This is James' birth story. I'm afraid its a bit on the long side and not really well written:) Typing one handed and sleepy doesn't produce anything easy to read so my apologies for that!
This is cut and pasted and instead of going through and changing names I'll give you the cast of characters
Nan, Thao, Anne, and Kristen are all friends who were either there for the birth or were helping in some capacity. John is my DH, Lyn is my mother in law and Mel and Jennifer were the midwives. And Owain is my 2 year old son.
Soooo, lets go back to Thursday 9/24. I woke up feeling like I just had to do something to get labor started even though the day before I had an ultrasound that went so well I told my midwife that I did not want to do anything to try and induce until Sunday. She wanted to strip my membranes or use a foley bulb to manually dilate my cervix. I decided to drink a delicious castor oil coctail instead. Kristen stopped off at Bartell's to get the good stuff and then headed to my house, Anne brought over some baking soda. I mixed 1/4 cup castor oil with 1/4 cup orange juice and 1 tsp baking soda. Down the hatch at 3:00pm! It was DISGUSTING to say the least. I immediately felt gross and nauseated. The bathroom trips started at 4:30 and contractions at 6:30. I called John to come home early and help me put Owain to bed and thankfully he was already on the bus. He got home and put Owie down and we sat down to have dinner that his mom made for us. During dinner contractions became a little more painful, to the point where Lyn asked if I felt like these were different than the ones I'd been having. I said yes and we all decided it would be a good idea to call Mel, my midwife, before it got late and give her the heads up that something was happening. This was at 8:15, She told me to wait one hour and if the contractions were still happening call for the birth tub. One hour later things were still happening so we paged for the tub. I believe around this time I called Anne (is this right Anne?). She was here before the tub arrived, it took a long time for them to get here. I phoned Thao and Nan and I started trying to get my supplies organized. Eventually I gave up on that and tried to watch TiVoed episodes of Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune. Nan arrived at about 11pm and Thao at about 11:30. John and Anne had to reset the hot water heater in the basement to get the temp up so the pool could be filled. While the pool was filling and after all the supplies had been set up John and I decided to lay down for a while and get some rest per the instructions from the midwife. I was able to lay in bed for about an hour I think and I realized that I was moaning with every contraction and keeping John awake so I came out to the living room and hung out with Nan and Thao. I got into the pool sometime past midnight I think and didn't stay in all that long because it was too hot and I was worried that it was slowing down my labor. I got out and into my robe and we all settled down in the living room and started to watch Zoolander. I was getting pretty tired so I reclined in my fab new chair and tried to snooze between contractions. At about 4:30 I was way too uncomfortable to be in that chair anymore so I got up and went to the bathroom. Lo and behold bloody show. I got excited because now I could really believe that this was it and I went into labor on my own! I got back in the tub where I stayed for nearly 8 hours. Nan and Thao took really good care of me. They timed the contractions, fed me and made sure I kept drinking water and recharge. Lyn got up throughout the night to lend a hand and provide encouragement. At 6:45 Owain woke up. Thao got his botbot ready and Nan got him into his swim diaper and he got in the pool with me. that was really great. He was so cute playing in there and dunking his head under. He didn't get freaked out at all during my loud vocalizing during contractions and I really didn't mind him being there. John woke up right around then and began to help and comfort me through the contractions. Lyn took Owain over to Anne's house. Looking back at the Contraction Master website my contractions got a lot more intense and longer between 5 and 8am. We called Mel at 8:30am and she said she'd be there in an hour and a half. I felt that things were getting very difficult at this point. I still had between 5-6 minutes between contractions but they were so strong and I was totally exhausted in between. I threw up sometime before Mel got there and was hopeful that I was nearing transition. Boy was I wrong. Mel arrived and I was screaming and crying a lot. She told me to try and moan in a lower tone to help manage the pain and open up. I gave it a shot but was still making a bloody racket. At around 11:30, when I was getting pretty pruny from being in the tub for so long Mel suggested that I get out and go to the bathroom. After some hemming and hawing I agreed and got out. The change in position triggered a sudden contraction that caught me off guard. Thank god John was there in front of me so I could just fall onto him and hang on for dear life. I made it to the toilet and WOW it hurt real bad to sit there. I believe I said something like get me the hell off this toilet!
