spidey
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Here is the very detailed birth story of Kira.
It's a long story, so if these things interest you, it might be a good read: First baby, Big baby: 10 pounds 1 ounce (5'6" 110lb pre-pregnancy mom), 10 days "late", birthing center to hospital transfer, 10 hour birthing time from start to finish (11am to 9:02pm including 1 1/2 hours pushing)
Just some background info...I'm 28 years old and this is my first baby. I knew from the start I wanted the most natural birth possible due to my friends having failed inductions, c-sections and constant worries from their doctors. I personally don't like doctors or hospitals so I happily discovered a free standing birthing center nearby. We saw the midwives at this birthing center for the whole pregnancy and ordered the hypnobabies course early on, but didn't start the program until my 28th week or so. I listened to the assigned scripts daily, but didn't listen to the affirmations daily as recommended, but instead memorized most of them and would repeat them to myself at random times during the day. My husband and I never practiced the cues together, but I would "quiz" him every few days close to my due date on ways that he could help me focus during my birthing time.
I was 10 days overdue, but no one at the birthing center cared as they won't induce until 43 weeks, although the cut off to birth at the center is 42 weeks. They did offer a sweep but I declined as I really wanted to start my birthing time completely naturally. I did however ask when 7 days overdue to be checked and learned I was 3cm dilated and 80% effaced, but my cervix was still really far back.
On Friday morning I woke up well rested, really hungry and extremely thirsty. I drank lots of water and milk and ate my breakfast while scheduling an appointment for a sonogram to check my fluid levels (one request of the birthing center in moms past 41 weeks). After tidying up the house, I laid back down for a nap at 11am as I felt very tired again. Moments later I felt a trickle of water and thought I peed myself. When I sat up, more came out and that’s when I realized it was my amniotic fluid! I got some towels to put between my legs and paced back and forth between the couch and the bathroom and waited patiently for DH to come home since he stops at home for lunch each day around 11am. While waiting I emailed my mom to let her know since we had been emailing all morning. DH came home and I shared the news with him, and he went ahead and microwaved our lunch as I listened to the birthing day affirmations. I had many false starts during the past week, so I already listened to the affirmations and found them very relaxing. My pressure waves started quickly and from the beginning were about 3 minutes apart lasting 45 seconds. They were stronger than the Braxton Hicks I'd been having since 32 weeks, so I knew this was the real deal. I only ate a little lunch since I was too excited. I told DH he better leave soon to return his work vehicle and to pick up some last minute snacks because we might need to leave for the center soon. I was GBS positive and wanted to make sure that I had enough time for antibiotics. When DH left I called the center around noon to let them know that my water broke. I guess I was too calm on the phone because they said to come in, in 4-6 hours from now. At 1pm DH had returned and the pressure waves were still 3 minutes apart and now lasting for 1 minute, so I called again and said I wanted to come in now. We drove to the birthing center and arrived by 1:30. On the drive down I became vocal during each pressure wave and found that making a deep AHH sound really helped me focus my relaxation. I'm not a loud person, so I thought this was sort of funny. I listened to the affirmations on the drive down and also once we got to the center while they started the IV antibiotics. With the doppler, they listened to the baby during the IV treatment and the babies heartbeat was high (around 180 bpm) and that concerned them. I was also checked for dilation and was already 6cm! They gave me 2 bags of IV liquids incase the accelerated heart rate was due to dehydration but it did not help. I did ask when I could go into the birthing pool and they said not until the babies heart rate is better. I spent the next several hours laying sideways on the bed while they administered the fluids and getting foot massages while relaxing through the pressure waves. They were strong enough that I didn't want to talk through them, but between waves I chatted to DH and the nurse and was feeling good overall.
