2/11/14
12:38 am
7 pounds, 13 ounces
19 and ¾ inches long
I had been starting to wonder if I was going to head into
40, 41, or 42 weeks. Monday, February 10th I was 39 weeks along. For
some reason, I felt like Marcus would come that week, early, maybe the 11-13th
but wasn’t sure. My first guess dates of the 7-9th had passed.
During the day Monday, I felt tired but had a pressing urge to clean the
bathrooms, kitchen, and start some laundry. I had been cleaning and nesting
nonstop since I found out I was pregnant (knowing how hard it would be to clean
with two kids), but this was different. It wasn’t a “wanting” to clean, it was
more of a “needing” to clean urge: THE nesting urge. I had a little bit for
lunch and later around 1:30pm got hungry and had two hot dogs. The last bite of
the second hot dog, I got very nauseous which I thought was strange. Keith and
I headed out to Target for a few things, but I found myself grabbing other
things “just in case” it was our last trip to Target for a while. As we were
heading to check out, I noticed a fairly intense and noticeable contraction. It
wasn’t just tightening, there was cramping with it. I kept having these from about
2:00pm on, but they were random and no pattern until about dinner time.
A little bit before 7pm Monday night, I got a noticeably
different, tight, and crampy contraction. Something told me internally to go
take a shower just in case Marcus was on his way. I even noticed he was even
lower in my stomach while I was showering. There was a larger gap between his
bottom and my ribs. (Plus a lot of lower pelvic pressure.) When I turned the
shower off, I felt a slight pressure and then a little gush: I looked down and
saw the bloody show. Michaela happened to come in, so I told her to call Keith
in. When he came in, I said, “we may be having a baby tonight!”
We began timing contractions to see if they increased in
intensity and frequency. From about 7-9pm they were mostly 6 minutes apart.
(Some 6-9 minutes). I kept having lower backaches, cramps, cervical twinges,
and noticed they were tighter and making me say, “ow!” I spent a lot of time
leaning over and rocking on the kitchen counter and bouncing on the birth ball.
The contractions were lasting between a minute and a minute and a half. Since
they were having a pattern and were beginning to become intense, Keith went
into school to prepare for a substitute around 8:30 and came home at 9:30.
Come 9:00, the contractions dropped down to 4-6 minutes and
continued to increase in intensity. 10:00 there was a little more bleeding and
the plug came out. Around 10:15, when we were all getting ready for bed, the
contractions dropped again to 3-5 minutes apart lasting 60-90 seconds. They
were really painful and I was lying in bed breathing deeply through them. A few
times I told Keith I didn’t want to go through it again, knowing what the pain
would be like. My biggest fear was the crowning “ring of fire” but I knew I could
do it again and couldn’t let the fear get to me.
I had to have Keith start writing down the times around
10:30 because it was too much for me. I had debated on calling the birth team
because I wasn’t sure if this was it but also didn’t want them to miss the
birth knowing second births go fast, there were patterns, and it was definitely
increasing. At 11:00, I called Paula, the midwife and told her to come down. I
also called the assistant midwife, Laura,
doula, Kate, and photographer, Seana. They all packed up and headed out!
(Had I called any later they would’ve missed the birth! I knew I should call
bur hesitated because three times in the week or two before I had 4-7 hours of
patterned contractions that stopped, so I was a little hesitant to make a false
call.) Keith began filling up the tub
and I couldn’t wait to get in! As soon as it was almost to the “max fill line”
I got ready to get in. It was a bit hot, so we ran some cold water in it until
it got to a good temperature and I got in. I had to get on all fours during a
contraction outside the tub while I waited for it to cool. But, once I was able
to hop in, it was instant relief and was so comfortable!
The contractions kept coming, about 2-4 minutes apart and
very intense. I was rocking in the tub through them. I was doing long slow
breaths and if I began to breathe too fast or higher, I’d catch myself, breathe
and slow them down which helped. The doula, Kate, arrived first around
11:30/11:45. However, at 11:57 I got the first urge to push. I had Keith call
Paula and text the photographer to see where they were. Paula was on our street, and the photographer
was close! I remember feeling a moment of panic that they would miss the birth
because I was getting strong urges to push. They were coming fast and almost
back to back (unlike Michaela’s birth where I had longer breaks between both
contractions and the pushing urge in the tub.) When the pushing urges came, I
knew Marcus was going to be here soon and I got very excited to meet my boy
soon! I was a bit nervous about pooping in the tub (and I never did!) but once
I let go of that “fear” of doing that, accepting the pushing urges helped them
come faster and helped me relax more, too. I also found I was focusing on my
breathing. I was doing deep breathing and if I got too high pitched or too
fast, I had to stop myself and do long deep breaths. Around 12, Paula came, and
the photographer came around 12:20. I was so relieved they got there in time!
