Isaiah's Birth Story... Part Two
Thursday, July 15, 2010 at 01:45AM ... continued from here...
It has been a long time since I started the story, so I will remind you that at this point... I have been in active labor since somewhere between 5 & 6 in the morning. I've been having bloody show for hours, & my midwife is on the way!
I got out of the tub & began walking. I was afraid this would slow things down, but it made them immediately faster. Every time I started walking, a contraction would start. They were coming about every 2 minutes now.
Sarah & her apprentice Abigail arrived at about 12:30pm. We had met Abigail on the previous prenatal visit. She was kindhearted and knowledgable, and we were lucky to have her assistance. Soon after they arrived, a contraction began, Sarah quickly got behind me & put pressure somewhere on my back. She talked me through it, reminding me to relax my whole body, my jaw, my hands. Her soothing voice and hands were magical. There was a remarkable difference between the contractions before & after she arrived.
She then instructed me to lie on the bed, so she could check my progress and Isaiah’s heartbeat. He sounded healthy. I confessed that I was afraid of her checking me, because what if I wasn’t very far along? I feared that she would tell me I was only 2 or 3 centimeters dilated. Big sis, my mom, and Sarah all guessed I would be around 4 or 5. Then she went in. With a shocked voice, she said, “Jewel, I can’t believe it, you are so far along already. You are between 7 & 8 centimeters dilated. Let’s say 7 to be safe.” Hell yes.
I was so relieved, maybe even elated. Especially after Sarah kept saying how shocked and impressed she was. She was really good at making me feel good about myself. After this experience, I think this is a required skill of midwifery.
Sarah instructed Abigail to call the assistant midwife & Keri, the photographer.
Because I didn’t remember the last time I had eaten, she told me I needed to eat something now, since we didn’t know how much time would remain until delivery. I needed energy, so water & food were a must. I moved the ball into the kitchen/dining area all the way to the bar, so I could have something to hold onto during contractions. My mom & sisters made me a plate with a half a sandwich & a glass of white grape juice. I didn’t feel like eating anything, but I followed instructions. I also wanted to taste my cheesecake to make sure it had turned out well. I took a bite & gave the rest to Marcus. It was better than the last time I made it. It was a success.
Sarah asked if I wanted to go somewhere quieter to labor, but I was good around everyone. I liked the energy of the room & thought it would be more memorable then anywhere else. My sisters & mom were in the kitchen preparing food for everyone, while the midwives were walking around preparing items for the birth. Sarah occasionally sat behind me & put pressure on my back during contractions. I asked her to teach Marcus how, and he took her place. She also instructed him to fill up a metal water bottle with hot water, and she taught him how to rub that against my lower back. The combination of heat & pressure was pretty amazing too.
I would announce when a contraction was starting, and everyone would go silent. My little sister kept talking until my older sister scolded her. I’m not sure whether I hated the talking as much as she did during labor, but I appreciated her concern. I guess it helped to have silence in order to focus on my breathing.
The remaining members of my birth team arrived. Here is where the pictures begin. I forget why now, but we moved into the bedroom. There I would lean against pillows on the edge of my bed while I bounced on the ball through contractions.
Marcus sat behind me on the love seat. And thanks to him, amidst the pain & seriousness of the contractions, there were still many amusing & pleasant moments.
Everyone else stayed out in the living area; not sure what they were doing. Big sis eventually came in to take Marcus’s place putting pressure with the hot water bottle. They were pretty strong at this point, but they still weren’t as close together as desired. Sarah instructed me to stand up, lean against the bed and sway my hips back & forth. Not as awesome as the ball, but it wasn’t bad, and since she said it would help Isaiah move down, I was all for it.
Then she told me to rub my breasts during the next contraction. But it seemed inconvenient in that position, and I forgot once the contraction started. So she explained to Marcus & I that we needed to go through a few contractions on the toilet. This would further entice the baby to make his descent down the birth canal. And we were instructed to perform some breast stimulation to bring the contractions closer together.
For some reason, the toilet part terrified me. I don’t know if I was scared that Isaiah would come out in the toilet. Or if the pressure was just stronger here. It just seemed so inevitable.
