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Birth Stories

Keegan Alexander

Keegan Alexander L (due April 20)
May 1, 2008 11:50 pm
8 lbs. 12 oz., 21 inches long

On May 1st I had my last prenatal visit with my midwife, Nancy. She was certain I would go into labor that night since my body had been setting up for labor for several days. At the last minute, she decided to give me her famous birth drink, which she said would encourage a more effective labor. Seeing as how Keegan was still posterior, she was afraid my labor would be harder and longer without the drink, or as some call ii, the “potion.” She asked me to drink it at 6 pm and then I was to walk when I started to feel small, rolling contractions. Jonathan and I decided to tie up a few loose ends at our jobs before heading home, so off we went to get some bills paid. At around 3 pm, we were on our way to our respective studios and I felt a strong, productive contraction. I wasn’t sure if labor had really started this time or if it was still the prodomal labor I’d been having for almost a week now. The contractions didn’t stop, but they were only coming once every 10-20 minutes. Jonathan and I headed home where I tried to get some sleep…ha, what a joke that was! Jonathan got a good nap though, lucky him.

As 6 pm began to creep up, everyone got more excited. My sister Tanyua arrived, so did my friend Erin. Jonathan’s parents and Carrington were here as well. We all sat around the kitchen table as Jonathan prepared what we all knew would be the beginning of a very exciting night! I finished by 6:30 pm, the champagne in it gave my legs a funny feeling and helped calm me down. Jonathan and I headed off to the bedroom for some much needed rest and his parents left for dinner and their hotel with Carrington. Tanyua and Erin stayed, as they were going to be present at the birth. I managed to sleep between a few contractions, which were still coming in the 10-20 minute range.

At 8 pm, I awoke, wanting to take a walk because darkness was starting to creep over outside. I wasn’t feeling any of the rolling contractions my midwife had said to watch out for, but I just felt the need to move. So out we went, the four of us, looking through people’s windows, oohing and aahing over the architecture in our neighborhood. When a contraction came, Jonathan and I would face one another and sway, like we were slow dancing. I felt what I thought may be one of those small contractions, oh, and then another! Time to call Nancy! She said she’d give us 15 minutes to get home and then head over. I thought that was awfully early, my big contractions were still 10 minutes apart. We all kind of laughed about it. Of course Tanyua and Erin found it awfully amusing how I would buckle during a contraction and then pop right back to my normal self in between.

During that last 10-15 minutes, my contractions really picked up. They were coming one right after the other with maybe a minute or two in between. We just walked around the block, but we had to stop often so that Jonathan and I could “dance.” When we arrived home, about 9 pm, we knew Nancy was on her way. Our green light was in on the front porch, our bed had been made and the birth tub was being filled with hot water. Erin & Tanyua set up candles in the living room where I tried to labor on my hands and knees, hoping to flip the baby from posterior. That position was not working for me and I needed to change but couldn’t stand! Jonathan helped me and we danced again. He talked me through each contraction, helping me to breathe. He was wonderful.

We were in the hall, dancing, when Nancy arrived. Tanyua and Erin helped her set up, Nancy said they were a great help. She checked me and I was 7 cm, she said I was ready for the tub. I had to wait for a contraction to end before I could make my way to the tub, which was set up in our office. The candles were glowing on the desk, I climbed in and hardly felt that first contraction, it was amazing, however, that didn’t last. Labor, at that point, came on fast and furious. Jonathan held my head in his hands as he helped me remember my breathing. I was on my knees, in the warm water, looking into his eyes, trying to focus.

Nancy had me sit back, at this point it was getting harder and harder to focus. I started to have trouble with the breathing. Jonathan tried to keep me focused, as did Nancy. I could see Tanyua and Erin sitting on the floor in the hall. Occasionally they’d crack a joke. I don’t think they realized what they were about to witness! I heard someone say, “I wonder if he’ll be born May 1st or May 2nd?” As the contractions got harder, my language became less than desirable, moaning the F-word and Oooooooh my GOD!

As the pressure began to mount, Nancy reminded me that it was the baby moving down. She was a wonderful coach, reminding me to look at Jonathan and breathe. I began to lose my breathing during contractions and was making noises instead. It was so hard to remember to breathe, but I knew I had to and I made myself do it. I felt like I had to start pushing and Nancy told me I should. I started to think the pain wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be, boy was I in for a surprise!

He finally started to crown and I decided I didn’t want to do this anymore and I said so! Of course I then said, “I know I have to do it, but I don’t want to!” I went through several contractions trying to birth his head, which was coming so slowly. I could reach down and feel that he had hair, that was amazing. At this point, Erin was holding one of my legs back, since it wanted to flail around. I felt like a caged wild animal that wanted to get up and run away from the pain. I screamed “I’m splitting in half!” as I felt like I was, it was the most intense feeling I’ve ever felt in my life! Then out came his head. I had to wait for another contraction to push again. Damn those women who give birth in one push! He came halfway out, I looked down and there was my baby, in the water, looking up at me and crying! I reached down and pulled him out of me, up onto my chest. He was perfect, beautiful, and the pain was over in that instant.

I asked what the time of birth was. 11:50 pm, we made it just in time on May 1st. We sat there, what felt like just the three of us, Jonathan, Keegan and I, in awe of what had just happened. This perfect little being, born in our home, just the way we wanted it to be. It was perfect, he was perfect, we were perfect.

After about 20 minutes, Jonathan cut the cord and I got out of the tub to birth the placenta on the birth stool. We then sat on the futon in our office where Nancy checked me…no tears! Amazing. Keegan began to nurse and we looked over his perfect little body. He pooped before we got to weigh him, which didn’t happen until over an hour after he was born. 8 pounds, 12 ounces. 21 inches long. 14 ½ inch head. And I didn’t tear, still amazing! Nancy said he could’ve been 9 pounds if he hadn’t pooped, which amazes me because I never thought he’d be that big, after all Carrington was almost 2 pounds smaller when she was born (6 pounds, 15 ounces).

At about 2 am Jonathan called his mom at the hotel, Carrington was staying there with them, and let her know that Keegan had been born. She said she was coming over. I wasn’t sure if they all were coming, or just his mom. Nancy asked if I was ready for my bath, and I was. She had me get into this brown, murky, delicious smelling water, a healing bath she said. The house smelled of herbs, mostly cloves. It was wonderful. I sat there relaxing, with the lights off, for about 20 minutes. When I got out, the house was full. Jonathan’s parents had arrived with Carrington and I came out, after Nancy helped me dry off and get dressed. We drank champagne and basked in the glow of the miracle that had just occurred in our home.

At about 3 am, everyone left and we headed to the bedroom. Nancy had cleaned up and even done our laundry. I wanted to cry as this was everything I had hoped for, I couldn’t thank her enough. She left and we slept, together in our bed, just the three of us, in love.

Shaun

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