A birthing story
Baby Chief is here!
That's him! He was born Saturday, March 31st at 6:08 am. 7 lbs 9 oz (though I would've sworn he was twenty lbs while he was coming out!) and twenty inches long.
Now, so you see he was born at 6:08 am... meaning I was up all night! At about 2 o'clock on Friday afternoon I thought my water broke but wasn't entirely sure... I called Crystal, my doula and friend, and she said to just take it easy and that my water probably did break but that it could be awhile before anything started. Around 7 that night I started having weird contractions that were about twenty minutes apart.
I say "weird" just in that they were different from the practice contractions I'd been having for a couple months. So, Jeff and I went and got dinner and took our dog, Oscar, to my sister's house in El Reno so just in case this was the real deal we would have someone dog-sitting.
We came back home, packed our bags, and tried to go to sleep. About ten minutes later (this was about 11:30) the contractions started getting a little more uncomfortable and were about 5 minutes apart. I couldn't lay down through them, I had to pace or lean on Jeff. We tried calling Crystal to see what we were supposed to do but for some reason her phone wasn't working and so she didn't answer. This went on for another hour or so, and the contractions were intensifying and were about 3 minutes apart. We tried calling Crystal again a couple more times but her phone was still messed up. We called one of the midwives, Leanna, and she said it was up to us what to do. So I told Jeff I felt like we needed to go to the hospital.
We got to the hospital around 1:45 am and I was hurting pretty badly. The contractions were still about 3 minutes apart and were 1 minute long. They stuck me in the triage room and decided to admit me, but had me wait in there while they got a birthing suite ready. The contractions then got horrible, and I was sitting on a bed and felt like I had no way to cope with the pain. Everything I wanted went out the window and I started begging for an epidural. They checked me and I was only dilated to a one, which was frustrating. Jeff knew I really didn't want one and tried calling Crystal again. Her phone finally worked (which ended up being a blessing that she hadn't answered before) and she came straight to the hospital. I was still in the triage room and she had me stand up and start breathing through the contractions. I realized that each contraction was about thirty breaths long, so I started counting breaths and swaying.
Crystal kept telling me that there was no way I was only at a one, so when they got me into the birthing suite they checked me again and I was already at a six. So that was why I was in so much pain, I was progessing really quickly. I continued to beg everyone I saw for an epidural, but Jeff and Crystal knew that wasn't what I wanted and were even asking nurses to stall so I wouldn't get one. :) tricky kids.
So, I was at a 6 and it was about 4:30 am. I had gone from a 1 to a 6 very quickly. I was bleeding a lot and hurting a lot. Poor Crystal tried a lot of different pain coping techniques on me, but the only thing I wanted to do was sway and count my breaths in my head. Jeff rubbed my back the entire time and whispered encouraging things to me.
I asked Crystal if I could take a bath because the nurse told me I could have an epidural in thirty mins. I decided I could definitely make it thirty minutes so Crystal made me a bath. Unfortunately my body HATED the bath so it was back to standing, swaying and counting. This was about 5:15 AM. Then the pain got unbearable. I hadn't made a lot of noise yet but I did at this point. I felt so much pressure and wanted to have the baby right then. I screamed and turned and bit poor Jeff SO hard on his chest. But he took it so well and just kept rubbing my back. The nurse and Leanna, the midwife, were next door delivering a baby. One of the nurses heard my scream from the hall and ran in and checked me. I was at an 8. After 3 hours and 15 minutes.
The rest is such a blur. I started demanding an epidural because of the pain but Crystal pretty much told me (in some really nice, encouraging words) that at this point it would slow things down. I kept asking for one but I can remember having some coherent moments where I knew I wasn't going to get one and that it would be okay. Leanna came in (after having just delivered a baby) and they set up a squat bar over the bed. Leanna had me do a practice squat without pushing during a contraction (which was really hard to do!) then, she let me push! I pushed through several contractions and she told me that I would have to finish delivering him on the bed so that she could make sure I didn't tear too badly. I moved on to the bed and they had me grab the back of my knees and push. Jeff rubbed my back the entire time and I can vaguely remember he and Crystal telling me over and over that I was doing great and things like that.
I remember feeling like I was on fire and I can remember Leanna telling me that she could see his head and asking me if I wanted a mirror so I could see him. But I said NO because I just wanted him out. I knew that if I could push him out I would feel so much better and wouldn't be on fire anymore.
It seemed like a rush... I was in so much pain, on fire one second and the next there's a slimy baby boy sitting on my stomach.
I am so glad Crystal and Jeff helped me stick to my birth plan and I was able to have him naturally without any drugs. It went so fast (which my midwife told me that means I have a body for making babies... oh boy) but I wouldn't change a thing.
That's him! He was born Saturday, March 31st at 6:08 am. 7 lbs 9 oz (though I would've sworn he was twenty lbs while he was coming out!) and twenty inches long.