At 4:30pm they explained that I would have to be transferred to the hospital and I was checked for dilation again. I was told that I was still 6cm and asked if I ever had surgery on my cervix. I remember feeling scared that something about my body wasn't normal, but then my feelings turned to anger against the midwife for scaring me! I suppose the midwife was looking for an answer to why I stopped dilating, but looking back I probably didn't progress any further because I wasn't able to fully relax with the concern over the babies heartbeat. Once I was told about being transferred to the hospital I was not upset at all about the change in plans since I knew I could handle anything that came at me. I only had some minor worry that something could be wrong with the baby since I hadn't felt movement all day. There is a reason the babies nickname was "Flicker" and when Flicker wasn't flicking around, there must be something wrong! I didn't want to know, but I eventually got the nerve to ask "am I going to have a c-section?" They said no, so I was happy about that. At this point DH was given directions to the hospital and I could already hear sirens outside. I was still saying "AAAH" during each pressure wave and was now sitting on the edge of the bed waiting for the paramedics. DH was giving me "relax" cues and touching my forehead and shoulder and this really helped me stay relaxed. I asked if he could go with me in the ambulance and they said no, and I wasn't sure how I would do without him by my side. Thankfully the entertainment of the ambulance ride distracted me from my missing birth partner. The paramedics came in and there was a very young guy who looked terrified to see me! Of course as soon as a pressure wave began, both paramedics started asking me questions! I heard the midwife explain "she is having a contraction and cannot answer questions now, wait for it to be over". Neither understood and continued this mistake the entire time, only to have it explained to them again and again. They wanted to give me oxygen and the midwife said "she doesn't need it", but they insisted so he said "fine, whatever". I also remember saying several times "I am NOT going to lie down on the stretcher, I WILL be sitting up!" I climbed on the stretcher and they gave me the bumpiest ride imaginable to the hospital! The paramedic who sat in the back with me asked "is she being induced" and the midwife said "no, she is already in labor". Then the paramedic asked "was she going to be induced"... "when were you going to induce her"... "is she going to be induced". The midwife was getting a little frustrated! The paramedic also asked why I was making so much noise- and the midwife explained how making the noise helps me to relax. I was also asked about 10 times if I had ever been pregnant before- like that mattered! I think I used my BOP without even realizing it since nothing the paramedic said phased me and I actually found it very entertaining.
Once at the hospital they took me into a hallway where we needed to wait for the person that would admit me. I could sense the concern in the midwife's voice as he asked again and again why we were waiting so long. The paramedics continued to ask silly questions and talk to me during pressure waves. I was still vocal and the other people waiting in the hall were looking at me, but I didn't care- I was too happy that I would be seeing my baby soon. DH actually made it to my room before they finally wheeled me upstairs.
They put me in a private birthing room which was quite nice, but I knew there was no birthing pool so this would have to happen without being in a warm jetted tub as I had imagined. I was checked again and was now at 7 cm. The midwife asked to break my front bag of water and I said I would normally say no, but I knew we needed to get the baby out sooner than later, and he agreed. He broke the membrane and I didn't feel any increase in pressure. I had to be continuously monitored and hooked to an IV for fluids per hospital standards. They also had to convert the birth center heplock to their own and have me sign papers and answer loads of questions. When they were doing anything during a pressure wave I could feel myself lose concentration and I noticed how my vocalizations sounded more "screamy" than AHHH sounds. DH picked up on this quickly and he started the "relax" cues and then would whisper a description of my safe place. He also counted down from 5 to 1 and told me to relax and go limp and lose. DH really paid attention to the hypnobabies course!!! They asked me if a student could attend the birth. I said okay, and she walked in looking very nervous. I soon learned this would be the first birth she ever witnessed. They also gave me a nurse that use to work at the birthing center- so there was the midwife, student, nurse and DH in the room. I have no idea what time it was at this point although it was probably close to 6 or 7pm. Until I checked my cell phone records a couple of weeks later, I really thought it was only 2pm. My husband called my parents as he drove to the hospital to meet me, and that call was made at 4:30pm. Both my husband and I swore that I was transferred to the hospital no later than 1:30pm so that goes to show how quickly the time flew by.
