Noah's Birth Story
Noah's Birth Story
by Chantal H.
My birth story actually begins on Saturday the 5th, the day I was 38 weeks pregnant. I spent the afternoon feeling contractions that were strong and so went walking. They came closer together, but weren’t exactly “painful”. I got in the bath in the twilight and waited to see what would happen. I know way too much about birth to think this was the ‘real thing’. Some of the contractions took concentration, and I found hands and knees to be the most comfortable position. About 8 I called my midwife, J., to let her know what was going on. She had me drink some cumin tea and relax. The contractions went away about 8:30, and by 10 I was only sore. I went to the park the following day and played with the kids, but still nothing took off.
Fast forward to Wednesday the 8th and my 38 ½ week check up! Baby is wayyyy down in my pelvis at a 0 station, which is new for me. Both Gabriel and Hannah were induced before they were engaged, and so I had started pushing with both at a -2 station. The pressure had been UNREAL since the bout with contractions on Saturday, and so I suspected that whole incident was about bringing him/her down further. Baby was still ROA though, just as s/he had been for the past, oh, 20 weeks! LOL! Unfortunately for me though, she noticed some bacteria in my urine dip, and I was diagnosed with a mild UTI, which is probably why I had been having twinges when the baby pushed against my bladder. The following week was going to be a pain (literally) as I tried to kick it. I also had mildly elevated blood pressure at 110/86. No swelling, headache, dizziness, etc so we weren’t too worried about it and in fact, she suspected it had to do with the UTI!
Then on Saturday the 12th, I came down with a horrible cold! Eyes watering, nose and chest congested, throat raw, and I was completely unable to sleep. I finally caved in on Sunday and took a Sudafed to try and get some rest, just in case I went into labor! Sunday was also special in that I had never been more pregnant than 39 weeks and I hit the 39 week, 1 day mark! Exciting? Not exactly! I was miserable and tired and sick and just wanted the baby to be born (as soon as I felt well enough to manage labor, delivery, and a newborn that is!) and thankfully with the Sudafed, I got some rest Sunday night (though not as much as I would have liked!). Peeing was becoming VERY difficult and by the shape of my stomach and increased inability to urinate, I KNEW the baby had dropped further into my pelvis! I began to wonder if I would even NEED to go through labor or if s/he was just going to FALL out!!! LOL!
On Tuesday the 15th, I had my 39 week appointment. The news was VERY bad. My pressure was up to 128/88, my bacteria levels were much higher and there was blood in my urine. My back also ached and I was concerned it might be turning into a kidney infection. Baby looked good though, with a nice strong heartbeat and *EXCITING* finally LOA and +1 station. We talked about our herbal options, considered using antibiotics, and she even mentioned if we were unable to contain the infection, I would likely need a section since a mama without kidneys is a dead one. I spent the rest of the afternoon completely FREAKED out and was online several times asking for prayers and just generally having a panic attack. At some point in there I started to have contractions, but figured it was because I was STILL having a hard time peeing, and my bladder was bothering my uterus. Dave came home at a little after 4 and we loaded up the kids and headed to J.'s house to pick up some of the herbs she wanted me to take for the infection. The entire hour and a half ride there was miserable. I was having contractions 11 minutes apart, which were quite strong, and both kids were really cranky. I kept yelling at Gabe to just shut up, since he was having a meltdown every 5 minutes about ‘GO DONALDS’ (go to McDonalds) and hitting his sister. When we FINALLY got there I picked up the birthing pool, the herbs, and some tea from her daughter, and BACK into the car we went. Since everyone was hungry, we stopped and got pizza. My contractions backed off until we got back in the car, and then they were 11 minutes apart all the way home. I thought we would NEVER get there! Finally we arrived and got the kids into bed. I was in no better mood with anyone, and yelled at Dave for getting the wrong herb at the store. So I stomped off to the grocery store at 10 to get the rest of the ingredients for my tea, and when I came back I was too tired to make it and so just fell asleep.
I woke at 12, 3, 4, and 430 with contractions that made me have to pee (thank GOD I was peeing again) and at 5am I just got up, giving up the night for lost. I had had strangely vivid dreams about my mother all night, and did not feel at all rested. I thought it odd that I had been awakened out of deep, dream sleep by them, and by 530 realized I might be in labor, so I woke Dave. I was just in total denial though. THIS couldn’t be it! It just didn’t hurt enough! However, my husband is much smarter than I, and when he saw me pacing and moaning he called the midwife to come. Then he ran off to Wal-Mart to get an air pump for the pool (he actually asked me where the hand pump was; I think he would still be pumping that thing up, 12 days later!!!). I walked and moaned and swayed through contractions, and just before he got back, got in the bathtub. The pain was UNBEARABLE while lying down though, and I abandoned that after about 2 contractions. Dave showed back up just as I was getting out of the tub, and after checking on me went to air up the pool. I continued to walk and sway and sat on the toilet, trying to pee (which was becoming really difficult again) and eventually leaning on the counter with some towels under me and was able to get a little urine out. At some point I folded a basket of laundry and washed a load of diapers. Then I got on and off of the toilet a few more times.
