Mother from Within: Kingston's (home water)birth story

At around 10pm Wednesday night, January 12, I started feeling some contractions. They grew stronger as the night went on. I finally got myself to bed around 11pm, but wasn't able to fall asleep until after 1am because they were about 4-5 minutes apart and just strong enough to keep me awake. I slept until around 3am. The contractions felt stronger and closer so I decided to get out of bed and start picking up a few things and getting our room ready for the birth. The contractions slowed some so I laid back down for a little while. The contractions picked back up, so convinced that my baby would be born that day I got up again (around 4am) and went downstairs to put together the meal I had planned as our first after birth meal. The contractions slowed again.

Now, this was the opposite from when labor started with Amalie. With her I got myself up and moving and the contractions picked up. I laid down and they would slow, so I kept up and going to keep the labor progressing. So needless to say... I was a little confused :)

After more preparations and continual slowing of contractions, I went back to bed at about 6:30am and slept until 8:30am. The contractions low and behold picked back up. They were fairly intense and about 6 minutes apart but only 30 seconds long. We talked to our midwife who wanted us to come in for our scheduled prenatal that morning at 11 so she could check on me and see how things were going. So we went in.

Things had slowed again and had pretty much stopped at this point. At my appointment my midwife said I was dilated 2cm and 50% effaced at 0 station. We went and had some lunch and came home so I could try to nap.

I didn't get a nap... but things did pick up at around 8 or 9 that night. My contractions were about 6 minutes apart but getting more intense. At about 11pm they were about 4-5 minutes apart and getting to the point where I had to vocalize a little to get through them (low humming).

Now - it was kind of obvious that this was it at this point - however, I thought the night before was IT. So I waited a long time to wake Steve and a little while after that to call my midwife because I was still waiting for labor to "stall" again.

By 1am it was getting pretty intense and I needed Steve to put pressure on my back. We decided to call my parents to come pick up Amalie and called my midwife. Daddy put Amalie in the car and told her she was going "night night" with Grandma and Grandpa. She nodded and gave him a kiss. So sweet.

At this point the contractions were really intense. I hummed and vocalized through them and Steve put pressure on my back. Shortly before my midwife arrived I put on some music to try to sing and distract myself. I had seen a beautiful birth video of a woman singing through contractions so I decided to try it. I was able to sing through each contraction so well that Steve couldn't even tell when I was having one. It was really so awesome! It was so nice to be able to focus on doing something I love and take the focus off of the pain. I felt that I was in transition at this point... I told Steve I didn't think I could do it anymore and my muscles were starting to tremble.

I'm guessing my midwife got there around 2-2:30am (I haven't seen the birth notes yet and didn't look at the clock, but it takes her about an hour/1.5 hrs. to get to my house from hers). She brought in her gear and checked me. I was already completely effaced and at 8cm, still 0 station (my water had not broken). I continued to sing as they set everything up and starting blowing up the tub and filling it. I walked around a little, kneeled over the tub and hung my arms around Steve's neck while he rubbed my back and sang softly to me (best labor/birth partner ever). I could feel my body shaking and the pain was incredibly intense.

As soon as the tub was half filled (the hot water ran out) I got in. I knew I was pretty much ready to push at this point. I waited I think one contraction and starting getting a little pushy. My midwife checked and I was fully dilated but had a anterior cervical lip. Dang it. I had a lip with Amalie too. This is NOT fun...

My midwife gave me two options - either she could hold it back and we could push past it, or I could get on my hands and knees and push past it that way. With Amalie she held it back and it actually felt better than her not holding it, so I chose for her to hold it back. OH MAN!!! That was so incredibly uncomfortable and painful. But I pushed past it pretty quickly so it didn't last too long.

The baby felt SO BIG coming down, the feeling was so huge, I was determined to get him out! I could feel his head spreading my pelvis and pushing on my tailbone. After a couple of pushes there was a gush of water and the midwives saw a gush of vernix come out as the waters broke. I pushed him out in four pushes. I was a little worried that I was pushing too fast, I did pause as he crowned but I just couldn't slow myself down. I screamed a couple of times (which surprised me) - the feeling was so much bigger than I had remembered with Amalie. But he also came out a lot faster :) (she took two hours).

Anyway.. his head was born and almost immediately his body followed. I pulled him up on my chest, but lowered him to my belly so he could stay warm in the water (half filled tub). He breathed right away, but didn't cry for about a minute. He didn't need any suctioning or anything. He was perfect! I remember talking to him as soon as he was out - I was so happy to hold him! He nursed within a few minutes while in the tub - good latch and a strong suck!

Just minutes after being born!

Kingston!

January 14 4:04am 8lbs. 4oz. and 20.75" long

The placenta was taking a little while, so the midwives had me get out of the water and onto the birthing stool. However, as soon as I stood and stepped out of the pool I could feel it coming out. I sat down and they literally caught it!

After some maneuvering the midwives helped me onto our bed. We ooh'd and aah'd over our son while my midwife checked for tears. Nothing but a teeny tiny little 1 mm tear that didn't even need a stitch! Even with pushing him out so quickly - water birth rocks! ;)

So, two things I wanted to try differently this time was to try to make the water birth work and to listen more to my body when it came to pushing. I'm happy that both worked out SO well.

It was a HARD labor and and a hard but quick birth. I wish I had called my midwife earlier so I could have spent some of transition in the tub! But everything went so great. So worth it and so amazing.

I love my son!!! He is such a sweet little guy - I felt all through the pregnancy his sweet spirit. So far he definitely has shown that. He fusses a little when he's hungry... like one cry and that's about all. He's a very content baby so far.