Yesterday (April 5th), I contracted throughout the day. I'd missed my 40 week appoint on April 4 because of a tummy bug and I was recuperating from that. My contractions weren't consistent and only moderately strong, so I went to bed around midnight. At first, I slept through them but about 3 am, I found myself awakened about every 10-20 minutes, then nodding back off.
At around 4, I got nervous and decided to time them. They were approximately 11 minutes apart and lasted about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. I woke Lettuce up and called my midwife Alex at 4:18 and we had a chat. I didn't want to wake everyone up and get them out of bed if it was going to be hours but after listening to a contraction, Alex decided we should go to the birth center. Lettuce got the babies up and I got dressed.
We arrived at the birth center around 5 am. Alex was a blur of activity-she had that room ready in no time flat! Meanwhile, Jen the midwive's apprentice arrived and filled the tub. I got in the bed around 5:15, 5:20ish and Alex checked me. I was 3-4 cm dilated and 90% effaced and baby was at -3 station. Baby was also still posterior. Alex suggested I wait til I was at least 5 cm to get in the tub because it could slow my labor. Jen put the birthing ball on the bed and I got in a hands and knees position and rocked to help the baby move down. My contractions were getting a lot more intense but between them, I felt so normal.
Then, something happened. I made sure everyone in the room knew by announcing:
"Something happened!"I'm eloquent that way. Anyways, it felt like a little snap so I figured I'd either broken my water or a tiny bone in my pelvis. Turned out to be my water. That was a preciptious event. I began making all sorts of ungodly noises accompanied by animal-like wailing. Fun times in that room. Apparently, there was a marked increase in blood, so the midwives checked the babies heartbeat (fine) and wanted to check me (not fine). I had an anterior or front-lying placenta and we needed to make sure it wasn't detaching early.
Anyways, I as I said, I wasn't fine with being checked as I was frozen in position. I told them I wanted to get in the tub and they said I could after the next contraction. However, on my next contraction I felt this crazy sense of fullness followed by a burning sensation and my body was shoving that kid out! The head was out and Alex looped the umbilical cord from around the neck. Then I delivered the body.
Yep. Kid was born. 5:57 am. 57 minutes after we got there.
The kid was kinda dusky and wasn't crying so Alex laid it on my chest and administered oxygen. The cord had been wrapped around the neck once, possible from the fact that the baby turned around as it was being born. Popcorn was breathing, but was basically stunned from being ejected from my uterus like the bullet of a rail gun-told you I was eloquent. The kid looked at me, I looked at the kid. Then I picked it up and looked under the warm towel.
It's a girl!The long awaited Baby Popcorn is a perfect little girl! Astronaut cut the baby's cord. How special is that! He later said, "How often do yout get to cut the cord on your new sibling? Of course I wanted to cut it!"
Never again, my son, never again.
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| A calm moment |
Anyways, I didn't deliver the placenta until 6:35. Do the math. The baby's birth took about 35 minutes. The placenta took about 40. It took longer to deliver the placenta than it did to deliver the baby. I had to get a shot of pitocin and get on the birthing stool to get it out.
I breastfeed my wee bairn after that. In fact, I've been breastfeeding her since LOL She has an amazing latch for someone so new. I wouldn't be surprised if my milk came in tomorrow. She's passed merconium twice since we got home. That's right, we're home. We got here a little before noon.
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| Being born is exhausting. I must eat NOW! |
At the birth center, you aren't required to stay home if you have proven your mettle by eating and peeing. I did these with gusto. I delivered my baby girl over an intact perineum, thank goodness. Then I took a beautiful nap, the first of many beautiful naps taken today. In fact, naps were en vogue this morning. Lettuce took a nap. Side Salad took a nap. Princess took a nap. My mom took a nap. I woke up to a chorus of snores. We got dressed, got our little one ready and packed up. It feels so very good to be home and in my own bed. I wouldn't trade it for all the nurses in the maternity ward.
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| The take over of my bed begins |
I'll add pictures later because someone tiny is hungry NOW. Man, this kid has a set of pipes on her. Today wasn't just Good Friday; it was a GREAT Friday.
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| The whole family |
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| Baby Popcorn <3 |
GA: 40 weeks 5 days
DOB: April 6, 2012
Time: 5:57 am
Weight: 7 lbs 10 oz
Length: 20 inches
Length of labor: 57 minutes
Interventions: None
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