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Birth Stories
Back to Articles Micayla's StoryMicayla's Birth Story
Micayla Anne was born yesterday at 8:58 am... 11.5 hrs after labor started!
The surges I emailed about were surges and after I got done with the email, I finally realized that they had been going on for a while...that time distortion thing works well! So, we started labor with regular 3 min surges. After an hour I called my doula and she decided to come over and just see how I was doing. A little later we called my friend and she came down.
We decided to not call the midwives and go to the hospital when the surges were 3 min apart after 2 hours. I wanted to labor at home as long as possible. My friend knows how to check...she has assisted with many home births, so we were confident that we would be fine.
She will email the story from her perspective and I will forward it on...to be honest I don't remember much! I remember a few times and remember how surprised I was that time was flying.
We left for the hospital around 3 or 3:30... don't really remember! I was 6cm when we got there and 100% effaced! That much I remember. I also remember refusing to sit in the wheelchair that the ER guy told me was "hospital policy" that I sit in. I nicely told him to take a hike...actually, I just kept walking and told him I didn't want to. Sitting, even on the toilet was excruciating...at that point (she was a low baby anyway, so the last 2 months I had a hard time sitting) she was just too low and it made the surges very painful.... I labored at home standing up a lot....and other positions....
Anyway, I am being longwinded....they got me in the tub after a while and I labored in all sorts of positions. The staff was INCREDIBLE! We had put in our birth plan to leave me alone and talk with my companions...and that is exactly what they did. They used a mobile monitor on me when I got there so I wouldn't have to sit in bed for them to get the baseline. I remember my first nurse was S...and she would go under me and around me etc so that they could let me do my thing. She was so non-invasive that I didn't even notice she was there. I would just suddenly hear the baby's heartbeat ...which since I did so many NSTs I taught myself to enjoy and relax to...so that was rewarding for me.
Somehow, and I really don't know what prompted her decision to do this...we had discussed once that I wish PVH and the midwives did water births...(and she said she had done them in the past when she lived in Oregon, but my midwife consulted with the midwife who was coming on call...and they decided to let me birth in the water. So, they set it all up.
The only time time distortion didn't work was the very end of labor.....when I had to breathe her down and push. It did get painful for me at that point...I would say that from about 3 am on it was painful, but not a fight or flight pain....just a pain that I knew was good and I had to work with....I don't remember what time we started trying to deliver...hopefully my birthing companions can tell that part....it did seem like forever though. Part of my cervix was keeping me from getting to the full 10 that they needed, but L fixed that somehow...I think when I had a surge, they had me push a little and she just tucked it back.....
They let me breathe with the surges. I did do a lot of breathing down, but I did have to push...but it was my choice. Since the labor came on so hard and strong, I was totally ready to be done and decided to push. Still, I pushed with the surges and directed it only by feeling when I needed to...the only thing they did was direct me to try to hold it longer if I could...or whatever....don't remember.
The membranes released just as, according to my friend who was helping, as she was crowning.....she didn't come out in it, but it was close.
If I remember correctly, I did have to try to push for what seemed like forever to get her down to crowning point...but forever at that point wasn't that many I don't think. My friend thinks more like 15-20 min.....don't know, will have to watch the tape....And then, I will have to see the tape or double check with my friend but 2 or 3 more pushes and she was out. I felt the head come out and then I think pushed one more time and felt her swim out....
She was perfectly pink...we are thinking she probably had a perfect apgar.....Don't know....And probably within the first 5-10 minutes she latched on. Yeah, I think I looked at the clock it was like 9:05 or 910. After we birthed her, they decided to have me birth the placenta (at my choice) outside of the tub. I don't remember what they said to convince me...but it made sense so we got out....I don't even remember it being a big deal.
Anyway, the only bummer is that I did tear a little. L at one point wanted to cut, but I said, "No, let's try a few more first," Micayla must have gotten the hint because on the next surge she came out!
And the ultimate compliment for a HB mom I think has been the question everyone including my mom has asked us, "Did you have a c-section, her head is so perfect!" And we get to respond, "Nope, we just had a gentle birth!"
So, I need to go to bed here...I am just too excited to NOT tell the story today. It was an incredible and empowering experience...I am really proud of myself! And my little baby girl here who is doing awesome. I told a friend who had a c-section that we have the opposite problem they did....her baby was too sleepy for the first 2 days to latch on and way too sleepy to interact with people. Micayla, on the other hand, has kept us pretty busy because she isn't drugged up. That makes me feel good.
Oh, and one thing I am really happy about too....there was no point that I even felt the need for "pain management" ....at the very end, I decided I wanted to be done....and just didn't want to do this anymore...but that was a nice feeling too!
And to S and K....you were the key to making this happen! I did learn it and carried it out, and that makes me very proud of myself and gives me a new sense of self confidence, but you both spent the time with me to help this little girl come in so easily...and to help me do it much more comfortably than is "normal" right now. And you helped me realize I COULD do this....so thank you.
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