My birth story....

After Lydi's visit Danny and I were calmed and convinced that the baby would be another week. Danny asked if I thought it would be ok for him to go play poker. I said, "sure, nothing is going on here". So off he went. I decided to read the "Powerbirth" book my midwife wrote and I stayed up to read it after the boys were in bed. I was up til about 11:30pm. I was awakened about 3:45am with a rush that was pretty strong. I got up to pee and noticed Danny wasn't home yet. I decided to go back to bed. Between 4 and 5 I had several other rushes, most feeling like I had to make a BM. Danny just got home about 5am. I waited for him to get out of the shower and then went in and layed with him. I told him that things might be rolling. Both of us were rather surprised at the timing but were excited. I called Lydi about 6am. She said she would be there in about 30 min. I had some more rushes- about 10 min apart- and I was needing to hold on to Danny now. Lydi called back and said her other mama had called, had rushes one on top the other and her water had broken. She said she would check her and call me back. Lydi called back and told me she needed to stay with her other mama and would call me after the baby and placenta came. Meanwhile, I tried the tub but I didn't like it. I didn't have Danny to hold on to and it really seemed to slow things down. The rushes were easier though. I was still able to smile and laugh at this point. Danny woke Trisha and the three of us were ok with the possibility that we might be on our own. It really was what I wanted to begin with. The only reason I continued with Lydi was because of the chance of twins. We felt ok with it. Actually rather excited. So we went through a few more rushes and then a call from Lydi. Her other mama had another baby to come- surprise twins! So here I thought it would be me with the surprise twins and it was the other mama!! Lydi said she'd be longer and that she'd call when she was on her way. I asked Danny if he wanted me to call Rosie- our wonderful friend who said she'd be here if we needed her. (she was a nurse and had caught several babies before the Dr. could arrive) He said that might not be a bad idea and it would be great to have another hand. Trish called and there was no answer. She called again and Rosie said she didn't have a car available. We were again ok with that. She called back and offered to take a cab over. How sweet! We felt good about that and took her up on that offer. She arrived rather quickly and she was amazing. Meanwhile, Lydi called and said she would be there in 30 min.

My rushes were gaining intensity and it felt good to tone through them. I ranged from grunty to actually singing! I felt close as I could get to God and felt I was remembering my ancient mind. I would take rescue remedy and it would really help me get back together. But, I was having a problem with BM and that was distracting me from trust. I really wished I hadn't used my enema a week earlier when I thought things were rolling. I was feeling more grunty and pushy when Lydi arrived. I guess rushes were 3-4 min apart. Usually I am not "checked" to see where I am- I can usually tell- but I felt so pushy I wanted to know if I could just let loose. Lydi told a surprised me that I was at 4 but completely thinned. Lydi suggested I get on the toilet to relax my muscles. I didn't like it. I couldn't hold Danny. He suggested I sit on his lap facing him and that worked well. I wanted out of the bathroom- too bright- so we went to the beanbag chair. After that I had about 45 minutes of intense rushes. One seemed to last forever. I was grunting (and having BMs- which really distracted me from my altered state) and actually yelled at one point that I "needed a break". I was hot and uncomfortable. I should have gotten in the shower to cool off. Trish sprayed me with some lavender water which felt good. I was leaning forward on the beanbag chair. The rushes continued on- one on top the other. I stood up for a change and Danny swayed with me and held me and made me feel safe. Not too much longer transition hit. I called for the trash can and the vomiting began (which happened every birth!). After that Lydi told me I was "done" and all I needed to do was push the baby out. I was all choked up and excited. I cried with Danny. We were going to see our baby soon!

I tried pushing backwards on the beanbag. I was too worried about the darn BMs and couldn't give a good push. Shucks! I asked Lydi "what do I do" and she suggested I push the beanbag up against my back and push without my feet on the floor so I was directing my pushing toward Danny who was ready to catch. She would hold my one foot and Rosie the other. I wasn't really comfortable, but it did press my rear end against the floor so I felt I would poop on my husband or the baby. I had a hard time feeling the pushing rushes. I think I must have been sitting on a nerve. I would push and the baby's head would bulge and then go back in. Bulge and back in. I just wasn't comfortable for pushing. Patricia was there the whole time, saying just the words I needed to hear. Danny asked me if I wanted to get up. I should have said yes- I had even gotten up to pee and should have squatted or even stood or asked Lydi about the birthing stool. I just wasn't quite with it feeling rather week after the vomiting. I got back on the ground and was ready to go again. I pushed but again the head would go back in. I couldn't feel the rushes. Weird. Danny broke the bag of waters (I'm not sure why Lydi told him to. I think it was tight on the baby's face without forewaters and she was concerned the baby would breathe in the veil.) I was determined and so with the next sort of rush, I pushed and her head crowned and was born. There was a pause- no other rush. Lydi seemed to become concerned about the baby- who Trish said was silver- and started pulling gently on her shoulder. I told her to "stop pulling!" and she told me well then PUSH! So I did. I didn't want any pulling!! She came right out. Lydi said the cord was folded in half. Our baby was born!

Danny caught her and proudly put our new baby girl on me. Oh, joy! She wasn't limp but she wasn't pink yet. Still a little "silver". She was coughing and whimpering a little. She had vernix covering her, but it was on top of peeling skin- sign of early and late. Lydi was rubbing her to help her pink up and I again asked her to stop and use a baby blanket instead of the chux pad she was using. She kindly stopped altogether. Rosie brought me the flower essence cauliflower and I put some on her soft spot. It is THE birth essence for spiritual connections. I had been taking a drop every two hours on behalf of the baby. She was suctioned with the bulb syringe and it helped a bit, although she didn't like that. Lydi asked if I wanted her to suction her with the tube suction. I thought, ok, but then Lydi started to cut the cord to do it and I said "NO". I wanted to keep the cord as long as possible. I really had wanted a Lotus birth where the baby kicks off the cord instead of it ever getting cut, but Danny objected and I was a little worried about sleeping with Gabriel, baby and a placenta. (as it turned out, the clamp was 10 times worse then a placenta as it kept hurting her.) Anyway, our Baby Jessica Louise pinked up, cleared herself out and was just adorable! The placenta was born and eventually Danny cut the cord. I told Jessica it was coming and she didn't flinch or cry. Phew. I was worried about severing that spiritual connection. But all was well. Lydi showed me the "heart-shaped" placenta. She said there was another lobe that had joined to the other. I guess since the lobe was really a lot smaller it looked more like a mushroom or tree, but I liked the lopsided heart idea much better. Danny Trisha and I concluded that that was because of our "disappearing twin". We were all ok with that, although it was a little hard to accept at first. Jessica is more then a dream- she is pure love!

We all were exhausted. The three boys came in and fell in love with their baby sister. They had been excitedly playing with the new stuff in the birth box. The baby loved them too and was obviously excited to see them, too. Patricia now had her little sister and grinned for hours! Danny, Jessi and I took a well needed nap. Trish took care of the boys. Our baby had arrived and Danny said, "you look like you are welcoming home an old friend". It felt like that. He also said he loved seeing me so happy. He was wonderful. I know we could have done it alone. I think Danny knows it, too. I'm feeling complete, so there probably won't be a next time, but if there is, he's my midwife with assistant Trish! I may have to revise or add to this, but that's it for now!