Labor was the most amazing thing. I started having contractions on the 8th, a Friday night. I started keeping track of them on this handy little app that Micah had downloaded for me. They weren't painful or anything right away, but I could tell something was happening. They started out about 15 to 30 minutes apart. I started tracking them about 10 or 10:30 that night. We were watching TV and I was putzing around the house and stuff, and I was pretty restless. Finally about 1 am or so, I said to Micah that we really should get some sleep because I was pretty sure that things were going to be happening soon! So we went to bed, I didn't really sleep a whole lot that night, I was up every 10 to 20 minutes with contractions. At first I could just keep laying in bed and breathe through them, but then as a couple hours went by I had to move. I had gotten a birthing ball from one of Micah's co-workers that morning and I was so thankful that I had it! Once I had to move I held the ball on the bed and leaned over it to breathe through the contractions. I was able to a bit between them, but never got a great sleep. By about 7 am the contractions were getting a bit stronger and I couldn't sleep anymore, so I got up and took a shower. I called the midwife on-call at about 8 or so. At that time my contractions were averaging about 7 to 10 minutes apart. And I could tolerate them still just fine. So she said that if I felt comfortable that I should stay at home a little longer. So I did. Micah got up and got himself ready and we took care of the dogs and got the car packed. He made breakfast for us both and then we just kind of waited. The contractions were getting stronger, and I kept using the birthing ball to kind of lean over and roll on a little bit through the tougher ones. About 11 am I was noticing that the contractions were anywhere from 2 1/2 to 5 minutes apart so I called the midwife again. She didn't get back to me as quick as before, and before I knew it it was 11:30, and the contractions were getting a little stronger, so I called back, and she got back to me quick, and she said I was definitely sounding like I should come in! So off we went.
Right before leaving for the hospital
Got up to Labor and Delivery and into a triage room, and a nurse came first to get us checked in. It was about 12:10 or so at this point. I had about 5 or 6 contractions while we were in the room there as well. I was having a lot of back labor so I kept having to roll over and get on my hands and knees to work through the contractions. While the nurse ran out to get something before the midwife got there all the sudden my mouth filled with saliva and I said to Micah "I think I'm gonna throw up" so he ran to the garbage and got it under me just in time. It was so weird, it came outta no where and when the nurse came back and I told her I just threw up she basically said "Oh! Good!" because it was a sign that things were progressing well. When the midwife came she checked my cervix and I was thrilled (as was she!) that I was dilated to 6 cm!! I was so happy that I was that far along! At all my appointments previously I was only at a 1 if that. So she said we could definitely head off to a room and get things going. I also wanted a doula to help me through labor, so the midwife put the call out to the on-call doula to come in at that point.
We got settled in our room and I had them elevate the bed pretty high so I could lean on it and I labored standing leaning over the bed for awhile. Micah was super helpful through the back labor by putting lots of pressure on my hips through the tough contractions. Once they started getting a little tougher I got a birthing ball again and put that up on the bed and kneeled over it. Micah still being wonderful and helping with the counter-pressure and pushing on my hips. After about 40 minutes or so I decided I wanted to get in the tub for a bit. So they drew up a bath and I got in. It was very nice laboring in the tub. Between contractions I just laid back and could relax. Once I was in the tub for about 5-10 minutes the doula arrived. She was wonderful! She jumped right in giving me some great suggestions about helping to focus on my breathing and was giving Micah some ideas of how to help me as well. She got some cool washcloths that they put on my forehead and back which were helpful. After about an hour or so in the tub I was really getting the urge to push so I decided I needed to get out! To resist the urge while I was still in there the doula had a great breathing technique kind of making a "shhh" sound that helped me fight that urge to push, it was odd but it helped, so that I could get out before baby came in the tub!
I got out and dried off, and transferred to the bed. My midwife checked me and my cervix was gone, so I got the green light to start pushing. So we got all set up, the midwife at the end of the bed, Micah on one side holding one leg, and my doula on the other side holding my other leg and then came the pushing. I started pushing about 2:50 or so. After the first push or two, my water hadn't broke so the midwife said that I could continue pushing and baby could be delivered in the bag of waters. Or she could break my water and things would likely progress more quickly. So I said, lets break that baby open! It wasn't as crazy of a gush and they and I thought it would be. Once that was done back to pushing. The pushing was hard and I was using all my might. I hadn't gotten any pain meds, and this was going to be the hardest part I imagined. The first few pushes didn't produce much but the midwife could tell that the baby's head was getting lower and really close. Then his head finally started to crown, and she said she could see hair! So Micah looked, and was amazed and didn't believe it because it was just a little ridge of skin with hair on it, didn't look anything like he was expecting. They asked me if I wanted to feel it, and I was sort of creeped out so I didn't. I did another big push and then I decided that I did want to feel. So I did. And I was a little creeped out still but it was oddly amazing. Baby was right there! That was some good initiative to give it all I had to get this kid out! Several more big pushes, baby was progressing with each push and then out came the head, another big push and baby was all out! It was the most interesting sensation, when baby was all out and then a gush of fluid. The midwife quickly put the baby on my belly and gave it a quick wipe down, then the midwife and the nurse were looking to Micah to announce what it was. "It's a boy!" In the moment of amazement, Micah almost forgot his job to tell me what it was! I was so thrilled and the nurse wrapped him up a bit and placed him on my chest. I was crying tears of joy and was so amazed that my baby was finally here, in my arms!! For the next few minutes while I laid there in total awe, the midwife had me push a little more to get the placenta out and made sure everything was there. Once that was done she had to stitch me up, as I tore a little during labor. That was pretty much the worst part! I squirmed more during that and felt more pain when she was stitching me up than when I was squeezing out the baby! So bizarre. I must say that while it wasn't the most pleasant thing in the world, but I am so glad that I was able to do it all without meds. It was the most wonderful experience and ended up being not as bad as I expected. Not that I want to do again soon, but I hope to do it again someday!
