I started having birthing waves at around 9:40 in the morning on September 18th. At first I didn't think they really meant anything since I'd had birthing waves on and off for weeks. These felt a little different, though, and they kept coming throughout the morning. At 1 p.m. I decided to go listen to my Hypnobabies Fear Release cd. Eva lay down with me and fell asleep. I dozed lightly as I listened and the birthing waves stopped. I'd called Matt (my husband) earlier to ask him to come home. He came in at 2 and my birthing waves started coming again as soon as he walked in.
We decided to go to the grocery store to pick up a few last minute items and hoped the walking would encourage things to move along. We also stopped by the storage unit to get some things we'd need for the birth and the baby. On our way home we picked up take-out from my favorite restaurant.
We got home around 4:30. We ate and fed the kids before heading upstairs to rearrange the rooms to accommodate the birth. Since our new house wasn't finished yet we were still living with my parents. Matt and the girls cleared the room. Matt hung two paintings we'd purchased for the new house. One of them was the inspiration for my Special Place (a Tuscan garden) and the other was of a mother holding a sleeping baby. He also set up the birth tub.
At 6 I called my massage therapist doula friend, Olivia, to ask her to come work on my pressure points to see if that would help move things along. She arrived at around 7:30. Matt put the girls to bed. It took him a long time to settle Eva. My birthing waves were strong, but fairly spaced out. I tried not to be impatient and frustrated, but I wanted things to get going already.
After doing massage and walking stairs and doing the birth hula things did pick up and I got in the tub. I listened to my Birth Affirmations for awhile. I felt hot so I got out of the tub. At around 12:30 a.m. on September 19th I was feeling tired and decided to try sleeping. I put on my Hypnobabies Birth Guide and lay down on the bed. Matt and Olivia took naps, too. My birthing waves continued to come, but I did get some rest.
At 1:30 I had some heavy birth show, called my midwife, and got back in the tub with strong birthing waves. She got there at around 2 or so. I asked her to check me. I was 5.5 cm with a very posterior cervix. It seemed that was why it was taking so long. We got fairly chatty for awhile and the waves spaced out. At this time the newspaper reporter who'd contacted my midwife about doing a story on home birth and the assistant midwife had arrived. I was 7 cm.
My mw sent me and dh out for a walk. My parents live on a steep hill. We walked down the hill and that brought on some more birthing waves. At the bottom of the hill we decided it was too cold to walk around the block so we turned around and went back up. I told my mw I could probably try sleeping so she and everyone else except Matt went downstairs.
After another hour-long nap or so I woke up with stronger birthing waves. I called my midwife back upstairs and got back in the tub because they were too intense for me to want to do them out of the water. But again they spaced out. My mw had me sit on the birth stool while she tried holding my cervix (which was still very posterior at 8 cm) forward. Even doing that for a few birthing waves it still moved back if she let go. I was feeling tired and frustrated at this point. I'm not sure what time it was but the sun started coming up pretty soon after so it had to have been around 7 in the morning. I asked her to break my water, which she did. Then she cleared the room while I lay down again.
Things finally really picked up and I got back in the tub. It didn't seem like much time had gone by before the birthing waves got really strong and long. I'd had a lot of low pressure throughout the birth (maybe because of the posterior cervix) and that got very intense. I also felt more pressure in my lower back. At one point it kind of felt better to push a bit so I asked my mw to check me. My cervix had moved forward, but wasn't completely gone yet so I worked through another few birthing waves.
I was about ready to get out thinking I needed to go to the bathroom when I pushed really hard. My mw asked me if I could feel the baby's head. I didn't know if she meant could I feel it moving down or could I feel it with my hand. I reached down and Holy Cow, there was her head! I provided my own perineal support as I gently pushed her head out. I had to push again for her shoulders before the rest of her slid out and I pulled her to my chest.
She was born at 9:24 a.m. after nearly 24 hours of labor and only 1 min. of pushing. She has short dark hair and a darker complexion with facial features like Audrey (who also has dark hair and a darker complexion). I pushed the placenta out about 5 minutes later (I think--it seemed really quick). It was one of the largest placentas my midwife had ever seen--it seemed to be as large as a dinner plate. No wonder my belly felt so crowded.
After nursing in the tub for awhile I got out, passed the baby off to Matt, and took a quick shower. When I came back into the room they were finishing the baby exam and Audrey helped to dress her. We've named the baby Leah Virginia (Virginia is after Matt's mom). She weighed 7 lbs. 11 oz. and was 20" long. She's a very sweet baby and we're so glad to have her here.