Parents: Stephanie and John
Siblings: Rob, Marissa, Mike, Timmy
Baby: Madeline Rose (Maddy)
Date: Saturday, March 21st.
Weight: 5 lbs. 9 oz
Height: 17.5 inches
Birth: Planned unassisted home waterbirth
This pregnancy was our 10th (5 losses). I had bleeding from weeks 4-12, so we weren't sure this would go full term. I started having contractions and dilating around week 32, so we still weren't sure of full term! We moved into a new home in the first trimester, and during the last trimester the oldest of our kids started having some serious troubles at school. (We are homeschooling starting next year - that's how bad it was) We started out seeing an OB, but his idea of a normal birth included IV, continuous fetal monitoring, strict bedrest once the waters broke...nothing like my vision of a normal birth! My previous 4 births had been more and more natural - I couldn't see giving that experience up. We talked about it, and decided to go unassisted for this birth. We were lucky enough to have some support - my parents thought we'd do just fine (John's mom was a little more worried, but she dealt with it:-)), and the UCBirth list was a wonderful support system.
Maddy was born Saturday a.m. At 48 hours old, she weighed in at 5 lb 9 oz and was 17.5 inches long. So, she was a little heavier than her big sister, but the shortest of all my kids. None of the clothes we have fit her - she looks hilarious in newborn size clothes!
Let's see...as of Friday night, I was dilated to 6-7 cm, and not having regular ctx - I joked that it would be funny if I woke up pushing:-) I didn't, but did wake up Sat with almost continuous ctx and had to go to the bathroom. I finally got enough of a break from the ctx that I could get up and go, and the ctx went to ~5-7 minutes apart. They didn't really hurt - more like a annoying discomfort than anything...I decided to go ahead and run a hot bath just in case they got worse. John and the kids were still sleeping, and I didn't think there was any need to wake anyone up yet. The phone rang about half-hour after I got in, and John answered it - he came into the bathroom and got comfy, since he sensed it would be a busy morning:-) (I think this was around 7:30 or so)
For the next 3 hours, ctx were getting stronger slowly but surely - couldn't talk through them! John was great about offering me my water, refilling as necessary - between ctx of course, since he was my back relief during them. He also added more hot water to the tub as it cooled too much for my comfort. As the kids got up, he let them know what was happening, and got the older kids to keep Timmy (2 year old) occupied. Not an easy task, as Timmy is very attached to Mommy, and wanted me to go watch a movie with him! Someone got him some breakfast, and then they did the movie thing. (This kept Timmy from standing in the bathroom crying at me when I wouldn't (couldn't!) answer him - much more relaxing for me and John:-)
I really don't have much of a time sense after this point - John says the
really awful ctx only lasted for about 15 minutes, but I tell you it felt
like hours to me
At about 11:05, I had some mental clarity - and I decided to do an internal
before the next ctx hit. I reached in and felt something strange...thought
maybe it was an elbow? or something...then realized that it was the bag of
waters almost all the way down the canal. I had to smile then, as I knew it
was almost over. John probably thought I was crazy for smiling - I'd just
spent the last ~15 minutes "ooohhhing" and in tears, and now I was better?!
So, he checked too, to see what made me smile. He felt the bag - and checked
the cervix too...got his fingers out just in time for the next ctx. Which
brought - the water breaking!! The relief from that was incredible - I had
about 5 seconds in which to enjoy the release of pressure, and then all of a
sudden there was a head at my perineum...I tried not to push - didn't want
to go too fast, or tear - and then a few seconds later, her head came out (I
was still not really pushing) and she came out the rest of the way and shot
to the end of the tub...John has good reflexes, so caught her before she hit
hit the hard tub:-)
She was fairly purple, but started coloring up nicely within a few minutes.
I was holding her at this point, and ran my fingers up her spine to see if
that would help her perk up. She didn't seem too interested in breathing,
but since the cord was still pulsing and she was wiggling and looking
around, I didn't panic. By 5 minutes, she was only purplish around the
hands/feet, so I knew she'd make it. We did do a lite suctioning, as she had
a bit of gunk in her nose/mouth - she was not impressed, and yelled at her
daddy! The other kids came in in that first few minutes, and were impressed
at her crying ability
After about 45 minutes, John tied and cut the cord and we got out of the
tub. I was a bit wobbly, so he carried Maddy into the bedroom for me. (After
all that, I didn't want to drop her!) The placenta was still in place, and
the cord was hanging down...Timmy was scared of the "snakey" and told me to
make it go away:-) The placenta was delivered at around 12:53 (John checked
the clock) - I was having terrible ctx, still in my back, so I massaged my
belly with one hand and gave a mighty push...Out it shot (luckily onto the
chux pad for the most part), and I had instant relief. Maddy had nursed for
awhile in the tub, so my uterus was already on it's way down in size. Though
she slept for a few hours after this, Timmy was more than ready for his
nacky (missed two regular nursing times during all this), which cause those
wonderful afterpains to start up. Tylenol is a good post-partum thing to
have!
I talked to my mom around 2, and John's mom called after she got off work.
Maddy woke up at about 4 o'clock, and had her first messy diaper. (she had
wet at 5 minutes old). Very reassuring to see that all systems were working
well.
I will always treasure this experience for the knowledge and self-awareness
it brought to me, to John, and to our kids. I don't know if I will be able
to do it again, though. Maybe if this had been a "normally presenting" baby,
I would feel differently, but...It was scary knowing that there was no back
up there in case anything went wrong. Knowing that even if we had called the
ambulance, I would have had that excruciating pain for at least another 1/2
hour (assuming birth hadn't happened...) Maybe I'm not confident enough, or
maybe I just need the reassurance of medicine if I need it...I don't know.
If/when we have another baby, we'll try to have someone here with us who can
reassure me - and John! - when things get rough. Especially if it's another
posterior (and both our girls have been sunny-side up...and little, thank
goodness) - I want the option of meds in that case!
So, I guess I'd have to say that it was very worth it, I'm glad we went UC
this time. It's nice to know we can do it if we have to! However, I don't
think we'll plan on UC next time (of course that may change - we'll find out
in a few years, or whenever God decided to give us another baby (if ever).
Stephanie
wife to John (without whom I couldn't have gone through that - he was my
thread to sanity through transition, and gave at least partial relief from
that back pain)
mom to Rob 11, Marissa 9, Mike 6, Timmy 2, and Maddy age 3 days (3-21-98)
update: April 3rd
Maddy now nurses every 1-3 hours during the day, and sleeps from ~11 p.m. to
5 a.m.
She has quite the temper, too! There are cries for hungry, tummyaches, and
lonely - and there's a loud yell for "I need something!!!" Amazing how such
a little person can make such loud noises:-) Though we haven't had the
opportunity to weigh her again, I'm guessing she's put on around a pound by
now. Her fingers and toes have filled out, as well as the rest of her body.
Someday she'll be long enough to fit in her clothes