I'm a mommy again! I wrote this a few days after Ollie was born:
Oliver McKinstry was born Wednesday, May 2nd, at 8:13pm. He weighed 10lbs, 2oz, and is 20.5 inches.
Birth story: Nutshell Edition--
The labor was very quick. I started contracting as we were leaving my OB's office from my 39 week check up (at which my fundal height measured 47cm--woohoo! LOL), and he said he'd head home and wait for my call. That was about 4:45. I remember standing at the appointment desk on the way out, while DH and the receptionists worked out an appointment time, saying, "This is completely stupid. I won't be pregnant next week. Really."
We swung by the chiropractor for a quick adjustment (my hips had some problems this pregnancy), and headed to Sonic to get a burger because I was hungry and didn't want to labor hungry. Few things annoy me more.
My water broke in the parking lot at Sonic (in DH's shiny new car ) and we got our burgers and went home. Contractions really picked up and I didn't have time to eat it (that was fun, saying between contractions that I was so $%^^&! hungry but not wanting to eat because I knew I'd want to puke during contractions). I called a doula friend in TN, and she helped me through contractions for a while. It was so good to talk to her.
We got to the hospital birth center about 7:15, and--the only fly in my ointment--answered asinine questions including a 3 page questionnaire detailing my latex sensitivity ("What's that? You're latex sensitive? Here, fill this out."), and got to the room a little after 7:30. My time at the Asinine Question desk was probably helpful, as I was able to labor standing while receiving counterpressure from my mother (my doula met us there when I got to the room). On the way to my room, the only question I remember being asked by the charge nurse was "Are you planning on an iv/saline lock?" I answered no, and she said, "Okay." She never even mentioned rating my pain or pain medication.
I consented to be checked, and was found to be 4.5cm, 95% effaced, and baby at -2. That was annoying. I kept thinking that I was feeling way too transitiony to be only that far along, especially with my membranes ruptured, but at the same time, the knowledge of my status gave me the time to get my head in a better place. I'd been concentrating on how much it was hurting and how hungry I was in between, and feeling rather whiny about it. I took a deep breath, and reframed my labor pains. At only 4cm, I could try actual labor coping techniques, rather than just hanging on and getting through it like I had with my second birth, and it meant (or so I thought), that my labor was going to be slow enough for me to get on top of these contractions.
I labored on the bed for a while, and knew, because I was telling my mother to move her counterpressure down lower with each contraction, that the baby was descending. The nurse suggested the tub, I agreed, and my doula, mom, and DH moved to help me in that direction. I stood up, and pretty much started pushing involuntarily (twice) from there. Nurse checked again, and said, "Um, his head's right there." My OB walked in right then. They hadn't paged him afrer my initial check, but he said he thought it'd be a good idea to come in, since he had written orders that I was to have no residents or interns (he said he didn't trust them with me LOL). Knowing his arrival was imminent was excellent information for me. As soon as I heard that I was excited to push (I'd been very afraid of it with my second birth--it was so fast I never had time to prepare), and was very much looking forward to meeting my son. It felt really good to push, and about 4 pushes later, my beautiful boy was out. DH caught him and handed him to me, and we fell in love. It was 8:13pm, less than 45 minutes after I'd been told I was only 4.5cm. The placenta came out around 8:26--the OB thanked me the next day for showing him that a placenta could indeed come out without anyone touching it. It's not very big around, but it's very thick....and heavy. The staff put it in the fridge without batting an eye, and we brought it home with us with no hassle.
He's beautiful! The nurse and my doula put me in the jacuzzi tub right afterwards, and Oliver came with me. He nursed pretty quickly after that. The child was born to nurse--he's a total pro. We stayed two days, and our experience was great. We're home, recuperating, and adjusting to life as a family of 5.
It was so interesting to me to see the mix of my doula self with my birthing mama self. I'm still processing it, but I am satisfied with my experience.
I voiced my desires and they were immediately respected. It was my birth and was facilitated at my direction.
I feel seriously powerful.
5/12/07:
I've been doing a little more processing, and I am very satisfied with how everything went. I knew there'd be Asinine Question Desk going into it, and wasn't stressed about the time it took. I knew it would give me time to labor standing, which was comfortable for me. I wasn't upset about the vag exam. I expected it, and I'm a numbers kind of girl. I like knowing the details. Hearing my exact status gave me time to stop my thought pattern and change it to facilitate my son's birth instead of getting stuck in it.
I made my needs and wishes known, and they were met and followed immediately and without question. It gave me great pleasure to hear a friend (and UCer herself) refer to it as an unhindered birth in the hospital.
I feel that's an accurate description.
The only person hindering my birth at any point was me, and through calling out to God and the resulting clear thinking, I sorted myself out and allowed it to happen as it needed to.
It was a clear, straightforward, no-nonsense sort of birth. Very cut (only there were no cuts
) and dry sort of experience. After my first birth, I felt exhilarated. After my second, I felt deflated and crushed by the power of the experience. After this birth, I feel quietly confident and contented.
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