Now, so you see he was born at 6:08 am... meaning I was up all night! At about 2 o'clock on Friday afternoon I thought my water broke but wasn't entirely sure... I called Crystal, my doula and friend, and she said to just take it easy and that my water probably did break but that it could be awhile before anything started. Around 7 that night I started having weird contractions that were about twenty minutes apart.
I say "weird" just in that they were different from the practice contractions I'd been having for a couple months. So, Jeff and I went and got dinner and took our dog, Oscar, to my sister's house in El Reno so just in case this was the real deal we would have someone dog-sitting.
We came back home, packed our bags, and tried to go to sleep. About ten minutes later (this was about 11:30) the contractions started getting a little more uncomfortable and were about 5 minutes apart. I couldn't lay down through them, I had to pace or lean on Jeff. We tried calling Crystal to see what we were supposed to do but for some reason her phone wasn't working and so she didn't answer. This went on for another hour or so, and the contractions were intensifying and were about 3 minutes apart. We tried calling Crystal again a couple more times but her phone was still messed up. We called one of the midwives, Leanna, and she said it was up to us what to do. So I told Jeff I felt like we needed to go to the hospital.
We got to the hospital around 1:45 am and I was hurting pretty badly. The contractions were still about 3 minutes apart and were 1 minute long. They stuck me in the triage room and decided to admit me, but had me wait in there while they got a birthing suite ready. The contractions then got horrible, and I was sitting on a bed and felt like I had no way to cope with the pain. Everything I wanted went out the window and I started begging for an epidural. They checked me and I was only dilated to a one, which was frustrating. Jeff knew I really didn't want one and tried calling Crystal again. Her phone finally worked (which ended up being a blessing that she hadn't answered before) and she came straight to the hospital. I was still in the triage room and she had me stand up and start breathing through the contractions. I realized that each contraction was about thirty breaths long, so I started counting breaths and swaying.
Crystal kept telling me that there was no way I was only at a one, so when they got me into the birthing suite they checked me again and I was already at a six. So that was why I was in so much pain, I was progessing really quickly. I continued to beg everyone I saw for an epidural, but Jeff and Crystal knew that wasn't what I wanted and were even asking nurses to stall so I wouldn't get one. :) tricky kids.
So, I was at a 6 and it was about 4:30 am. I had gone from a 1 to a 6 very quickly. I was bleeding a lot and hurting a lot. Poor Crystal tried a lot of different pain coping techniques on me, but the only thing I wanted to do was sway and count my breaths in my head. Jeff rubbed my back the entire time and whispered encouraging things to me.
I asked Crystal if I could take a bath because the nurse told me I could have an epidural in thirty mins. I decided I could definitely make it thirty minutes so Crystal made me a bath. Unfortunately my body HATED the bath so it was back to standing, swaying and counting. This was about 5:15 AM. Then the pain got unbearable. I hadn't made a lot of noise yet but I did at this point. I felt so much pressure and wanted to have the baby right then. I screamed and turned and bit poor Jeff SO hard on his chest. But he took it so well and just kept rubbing my back. The nurse and Leanna, the midwife, were next door delivering a baby. One of the nurses heard my scream from the hall and ran in and checked me. I was at an 8. After 3 hours and 15 minutes.
The rest is such a blur. I started demanding an epidural because of the pain but Crystal pretty much told me (in some really nice, encouraging words) that at this point it would slow things down. I kept asking for one but I can remember having some coherent moments where I knew I wasn't going to get one and that it would be okay. Leanna came in (after having just delivered a baby) and they set up a squat bar over the bed. Leanna had me do a practice squat without pushing during a contraction (which was really hard to do!) then, she let me push! I pushed through several contractions and she told me that I would have to finish delivering him on the bed so that she could make sure I didn't tear too badly. I moved on to the bed and they had me grab the back of my knees and push. Jeff rubbed my back the entire time and I can vaguely remember he and Crystal telling me over and over that I was doing great and things like that.
I remember feeling like I was on fire and I can remember Leanna telling me that she could see his head and asking me if I wanted a mirror so I could see him. But I said NO because I just wanted him out. I knew that if I could push him out I would feel so much better and wouldn't be on fire anymore.
It seemed like a rush... I was in so much pain, on fire one second and the next there's a slimy baby boy sitting on my stomach.
I am so glad Crystal and Jeff helped me stick to my birth plan and I was able to have him naturally without any drugs. It went so fast (which my midwife told me that means I have a body for making babies... oh boy) but I wouldn't change a thing.
I always advice those couples who are going to be deliver their baby through using the natural birthing process that they will have to two prepare for this because anything can happen at any time. So please take some tanning from the Self Hypnosis program to reduce the stress and pain at the time of natural birthing process.
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