Birth Story Part 2

After weeks of feeling like I would be pregnant forever, I was finally at a point where I had let go of some of the emotional stuff that was going on and let myself really relax. At my appointment Thursday I told my MW that I was finally starting to feel like labor would be coming soon. My BH contractions had come back and they were getting stronger and I was really feeling like I could birth anytime soon. (Although deep down inside I really wanted the baby to come that afternoon or wait until the weekend.) DH's birthday was Friday and I was really wanted the baby to have his own day and not have to share.

Obviously someone had other plans. Later that evening I started feeling really crampy. I sat on the yoga ball I borrowed from my granny while I watched Ugly Betty. Around 8:30 I noticed that the cramps were requiring some work on my part. I’d actually have to stop watching TV and focus on my breathing to get through them. At 9 I got up to go to bed since I wasn’t interested in watching the debates. I lay down but wasn’t able to fall asleep. It was then that I realized (acknowledged) that I was having contractions. I wasn’t paying any real attention before so I hadn’t noticed that the cramps were actually peaking at some point. I got out my laptop and starting timing a few just so I could have a reference to tell my MW when I called her. Although for some reason I just refused to believe that I was in labor.

After 3 contractions that were a minute long and coming every 7 minutes. I got up and called my MW and then my mother and went back to the yoga ball in my room. I tried laying on my side in the bed a bit but that wasn’t really working. In between one set of contractions I went into the kitchen to fill my water bottle. And then went right back to the yoga ball which is where I was when my mom arrived 15 minutes later and when my MW arrived shortly after that. By the time she arrived I’d been in labor for about 2 hours. I went back to the ball while she got the birthing tub and her other supplies setup.

I remember her telling me to try and pee so I went in the bathroom where I got naked and spent some time contracting. I’m not sure how long I was in there but I remember my MW coming in to check the baby’s heartbeat. After that I went back to my room where I labored just leaning over the edge of the bed and rocking side to side. The contractions started to pick up a bit and I needed some counter pressure on my back so I called my mom in for that. After a while I asked if the tub was ready and it was. I walked out to the living room and got in. The water felt really cool when I got in, which wasn’t what I was expecting but I was so hot that I didn’t mind. I had a few contractions while everyone else sat around. My MW checked the heartbeat again and then asked for some more hot water for the tub. Once it was almost full she said it was too hot (104 degrees) and so started trying to cool it off. This was also when transition started for me.

Transition is the hardest part of labor for me; it’s usually the point where I start to lose it a bit. My contractions got really hard and were coming about every 30 seconds for 15 minutes I’m told. I grabbed on to my mom and my MW was applying counter pressure. This is where things get funny (to me). I can remember burying my head in my mom’s neck and saying (half yelling) that I couldn’t do it, I needed help, I didn’t want to do it anymore, make it stop, I changed my mind I wanted some drugs (a request that went completely ignored) . . . the usual transition speak. The funny part is that in my mind I was very calm. I kept telling myself “You’re in transition. It’s the hard part but it’s almost over.” I was not this calm and collected on the outside. I was never able to get comfortable (as comfortable as one can be in active labor). I’m not sure if it was because the temperature of the water kept changing or what.

I suddenly flipped over to my back and my inner animalistic birthing goddess took over. I’m told I was making really deep low tones and my body started to push. I remember thinking that I really wanted to be pushing and then I felt the baby pushing downward. I don’t actually remember pushing, but I’m told I was pushing hard. My MW tried to check the baby’s heart again and I told her no. On one push my water broke and then soon after I started feeling the ring of fire and then the head pushing its way out. I remember my MW trying to support my perineum but I couldn’t stand her touching me. I didn’t have that relaxed feeling once the head was out that I had with my first baby. Instead I had the urge to push with all my might because I just had to get the baby out. At this point my MW told me that I had to get out of the water so DH had to hold me up while I gave a last push and baby boy #2 came into the world. (she later told me that his shoulder’s were stuck and she needed me out of the tub to help turn him and as a result his right clavicle is broken, but will heal on its own with time).

Unlike his brother he came in crying and screaming. My mom jokes that he was blowing his trumpet like the angel in the Bible. My baby was in the world and letting everyone know he was here to stay. I had to get out of the tub immediately because my MW was concerned about blood loss. So we moved to the floor (I wasn’t strong enough to walk to the room) and baby was named, he nursed which helped me push out the placenta a few minutes later. My MW massaged my uterus to keep it tight and gave me some herbs to help control the bleeding. Once the cord stopped pulsing DH cut and I told the baby that it was on its own now and finally looked to see if we had a boy or a girl. Around this time big brother woke up and came to where I was. My mom took him to the bathroom to pee and when he came back he said “mama, what’s that??” I told him that it was the baby and that he had a baby brother. He was excited and stayed at my side watching the baby until I got up to go to the bedroom.