Wednesday, June 4, 2008
We woke up and took Jason to work, so that I could drive to Illinois for my chiro appointment. While there, Colleen palpated me, during which I happened to have a giant contraction. I'd been having them, with increased intensity, for months though.
"Baby is in a very unusual position," she said. "He doesn't have much room to move." This didn't concern me, that seemed about right for a contraction, but she wanted to do some acupuncture, so I said sure. She said she wasn't triggereing any labor points, not really, just "freeing things up." (Well did she ever!) I told her, "I'm 38 weeks today, so its OK if you do, just give me time to get home."
We then drove to babygroup at the park. We had a nice visit with friends, and Maxine got to play with Ellie. We got home around 1pm and I was famished. Ate a big lunch- 5 meat tacos, then sat down at the computer to read email and such.
Then my water broke on the birth ball I was sitting on. It was sort of that slow steady trickle I'd read about so I didn't want to jump to conclusions that it was the real thing. Called Linsey, to get advice on that. Long story short, it was, and did eventually gush on the floor, maybe around 2 or 3pm.
So then I was hanging out waiting for labor to start. I knew that this could take awhile. I worked on blowing up the birth pool, and I started cooking. I was having ctx that didn't feel like anything, steadily. Jason arrived home and took over the pool, while I made a pot of greens, some tofu garic dressing, and guacamole. Labor cooking projects.
Maxine and I had talked a lot about whether she wanted to be here for the birth or not. Months ago, she said she definately did, but lately she had been insisting that she didn't, which disappointed me. As I explained what was going on to her this afternoon, she started acting scared, in a goofy way, like hiding under the covers and yelling, "I'm scared! I'm scared!" (Later, she made a point of telling me she was kidding, but I knew enough to take her seriously anyway.) In the end, it all happened too quickly for her to leave, but she was in the other room tuning out to a movie when she needed to check out, and ran back in as I was catching the baby.
Anyway, I wanted to spend some time with her to reassure her, so we put in Castle in the Sky to watch a movie together. This was around 7pm maybe. As we started watching it, I became aware that I couldn't concentrate very well and began to acknowledge that I was, in fact, in real labor. Linsey called, and I told her I was in early labor and figured ctx were about 10 minutes apart. As I hung up and timed the next couple, I realized they were more like 4-5 minutes apart and getting stronger.
I called Gwen, I don't know why but I still felt the need to downplay the situation. (I struggled with denial in my last labor too, so maybe that's how I roll.) I told her that stuff was happening, it was early, but maybe she could come over for a few hours anyway and keep me company? (And in the back of my mind I was thinking, "and I need help!") Then I called Linsey and told her it was picking up, she was finishing her walk and said she'd be right over.
When Gwen arrived around 8pm I was in hard labor and having no fun at all. This hurt so much more than I remembered. Plus I was monitoring my labor by what my first one was like, so I was having all these thoughts like, "I can't believe I'm having to moan through them already! I'm really not handling this well!" I was in the bathtub, on the bed, and generally pacing around restlessly, with Gwen supporting me.
Jason meanwhile was working like mad to fill up the birth pool. Finally it was ready enough for me to get in and be fairly covered. Linsey arrived around 8:30 or so, just before I got in. She asked me if I was scared and I said yes. She said I was breathing fast, so we breathed together for a minute.
It all happened so fast I could almost give you a play by play for every ctx. For the next few that HURT a lot, I finally found a position to settle into and work through them: Jason was sitting on the edge of the bed next to the pool, and I was kneeling in the pool with my head buried in his lap, grabbing onto his hips for dear life. I sunk into the pain, as Gwen and Linsey retreated to the living room, but the next one made them come running back.
I had this MONSTER contraction that literally lasted for 5 mintues. It was maybe three of them, all on top of each other. At the end I moved from howling to howling and grunting, and I knew I was pushing. "You're pushing!" L said. "Can I push?" I asked. I wanted to make sure I wasn't rushing things, because they sure as hell felt rushed! I felt something but wasn't sure it was the head, so L checked and said, the head's right there.
That was it, next ctx I opened up and yelled and pushed it out! Yow! Tried between ctx to push the body, but waited until the next one and pushed the body out. Just like that! I was in shock that it was over, and Linsey said, grab your baby! So I reached down as he floated between my legs and brought him up to me. I was shocked and so was he, I think, because he reached the air and started screaming his little head off, and wouldn't let up. Neither of us were comfortable in the water anymore, so I hopped out of there and quickly climbed on to the bed with my newborn, in a move which everyone laughed about later.
Jennifer must have arrived somewhere around now because she was there for the 3rd stage, helping me deliver the placenta. All of this post-birth stuff is a blur. Baby was still crying and Maxine came in and started singing a lullaby to him, so sweet. But eventually he calmed down and latched on pretty well, everyone was happy and things were calmer. NB exam looked great, he's perfect.
We had a long wakeful night once everyone left, trying to get used to each other and learn nursing. I was really sore and the afterbirth pains were a bitch!
But by the time the sun rose, we were feeling blissed out and in love with each other. I think it took most of the night to get used to it all. Maxine came back in our bed and we lay around having bonding family time. He is three days old as I write this, and I am so in love with my new baby boy Ivan.