Around this time, probably at 8cm dilated, I could feel myself tensing up, so I whispered "hold me" to DH and he supported all my weight and whispered cues into my ear during each wave. I was still sitting on the bed and then they allowed me to kneel on the bed and lean on the raised back of the bed. I continued like this for awhile and rocked my hips back and forth and vocalized even louder. The nurse kept adjusting my monitor belts during pressure waves and DH told me later that he would swat in the air to get them to stop. DH also told me that the student midwife would stare with amazement at DH while he was doing all these cues with me. The intensity of the pressure waves were increasing and the length between them was diminishing, but I was so focused and in my own world that I didn't realize this. DH told me later that there was less than 1 minute between each pressure wave and DH was thinking to himself that he couldn't do this for much longer. I can honestly say that the thought to give up or to get an epidural never passed through my head. Right until the end I was still smiling between contractions and imagining holding my baby, and the only feeling I felt was excitement.
From about 6cm dilated, every pressure wave first felt like extreme pressure in my butt, and then it would lessen and spread more to the front of my abdomen. That first bit of pressure never lasted too long, but it was very intense and I knew once I got past that I was on my way to having another break. This is really what kept me positive and I felt very successful when I managed to completely relax my pelvic floor during that first pressure part of each wave. I also got into a rhythm where after every pressure wave DH would stick ice water infront of me and I would take a sip. Then he would rub icy rags on my face and upper back, and as soon as I started AHHH-ing, he would put them down and hold me and give me cues. It was like my body turned into a machine.
At 9cm the butt pressure was becoming more and more intense and the midwife told me to sit on the toilet and just push as much as I wanted. I sat on the toilet for awhile and they had the student midwife on the floor applying pressure to my back and the nurse was rubbing my leg reminding me to relax my pelvic floor, and DH was standing in front of me supporting my weight and doing the drink/ice routine. I was hesitant to push, but soon started pushing harder and I heard the midwife say something positive from the other room. I was hesitant to push too much since I knew I wasn't fully dilated yet and I had read that pushing too early isn't good, but I suppose some pushing was okay to help dilation. Sometime later he asked me to come back to the bed so he could check me, and I was 9 3/4 cm dilated. He did something and then said "okay, now you are 10cm". They had me on my back, which isn't what I wanted, but he said I needed to push with everything I had. I had planned to allow my body to do all the pushing, but I ended up having to bear down very hard and push. I also never felt the urge to push like I had read about, and perhaps if I was allowed to labor a little longer then it would have been easier to push the baby out, but things were being rushed since the baby continued to be under stress with a very high heart rate. I don't know how long I pushed, but my DH estimates 1 1/2 hours, although it could have been shorter. I spent most of the time with my eyes shut to help me stay focused and at one point I opened my eyes and noticed it was pitch black outside and I said "wow, it's dark outside already". There were 2 huge windows in the room with no blinds drawn, so I thought it was funny that anyone in the parking garage across the street could be watching the show. The pushing actually felt good. With each pressure wave I pulled my legs back and pushed, and they would give me cues on which pushes were the most successful. I have no idea how someone with an epidural could push because there are so many muscles down there and it took me awhile to get the right ones pushing. They set up a large mirror and told me to look but I kept saying "I believe you guys... I don't want to see!!!" The mood was good and everyone was very excited with each successful push. The student wasn't looking at first, but the midwife urged her to look and soon she got very excited and I could hear in her voice that she was amazed at seeing the babies head slowly peeking out. This gave me encouragement too because she was so sincere. DH also started watching the mirror and hearing him say "wow, the heads almost out... keep going" was wonderful. During the pushing the baby passed meconium so they called in a team to clear the meconium from the baby after the birth. The midwife explained that the cord will have to be cut right away and they will take the baby and clean him or her up and then I can hold the baby. I opened my eyes at one point and saw the room filled with new people all watching and waiting! I didn't care at all.
As the head was crowning, the pressure after each pushing session, and between waves was intense. I could feel myself stretching and I relaxed as best I could during these breaks to allow my perineum to stretch. As I got closer to delivering the head, the midwife said "once the head comes out we will tell you to stop pushing and then you must stop". Pushes later the head finally came out and I felt the pressure be relieved, and asked "is the head out?" I suppose they thought the baby would fly out if I kept pushing, but that didn't happen. The shoulders were almost as hard as the head to push out, and the midwife had to really tug on the baby to get the shoulders out. I think my small tear was from the shoulders and not the head. Once the shoulders came out I felt the baby slide the rest of the way out. The midwife held up the baby and DH said "it's a girl" and then he quickly passed her to the team for meconium clean up.