I was just asking John and there is some discrepancy on the order of events after toilet break number one. I think I went back in the tub for a short while and then got out again and went to the bedroom. Once on the bed things got nuts painwise. I puked a few times and started to feel like pushing but Mel wasn't sure I was ready to really push so I had to try and breath through it as much as I could. I think I was on the bed doing this for almost three hours. Anne came over during the worst of the pain and started giving me counter pressure which was really helpful. I felt like I was being ripped apart during those hours on the bed and I said all kinds of crazy stuff.
1. This is killing me
2. Why does it have to be so painful?
3. Oh no, it's almost 12 o'clock
4. It still hurting, its still hurting, ITS STILL HURTING!
5. Baby move down NOW
Mel started to plant the idea in my mind that I needed to get up and let gravity help me out and that I should try to pee because maybe a full bladder was blocking the way. I really didn't want to get up, as with any position change I knew it would bring a cluster of contractions but eventually I got my head around the idea and stood up. I ended up peeing right on the floor (on a towel on top of plastic :) ) I had some contractions while standing and swaying, then I took a few steps to head back to the tub and all of a sudden I could feel burning and I knew he was on his way. I yelled out "he's coming NOW!" and everyone said "get to the tub!" I waddled really fast down the hall and got into the tub. I told John he should get in too so he went and got his swim trunks on super fast and jumped in. It took a minute before I had another pushing contraction. I remember telling Mel that I wasn't pushing as hard as I could and she said that's good you should do what feels right. So I halfheartedly pushed though another one and then on the third try I reached down and could feel his head coming out. I cannot tell you how incredible this was. I had full control at this point and was able to go pretty slow. Something in my brain just clicked and I decided that I was ready for him to be born so I went for it and the rest of his head came out and his body shot right out after. I reached down and scooped him out of the water. After a couple of seconds he gave a little cry and just snuggled up to me. He was born completely in his bag of waters. Mel later told me that she pulled the bag apart at his face because she was a little weirded out about him being born in his bag intact and also in the water. He was covered in vernix which felt so sticky to me and somewhat unpleasant but somehow I didn't mind it too much. John and I just looked at him and cuddled him for a while and then I felt the contractions again and Mel said I could try to push the placenta out any time. I pushed and thought I had delivered it but unfotunately it was a giant blood clot and they just kept coming. The water got darker and darker and before long I couldn't see my hands under the water. Mel gave me a shot of pitocin in my leg but I just kept on bleeding. I started to feel really weak and dizzy. They set up towels and chux pads on the floor and I crawled out of the tub and layed down with my feet up with Anne's help. they got an iv in and gave me some food and drink. After a little bit Thao brought Jimmy over to nurse and I started to feel much better. I finally felt like I had enough strength to deliver the placenta. I put all my effort into it and out it came. It was ginormous! Mel said it was the biggest one she'd ever seen. I guess that's why it took so long to detach (over an hour). I layed there for what seemed like a long time while everyone marveled over the placenta which looking back now is really comical to me. Finally it was time to get up and have a shower. I got up and even being held up couldn't make it to the bathroom so I layed down again in the hallway, legs up again, thanks Anne! and waited for that yucky feeling to pass. It did eventually and I was able to crawl to the bathtub and get cleaned up. I then crawled to the bed and got in to snuggle with John and Jimmy. Eventually I was strong enough to go back to the bathroom and pee and brush my teeth and take out my contacts. I went back to bed and Thao fed me the Chinese take out that John ordered YUM and Jimmy got his newborn exam right there on our bed. That is when I found out he weighed 9lbs 7oz I was shocked at what a big boy he is. I was not expecting that one bit. Everything got cleaned up and laundry was started. Mel finished up her paperwork and one by one people began to leave. Thao called for the tub people to come and pick it up. Lyn and Owain came home around 6:45. owain came in to meet his little brother (video on the blog) it was a magical moment for me and went so well. Owain has been an absolute star with Jimmy. He is gentle and loving and very interested in him. I know there may be trouble down the road but I am truly enjoying the precious moments when they interact. I have been nursing them in tandem which made my milk come in super fast. I'm totally engorged and having some pain with it but I'm sure it will get resolved soon.
Edited 9/30/2009 11:11 am ET by goldie117
