibly taking a nap, I was on my hands and knees in the tub and I felt a “pop”. I ecstatically told her that I thought my water just broke and she checked and said indeed it had! Now I am not a superstitious person but it’s pretty damn ironic that my water broke RIGHT at the moment when I felt like giving up. After that, I had a whole new energy and motivation because I KNEW I was going to go quickly, and I did. I think my water broke at 10:30 or 10:45 pm and the next 3 hours felt like they went by in about 30 minutes. I labored in the tub some more and then I remember Mirra telling me to move to the toilet to help his head press against my cervix. When you are on the toilet, you automatically relax your perineum and it makes the contractions more intense to get the baby out quicker…and I was all for that. I sat on the toilet and within 4 contractions the intensity ramped up to a level I didn’t think possible. Joel was sitting right in front of me and I would wrap my arms around his neck and lean on him every contraction while he did counterpressure on my sacrum. Really quickly the contractions took over. Your body literally MAKES you push the baby’s head down. You are no longer in control. During each contraction, my uterus would “push” the head down 3-5 times completely spontaneously. I wasn’t pushing but my body was. I could only yell and scream during each contraction because each one had 3-4 peaks and I could only “hold on” for the ride. I remember looking out the window of the bathroom and trying to focus on the street lights outside during the most painful parts. The contractions at this point felt like there was very little break in between them and when I asked Joel later he said there was maybe a 15-30 second break between each one. The pressure I felt was nothing I could have ever imagined. I don't know how to describe it other than to say my perineum bulged and you FEEL it bulge out. I did do a really good job of not thinking about the previous or the next contraction and just trying to relax as much as I could before the next one hit. It was the most intense and yes painful experience of my life. My legs were shaking uncontrollably at this point and I remember screaming “it hurts it hurts”. (I now know, although I didn’t at the time, that I was in transition, which is by far the most intense and painful part of labor) Suddenly I looked up and realized Kori, Mirra and Stephanie were all in the bathroom with us so I knew I had to be close. Eventually I felt like my hips were being pulled apart and I also felt the dreaded “ring of fire” when the head starts to crown. That was the pain I was most worried about prior to labor and it ended up not being painful at all. I only felt the burning for about 5-10 seconds then it completely went away (this is because your body sends massive amounts of hormones like oxytocin through your body to help deal with the pain and to “numb” you. ) After my next contraction, Kori told me to get up so I could walk to the birth tub. I told her I couldn’t walk (the baby’s head was crowning so I was very close to giving birth and could only waddle). But she quickly replied “yes you can”. So I did. And someone had filled the tub and I got in. The pain immediately went away until my next contraction and I felt his head crowning more. My first question was “what color of hair does he have” and Mirra replied with “looks like lots of brown hair”. As stupid as it sounds that motivated me and I used the next contraction to push his head out- which felt amazing. The pressure went away and I knew the hardest part was over. I heard Stephanie giving instructions to Joel on how to catch the baby (that was our plan) so I knew I was so close. I remember asking if I could push the rest of him out or if I had to wait until the next contraction and the answer was that I had to wait. It was a surreal feeling knowing your baby is halfway out just chilling out under water. The next contraction I suddenly felt this insane feeling; it felt like the baby was being pulled out of my and turning around over and over. I thought to myself that Joel was taking the baby out before the next contraction and I thought he was insane. I remember yelling something to him about stop touching the baby. Well it was actually August turning and situating himself to get his shoulders out and it was very uncomfortable and painful. I feel bad that I yelled at Joel but I truly thought he was trying to pull the baby out. Anyway, during that contraction I pushed and his shoulders and whole body came out very quickly. Joel told me later that Kori was telling me to “reach down and grab your baby” but I don’t remember that part at all. I was so exhausted and in a blur where time suddenly ceases to exist. All I remember is Joel placing August in my arms and him looking up at me with wide open eyes, completely calm. He was born at 1:53 am, 7 pounds 11 ounces, 22 inches long. Just shy of 48 hours of labor. He had huge feet and long fingers too! He stayed on