Harrison
Born February 20, 2008 7:59pm
I started visualizing how I wanted my birthing time to be as suggested in the
Hypnobirthing and Hypnobabies classes that I was following. I had visualized my
water breaking at 7:00am, mom getting here by 3:00pm, go to the hospital by
5:00pm and have the baby by 9:00pm. That to me was an ideal birthing situation
for me. I didn't practice the hypno stuff perfectly but made efforts to listen
to the CDs every night. These CDs and classes completely prepared me to relax
during my birthing.
On Tuesday Feb 19, 2008, my due date, in the evening I began to have some bloody
show and extreme pressure in my bottom. I told Jim at 9:00pm that he wasn't
going to make it into work the next day, so to go in and get done whatever he
needed to finish. I went to bed and listened to my CDs as I slept.
I woke up a little before 7:00am and felt some pressure waves and surges. I lay
in bed and started to time them, they were about 5-7 minutes apart for about 1
hour. I got up, and by this time Jim and Charlie were up eating breakfast. I
told Jim I was in labor and no work today! I had an appointment scheduled with
my midwife at 11:15am, so I called to tell them I thought I was in labor. They
told me my midwife was at a delivery and that I should still come in and see the
nurse practitioner who will check me out. I called my wonderful doula, Tiffany,
to give her the heads up also. I told Charlie (27 months old) that I was in
labor and sometimes needed to hold his hand. I also told him to say
"peace" when I had a surge. He was great. I would hold his hand and he would
look at me and say "peace", it was the sweetest thing ever and really helped me
get through them.
By the appointment time, my surges were 4-5 min apart, met with the nurse
practitioner who checked me, said I was 2-3 cm 50% and too calm to be in labor,
so said it was most likely false labor. So she made me make an appointment for
the next week, while I was breathing hard through surges. The staff knew I
wasn't going to make it to the next week! Went into the waiting room and get
Charlie and Jim and went to the car. We stopped at Shaws to pick up a few things
and surges were still about 4 –5 min apart. We got home and I got hit hard with
some 2-3 minute apart. I leaned over whatever I was near and said to myself
"peace, relax, release." I was able to keep myself relaxed through each surge. I
kept my jaw loose, my hands relaxed and really just let the surge do its work. I
called Tiffany to give her an update, we decided to eat and try to nap.
Jim gave Charlie lunch and I ate some cream of wheat. I went up to nap.
I laid in bed and listened to the Hypnobabies birthing day CD as I timed some
surges. With each surge I repeated "peace, relax, release", and I really just
let the surge wave through me. They slowed a bit down to about 5 min apart, so I
continued to try to relax through them and around 2:00pm I started timing them
again because I felt like they were intensifying. They were 4-6 minutes apart. I
called my doula, Tiffany, at 2:30pm and asked her to come be with me. She
arrived here around 3:00ish and shortly after my mom, sister, and Norm (mom's
boyfriend) all arrived. I felt safe knowing that Charlie would be in good hands
while I labored. Tiffany helped me get through a bunch of surges. After seeing
her, I really didn't want to listen to my CDs, I really just wanted to hear her
voice and feel her touch. I was greatly comforted when she rubbed my arm and
held my hand.
I called midwife shortly after Tiffany got here and told them I was ready to
come in to the hospital. Jim and Tiffany got my stuff together. I said bye to my
mom, Norm, my sister and Charlie, but Charlie was too busy playing which eased
my mind that he wasn't distraught that I was leaving. And we were off to the
hospital. Jim pulled over twice on a really bumpy road to let me get through a
surge. The drive is only about 15 min, but I had several surges through it.
When we got to the hospital Jim and Tiffany helped me get to the maternity ward
where we were greeted by Dr. Streeter, because my midwife, Elsa, would be in
around 5:00pm. We got to our room probably around 4:30ish, and Jim left to move
the car and bring in my bags, while Tiffany helped me get my hospital gown on.
The nurse Jamie was extremely kind and let me get into multiple positions for
the NST strip that they need to do to monitor surges and the baby's heartbeat.
They had a hard time finding the heartbeat, which freaked me out at first, but I
had been feeling the baby move, so tried to be patient.
Eventually, several surges later, and even Jim trying to find it, they got it
and didn't need to monitor it for that long at all. All this time Jim stayed by
my side which was surprising. We had discussed from the beginning of the
pregnancy that Jim would be taking care of Charlie and didn't feel comfortable
being in the hospital throughout the labor and birth. I was totally at
peace with that and let go of the thought that he would be with me. I was so
lucky that my sister was able to come up and she stayed with Charlie.
I tried laboring in some different positions, as I began to get
very very very uncomfortable. I said that I didn't think I could do it anymore.
Tiffany assured me that I was doing great and suggested that I may be in
transition and asked if I wanted to be checked to see my progress. I said YES!
Dr. Streeter came in at 5:30ish and checked me and said "she's an 8!". My eyes
welled up with tears because I could not believe that I had labored so much at
home! Tiffany and Dr Streeter shared my joy and told me I was doing a great job.