At 6:45 J. called to say she was on the road, and I got in the shower. I am not sure how long I was in there, just that the water was hot enough that my husband was worried I might hurt myself. The relief was divine though, and the contractions were coming on top of each other. This is when I began to wonder if I was going to be able to manage this. They were getting so much more intense, and I had to keep mentally reminding myself to keep my voice low, almost at a growl. This is when my nearly 3 year old son woke up. My 17 month old daughter had been up for a little bit, and Dave had gotten her breakfast. She was very concerned over the noises that I was making and in a generally bad mood anyway. Gabe wanted in my shower, so I turned the heat down and moved to the toilet. He asked me only once “what’s THAT noise mommy?” I told him my belly hurt and the baby was going to come out today, and he was fine with that and went about his morning. It was near here that my contractions began to space out a little, and I got control of my ‘I can’t do this’ feelings. I got back on the birthing ball, and Dave told me he was going to need some help with the kids, so I told him to call my mom. She lives 30 minutes away and needed to drop my brother off at school and then she would be on her way. Since that wasn’t going to be soon enough, he also called our neighbor to come and help. She brought her video camera to tape the birth, and once here, just started to set up, leaving Dave alone with the kids! He finally had to put Hannah in her crib with a toy. She was just too upset to be manageable. This is a child who will not sit in a confined space for longer than a few minutes without screaming. She was in there for the entire rest of the labor and delivery without a peep!
It was about now that I started to lose track of time and events. My midwife showed up and asked me quietly if I would like to be checked. I quickly thought back to my moments in the shower and said yes. I wanted to have some gauge of where I was at and how long I would need to cope. When she said “you’re 8 centimeters, completely effaced, with a bulging bag” I nearly fell off the couch onto the floor. Suddenly the shower made sense. I was in transition. Only nothing like any transition I had ever been in before, because between contractions I felt perfectly fine. I was talking and laughing with the midwife and Dave. I was walking again through the contractions, and beginning to have some pressure, but it honestly never really did sink in that I was going to have a baby, and SOON!
All this while Dave was filling the pool, frantically trying to beat me to the punch! I have a great picture of Gabe holding the hose. First it was too hot, then he cooled it down too much and ran out of hot water! So he put some pans on the stove to boil. J. thought it best to begin setting up the living room with plastic and pillows, just in case we didn’t make it, since I was feeling pressure and the contractions were probably somewhere around 1-2 minutes apart. It started to dawn on me that I really WAS going to have a baby after such an easy labor. When the pool was close to being done, I heaved myself in. It was HEAVEN on my hips, which felt like they were going to break in half at this point. Not warm enough by any stretch, but beggars can’t be choosers!
The urge to push came to me, but not strongly. J. said to feel free when I needed to. This is where time gets sort of weird and all stretched out, and my memory is not good. She checked me and found an anterior lip of cervix in the way. With the next contraction, she pushed it over his head, and at exactly 8:20, I gave my first good hard push. My water broke, was nice and clear, and 16 minutes later, I shoved the last shoulder out and Noah Alexander was born into the water. Now the in-between is so fuzzy I don’t know if I can properly put it into words. I literally screamed him out while crowning, and the feeling was so INTENSE. The stretching and burning was something I had not felt with my epidural births. I was VERY present inside of myself, but not terribly aware of anyone else. I was talking myself mentally through the pushing, the pain, and the intensity. I think I prayed a couple times for it to end soon! Gabe was there for the whole thing, holding my hand at points, fussing at Dave to get in the pool with me (he stripped down to his birthday suit and begged to get in twice), and generally being concerned for me. He was the only one I was able to focus on, and the memory of that will live with me forever. Dave was RIGHT THERE, since I wouldn’t let go of his hand. It was the first time he was with me for the entire labor! I was on hands and knees, leaning over the side of the pool, and just as Noah’s shoulders were born, I went into a modified squat. J. coached me through, but I am not really aware of what she said, just that I was present enough to listen to her, since my greatest desire was not to tear. Just as he was being born, I had a grip on my husbands hand and was looking at my firstborn, and I just KNEW that I could get him out (though I couldn’t possibly see how I wasn’t tearing all to hell back there!). J. placed him on my back, covered him with warm towels, and he gave one good solid cry. No need to suction or stimulate. I threw my leg over the cord and sat down and she put Noah on my chest and covered him with more towels. It was just quiet and wonderful (with the exception of a neighbor who was talking too much) for awhile. Dave cut his cord when it stopped pulsing so we could get out of the pool, which was too cold for us by now.
The next few hours were just bliss. No one tried poking us or took him away from me. My Mom showed up about 15 minutes after the birth, unbelieving that I had already done it! I curled up on my nice comfy couch with my newborn while others cleaned up. The placenta was taking awhile to come out, and Noah was not feeling like nursing yet. J. was getting a little concerned about how long it was taking, and so we worked on getting him to latch. As soon as he did I felt the urge to bear down again, and so did. The placenta delivered and looked intact and healthy. I got into a shower and we weighed him (NINE pounds and 22 inches). I had not one tear, just a tiny little bruise (I owe J. a LOT for that. She talked me through and only had me pushing at the peak of each of contraction, and not at all while he was born). Noah blended into our lives very easily, and by that evening, we had simply become a family of 5 instead of 4. Hannah got up and met her new brother, we changed diapers and breastfed and ate dinner. It was just as if nothing had happened, but everything had changed.
Now that I have experienced it, I am even more distraught that homebirth is not an option for more women in America. It’s a shame to me that we are drugged, strapped down, monitored, cut open, and told how to birth. When I listened to my body, it told me exactly what it needed to do. A little coaching was needed at pushing time, but otherwise, I was happy to be mostly alone and on my own. It was an incredibly powerful experience and I was totally in control at all times. It wasn’t something HAPPENING TO ME, but something I WAS DOING. Nothing was done to me or to the baby that I didn’t give my express permission for. No one asked me questions or poked me with needles or told me (either verbally or not) that my body was unable to do it’s thing. Women’s bodies were MADE to give birth and when left alone, they are rather efficient at it. I will never again go back to giving birth at a hospital, unless it is a specific medical problem!
Oh yeah, and I peed a river nearly as soon as Noah was born!!!! AHHHHHHHH……………
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