Sophie's Water Birth
Wow, what a rollercoaster this pregnancy has been, and I thank
you ladies SO MUCH for keeping me grounded through the "gestational diabetes"
roller coaster, the hospital midwife that dropped all deliveries, the decision
to home birth, and then how to get past the family that was very negative and
unsupportive.
My birthing time started Sunday around 7pm and came in waves lasting 3 minutes
long every 8 minutes. They were mild, and because it was night time I decided to
try to get some sleep. I was able to sleep between waves and around 4am they
slowed and then stopped. I knew I may be in for a long slow buildup, so I made
sure to keep well hydrated, fed, and rested. Monday I was pretty tired and
planned on napping so my waves would start again, but my 10 yr old broke his arm
and we spent the afternoon in urgent care and then doting over him. Tuesday
sometime after midnight, my husband noted I was moaning in my sleep and my belly
was getting hard every 15 minutes or so. I was waking up during some of the
waves, but most were mild enough that my body chose to work through it while I
slept. Around 7 am I decided to get up as they were getting more powerful, but
still easy to work through. I called my midwife to tell her what was happening
and we decided to cancel my noon appointment as we agreed I was in my early
birthing time again.
This time my waves were erratic, every 4-12 minutes apart, with no pattern
whatsoever. I laid down to take a nap after lunch and got up to get ready for my
son's 3:30 appointment with the orthopedic physician, when I decided I just did
not feel like leaving my home, so I drew my mom (who was in town for a week for
a visit) a map and sent her with a note and called the doctor's appointment to
ask they treat him because I was in l***r. My husband got home at 4:30 from work
and I decided to lay back down again to rest.
I got back up at dinner time, my mom had made the most amazing Thai chicken in
peanut sauce, the waves were strong enough that I had to close my eyes through
them and just let myself go limp. I was listening to my scripts and swaying my
hips with the waves, but they still were not making me want to call my support
team yet, however around 8pm my midwife called me and she decided she wanted to
check me before trying to go to bed herself. She arrived an hour later and said
I was a 4-5, 95% effaced and 0 or -1 station (my memory is a bit fuzzy). I
decided to call my doulas as the exam irritated my uterus and made the waves
become more powerful. They arrived at 10 pm, I was on my knees leaning on the
birthing ball through the waves.
[bubble of peace time]
The waves were in my back, and no one could determine babies position, so my
doulas and I discussed some resting and some active exercises we could try, from
laying on my side elevating my leg on a large ball, to side walking the stairs.
While laying in the bed for a second time, counter pressure and gentle back rubs
were not easing the back pressure, so I asked my midwife if we could try the
pool now. She said she was fine with it, as long as it did not stall progress
and she asked to check me first. Around midnight, she checked me again, and when
she looked at me and said "well my dear" I just knew what she was going to the
same. She said I was pretty much the same, but I was stretchier and she could
try to stretch me to a 7 if I would like, but warned it would probably intensify
my waves. I was very positive, but I think my mom was bummed that little had
changed in 3 hours. At around 1 am I moved into the tub.
OH MY GOODNESS, the water was AMAZING! The waves did get farther between, but
they were so much more intense. I was squatting on my knees laying my head on my
mother while my doulas rubbed my back. My Hypnobabies training was amazing, I
did not panic once, I remained calm and relaxed, and I was able to let go of
each wave once it passed and not panic about anything yet to come. As the waves
intensified, I noticed I was starting to change my low deep moans, to grunting
sounds and my doulas questioned my midwife if I was complete and she told them
"she will know when she is ready to push" and I felt so confident that I was
almost done, because I felt myself really starting to lose it.
[strengthen your bubble of peace]
As my waves started turning into pushing waves I was having a very hard time
relaxing with the waves, I kept trying to crawl past them but kept telling
myself "peace" and "release", my back pressure was incredible and my team was
telling me to push through them, that really helped and I was roaring like a
lion. I was feeling frustrated because I was not feeling her moving down and my
midwife's support was really bothering me, but then I felt her head entering the
birth canal and my energy and faith was restored and I was able to focus on
meeting my baby girl. Soon I heard my midwife exclaim her head was out and I
felt the rest of her slide out. I would not say it was p**n free, but it was a
manageable pain and I KNOW Hypnobabies helped me keep my cool. My doulas told me
they were amazed at how well I was able to go into my zone. I never once asked
for drugs, or asked them to get her out of me, or that I was done. I did say it
was hard, or not very fun, or that the pressure was intense.
Everyone helped me roll over to meet my baby girl and she was absolutely
stunning. I stayed in the pool for a few more minutes and then moved onto my bed
to deliver the placenta. That was so cool because I never remember that part of
my other two births since the hospitals yanked them out right away to stitch me
up. It was so cool to see my baby's "home". She had no interest in the breast at
first, and we had latch issues until my milk came in 60 hours later, but now she
is a pro.
The stats:
Sophia "Sophie" Elanna R.
6 lbs 10 oz; 18 7/8th in long
Born on 6-4-08 @ 1:43am in the water at home
24 hours of early labor, 6 hours of active labor, 15 minutes of pushing.
I have some of the photos on Flickr, all are G-rated:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sumnerrain/
Heather R.
--
Mom to Austin (12), Christopher (10.5), Matthew (3) and Sophia Elanna (6/4/08)
http://www.sumnerrain.com or http://www.mistakesinmotherhood.com
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sumnerrain/