Next they gave the baby to me for skin to skin contact and then the midwife tugged on the cord and pushed my tummy and out slid the placenta. This is the only part of the entire birth that was painful. He pushed on my abdomen very roughly and I think he had another hand inside of me possibly because I had some retained placenta. I regret not asking him later to find out why. I guess they thought that the baby would distract me from this, but I was screaming so loud from the unnatural abdominal prodding that I would scream and then say "I'm sorry" to the baby because I was screaming in her ears. I should have continued using my hypnosis, but I stopped using hypnosis once the baby was born because I thought it was over. Once the midwife was done he told me I had a small 2nd degree tear and he gave me 2 shots of numbing and stitched it up fast.
They measured Kira's head and everyone in the room was in shock at her size, and at the lack of tearing I had. Her head was in the 99th percentile for size at 15.5 inches. She was also in the 99th percentile for weight at 10 pounds, 1 ounce and was 20.8 inches long. I think everyone couldn't believe that I delivered such a large baby naturally. The student midwife was holding back tears and told me I was her hero and she wants to have a baby now because I am an inspiration.
Thinking back, I never used my light switch after turning it to center before I left the house. I believe I remained in center the whole time and then DH brought me to OFF with the relax cue. Also I stopped listening to the tracks on the ipod once I learned of the hospital transfer. DH really took over and gave me all the cues that I needed without having to listen to the ipod.
Despite things not "going as planned", this was such a successful experience. I feel like I can do anything now because I was able to birth a 10 pound baby naturally. Giving birth was the most empowering thing that I have ever done. I also have a new sense of appreciation for my mother who birthed both her babies naturally and a spiritual connection to my great grandmother who had all home births and also delivered a 10 pound baby- my grandmother.
It's a long story, so if these things interest you, it might be a good read: First baby, Big baby: 10 pounds 1 ounce (5'6" 110lb pre-pregnancy mom), 10 days "late", birthing center to hospital transfer, 10 hour birthing time from start to finish (11am to 9:02pm including 1 1/2 hours pushing)
Just some background info...I'm 28 years old and this is my first baby. I knew from the start I wanted the most natural birth possible due to my friends having failed inductions, c-sections and constant worries from their doctors. I personally don't like doctors or hospitals so I happily discovered a free standing birthing center nearby. We saw the midwives at this birthing center for the whole pregnancy and ordered the hypnobabies course early on, but didn't start the program until my 28th week or so. I listened to the assigned scripts daily, but didn't listen to the affirmations daily as recommended, but instead memorized most of them and would repeat them to myself at random times during the day. My husband and I never practiced the cues together, but I would "quiz" him every few days close to my due date on ways that he could help me focus during my birthing time.
I was 10 days overdue, but no one at the birthing center cared as they won't induce until 43 weeks, although the cut off to birth at the center is 42 weeks. They did offer a sweep but I declined as I really wanted to start my birthing time completely naturally. I did however ask when 7 days overdue to be checked and learned I was 3cm dilated and 80% effaced, but my cervix was still really far back.
