I had been having
Braxton Hicks contractions since I was about 18 weeks. I realized that I would
have them when I needed to go to the bathroom.
Aaron and I had gotten into a bad habit of going to bed semi-early and staying
up very late watching TV. On June 21st it was business as
usual. I started having “Braxton hicks”
at about 12:45am and I ventured to the potty. I got back in bed and realized,
even after emptying my bladder I was still having them. I started timing them.
Ten minutes apart. Aaron came to bed about 1:15-1:30am and I told him, “Just so
you know, I think I’m in labor”, his reply, “Oh Great !”. I told him to try and
get some sleep and I kept timing them. After timing them for an hour and
realizing they were, in fact, very regular, I text my midwives (Donnellyn and
Lizzie). I tend to have babies very fast and wanted them to know I was in
labor. They recommended taking a warm bath and seeing what my contractions did.
So I did. After I got out of the bath I couldn’t really feel them and they were
very irregular. I text them back and told them I was going to try and get some
sleep. My biggest fear in choosing the birthing center was that I wouldn’t make
it there on time (It’s about 45 minutes away with no traffic). I did finally
drift off to sleep about 3am. At 4:07 I woke up! My contractions were very much
contractions and not Braxton hicks, but not painful, but they were 4 minutes
apart. I decided I would take another bath and see what happened. After my bath/shower
they were irregular but hurting some. I thought I would try and watch a movie
and just wait it out. About 5:15 they were hurting more but still irregular,
about 2-5 minutes apart), I decided that I would text my midwives, and wake up
Aaron.
It was the plan
that we would take the girls to Aaron’s parent’s house and that Cade would go
to the Birth Center and hang with Papo (Scott) while we had the baby. I had
text my mom earlier at about 1:30am to let her know I was in labor and hadn’t
gotten a reply. Aaron had text his parents about 2:00am and also had no reply.
Now that it was go-time, we tried calling. Since I have never gone into labor
that early in the morning, and because all the kids were sleeping, I thought it
would be best that Aaron’s parents come to our house until the girls woke up.
Aaron called and called, no answer, I called my mom, no answer. What the heck
was going on! I started to panic because my contractions were really starting
to hurt and all I could think was I wasn’t going to make it. I think it’s
possible my midwives started panicking for me as well! Aaron decided he would
drive to his parents house and wake them up. I called Scott’s phone waking him
up. He in his groggy sleep mode handed the phone to my mom, who realized very quickly,
as I was having trouble talking through contractions, that it was go-time, and
they were on their way over! I was home with three kids, alone, in serious
labor! It was intense! I gathered all my things together, and I sat down, my
midwives told me to lay down and not get up, not even to pee!!! My car had NO
gas and Aaron was going to go put gas in it, at this time his mom was almost to
our house and just suggested we take her car since it was full! About the time
that his mom pulled up, Cade woke up, and my parents pulled up, we threw shoes
on him, loaded the car, and we were OFF!! I was still timing my contractions
and while they hurt they were still very irregular, 3-7 minutes apart.
Aaron was so
funny! On the drive he was getting cut off by people everywhere, it was like
they knew I was having a baby and it would be funny if we didn’t make it. At
the airport (we drove through) he chose a lane with no cars and at the last
minute someone jumped in front of him, he rolled down the window and was saying,
“PREGNANT WIFE, WE GOTTA GO!!” We finally arrived at the Birth Center at about
6:30am and I hadn’t had a baby in the car! Yay! As soon as I arrived they took
me into an exam room and checked progress, I was at a 6! Donnellyn was
surprised and thought that maybe I was at a 3. After that, I went to the
birthing suite I had chosen. It was in my opinion, the most private, yet still
large suite. It’s the suite that when I first saw the birthing center, I wanted
to birth in. I changed into a dress, and they brought me a cup of Red Rasberry
Leaf tea. I had been drinking red raspberry leaf tea for some time; however
this cup was particularly strong. Aaron and Mandie were sitting next to me in
some recliners. We were chatting with my midwives about previous deliveries. I
took a couple large gulps of my tea as we were talking. A couple minutes later
I looked over at Lizzie and said, “I don’t feel good, this is making me sick”
one of the assistants went to go get me a bowl, but before she could get back I
got sick, I tried to hold it in, but instead it went everywhere, and
unfortunately all over my sister, who was sitting next to me. Fortunately, it
was JUST TEA so it wasn’t terrible, but I felt so bad
After that, I
walked some around the birth center. Donnellyn applied some essential oils and
then I got in the tub they had prepared for me. My contractions were pretty intense but spread
out for varying amounts of time… I felt like it was taking forever. With both
of my other girls they broke my water and in 20 minutes I was having a baby.
This time we were going to let my water break on it’s own. I stayed in the tub
for a while, but seemed more relaxed and contractions were slowing so I got out
and they made me do this thing that Donnellyn likes to call “tilt a whirl” I
had to lay on one side for two contractions, get on all fours for two
contractions, and then the other side for two contractions. Aaron and I were
both very tired so we laid down for a bit, but I, of course, couldn’t sleep so
we decided to do some homeopathic remedies to get things going. These worked
like a charm. I was taking them every ten minutes. I sat on the birthing ball
and rocked back and forth and breathed through contractions, trying to really
take in my music that was playing in those moments. I always had my worst
contractions on the potty, and I was using the potty quite often. I stood up to
go potty and realized I had some bloody show and then more when I used the
potty. I had never had that before being that I was always in the bed birthing
in 20 minutes after my water broke. They could tell my contractions were harder
and so they asked if I wanted back in the water. I said yes, and they filled it
up for me! I laid there and had several more contractions; they were hard, but
manageable. I remember my mom telling me
how great I was doing and how peaceful I seemed, and truly it felt that way! I
remember one time saying,” I feel like I don’t want to do this anymore”. While
I was in the tub I remember actually feeling her head go down. It was so
strange, she moved and within minutes I told my midwife that I thought I needed
to use the restroom again. I got out to do that and when I tried to go realized
I didn’t need to go potty, I needed to push.
I finished my contraction on the potty and then got back in the tub,
they called everyone in the room. I only pushed for four minutes. On the last
two pushes she literally SHOT OUT like a rocket! Aaron said it was the
strangest thing; she was not there, and then there. It was also the most
painful part of her birth! Donnellyn said that she’s not seen anyone try and
crab walk their way out of a tub, but I was just trying to escape the pain. On
the next contraction she was born in water. I pulled her up on my chest as far
as I could get her; she had a very short cord. I didn’t even care what she was
at that point just that she was born, and she was mine! I did look and
announced, “It’s a girl”. She was perfect and precious! We got out of the tub
and into the bed to deliver the placenta which took what seemed like FOREVER
(45 mins). In that time she nursed and her cord finished pulsating and was cut.
We then took an herbal bath together to help aide healing for me and lung
function and health for baby! After
wards I showered and then we took baby to bed while they did a newborn exam.
She was 7lbs 8oz and 20” long! She was extremely passive, something I felt she
was in utero as well. We then dressed
her, packed her up and home we went! I loved being able to go home to rest! It
was an amazing experience! By far the best birth experience I’ve ever had!
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