My fear was justified. But I still can’t really pinpoint what was so horrible about it. We discovered later that this was the worst part for both me & Marcus. And the contractions definitely got closer! Back to back. No break. I could only handle about 5 of them like this. I had to get up during the 6th contraction. I rushed to finish it on the ball. The pressure was incredible, & I thought I felt something pushing outwards as I sat on the ball. I told Sarah I felt like I needed to push.
She led me to the bed & gave me several options of pushing positions. I could lie on my side, stand up, squat, or be on my hands & knees. I picked the last one & took my place on the bed. Pillows surrounded my head for me to hold onto.
Someone brilliantly thought to play the music on the playlist on which I worked so diligently. Between contractions, I awkwardly explained to my little sister how to hook up the speakers to my iPod. The music was calming & appropriate. I remember Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova & Snow Patrol. It wasn’t on shuffle like it should have been, but I couldn’t say it out loud for some reason.
The contractions now were so strong & hard. But not enough. Sarah told me & Marcus to go back in the bathroom. No, not again! Very reluctantly we did. And we did what we did before. It was just as horrible. I really felt like something was going to come out. I didn’t want to continue. Sarah came in this time & asked me to reach down & see if I could feel his head. I felt something.
Back to the bed. Back on my hands & knees. She was going to check my progress now. She was shocked. I was fully dilated & effaced, she could feel my water sac & his head, and we were ready to have a baby!
The next contraction held off just long enough for Sarah to explain what to do next. She told me that with the next contraction I was supposed to push as hard as I could, not letting anything come out of my mouth or my nose like I had been doing. I am so thankful that she told me it was going to feel like the biggest bowel movement I’ve ever had. But I wasn’t to worry because the sensation didn’t necessarily meant that I would have one.
I was squeezing the pillows & Marcus’s hands. He was leaning over the side of the bed huddled up beside me, telling me how great I was doing & how wonderful I was. I couldn’t smile in response or talk back to him, but I was so grateful that he was there, saying those things.
That next contraction came, and I pushed just like I was told. Just like I watched the moms do on all the videos I watched. My water broke. It gushed everywhere in several stages. I could hear people exclaim that it was a lot of water. Then they told me they could see his head. Marcus ran back to see & then rushed back to my side. I kept pushing, and they told me his head was out. Sarah yelled at me to stop pushing. Slow down, she said, just breathe. I did, and that was the weirdest feeling ever because I could feel him moving out slowly with every breath. I had no choice but to breathe very shallow breaths like you see in the movies. Then she told me to push again. Marcus left me & took his position at the other end. I pushed again, and he was out!
I heard exclamations of wonder & joy. I didn’t make any myself. I felt like I was just observing. Except for any primal sounds of pain, I was quietly listening to what was happening behind me. Until Sarah told me to reach below my belly because she was going to pass my baby between my legs. Like a football. The cord was apparently shorter than usual. I reached for him, the pass was complete. Then I turned over so I could lie down on my back. Someone pulled up my dress so he could lie skin to skin on my chest.
My emotions were too overwhelming to feel. I think I was more in shock than anything. I just pushed a baby out of me. My baby. Isaiah. He was just lying there in front of me. And he was beautiful.
Marcus cut the cord.
Isaiah & I learned how to breastfeed for the first time. My big sister fed me a little & gave me some water. Sarah explained in detail what they could determine from examining my placenta. I really wish I had this part recorded because I thought it was fascinating, but I can’t remember anything she said.
Isaiah & I got in the herbal bath together. I held him with his head just above the water so he could stay warm. We both just looked at each other, absorbing our new worlds.
There was examining & measuring...
Joy, amazement, wonder & thankfulness... Isaiah made it safely into the world.
I was in labor for about 9 hours. I pushed for 11 minutes. I feel so lucky to have had the experience I did. I don't know what I would have done if the pushing lasted hours like it does for some.
It seemed like everything happened at once. I felt like I was going through motions that I had read about & watched. Like I was listening & doing, just doing. I wish I could more insightfully explain my experience of giving birth, but it’s so hard for me to explain what it was like and how I felt. Afterward, as much as I contemplated my thought process & how to tell my story, the only word that ever popped in my head was “natural.” It just seemed natural to me. Like I was meant to do it, and I did it. And although it was likely the most pain I’ve ever felt, but it wasn't devastating, and that isn’t what I think about when I remember it. I think about accomplishment. I think about Isaiah.
It was a perfect experience. I wouldn’t have had it any other way.
