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Birth Stories
Motorcyle Mama
Avery Alexandra H.
How do you get a motorcycle mama into labor? You put her on a motorcycle.
Monday was the last day the Doctor would give me before sending me to the hospital for induction. That was something I really did not want - it didn't work last time and I wanted the experience of letting my body go into labor in a more natural spontaneous way. The natural spontaneous way needed a lot of prodding though.
I had been taking herbs, homeopathic remedies and other stuff for weeks trying to get my body & very closed cervix ready for labor. I was at the Doctor or Midwife every day the last week to be checked on. I did mental and actual house cleaning for weeks before the birth - nothing "late" allowed: all bills paid ahead, all library books returned, all car inspections up to date, everything tidy and ready - a good but anxious mood in the house. I started talking to Avery - telling her we were ready for her, come out now, be nice to mama, don't hurt me, etc. Saturday I went in for acupuncture to balance me and further help clear the way for baby.
The previous Thursday I drank a magic cocktail that my midwife gave me that puts 97% of late mamas into labor. You dink it rest and then go for a walk 3 hours later. I drank it rested in my basement den/cave and vomited forcefully 3 hours later, no labor. No one wanted to put me through that again, but I was game to try again on Sunday. I figured vomiting is better than a hospital style induction.
Sunday morning I drank the drink that reminded me of vomit, but instead of hiding out I acted like my regular old self. I danced to Led Zeppelin with my son, drank coffee, played in my back yard garden and managed to keep the damn drink down. I hadn't ridden any motor cycle in many months, and Sunday April 29 was gorgeous so I decided that what I really needed was a motorcycle ride. I didn't pull out the 400 lb 110hp beastie - no I'm not so crazy. We pulled out the Honda XR 50 mini bikes and Sam and Max on one, me and belly on the other we toured the neighborhood. I like to spy on people's gardens and bird watch on mini bike rides. I met a new bird and she was a very good omen - she's a mama Killdeer and she was being closely followed by her 5 little babies. She even did her broken wing dance to keep us from getting too close. Very sweet!
After a half hour or hour or so we decided to go home because I felt like something was happening. I parked the bikes and commenced to walking at about 3pm. As I walked through the neighborhood every grandma on every front porch knew I was trying to walk into labor (it is a time-honored practice) and they could tell it was working. I was having a contraction every block. I walk for at least an hour and then thought I should check in at home.
At home Max was napping and Sam decided to time my contractions, because guys apparently LOVE to do that. They were 2 and 3 minutes apart, and that is close together for early labor. Plus they were starting to hurt. Well YEA for that I'm in labor!! At home on a gorgeous day, after a motorcycle ride - just what I wanted! I decided it was time to stick around close to the house, plus an AMA Superbike race was coming on and I knew I'd be such a lucky girl if I could watch races while in labor - no better distraction. Well it was very painful but a good race, when ever I checked in with the midwife to tell her my contractions were 2 minutes apart for 2 or 3 hours she would tell me I'm still not ready yet. Jeeze! So, just as my water broke I climbed into my Jacuzzi tub. Water helps everything hurt less, but it was searingly painful every 2 minutes anyways. I was refusing to get out of the tub, but Sam (who was being helpful and great) was a little worried that the baby was going to come too soon and at home, so after about another hour we made preparations to go to the hospital and get Max watched by grandma.
Moving hurt. But we eventually got me into the car and headed off to Henrico Doctors Hosp. Would you believe it at 8pm on Sunday night on the highway to the hospital - we hit a traffic jam! That was pretty hard to take and it felt like forever, but it probably only slowed us down for and extra 5 or 10 minutes.
When we got to the hospital my Midwife and Doctor were waiting for me, and then you have to go through all the sign-in rigmarole, not fun or easy when you are in PAIN. My intension was to try do have a VBAC natural labor - vaginal birth after cesarean, no pain meds. Not because I like pain, but because my general belief is that any medical intervention can have complications and can lead to a cesarean. Well by midnight I was so worn out and in so much pain I was ready to let them cut her out of me right then and there. I had only made it to 4cm dilated after 9 hours of labor and I was begging for an epidural. Plus my Midwife had to leave to do a home delivery! So right about the time she was leaving I was getting an epi and some relief from pain. That of course slowed labor down a lot, but the Doctor let me rest through a lot of the night with 5 to 10 minute apart contractions.
At 5am rest time was over and they started me on pitocin, the baby and I both tolerated it very well. At 7 am a new shift of nurses came in and my Midwife came back and selected what she said is the best nurse in staff to help with a VBAC. Also the student nurses start their shift at 7. You might think that the last thing you'd want in labor is a student looking after you, but it just so happened that my best friend Jennifer is currently a nursing student and was currently assigned to the L&D floor of HDH. So of course I want the student nurse. Sam and Jen are best of friends too so we were like a happy little reunion for a while. By 8:30am I was dilated to 10cm without too much pain, and surrounded by best friends and great people. YEA!
The nurses told me I had to let the epidural wear off some for pushing out the baby more effectively, so I did and instead of searing pain I felt mostly pressure and other weird sensations for the almost 1.5 hours that I pushed in various squatting and folded up positions. Sam is not ever squeamish and was very helpful and supportive on one side with Jennifer and a nurse and Midwife were by my other side. All that pushing went very well and Avery came out pink and squawking at 10:08am April 30th with out cutting or tearing mama at all. The Doctor barely had to do a thing as after her head and shoulders were out I got to reach down and pull her the rest of the way out and set her wet body on my bare chest. After a bit Sam got to cut the cord. Avery cried a bit with a birth headache, but then she settled down and nursed with me for almost an hour before she got taken to the nurses' station and I got wheeled to the recovery room. The nurses weighed and measured her. She was 7lbs 14oz and 21" long. We recovered peacefully in the hospital for 2 days and when we brought her home the birds in our yard were singing her name.
Since then I've been in a happy baby fog, she's gained weight wonderfully, she has a calm temperament, and she often sleeps at night for 4 or 5 hours at a time. Max is delighted with her and grandparents have been over being helpful and terrific. It's like a dream come true, thanks for reading!
— Deanna H. (Thursday, 5:30 class)