On Friday morning I woke up well rested, really hungry and extremely thirsty. I drank lots of water and milk and ate my breakfast while scheduling an appointment for a sonogram to check my fluid levels (one request of the birthing center in moms past 41 weeks). After tidying up the house, I laid back down for a nap at 11am as I felt very tired again. Moments later I felt a trickle of water and thought I peed myself. When I sat up, more came out and that’s when I realized it was my amniotic fluid! I got some towels to put between my legs and paced back and forth between the couch and the bathroom and waited patiently for DH to come home since he stops at home for lunch each day around 11am. While waiting I emailed my mom to let her know since we had been emailing all morning. DH came home and I shared the news with him, and he went ahead and microwaved our lunch as I listened to the birthing day affirmations. I had many false starts during the past week, so I already listened to the affirmations and found them very relaxing. My pressure waves started quickly and from the beginning were about 3 minutes apart lasting 45 seconds. They were stronger than the Braxton Hicks I'd been having since 32 weeks, so I knew this was the real deal. I only ate a little lunch since I was too excited. I told DH he better leave soon to return his work vehicle and to pick up some last minute snacks because we might need to leave for the center soon. I was GBS positive and wanted to make sure that I had enough time for antibiotics. When DH left I called the center around noon to let them know that my water broke. I guess I was too calm on the phone because they said to come in, in 4-6 hours from now. At 1pm DH had returned and the pressure waves were still 3 minutes apart and now lasting for 1 minute, so I called again and said I wanted to come in now. We drove to the birthing center and arrived by 1:30. On the drive down I became vocal during each pressure wave and found that making a deep AHH sound really helped me focus my relaxation. I'm not a loud person, so I thought this was sort of funny. I listened to the affirmations on the drive down and also once we got to the center while they started the IV antibiotics. With the doppler, they listened to the baby during the IV treatment and the babies heartbeat was high (around 180 bpm) and that concerned them. I was also checked for dilation and was already 6cm! They gave me 2 bags of IV liquids incase the accelerated heart rate was due to dehydration but it did not help. I did ask when I could go into the birthing pool and they said not until the babies heart rate is better. I spent the next several hours laying sideways on the bed while they administered the fluids and getting foot massages while relaxing through the pressure waves. They were strong enough that I didn't want to talk through them, but between waves I chatted to DH and the nurse and was feeling good overall.
At 4:30pm they explained that I would have to be transferred to the hospital and I was checked for dilation again. I was told that I was still 6cm and asked if I ever had surgery on my cervix. I remember feeling scared that something about my body wasn't normal, but then my feelings turned to anger against the midwife for scaring me! I suppose the midwife was looking for an answer to why I stopped dilating, but looking back I probably didn't progress any further because I wasn't able to fully relax with the concern over the babies heartbeat. Once I was told about being transferred to the hospital I was not upset at all about the change in plans since I knew I could handle anything that came at me. I only had some minor worry that something could be wrong with the baby since I hadn't felt movement all day. There is a reason the babies nickname was "Flicker" and when Flicker wasn't flicking around, there must be something wrong! I didn't want to know, but I eventually got the nerve to ask "am I going to have a c-section?" They said no, so I was happy about that. At this point DH was given directions to the hospital and I could already hear sirens outside. I was still saying "AAAH" during each pressure wave and was now sitting on the edge of the bed waiting for the paramedics. DH was giving me "relax" cues and touching my forehead and shoulder and this really helped me stay relaxed. I asked if he could go with me in the ambulance and they said no, and I wasn't sure how I would do without him by my side. Thankfully the entertainment of the ambulance ride distracted me from my missing birth partner. The paramedics came in and there was a very young guy who looked terrified to see me! Of course as soon as a pressure wave began, both paramedics started asking me questions! I heard the midwife explain "she is having a contraction and cannot answer questions now, wait for it to be over". Neither understood and continued this mistake the entire time, only to have it explained to them again and again. They wanted to give me oxygen and the midwife said "she doesn't need it", but they insisted so he said "fine, whatever". I also remember saying several times "I am NOT going to lie down on the stretcher, I WILL be sitting up!" I climbed on the stretcher and they gave me the bumpiest ride imaginable to the hospital! The paramedic who sat in the back with me asked "is she being induced" and the midwife said "no, she is already in labor". Then the paramedic asked "was she going to be induced"... "when were you going to induce her"... "is she going to be induced". The midwife was getting a little frustrated! The paramedic also asked why I was making so much noise- and the midwife explained how making the noise helps me to relax. I was also asked about 10 times if I had ever been pregnant before- like that mattered! I think I used my BOP without even realizing it since nothing the paramedic said phased me and I actually found it very entertaining.
