January 16, 2009.
Two days past her due date, I went to my 5:30 pm prenatal yoga class hoping it would be my last for a little while! After yoga we went out for a late evening Indian meal which probably wasn't the best idea for a pregnant woman with severe heart burn!
Around 10 pm while playing a board game with friends after dinner my water broke. The game abruptly ended, and everyone in the house rushed around with excitement getting last minute things ready for the hospital. We called my midwife Nancy who happened to already be at the hospital assisting with another delivery. She said I should try and rest, and call her when my contractions were about 4-5 minutes apart and I was ready to go in to the hospital. We lay down... and somehow slept all night! Nancy called us around 7:30 am wondering what was going on. I hadn't had any contractions all night. So she had us go in and see her at her home office to check the baby and see how I was dilating.
Her assessment concluded that the bag of waters had probably broken higher up than it often does, so I didn't release all of it, and didn't trigger labor to start. She decided to give me a special drink that she uses (when appropriate) that is 100% effective in starting women's labor. My husband and I went home for a relaxing morning and I drank it with my lunch. Her instructions were to then take a nap, and after the nap to go for a walk. She said labor should start within 3 hours of drinking the drink. As we walked, my contractions started, and the longer we walked the more intense they became. By the end of a 40 minute walk I was in strong labor and needed to concentrate through each one.
We spoke with the midwife after our walk and she asked if I wanted try and labor at home for another hour or if I felt like I was ready to head to the hospital. I wasn't sure how much stronger the contractions would get and thought it would take much more time, so I said I wanted to try and stay home a little longer. I found relief during contractions by leaning on a high dresser and swaying my hips back and forth. Walking through contractions on our walk was really helpful because I noticed that once we got home and contractions kept coming, I didn't know what to do or where to go during a contraction.
Only a few minutes later, as I sat on the toilet unable to get a break from contractions long enough to get up and move on, my husband started timing contractions and quickly found out they were about 1 minute 20 seconds apart. At that point he called the midwife back and said he thought things were progressing much faster than I realized. She instructed him to help me up and get me into the car however he had to do it.
The most torturous part of labor for me was the car ride to the hospital. It is very difficult to manage the labor when you can't change positions at all. At 4:30 pm my midwife met us at the hospital and helped us in. When we got to my room I noticed first the big bed with a bright light shining right on it. I instantly knew that the bed was the LAST place I wanted to be! We turned down the lights and I made a beeline for a chair in the corner of the room where I got around behind it so I could lean on it and sway through the contractions like I had been doing at home.
We were able to avoid an IV because I was Group B negative, and they said they could wait on the access line. The nurse took my blood, my midwife helped me change my clothes, and then held the monitor on my belly while I worked. This is when I had an incredible feeling of opening, just like the analogy we hear of a rose opening and others that we read about and talk about even in yoga practice. I visualized the opening as I felt it, I focused on it and did everything I possibly could to allow it to happen although it was scary. I also started to feel a slight urge to push at this point. My midwife noticed and thought it was time to check my progress saying I was starting to sound a little "pushy" in my moaning. After being at the hospital for about 20 minutes we made way our way over to the bed to see how far I was dilated. The nurse thought I was at about 6-7 cm but I was still feeling the urge to push. My midwife and husband thought otherwise and soon after the baby was crowning.
This was when there became quite the hub-bub in the room. They weren't ready for me to deliver so quickly and the doctor hadn't arrived yet. They asked my husband if he would like to deliver the baby if the doctor didn't make it (he is a pediatrician) but he declined (a decision he later somewhat regrets after having time to think it over). The nurse found a doctor in the hall who came in and delivered the baby after pushing for about 15-20 minutes. Lena was born at 5:26 pm.
Things that helped me have the natural childbirth that I wanted include a great understanding of the process of birthing including the stages, phases, and most importantly how to manage the pain. I did this with a variety of things including affirmations I used at home the weeks and months before, guided imagery, focused breathing and deep rooted birth sounds. Soft soothing music, dim lighting, aromatherapy set the atmosphere I needed. And a supportive husband/"coach" and the guidance and wisdom of my midwife helped carry me through.
We are so thankful for the wonderful journey and the amazing birth of our sweet baby girl.