Full Circle Midwifery

It started just after dinner, I was feeling what I thought were just Braxton hicks contractions but they were also causing some downward pressure, but I didn’t think too much about them, so we made ice cream and went to bed.  I also began to have blood tinged mucous.  After being woken up several times by the amount of pressure with the contractions, I finally realized something might be happening.  It was around 1am and I sat up in bed to time the contractions, they were 15 to 30 minutes apart, so around 2am I decided to get up and go downstairs, they began coming every 4 minutes once I got out of bed and started moving.  I decided to time them for about an hour, at the end of the hour I had one that was spaced out by 10 minutes so I thought I would go back to bed, but after going upstairs they picked right back up again, it was now around 3am, so I thought I would time them for another hour.  They began coming every 3 minutes or so and were getting a little stronger, by 4 am, I began pacing the hallway and realizing that I should probably wake up Jay soon, by 4:40am I couldn’t wait any longer.  I told Jay he needed to wake up and he said, “Is it time?”  I said “I thought so, but I wasn’t quite sure.”  We decided to go ahead and cancel all our plans for that day and notify my mom, she would need to come over when Hayden, our 2 year old, woke up.  We called Patrice, she asked if we wanted them to come now, and I said I didn’t think so that we would call back if things changed.  I took a shower and continued to have pretty good contractions throughout the shower.  I came back downstairs and they were getting pretty strong, Jay finally found a clock that had seconds to time the contractions, they were coming about every 2 minutes and were lasting anywhere from 50 seconds to 1 ½ minutes, it was now 6:15, I felt like there was no way, my contractions could be this difficult already, I didn’t think I was going to have this baby for at least another 12 hours, I told Jay we better call the midwives because I was going to need some help.  We called Patrice back and she said that she would send Amanda over and that she would be to our house by 7:30/8:00.  I decided to get in the tub.  Before I got into the tub, I had a contraction that I almost pushed with, I started to get a little nervous, I really wanted Amanda to be here ASAP.  As the tub was filling I used hands and knees to get through the contractions, as the tub was just about full, Amanda walked in the bathroom door, OH what a relief!!  She said if I felt like pushing it was okay.  I told her I didn’t feel like there was anyway I could be ready for pushing, I didn’t feel like I was open I thought maybe I was dilated around 4 or 5 centimeters.  I was so amazed that Hayden was still sleeping in our bed, he didn’t wake up when Amanda opened up the box with the birth supplies in it.  He did finally wake up right after my mom had arrived.  Just in time for Jay to get the bed ready for the birth.  Shortly after, Patrice arrived.  She had gotten her hair cut, it looked great! After a few good contractions laying down in the tub, I suddenly needed to go to the bathroom.  Amanda, helped me out of the tub and to the toilet.  I had more bloody show, so I thought that must mean I was making progress.  Patrice asked if I wanted to be checked, she said she could check me on the toilet but I was so confused as to how that would happen, I decided the bed would be better.  Patrice said all I had was a little rim of cervix left, I was 9+ centimeters.  Jay was downstairs handing off Hayden to my mom.  Patrice told him I was 9+ and that he should probably come up now the baby was coming!  I knew I had to go to the bathroom some more, so I just did not want to get back in the tub, so we decided to have the baby on our bed.  I still did not feel like I wanted to push.  I think it was because the bag of waters was still intact and giving me quite a bit of cushion from the baby’s head.  I did push some and at the height of my contractions when it was hard not to.  The water bag began to bulge out and right as Amanda was looking at it, it burst and got her all over her face and body!  I think Patrice wiped her face for her.  The minute the water broke the pressure of the baby’s head was almost unbearable, my body absolutely took over and I could not control the urge to push, no matter how hard I tried I couldn’t hold back.  I felt so out of control, completely unlike my first birth, I was in complete control during the pushing phase and it felt so gratifying to push, but not this time.  It felt as if the baby’s head shot down the birth canal in one contraction and was out to the eyebrows with the next.  I could feel the intense burning at the top on bottom.  I remember trying with all my might to not push and then the head just popped out, I could feel the shoulders, slide out and I sat up and grabbed my baby.  The baby was immediately on my chest and covered in a blanket.  I could not believe it was over so fast!!  I asked if it was a girl or a boy, but both Patrice and Amanda said they didn’t know, the baby looked just like Hayden.  Finally I asked again, was it a girl or boy and they said, why don’t you look.  I picked up the blanket and looked and I was quite surprised, Hayden had been right all along, it was a girl.  My sweet baby girl.  She was so beautiful!  She was so quiet, she didn’t need any suctioning.  She was so clean, but had lots of vernix on her.  Then I felt something warm on my belly, she was peeing!  Patrice called down to my mom and Hayden and said they could come up and meet the new baby girl.  Hayden was a little shy at first but then he warmed up and asked if he could hold her.  I remember asking what it would feel like and how I would know when it was time to push the placenta out.  I was completely clueless, my previous birth in the hospital they just jacked up the pitocin and pushed on my belly and out it came.  Then I finally felt something and pushed, and then pushed some more, out it came.  I did tear so Patrice had to give me some stitches.

What a wonderful experience it was to have a home birth.  I would never willingly choose a hospital birth again!

Parents:    Sarah & Jay Cleveland
Grant, MI