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Birth Stories
Samuel Oscar
The wait is over! We have a baby boy, Samuel Oscar, weighing in at 8 pounds, 7and a half ounces, and 21 inches long.
Last Friday morning at 2:40 I woke up to the real thing. My labour had started. These contractions were similar to Braxton-Hicks, but with the added feeling like my bladder had to be emptied and everything between my eyelashes and toes needed to curl! My contractions were 6 minutes apart, and after about three of them, I knew that this was not the type of labour I could just rest through. I got up, woke my husband, and started "letting my monkey do it." During contractions, the recliner was my coping place, and with each pain I would rub my face into it as I rocked on my knees. I was making noises now, too, like some kind of cow. I was trying to keep my tone low and think about opening up with each wave. I tried to appreciate the rest in between the pains. After all the talk with my husband about labouring at home as long as possible, somehow I knew that we needed to get on our way to the hospital as quickly as we could. We called the grandparents to come stay with our daughter, and waited for further instructions from our midwife. When we talked to the midwife, she agreed that we should get to the hospital.
My husband is a safety freak- I can't even ride a bike in the driveway without a helmet on, and I have never seen him move the car from "park" without all seat belts fastened. However, when a baby is coming, evidently we can have a suspension of some rules! I rode on all fours in the back seat, doing my moaning and breathing while he drove 80 or so in on the back roads in Hanover, and on into Henrico Doctor's hospital. He only had to run four or five red lights!
Our doctor met us at the door, and I waved away the offer of a wheelchair. Right as we came into the entryway, a contraction hit me, and I got right back down on all fours in the middle of the entrance (in my nightie). Once we got to the room, the doc took a look, and I was at 8cm. I was so happy that we were that far along! After that, the pushing came on fairly quickly. I liked that part. My whole body was consumed by an urge to push. Never before have I been so inside my body, and so completely aware of what must be done. At some point the doctor broke my water to help things continue to move along quickly. My midwife had been at a homebirth, and finally she arrived, right in time to coach me through it. The nurse was incredible, too- I had an "anterior lip" on my cervix, a part that just wasn't moving out of the way. My nurse saw to it that it moved, holding it out of the way, and helping the baby's head to move a tiny amount so that he could come out more easily (what a nurse!). Then, finally the baby's head was down and crowning, and then through. And then they told me, "reach down and get your baby." I pulled the wee babe out and up, and my husband announced that "it" was a "he."
No one bothered us, except to suction our guy out so he could breathe better. It wasn't until a few hours later that we actually got his measurements and so forth. We were able to just hang out with our baby, working on nursing and savouring this new person. The experience was completely wonderful, and everything I imagined that it could be!
The preparation my husband and I had from Leslie and yoga, and from our midwife, Nancy, made all of the difference. Without yoga, I don't think my body would have been as strong and able. Without Nancy's guidance and wisdom, I don't know if I would have had the confidence in my ability to do it. Thank you to all of you fellow moms at yoga, too, for your encouragement and well wishes. I will continue to think of you all and hope that each of you will have the birth experience that you want!
Love, Beth