I turned to Jim and said "Call my mom!"
I was feeling a bit like I was losing control over my surges, so I asked Tiffany
if I could get into the tub. I was feeling a bit scared and couldn't quite relax
as good as before. But the strange thing to me, was how aware I was of
everything. I was aware that I might tense up. When my midwife came in, Tiffany
suggested I tell her my request and I did. So slowly they got me into the tub.
I got instant relief in the tub. Jim stayed by my side the entire time. I had
about 3 surges in the tub and POP my water broke. I said "I think my water
broke, I am scared" and I had the urge to push and poop at the same time. I told
Jim to leave, I said I have to poop! But he didn't leave me. They all got me out
of the tub and back to the bed, to help me ease this baby down and out. I was
kneeling on the bed, which helped and a wonderful nurse rubbed my back, she knew
just where to put pressure to help my back pain.
In between surges it was so nice and quiet and dim. All I heard
was the labor music that I picked (Target CDs Relax, Sleep and Guitar).In
between surges I was able to joke around and even during some urges I was able
to whisper little private jokes to Jim. I really attribute that to the hypno
programs. I was so aware and alert and able to go right back into relaxation
once the next surge started. I started to get antsy, because I could feel the
baby moving down and I was afraid to push. My midwife told me to push but I told
her I was "breathing my baby out!" and Tiffany reminded me to try the J- breath.
I grunted a little but really tried to let my body ease the baby down. When
people told me to relax and push I remember I kept saying "I am trying" and
everyone said "no, you are doing it!" There were times when I wasn't pushing,
but the baby was moving and my midwife was saying "yes, Linda that is the way!"
but I wasn't doing anything.. I just let the baby move. When I said "I am
trying", Tiffany grounded me, and told me to give up the expectations and just
be. Those words really really helped me get re-focused on what I was doing.
During the whole pushing phase was challenging for me to stay relaxed because it
felt uncomfortable! I wanted the baby out, but I didn't want to rush it out. I
tried squatting with the squat bar, hands and knees, crawling all over the bed,
leaning over the top of the bed, semi- sitting-squat! My midwife was doing
perineal massage and kept poking me, so I kept yelling at her to stop. She told
me to push her fingers out. I think she was trying to help me push, but I didn't
like it, so she stopped. I think it was almost comical how I yelled at her, I
heard everyone chuckle.
Meanwhile at 7:40pm-ish, my brother, Greg, showed up. I could not have been
happier to see him. I heard his voice. I had a new boost of energy, Tiffany gave
me some honey and I got the baby past my pubic bone. I knew it was time to
really give this baby a push. My midwife kept asking me to put my feet against
the squat bar but I didn't have to ability to do that. Not sure why, just
couldn't lift my legs during a surge.
My midwife asked me again to try to put my legs up and Greg says "Let's do
this!" and he grabbed my leg, wrapped his arm around it and held onto my hand.
Tiffany did the same, and I was much more comfortable for the pushing. I pushed
a bit. The head crowned and my midwife asked me if I wanted to feel it, I said
NO and moved my hand to the top of my head. I really didn't want to feel it, I
could feel it already, I knew where it was!
Then my mom touched the head, and said "Linda I am touching the
baby's head". As I pushed some more, my mom was great at telling me what she
saw, "I see an eye, a nose, a mouth…" that really helped me push because I knew
that she was serious about what she saw and wasn't just saying "he is almost
here" when he wasn't. Then I got the head out, and my midwife asked my mom if
she wanted to deliver the rest of the baby, she said YES! So my mom grabbed and
guided out his little body and laid him on my chest. That was such an
exhilarating moment for me. Hearing my mom say "Linda I have your baby!" she was
so excited! Harrison James was born at 7:59pm Feb 20, 2008 at the start of the
lunar eclipse!
So I held my baby and the nurses put a towel on us to dry him. But we didn't
know if it was a boy or a girl yet. So I asked my brother to announce the sex,
and the nurse removed the towel and Greg shouted "It's a boy!" I couldn't have
been happier! I was so excited to have my little boy. My mom was text messaging
my Grammy to let her know and my midwife asked her if she wanted to cut the
cord. My mom said, "yes, let me send this text" ahhaha! So she cut the cord.
They weighed him in the room 8lbs 14oz, 21.5 inches. Everything the nurses did,
they checked with me first, "is it ok for me to weigh him?", "is it ok for me to
put a diaper on him", "you don't want the antibiotic ointment in his eyes do
you?", "you don't want the Hep B vaccine do you?" .. they were great. They
checked with me about everything. He nursed after about 30 min and did very
well!
Harry nurses well and is gaining well. He was 8lbs 6oz at discharge Friday, 8lbs
5oz at weight check on Sunday and up to 8lbs 12 oz by 1 week appointment on
Thursday. Charlie is doing well and Jim is doing ok.
THANK YOU HYPNOBABIES!