NaturalChildbirth.org

[luckyone]

Hey all, I've been trying to find some time to type this out. First, I'll say that Evangeline ("Evy") Ruth was born June 10th, at 10:13 am. We had her at the Birth Center of Bryn Mawr, PA. Great facility. Thank you all for your support and help over the course of my pregnancy. It helped so much to have you girls just a few "clicks" away.
So, my EDD was Saturday, June 6th. I was really antsy to go into labor sooner rather than later, because I didn't want this baby to get as big as my first daughter, Caroline, who was born 10 lb 4.5 oz. Her collarbone broke on the way out, so shoulder dystocia was a particular concern to me and my midwives this time around. (Caroline was born at a different birth center, in Oklahoma). But, I tried some things (cohoshes, sex) to put myself in labor after having weeks of contractions, and nothing worked. On Tuesday morning, June 9th, there was a big thunderstorm rolling into town at about 4:30 am. I was turning over in bed and felt a trickle, and was certain immediately it was amniotic fluid. It was. More came out over the course of the morning. I called TBC, they advised me to come in late morning for a non-stress test. So, we went in, but brought our bags, as well. I was having very few, and very mild contractions at this point. The NST went fine, and the midwife (Jamesina) advised me to do somethings to get my labor going and established by the 24 hour mark after the rupture of membranes. So, we went to a nearby massage lady that supposedly had a 100% rate of success at getting women REALLY into labor. She did accupressure on my feet, legs, shoulder and lower back. While she was doing the massage, I had some regular contractions, but honestly, I think my husband was more effective at getting me to have contractions. So, I wouldn't say she necessarily made it happen for me. We walked around the local mall a little bit, too, and had dinner. We knew I wasn't really in labor yet (perhaps just very early labor), and weren't ready to check into TBC yet. Eventually, by 7 pm or so, we went back, took a nap in the birthing suite that would be ours (we were both sleepy). Afterwards, Jamesina admitted us. By this point, my contractions were 4-5 mins. apart and I was 3-4 cm. She advised we try castor oil to get myself really going. So my husband (Dave) went out and got a milkshake to put the castor oil in, per Jamesina's suggestion. Took that at about 10 pm. It "worked" by 11, starting to clean me out, and by 2 am, I was ready for my sister, my 2nd support person, to come to TBC. I was having fairly regular contractions, and they were starting to ramp up a little, and I needed to breathe through them. My sister was very helpful, getting me anything I needed. I found that just being near my husband was a big comfort to me. So...I can't remember much else until 5 am, when the sun was coming up and I was depressed that it was morning and my baby wasn't here yet! As I got increasingly uncomfortable, feeling significant pressure, I sat on the birth ball, leaned on it, showered. I also listened to a mixed cd my husband and I had made of hymns and praise songs, which was one of the nicest parts of my labor. I highly recommend it.
After 5 or 6, things were really getting more intense. By 8 am, the midwife's 24 hour shift changed, and Gazelle came on, who was awesome awesome awesome. I felt like I'd already been in transition for a few hours at this point, but back at 5 or 6 am I was already having doubts, feeling discouraged, etc. However, at 8 or 8:30 I was practically beside myself. I was pacing around the bathroom, starting to cry, thinking "what have I done? why am I not across the street having a c-section?" I cried, and said to Dave and Gazelle, "I don't know what to do". Out of, desperation? I sat on the toilet. My body suddenly started pushing. I mean, not just an "urge"- it was pushing. I couldn't have possibly stopped it. That scared me a lot, I told Gazelle, she reassured me that everything was okay, go with it. After a couple of contractions (they were coming every 15 seconds or so), she had me move to the bed to check and make sure I was 10. I was, and she said that the baby's head was right there. So I laid on the bed (exhausted and scared, too- it was about to hurt even more! but I was also relieved and glad to be at the "fun part"), my body pushed through a few more contractions. Oh, I should say that as soon as my body started pushing, I became a lot more vocal. I had been pretty much silent, just breathing through contractions before then. But when my body was pushing, I was yelling involuntarily. This was also different from my daughter's birth, where I had no urge to push (in spite of not having drugs), and was not vocal until the last couple pushes when she actually came out. Anyway.
So, laying on the bed with Dave and my sis on either side, the pushing feeling started petering out, so Gazelle suggested we move to a birth stool, since I'd felt the "urge" so strongly when sitting on the toilet. I was afraid of this, but complied. The urge came back immediately, she crowned but didn't get the whole head out for several pushes/contractions. I reached down and felt her head (hadn't done that with my daughter), and it did not feel like a head. Also, this might be rather obvious, but this all hurt A LOT. I don't think I had anywhere near the pain with our older daughter that I had with Evy. When I was on the birthing stool, the pain was much more to the front, which was very scary. I can handle the peri injury, but please no major tearing of the girly parts! So the pain, and the fear of how big she was was making me hold back, but as I imagine every woman decides as some point in her labor, I thought, "I want this over with", so I pushed really well and got her head out. Gazelle swiftly instructed us on how to move to the bed, as the legs up thing is a better position for shoulder dystocia. She supported the baby's head underneath me. A few more pushes, and Gazelle unwrapped the cord from her neck, and a couple more pushes, and she came out. Of course, immediate relief, they laid her on me, but then we saw she was grayish-white, and limp as a rag doll, and not responding to the rubbing with the towel, so they cut the cord and moved her to the counter to give her oxygen. This was terrifying, watching this. I did not know at this point how common it is for a baby to need oxygen. I guess it's about 10% of babies need help to start breathing. And in the hospital, you probably don't usually see it happening. THank God, after two minutes of the o2, she started breathing on her own. The midwife said that she was never concerned, that the same thing happened at her own grandson's birth, and they have a baby need oxygen at TBC about once a month. Gazelle said that this was probably because of the cord around her neck. Anyway, I got her back, we tried nursing a couple times, which she eventually "got". (and is going very well). We all took a nap, did the usual stitching/bathing/showering/vitals, etc. etc. and went home around 6 pm.
Evy has been doing very well. She's gaining and pooping well. She sleeps pretty well at night, and generally seems a bit lower-maintenance than our older daughter was.
We always planned to have a big family, but I'm having second thoughts after this birth. It was just so hard, and I didn't get any amnesia about the pain- I remember how bad it was! So, hopefully God can change my mind on that, because two kids just doesn't seem like enough to me.
I'll sign off for now because somebody is waking up. Thanks again, all for your support.

