Hannah's Birth Story

We had just gotten into bed about 20 minutes before, and I felt what I first thought was a big kick, Except that it also kind of went "POP" on the inside. So out of curiousity, I went into the bathroom, and lo and behold, there was a gush into the toilet. So I walked back over to the bed and told Brian - "Don't go to sleep yet - I think my water just broke." He had JUST started to snore...

So at about midnight I called the MW to let her know I was coming in. The ctx were coming about every 6 minutes, and were stopping me in my tracks. By the time we got to the hospital (15 minute trip) they were 4 minutes apart. Went to the ER to be admitted, and from there to a triage room in L&D. I felt awful by this point, The ctx were basically one on top of the other, and I would get a break only about every 3-4 ctx. I was 5cm and 80%, 0 station when they checked me, which kinda upset me, b/c I thought I'd be further along than that, b/c by now I was shaking - you know, like how you get during transition. So the MW finally gets there about 20 mintues later, and when SHE checked me, I was 7 with a tiny bit of lip. Wow. So she sent the nurse to the tub room to start filling it for me.

Oh - and while all this is going on in triage, Brian has to disappear several times back down to admitting, to re-fill out all the paperwork, b/c they apparently lost the stuff that I sent in. And the girl at the desk couldn't read or spell, b/c he kept having to go back down to fix mistakes. It took them 3 tries to get our name spelled right - which was a continuing theme of the night. Had to have our bracelets redone 3 times.... But I digress...

So I finally get into the room, and get into the tub. Ladies, I HIGHLY recommend laboring in water. O.M.G. It was the best thing EVER. (Of course I've never had an epidural, though... ) I started out just sitting. But the MW kept telling me to listen to my body, and I eventually got down into a squat, kind of leaning on the side of the tub. It was just the most absolutely wonderful thing to be able to move however I needed to. So completely different from any of my other labors... The water was warm, and just soooooo relaxing.

The MW wanted to check me - she could tell I was getting close, and I asked her to check me before I got out of the tub. Didn't want to leave my tub... So she did, and said that I just had one little bit of lip left. She thought I should get out and push, and that it wouldn't take too much.

So I did. I got to the bed, and didn't even bother putting a gown back on. She told me to find a comfortable position, so I got on my hands and knees, leaning on the head of the bed. And slowly started to push. It was all on my own time - no counting, just me bringing her down. Now, this is where it got bad. I have this nerve bundle that goes wacky when I push. It makes my right butt cheek cramp, and my right foot go numb. And it hurt MORE to push through that pain than to actually push the baby out. So I kept having to stop, and wait for it to get bearable. She was actually crowning when I had to stop. I waited through 3 more ctx, slowly grunting little pushes, until she was right there, and I could finally push through it. 3 intense pushes later, and she was born, with me still on my hands and knees. And I didn't tear. AT ALL. Almost 9 pounds of baby, and an intact perenium. I love my midwife... And it was wonderful to push her out that way. Kinda strange looking, I imagine, but it worked. They passed her up through my legs, and I flipped over, and I got to cut the cord. It took her about 10-15 minutes of her just sniffing at my breast, but then she latched on and nursed for about 20-30 minutes. Her APGARs were 8 and 9, I think.

It was the most wonderful birth experience I could have ever asked for. First and foremost, it was FAST. 2 1/2 hours, start to finish. Love that. My MW was great. No IV, pain meds, or interventions. No complications. No back labor. And no tearing. It was truly a miracle.

I want to thank each and every one of you for all of your support, prayers, and PTs throughout this last year - through the m/c, my pg, and now, this miraculous birth. You will never know how much it has all meant to me. Thank you from the very bottom of my heart. You are the best.

Any Day Now....

Yes, we are ready. And according to the midwife, it could be any day now. I've started to dilate, so we're good to go. baby is still head-down, nice and low. So now we wait. Patiently. Is such a thing possible?

With all the world looking at my belly, in its obvious state of ripeness, the questions just don't end. You're still here? You should have popped by now! Aren't you uncomfortable????? When *were* you due, exactly? Yeah, it's getting a bit tiresome, explaining that no, I'm not officiallly due for a few more days. Yes, I'm still here. No, I'm not that particularly uncomfortable - it's all relative, anyway, at this stage of the game. I know these well-meaning people do care, but all you really need to tell a pregnant woman in her last few weeks is how good she looks, and how well she's carrying. There's really nothing else that you need to say to her. Unless you want to spring for a foot massage for her... *grin*

So, faithful readers, stay tuned. Not much longer, now....

All Ready to Go...

So we had our 38 week mw appt last Friday. This was the ONE WHERE WE TALK ABOUT MY ALTERNATIVES. Or, more realistically, where they try to convince me to agree to a c-section b/c the baby is breech. *rolls eyes* I saw the less-experienced mw (there are 3 in the practice), who was quite obviously uncomfortable about having to broach this subject with me, because she knew how I felt. So she sits with my chart in hand, silently, for like 3 minutes before she gets up the nerve to say anything.

Finally, she comes over to start the exam, and lo and behold, the child has flipped, and is now head down, ready to make its grand entrance into the world. Miracle of miracles - some babies DO still flip at 38 weeks! *does happy dance* So both she and I are visibly relieved, and the rest of the appt goes by without a hitch.

So thank you all for every single prayer and PT that you sent up on our behalf. It worked!!!!!!!

So now we wait. I've always gone early, but I figure since I lost some prep time while Wee One was breech, that I might be late this time. I'm ok with that, as long as I still get to go natural, and as long as it's not late enough to interfere with Thanksgiving. I don'treally want to eat the hospital's version of a turkey dinner, KWIM?????

My baby preparations are pretty much all done, with the one major exception of the bassinet, which will arrive with my mom later this week. It's a family heirloom, and all the babies have started their lives in it. But everything is washed, put away, and waiting for the new arrival.

And I have begun to give Wee One a new nickname - Wiggleworm. It is just still squirming around in there, ready to meet everyone. But not quite yet.

So we wait. And are thankful. And wonder at the miracle of it all....