I hadn't had my midwife check me at all yet because I didn't feel it was necessary, and I knew it would just discourage me. I was 40+3 now so I figured I would have her check and strip my membranes at this appointment. I was at a 3 and 80% which is my standard. I was that with my last baby for a few weeks. I was kind of guessing I would be right about that. We talked about coming back friday before the weekend set in and check again and strip again just to see.
I tried to keep busy the next few days to keep my mind off of it. Thursday I had set up an appointment with my chiropractor to see if that would help any. I figured it couldn't hurt to be aligned a little bit better for the birth. It could only help it go faster if I were perfectly aligned.
Friday March 9 2018 I woke up at 3 am to pressure waves again... they were about 15 min apart. I came out to the couch to lay/sit up and listen to my hypnobabies tracks. I started work at 5 and worked my normal shift. They were still about 15 min apart. It was a great distraction to be working and it made it go by fast. They died down a bit when I started to get up and get the kids ready for school. I got the two oldest off to school and headed into my appointment. She checked again and said I was at a 4 and 90%. That was very encouraging to me in just 3 days I had at least progressed that was great news. She stripped my membranes again and I went on my way. On my way home the pressure waves picked back up and I was getting excited. I had talked to my midwife about how I felt that the pressure was in my back more than it should be. She said that could be a sign that she is posterior. So she showed me some positions to try to get her to flip over. When I got home I tried out some of those positions to help assure that she would be the right way.
By 10:30 they were close enough to start timing them. I was still just moving around playing with my 3 year old. He was getting frustrated with me because I would have to stop playing his spot it game for a minute to have the pressure wave pass.
11:30 am they were to 7-5 min apart lasting for about 1 minute. This is when I let Shannon my Doula know things were picking up. I got into our big tub and soaked for a little bit. It felt good to sit and soak in the warm tub. I only stayed in about 20 min and then I got out and wanted to move around. I started to have Jared lift and tuck my belly during the waves and it helped. I remembered doing this for Sawyers birth at first and it helped the pressure.
12:00 I let my midwife know that they were about 3 minutes apart and that if they kept up we would be coming in the next few hours. I just kept moving around and swaying through the waves. Shannon showed up about 1 and she brought a rebozo wrap. We tried a few positions with that and the most comfortable way for me was upright and she would tighten the wrap around my belly during the waves. It was amazing the difference it made. We continued to walk around my front room tightening and walking, tightening and walking.
Grandpa came over to be with the boys downstairs so they were out of the room. Sawyer the littlest just wanted us to be with him. We had to lure him away with popcorn. Hes a big mamas boy. One of my goals/plans with this delivery was to stay home as long as possible.
2:30 pm they were about 2 min apart and getting a little more intense. I talked to Shannon about getting in the shower to help. We decided it would be better to go and get checked in at the hospital and then get in just because I felt that we were getting close. So we took off.
The hospital was only 8 minutes away so it was a quick drive. When we got to the hospital we didn't know exactly where to go but we made it to the admit desk and I just leaned on the chair as they were checking me in. They were having some printer issues and we were getting very frustrated with them. I was in some pretty good pressure waves and my water had broke. I had some maternity leggings on and I could feel with each pressure wave a little fluid leak out and down. I was afraid it was going to gush out and then they wouldn't be so worried about their printer.
3:30 pm They finally sent the L&D nurses down to get us and take us to our room. We made it there and they talked about putting a saline lock in and I said I really don't want to. They said humm ok we can put it off for a minute and see how fast you progress. They did check me real quick to see where I was at I was at a 7. I was partly discouraged that I wasn't at a 10 yet haha. At the same time I thought ok that is good a 7 is getting close I was just at a 4 a few hours ago.
I tried leaning over a birthing ball on the bed and that just wasn't working well. I said I want to get in the shower so I did. I kept my laboring bra on and jumped in. It felt wonderful. Jared came in and stood outside the shower with me whispering my hypnobabies words to me to help me remember to relax and let my body do the work. He was wonderful!!!
For a while I let the water hit my back during the waves and was leaning into the corner of the back of the shower. It was great. At one point we turned the water off so we could check the baby and we couldn't hear the monitor with the water on. When we turned it back on it was ice cold water and I screamed. The midwife came running in saying is the baby coming out...... no.... just ice cold water in the middle of a pressure waves. It was kind of nice to have a little funny/not so funny moment. I decided to turn around after a while and let it hit the front take some pressure off there.
It was amazing the feelings I could feel. I really was feeling her move down and get engaged in my pelvis and I could tell when they were intensifying. It was an amazing feeling.
It didn't seem like long after that I could tell it was transition and I told Shannon that I said this is it. She is coming. I think it was at this point someone said "do you want to go out?" meaning out to the room. I was stuck and said nope this will work. I wasn't about to get out of the water it was still feeling pretty good. Plus gravity will help right? I felt like I needed to put one leg up on the side of the tub to open up my pelvis a little more and it felt great. I could literally feel her move down a little and the urge to push was too much I couldn't not push. I would sway with the push urge and open up my pelvis a little more. I almost wanted to squat but I knew at the point my body wasn't strong enough to support me in that position. Looking back I love that I was able to listen to my body and do what felt good and it worked so well. I kept feeling to see if I could feel her head and I could it was an inch or two up still but I could feel it.
It only seemed like it was 2-3 waves of the crowning phase and I heard the midwife say look at her hair. I had had dreams that she had dark hair and lots of it. So this was exhilarating to hear she really did have hair, and that she was crowning. I remember thinking this is the point where you think I can't do this anymore..... that is the moment you are just about there. The next wave I could feel her head moving out and the midwife was doing something it felt like she was turning or putting pressure on her. Turns out she was slowly helping the head come out to prevent tearing. Then I hear her say to Jared come down here and you help catch her. I don't want to drop her with how slippery she might be. The next wave I feel her squish out. It was so relieving to feel all of that pressure gone. I turned to see Jared holding her and she was so clean, no blood or vernex. She had a head full of dark hair. Jared held her for a minute while they threw pillows and towels in the shower for me to sit. They turned the shower off at this point I believe too. I just looked at Jared and Shannon and said Yes I did it.... again.... She is here. She is finally here!!!
I had wanted to keep the baby attached to the placenta until I had released it and take pictures of that. Its called a lotus birth, well partial because after the placenta is birthed we would take a few pictures and then cut the cord. It was beautiful to sit there and hold her.
After a bit maybe 10 min It started to be a little uncomfortable so I said can I go out to the bed and sit. So they laid a path of towels and had me walk. As I walked there was blood dripping down and going everywhere I said oh sorry. They said its the red carpet walk. I said yes its going to be!!! They were so good to me there. They were so accommodating. I sat on the bed for a bit and she checked me out and after a while she said ok its been a half an hour and that is about what we like it to be before the placenta needs to come out. Within a few minutes I felt the urge to push again and out it came. it looked good and everything was good. They took baby and placenta and took some pictures. She then came and stitched me up I just had one little tear inside.
As soon as they cut her cord they brought her back to me and I held her for another good while.
It was amazing. I didn't end up needing the saline lock which I was sooo grateful for. I didn't end up on the bed delivering like I had with the other three. I was so proud of my self. Everything went better than I had planned. I couldn't have asked for a better birth.
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