goodhartedmommy: Home Delivery!

Posted Wednesday, January 07, 2009 1:50 PM

"I was pacing like a madwoman around the house. By 3:30 or so, I was begging to go to the hospital for an epidural..."

A rough beginning

I had been having prodromal labor for weeks and was miserable. I hadn't slept more than two hours total in a night (a broken sleep) for over a week. My pubic bone was also starting to separate and my midwife knew I couldn't stay pregnant much longer. My body was seeming to fall apart on me. I had my OB write a prescription for Ambien after trying everything possible to help me sleep, including over-the-counter sleep aids. Even the Ambien didn't work. Having consistent contractions for weeks had left my uterus feeling sore all the time, too.

I got up Thursday morning and sent my midwife an email telling her I couldn't take it any more and to do what she needed to do to help me have this baby. I also left her a message on her phone at noon. At 12:30 p.m., my contractions really changed. They were to the point that I needed to stop and focus through them. We agreed that her and her assistant would come over at 8 p.m. that evening. I had been at four centimeters for over a week at this point and now it was starting to thin, so things were favorable for a bit of a push. She stripped my membranes, and after that, I was 5.5 centimeters. I walked for quite awhile and then just rested and laughed with DH.

Moving things along

We decided to break my water at midnight. I was at seven centimeters at that point. Things picked up rather quickly, but it was still manageable. At two, something really changed, and it got awful. The baby had been posterior for most of my third trimester, despite going to the chiropractor to help her turn three times per week. I had acupuncture on Wednesday and she finally had turned; I was so thankful. My first baby was posterior, even through delivery, and it was awful.

Maile turned back to a posterior position at some point after my water was broken apparently. That was when the back labor started. I didn't realize that was the pain I was having at the time, so I tried to labor in the water, which didn't help at all. I needed to be moving. I then felt like sitting on the toilet for awhile, which didn't help at all, either. Finally I asked to be checked to see if I was progressing. My midwife checked, and I was still at a seven centimeters, and she confirmed that baby was posterior again. This was at about 3 p.m. I started to freak out a bit, because my posterior labor with my first child was 36 hours (a posterior baby cannot help your cervix change as quickly, because there isn't the correct pressure on your cervix). I knew I couldn't do this for hours and hours on end.

Trying everything

I tried to get on my hands and knees to give her the most room to move, but I could not be still. I was pacing like a madwoman around the house. By 3:30 or so, I was begging to go to the hospital for an epidural. I could not chill out at all, I was just crying. I had no time between contractions and the pain in my back was awful. Right at 4 p.m., I experienced the worst pain I can ever imagine happening. (Came to find out, it was baby turning). I screamed something that sounded like it came from a horror movie, and told the midwife she could just cut the baby out of me. Then I realized that I needed to push (seriously the most welcome thing in the world at that point!). I dropped to my knees by the bed where I was standing, and DH knelt down behind me and put his arms around me, with my head resting on the bed (he did this so I would chill out, but I was already calm since I knew it was almost over). I pushed a couple of times, and she was born at 4:04 p.m.

Finally, she's here!

I had planned on catching her myself, but I honestly didn't feel like it. The midwife caught her and laid her down below me. I literally dozed off with my head on the bed for a couple of minutes, so relieved it was over and to hear my baby cry. I then got with it, and leaned down and picked up my perfect baby and was able to nurse her right away. I delivered the placenta and climbed into bed and nursed her for an hour-and-a-half. She was already a pro!

It was the most amazing experience of my life. The pain was awful, but I wouldn't change a moment of it for anything. I'm so glad that I was able to do this, and I felt so empowered. I was amazed with myself and my body's ability to do what it needed to do. I was so grateful that I could do it however I wanted, no rules like you have in the hospital. All three of my births were beautiful, but this is what I always wanted... it was so much more than I ever could have imagined.  

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