This labor, I had less back labor than with Michaela. Although, the last few
pushes I had some intense back pain probably as Marcus was coming under the
pubic bone near my tailbone.
Keith woke Michaela up around 12:30 and she did well waking
up, ready to see her brother be born. She and Keith sat by the tub, and I kept
talking to her in-between contractions. She was doing so great! I was surprised
I got the pushing urge so fast and that they were right after the other. Like
with Michaela’s birth, I went with the flow of pushing. I let my body do the
work and tell me what to do. I knew the pain I was going to go through, and
told myself to accept it and focus on the end result and what I wanted and
needed to do. I reached up and felt his head pretty close. I was so ready to
meet my little boy!
I remembered Ina May
Gaskin saying how similar to going to the bathroom, during crowning, if it is
burning or hurting, we may need to take a deep breath, relax, loosen that area,
and then try again when it’s ready. Despite the pain, it was amazing feeling
him progress down the birth canal. It was nice having encouraging words from
Keith and the birth team. “You’re doing so great!” “He’s almost here!” A few
more pushes and he was crowning. The pushing urge stopped mid-crowning, and I
knew the next push he would be out. I was still leaning over the side of the
tub with my arms draped out, too uncomfortable to move, but wanted so badly to
catch my boy and knew it was time. I leaned back on my knees, sat up, and got
ready to catch him. While waiting for the next pushing urge, I felt his head
and his hair. The first time touching him! 12:48am: The next pushing urge came
and out came his head. I then felt his arms moving, one arm came out and then
the other. He slowly came out, and I was able to catch him and slowly pull him
out and up on to my chest. I said, “hi” and “you’re so cute”. Michaela had
said, “baby so happy!” I sat back and looking at Marcus, instantly fell in
love. He was so cute!
While holding Marcus in the tub, Keith and I felt his cord
and felt it pulsing. It was so neat! The water had cooled off so Marcus was
getting a bit cold so we moved into our bed to get comfortable, bond, and do
the newborn checks. I birthed the placenta, which took some time. I had to
re-figure out the right way to push and once I did it came out. It was very
healthy looking! We delayed clamping the cord, and Keith cut the cord! Paula
did the checks. I had a mild tear but nothing bad. No stitches! Then we did the
newborn check. Marcus checked out well! Marcus was born at 12:48am, weighed 7
pounds 13 ounces and measured 19 ¾ inches long. He was a very happy, healthy
boy! It was funny comparing the stats of Michaela to Marcus. Michaela was born 39 weeks, 2 days. Marcus
was born 39 weeks, 1 day. Michaela was 6 pounds, 14 ounces. Marcus was 7
pounds, 13 ounces. Michaela was born 10/04/2011 and Marcus was born 02/11/2014.
Everything else looked great, too. He had a tongue tie but
nothing concerning, just to keep an eye on it for breastfeeding. Then we all had family bonding time. I
remember at one point the midwives were emptying the birth tub and deflating it
and I got a bit sad the birth was over. I was so excited about the tub and it
was a key piece in the home water birth, it was a sad moment. Sometimes walking
by Marcus’ room and seeing the tub is gone is sad but I remember how well the
birth went and how it went to plan and as I envisioned, like Michaela’s birth.
We couldn’t be happier with the arrival of our son and look
forward to many great moments with him, and seeing him and Michaela grow up
together. Michaela is so excited to be a big sister! I couldn't have been
happier with how my pregnancy and labor went. Six hour labor with no pain
medications, in the water, and being able to feel him being born and catch him-
I couldn't ask for more. We love you, Marcus.
(Photographs below by Seana Berglund, Babymoon Birth Services)
(Photographs below by Seana Berglund, Babymoon Birth Services)
Photo below by Keith