Once at the hospital they took me into a hallway where we needed to wait for the person that would admit me. I could sense the concern in the midwife's voice as he asked again and again why we were waiting so long. The paramedics continued to ask silly questions and talk to me during pressure waves. I was still vocal and the other people waiting in the hall were looking at me, but I didn't care- I was too happy that I would be seeing my baby soon. DH actually made it to my room before they finally wheeled me upstairs.
They put me in a private birthing room which was quite nice, but I knew there was no birthing pool so this would have to happen without being in a warm jetted tub as I had imagined. I was checked again and was now at 7 cm. The midwife asked to break my front bag of water and I said I would normally say no, but I knew we needed to get the baby out sooner than later, and he agreed. He broke the membrane and I didn't feel any increase in pressure. I had to be continuously monitored and hooked to an IV for fluids per hospital standards. They also had to convert the birth center heplock to their own and have me sign papers and answer loads of questions. When they were doing anything during a pressure wave I could feel myself lose concentration and I noticed how my vocalizations sounded more "screamy" than AHHH sounds. DH picked up on this quickly and he started the "relax" cues and then would whisper a description of my safe place. He also counted down from 5 to 1 and told me to relax and go limp and lose. DH really paid attention to the hypnobabies course!!! They asked me if a student could attend the birth. I said okay, and she walked in looking very nervous. I soon learned this would be the first birth she ever witnessed. They also gave me a nurse that use to work at the birthing center- so there was the midwife, student, nurse and DH in the room. I have no idea what time it was at this point although it was probably close to 6 or 7pm. Until I checked my cell phone records a couple of weeks later, I really thought it was only 2pm. My husband called my parents as he drove to the hospital to meet me, and that call was made at 4:30pm. Both my husband and I swore that I was transferred to the hospital no later than 1:30pm so that goes to show how quickly the time flew by.
Around this time, probably at 8cm dilated, I could feel myself tensing up, so I whispered "hold me" to DH and he supported all my weight and whispered cues into my ear during each wave. I was still sitting on the bed and then they allowed me to kneel on the bed and lean on the raised back of the bed. I continued like this for awhile and rocked my hips back and forth and vocalized even louder. The nurse kept adjusting my monitor belts during pressure waves and DH told me later that he would swat in the air to get them to stop. DH also told me that the student midwife would stare with amazement at DH while he was doing all these cues with me. The intensity of the pressure waves were increasing and the length between them was diminishing, but I was so focused and in my own world that I didn't realize this. DH told me later that there was less than 1 minute between each pressure wave and DH was thinking to himself that he couldn't do this for much longer. I can honestly say that the thought to give up or to get an epidural never passed through my head. Right until the end I was still smiling between contractions and imagining holding my baby, and the only feeling I felt was excitement.
From about 6cm dilated, every pressure wave first felt like extreme pressure in my butt, and then it would lessen and spread more to the front of my abdomen. That first bit of pressure never lasted too long, but it was very intense and I knew once I got past that I was on my way to having another break. This is really what kept me positive and I felt very successful when I managed to completely relax my pelvic floor during that first pressure part of each wave. I also got into a rhythm where after every pressure wave DH would stick ice water infront of me and I would take a sip. Then he would rub icy rags on my face and upper back, and as soon as I started AHHH-ing, he would put them down and hold me and give me cues. It was like my body turned into a machine.