my chest for the next 20 minutes still attached to the cord while we waited for my placenta to come out. The placenta was a piece of cake, just a tiny push and it slid right out. I looked at it for 2 seconds and we donated it to stem cell research. It was way bigger than I thought though (imagine a 2 pound liver looking thing!). Joel got to cut the umbilical cord and that’s when I looked in the water and saw all the blood and kind of freaked out. It looked like I had been attacked by a shark, but the midwives said it was completely normal and nothing to worry about. They got us out of the tub and situated in our bed while I nursed. August nursed for 15-20 minutes and then I handed him off to Joel and Mirra and Kori checked my vitals while Stephanie checked out August. Kori told me I had torn (it happened when August turned and wiggled his shoulders out) and it was a 2nd degree tear. She started giving me numbing shots and stitching me up when she realized I was having pretty bad contractions from my uterus contracting. She did an internal exam and found that my blood was clotting inside my uterus (which it’s not supposed to do) at the site where the placenta had detached from the uterine wall. She had to take out 3 or 4 plum size blood clots from my cervix and let me tell you that was way worse than any part of labor. I was sore and it hurt but she was great and talked me through it as she tried to get all of the clots out. Then she had Mirra give me a shot in the thigh to help my uterus contract (because it was not contracting as it was supposed to, hence the blood clots). I remember laying there for a long time while Kori carefully stitched me up. Meanwhile August and daddy snuggled up to sleep. Apparently, a 48 hour labor with no sleep really wore out my husband too haha!
We ended up staying at the birth center for 3 days. We had lots and lots of excited family and friends come to snuggle with our new addition. Meanwhile, I tried to sleep, but the adrenaline from labor would not let me for a full two days after giving birth although physically I was absolutely exhausted! Our doulas were beyond amazing, with each and every one of them going above and beyond to help us with anything we needed. We also got food delievered to us and our bed made everyday. I also credit Kristi Rose with helping me FINALLY learn how to properly latch August on for breastfeeding and thank her for that! Our friends and family all commented on how fabulous of a room we had and how great the doulas were! I also very much enjoyed my 1 hour massage before we left for home. I highly recommend taking advantage of it after birth. It helped me feel relaxed and centered going home. After the wonderful post partum care we received at Alma, I could not even IMAGINE giving birth anywhere else. It was truly amazing!
Looking back on everything, I realize my labor did not go as I had planned (what labor does?) but I MADE it through because I put myself in a situation where I had support and I felt comfortable. Kori, Mirra and Stephanie were a calm presence that I appreciated more than they will ever know. I always felt respected and safe with them there. I remember Kori saying small words of encouragement to me while I was in transition and it really, really helped me to focus and deal with the pain! My husband was tirelessly supportive and was with me during every contraction rubbing my back or spraying hot water on me. Without their support, I would not have gotten through such a long labor! I have absolutely no doubt that I would have received a c section if I had given birth in a hospital because they will not allow you to be in labor that long, even though my body was doing exactly what it needed to do to turn August and get him out. I also realize, that although very intense and painful at times, it was the most amazing experience of my life. I mean it seriously trumps every other aspect of my life and the feeling of giving birth in the water just like I wanted left me so proud of myself. I also felt great after labor (even after all the craziness that happened with the blood clots) and August was perfect and healthy and everything we have ever wanted. I will be doing a natural labor for my 2nd child as well and I know I will be just as much of a warrior as I was with this labor. I set my mind up to do something and I did it. Most importantly I had the birth experience that I wanted! Was it the hardest thing I’ve ever done? Yes. Nothing even compares. But I am telling you as SOON as that baby was in my arms all the pain, intensity, frustration, exhaustion everything faded away immediately. Looking into my son’s eyes for the first time is an experience I will never forget. I got an all over fuzzy feeling and tears welled up in my eyes. I felt an overwhelming sense of love and I was amazed that this little human staring at me was someone that Joel and I created. Everything suddenly seemed allright in the world. And the pain from the last part of labor? Not even present.
