Baby O's Birth Story

Six days past my due date I was so miserable that I dedicated the entire day to inducing labor.  I got up in the morning and immediately started walking aimlessly around the house.  My kids thought it was hilarious and tried to jump out and scare me, or run around behind me.  When the temperature got warm enough, we packed up the kids and headed to Edwin Warner Park to walk some more.  The kids rode in the stroller, while eating some lunch, and my husband and I walked 2.5 miles on the greenway.

As soon as we got home, it was time for my son's first ice hockey practice of the season.  We raced in the house, grabbed his hockey gear, picked up my mom (who wanted to go watch him too), and headed to the ice hockey rink.  About 45 minutes into his practice (at 2:45pm), I leaned forward to grab my camera and my water broke.  Thanks to my black yoga pants, I doubt anyone even knew what had happened.  I casually took off my jacket, tied it around my waist, and then waddled out with my mom and E, while my husband gathered L off the ice. 

My Daughter Cheering for her Big Brother

My Little Hockey Player

Although I was not feeling any contractions, the midwife told me to go on to the hospital because I was GBS+ and needed a dose of antibiotics.  So I sat on the bed and answered all of the hospital entrance questions, watched some TV, and talked with my mom.  After several hours without any progress, I sent my husband, kids, and in-laws out for dinner.

Waiting For Baby O

When they all returned, I went out to the waiting area and told the big kids goodnight.  I told them I really hoped they'd have a baby brother when they returned the next day, but in my head, I wasn't sure if that was even possible. When I had my first son it was 10 hours after my water broke before he was born, and I started having contractions immediately, so I was thinking it could be another 10+ hours.

At 8:00pm I returned to my hospital room and met the new on-call midwife, Elaine Moore.  Although I'd never met her, I immediately fell in love with her.  She sat on a stool by my bed, looked me in the eye, and made me feel like I was the most important person in the world.  She asked me about my birth plan, my previous birth experiences, my expectations, and my fears.  I immediately started opening up and all my fears poured out.  I told her that I was frustrated with not making progress.  I was worried I might need pitocin and wouldn't be able to have another unmedicated, natural, birth.  I was afraid this baby would have the same traumatic delivery (shoulder dystocia) that I'd had with my daughter and that I'd have another long recovery.  Elaine was so reassuring though, and told me over and over again that this experience would be different... and that I was in control.  I could literally feel my fears drift away and my contractions start during our conversation.  I'm not sure exactly what words were the words I needed to hear, but as soon as we finished our discussion my labor started (around 8:30pm).

After our discussion, I headed for the shower for 20 minutes before my next dose of antibiotics.  As I was standing in the shower I was all of a sudden having pretty consistent, hard, contractions.  By the time I got out (at 9pm), I had to breath during contractions.  I even asked for my iPod to help relax me while I got the antibiotic.  I listened to, "Tonight's Gonna Be a Good Night" by the Black Eyed Peas a few times, but I think I was already (in 30 minutes) past the music might help part of labor.  When the antibiotic finished I headed back to the shower.  My back was hurting so bad at this point that just about the only bit of pain relief I could find during contractions was to press my back into the shower bar as hard as I could.  Within the hour, I was feeling like I wanted to push and was escorted out of the shower and onto the bed.  I was only 7cm, but Elaine from this point on stayed right beside me.  I breathed, swayed, and walked around for a few minutes longer but was still feeling a lot of pressure.

Back to the bed I headed and this time I was 9cm.  The pressure was intense, but the pain in my back was starting to disappear so I knew I was about to transition into the pushing phase of labor.  Elaine had me lay on my side and she stroked my legs, telling me gently to envision the last bit of cervix slipping over my son's head and my son slipping out.  I held on to the side of the bed and breathed away every contraction one and a time.  It felt like forever before I was 10cm, but it was probably only a few minutes.  Then, at last, my body told me it was really time to deliver my son.  I started pushing, and in a matter of a few minutes had pushed my son's head out.

I was in the perfect position to see him and actually helped to pull his body up to my chest a couple pushes later, at 10:55pm.  He was wet and slippery, and looked so tiny to me.  I guess I'd forgotten how small babies are because he weighed in at 9lbs 1oz and was 22 inches long.  I counted his fingers and toes, looked for any imperfections, and found him to be 100% perfect.  What a blessing!

My Sweet Baby O: Minutes After Birth

My Husband and I With Our New Baby

My New Sweet Boy

My Beautiful Baby Boy

I only had two small stitches afterward and I owe that entirely to the help of the midwife.  Not only did she relax me enough to jump start my labor, but she helped me to be in the perfect position to deliver a 9lb baby without any complications.

If you're interested in birth stories, here's L's Birth Story and E's Birth Story too.