At 9cm the butt pressure was becoming more and more intense and the midwife told me to sit on the toilet and just push as much as I wanted. I sat on the toilet for awhile and they had the student midwife on the floor applying pressure to my back and the nurse was rubbing my leg reminding me to relax my pelvic floor, and DH was standing in front of me supporting my weight and doing the drink/ice routine. I was hesitant to push, but soon started pushing harder and I heard the midwife say something positive from the other room. I was hesitant to push too much since I knew I wasn't fully dilated yet and I had read that pushing too early isn't good, but I suppose some pushing was okay to help dilation. Sometime later he asked me to come back to the bed so he could check me, and I was 9 3/4 cm dilated. He did something and then said "okay, now you are 10cm". They had me on my back, which isn't what I wanted, but he said I needed to push with everything I had. I had planned to allow my body to do all the pushing, but I ended up having to bear down very hard and push. I also never felt the urge to push like I had read about, and perhaps if I was allowed to labor a little longer then it would have been easier to push the baby out, but things were being rushed since the baby continued to be under stress with a very high heart rate. I don't know how long I pushed, but my DH estimates 1 1/2 hours, although it could have been shorter. I spent most of the time with my eyes shut to help me stay focused and at one point I opened my eyes and noticed it was pitch black outside and I said "wow, it's dark outside already". There were 2 huge windows in the room with no blinds drawn, so I thought it was funny that anyone in the parking garage across the street could be watching the show. The pushing actually felt good. With each pressure wave I pulled my legs back and pushed, and they would give me cues on which pushes were the most successful. I have no idea how someone with an epidural could push because there are so many muscles down there and it took me awhile to get the right ones pushing. They set up a large mirror and told me to look but I kept saying "I believe you guys... I don't want to see!!!" The mood was good and everyone was very excited with each successful push. The student wasn't looking at first, but the midwife urged her to look and soon she got very excited and I could hear in her voice that she was amazed at seeing the babies head slowly peeking out. This gave me encouragement too because she was so sincere. DH also started watching the mirror and hearing him say "wow, the heads almost out... keep going" was wonderful. During the pushing the baby passed meconium so they called in a team to clear the meconium from the baby after the birth. The midwife explained that the cord will have to be cut right away and they will take the baby and clean him or her up and then I can hold the baby. I opened my eyes at one point and saw the room filled with new people all watching and waiting! I didn't care at all.
As the head was crowning, the pressure after each pushing session, and between waves was intense. I could feel myself stretching and I relaxed as best I could during these breaks to allow my perineum to stretch. As I got closer to delivering the head, the midwife said "once the head comes out we will tell you to stop pushing and then you must stop". Pushes later the head finally came out and I felt the pressure be relieved, and asked "is the head out?" I suppose they thought the baby would fly out if I kept pushing, but that didn't happen. The shoulders were almost as hard as the head to push out, and the midwife had to really tug on the baby to get the shoulders out. I think my small tear was from the shoulders and not the head. Once the shoulders came out I felt the baby slide the rest of the way out. The midwife held up the baby and DH said "it's a girl" and then he quickly passed her to the team for meconium clean up.
Next they gave the baby to me for skin to skin contact and then the midwife tugged on the cord and pushed my tummy and out slid the placenta. This is the only part of the entire birth that was painful. He pushed on my abdomen very roughly and I think he had another hand inside of me possibly because I had some retained placenta. I regret not asking him later to find out why. I guess they thought that the baby would distract me from this, but I was screaming so loud from the unnatural abdominal prodding that I would scream and then say "I'm sorry" to the baby because I was screaming in her ears. I should have continued using my hypnosis, but I stopped using hypnosis once the baby was born because I thought it was over. Once the midwife was done he told me I had a small 2nd degree tear and he gave me 2 shots of numbing and stitched it up fast.
They measured Kira's head and everyone in the room was in shock at her size, and at the lack of tearing I had. Her head was in the 99th percentile for size at 15.5 inches. She was also in the 99th percentile for weight at 10 pounds, 1 ounce and was 20.8 inches long. I think everyone couldn't believe that I delivered such a large baby naturally. The student midwife was holding back tears and told me I was her hero and she wants to have a baby now because I am an inspiration.
Thinking back, I never used my light switch after turning it to center before I left the house. I believe I remained in center the whole time and then DH brought me to OFF with the relax cue. Also I stopped listening to the tracks on the ipod once I learned of the hospital transfer. DH really took over and gave me all the cues that I needed without having to listen to the ipod.
Despite things not "going as planned", this was such a successful experience. I feel like I can do anything now because I was able to birth a 10 pound baby naturally. Giving birth was the most empowering thing that I have ever done. I also have a new sense of appreciation for my mother who birthed both her babies naturally and a spiritual connection to my great grandmother who had all home births and also delivered a 10 pound baby- my grandmother.
x