Almost 11 months later it still floors me that I gave birth to this little human. It still doesn’t seem real that I actually made it through labor without the help of any interventions and I did exactly what I set out to do. I now know if I can survive that, I can pretty much do ANYTHING I set my mind to. And other women can too! We are told by society and our peers that we shouldn’t do a natural labor. I don’t know how many times I was told by strangers and friends alike “just wait until you are in labor then you will ask for drugs.” or "you think you want a natural birth now but you won't once you are in labor." How annoying and un-supportive when people are so ignorant! Let me just say I never, not ONCE asked for drugs…nor did I think about drugs. The only thing I remember is that during transition I thought to myself “I can see why people get epidurals because this does hurt!” But did I want one, even in the amount of pain I was in? Nope! I knew my body could handle it and it did. And my main goal was to do a natural birth and I would not have given up so easily! I, for one, am so incredibly thankful that I got to be fully present during labor and feel ALL of it.
It’s amazing what your body does in order for you to get through labor!! No one, not once, told me to do something and intervened in a negative way. Birth does not have to be about fear and trepidation!! It can be empowering and wonderful! But you have to be proactive in making that choice for yourself! Most women can do much more than they give themselves credit for because they have people telling them they can’t or shouldn’t give birth in a certain way. I can honestly say I was not fearful of the process of labor and birth and I think that, more than anything else, is what allowed me to effectively deal with labor. I was at one with my body and I had faith that my body would never give me any amount of pain I could not handle. If I can do it anyone can do it! I don't even like getting my blood drawn and I was able to get through labor!!! My advice to anyone going this route is to have confidence in yourself and your body! Remember that your body will never give you any amount of pain you cannot handle. Most of all be ready for one amazing journey!!! It is certainly incredible!
Almost 11 months later it still floors me that I gave birth to this little human. It still doesn’t seem real that I actually made it through labor without the help of any interventions and I did exactly what I set out to do. I now know if I can survive that, I can pretty much do ANYTHING I set my mind to. And other women can too! We are told by society and our peers that we shouldn’t do a natural labor. I don’t know how many times I was told by strangers and friends alike “just wait until you are in labor then you will ask for drugs.” or "you think you want a natural birth now but you won't once you are in labor." How annoying and un-supportive when people are so ignorant! Let me just say I never, not ONCE asked for drugs…nor did I think about drugs. The only thing I remember is that during transition I thought to myself “I can see why people get epidurals because this does hurt!” But did I want one, even in the amount of pain I was in? Nope! I knew my body could handle it and it did. And my main goal was to do a natural birth and I would not have given up so easily! I, for one, am so incredibly thankful that I got to be fully present during labor and feel ALL of it.
It’s amazing what your body does in order for you to get through labor!! No one, not once, told me to do something and intervened in a negative way. Birth does not have to be about fear and trepidation!! It can be empowering and wonderful! But you have to be proactive in making that choice for yourself! Most women can do much more than they give themselves credit for because they have people telling them they can’t or shouldn’t give birth in a certain way. I can honestly say I was not fearful of the process of labor and birth and I think that, more than anything else, is what allowed me to effectively deal with labor. I was at one with my body and I had faith that my body would never give me any amount of pain I could not handle. If I can do it anyone can do it! I don't even like getting my blood drawn and I was able to get through labor!!! My advice to anyone going this route is to have confidence in yourself and your body! Remember that your body will never give you any amount of pain you cannot handle. Most of all be ready for one amazing journey!!! It is certainly incredible!
 |
| Laboring in the birthing tub |
 |
| Contraction in the birthing tub |
 |
| Seconds after birth |
 |
| Holding my August James for the first time ever! |
 |
| My beautiful newborn! |
 |
| New Family: Just add water! |
 |
| Less than 8 hours old, all swaddled up! |
No comments:
Post a Comment