I sometimes find that even immediately after birth, it is hard to remember all of the details. So much happens is such a short time frame. A woman spends a long 9 months waiting and anticipating the arrival of their baby, and it really does happen in just moments.
Labor had begun very early on around 37 weeks when my body was already dilating with the daily contractions. Saturday the 18th was looking to be just another day except for the fact that the night before I could not get any sleep and I just chalked it up to typical pregnancy woes. I was so very uncomfortable. When I woke up though, I rubbed my belly and told the little man that today would be a good day to be born and that I would love to see him. That day mom and I spent time cleaning and de-cluttering the house in preparation of the baby. I had vacuumed the floors and mopped the kitchen. I had maybe one contraction, but nothing to be excited about. Before Ryan left for work, he cut a pineapple for me (one of those wives tales of how to naturally induce labor) and so in the evening I decided to have myself a snack. I was on the computer doing my forums, watching CSI, and the big kids were doing their own thing. Rachael was sharing some pineapple with the babies. I had heard a very loud bang outside (which I found to be quite odd) and maybe 10 minutes later I felt a "pop" and I lept out of my chair. At 7:10 pm my water had broke. As I jumped up I said, "Oh no my water broke! Quick someone get me a towel!" Only to have the kids reply, "Your what? What's your water?" And Zachary handed me a hand towel. I said, "No! A big towel! My water broke, you know the bag of water that the baby is in!?!" So they brought me three more towels. I called Ryan at work to come home and Zachary called mom so she could come get me and take me to the hospital. Oh, and then I thought, "Shoot, I need to call the hospital!" Thankfully my contractions did not start until I got to the hospital. Well I had maybe one, but it was very mild.
This time around, everyone was waiting on me. In the past, my babies had come so quickly that the doctors were never ready to deliver. This time they were all suited up and ready to go. The nurse, Marcia (the most AMAZING delivery nurse ever) got me hooked up and the doctor checked me. I was dilated to a "stretchy" 7 the PA said (yep, I had both the doctor and the PA there for this delivery). Any way, I was actually 5 cm, but stretched to 7. So we got me all prepared with the IV for antibiotics and started the waiting game for the contractions to come. Slowly but surely they came, but never very intense. However, I sat in my "zone" all the time. An hour after admission they checked me again and I was now at 7 cm. Whew, I was very happy to hear that. Nearly done. As my contractions intensified, I realized simply breathing through them was not quite enough to cope. I felt some anxiety in anticipation of each contraction coming, so I changed my thought to prayer. With each cleansing breath in and out at the beginning of a contraction, I would slowly meditate on a Hail Mary. I found much comfort in this. While my heart was comforted with the fact that Mary knows what childbirth is like, I also took comfort in knowing that her son Jesus knows what it is like to be in physical pain.
As labor progressed, I had to use the bathroom many times, and I was learning that being out of bed was intensifying my contractions. The final time I used the bathroom, my mind and body were in conflict. My body wanted desperately to get back into bed. My contractions in bed were much more bearable than the ones walking around and sitting on the toilet. However, my mind was telling me to stay out of bed. I needed to make things progress more, and I need to let gravity help. Both Ryan and Marcia knew this labor was more intense because I was much more vocal with my contractions. As I was on my way back from the bathroom (enduring 2 very painful contractions on the toilet) I was hit with another strong one at the bedside. I called for Ryan and I hung on his neck as we stood and slow danced through the contraction. At that moment, I did not notice anyone else in the room. It was just him and I. The doctor was standing there waiting to check me (it had been about another hour) but both he and Marcia knew that I was already complete simply by my reactions to the contractions. I had another intense contraction that Ryan and I danced through, and as soon as it was done, I took charge. Marcia said it was time too because I was getting bossy. Ha! The contraction passed and I said, "Okay, come on lets get this done." And the doctor checked me and it was immediately confirmed that I was complete and ready to push.
This is where this delivery is so very different from my previous ones. They got me ready to push, but I did not have that urge to push. Before, I always had an incredible urge to push, but not this time. So Marcia gave me quick instructions to bear down and push, but as I did so, I became incredibly light headed and was on the verge of passing out. It was so foreign to me. My body was not telling me to push. So as the next contraction was coming, she wanted me to do it again, but I ignored her. I simply (as Ina May describes) made primal grunting (only way I can describe it) noises to help bring the baby down. During this time, Marcia was wanting me to push, but then I heard the doctor telling her that it was okay that I didn't because they could see that I was already bring the baby down on my own. The third contraction came and with more grunting he crowned, head came, then shoulders (had to give a little more umph for the shoulders) and he was born. I heard Marcia say 10 till 10. They were all saying, "Look at him, he's so big!" And I couldn't see him, so I told them I want to see him. They immediately put him on my chest (first time that happened) and he was absolutely beautiful.
This little man was tough too. He only gave one cry just to let them all know that he could, and the rest of the time he just went with the flow of things. He weighed in at 10 lbs 2.5 oz and was 21 1/2 inches long. Total labor time from my water breaking was 2 hrs and 40 minutes and just 2 1/2 pushes to bring him into our family.
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