[luckyone]

Oh, and she was 9 lb 9 oz, 22 inches long. Not quite as big as her big sister! Her apgar scores were 4 and 9, what a difference some oxygen makes! (Thank You, Lord!)

[CFLhomeschooler]

OHHHH!!!!! Congratulations! My experience has been that if you really want more than a year or two from now you'll be ready despite the memory of the pain! Are you glad to have everything going well at home and not be healing from major abdominal surgery? I know people who have had both and they tell me that they would rather have the pain of labor and birth over the pain of surgery. It will be interesting to watch Evy's personality as she grows up. Will she be slow and steady, never to be rushed until the conditions are right? My mom says that my personality matches my birth.
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Child of God my king, wife of a wonderful husband, and mother of 4!

Marital conflict is not husband vs. wife, but husband and wife vs. our common enemy.

[Alison]

Congratulations! You did it!

My experience has been that I don't forget the pain between babies. I just like the kids so much that I'm willing to do it again for another one.

For future reference, when a woman feels that burning "up top" I tell them to take their own hand and push against where it burns. They generally push the baby's head away from the top and prevent their own tears up there.
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"The truth shall set you free, but first it will make you mad."

"And the time came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom"

[luckyone]

Thank you, both. Yeah, I'm already softening on a third pregnancy. We'll see.
Alison, thanks for the advice for "next time". I should have told the midwife it was hurting there. I didn't. I'm healing well, though. I feel pretty normal.
Charlotte, very glad not to be recovering from surgery! Really can't imagine. Having the sore bottom was bad enough. I think I may get a post-partum doula next time. My husband was awesome and took very good care of me, but next time he'll have to look after two older kiddos, so I think I may like someone to help just me and the baby.

[sonrise]

Good to know Alison that's great.

Wow a 9+lb baby, awesome. Congrats!!!!