Hello mom's and moms to be. Our little baby b was born on September 26th!!! After 15 hours of the hardest work I will ever do, she came sweetly into this world. The short version of the birth story to follow.
Midnight - while lying in bed feeling somewhat strange my water breaks, only it doesn't just drip, it literally GUSHES! I run for the bathroom while screaming for Hubby to wake up and call the DR.
While he runs around getting our stuff together (she was a week and a half early) I start counting contractions. They come strong and often! No 10 minute in between for me - they come every 2-3 minutes from the beginning and just get stronger and stronger as the time goes. Dr. says good luck ( she is not delivering, I have Midwives waiting at the hospital) and see you at my next appointment. While hubby is getting stuff together I am in the bathtub holding on to the shower rod and watching my mucus plug come out with the streams of amiotic fluid. Pain is getting more intense. The car ride is not fun, but we make it there and are led to the Maternity floor by security. I can hardly walk, but manage to get checked in. They strap me in to assess the baby's heart beat, midwife meets us and starts taking my stats. I am admitted and led to our birthing room. It's now about 3:30am. Doula gets there, and pain gets worse. Dawn comes, it's nice to look out at the sleeping city, but I can't really concentrate on much. I have light snacks here and there and hubby keeps me well hydrated, giving me water and gatorade every 10 minutes or so. Hubby and Doula take turns napping whenever they can. I actually doze off a few times, but am roughly awoken by the contractions. Through this whole time the midwife keeps checking the baby's heartbeat, she's doing great! By noon I am REALLY feeling the pressure from her her head in my pelvis. It's hard to walk around anymore, but I find it soothing (as soothing as anything can be in the throes of contractions). I try so many different positions just to try and get some relief, nothing really helps. I am amazed at the human body and it's ability to go through this process. By 1 the midwife tells me to start pushing. The lip of my cervix keeps snapping back, and she has to reach in there to get it out of the way during contractions - OUCH! After what seems like an eternity of pushing we try the towel trick. My husband holds a towel and pulls while I pull and push. It helps, but not for long as my arms start getting tired after a while. This is the point where I thought that I could not go further. My midwife changes strategies and has my husband and Doula hold my feet as I begin to push. They can see her head, she's right there they say, but all I can think of is the pain! I push some more, then the midwife tells me to reach down and feel her crown. Its amazing, but still the pain is all I can think about. More pushing, more encouragement from the birth team, and the look on my husbands face is one of elation and awe. I give it all I have left. Her head pops out, and literally half a second later the rest of her body just slips out and she's here!! She is immediately handed to me. She is warm, blue, covered in varnix and just about the most beautiful thing I have ever laid my eyes on. The pain disappears, all I can think about is that little human on my chest. Her eyes are wide open, she is calm and peaceful. While I am getting stiched up from a couple of tears I look her over, she is magnificent. There is nothing like those first few moments looking into her eyes and her looking back. I will never forget that as long as I live. 15 hours of labor, and I feel wide awake, happy and so relieved that she is ok. During the whole thing her heart stays strong and steady, it was just me that needed reassuring.
Now, three weeks later I am completely in love with my little angel. My tears have all but healed, and my body is getting back to itself. We started breastfeeding almost immediately with the help and encouragement of my midwife. We roomed in and I did not get separated from her at all. We went home the next day. She is my Love and my Light, and I wish you all the same!!!