Heather M
Me, my DH, 2 girls + bump
- Joined
- Sep 21, 2009
- Messages
- 556
- Reaction score
- 0
I don't know too many people on these boards but it has been a godsend to me throughout my pregnancy just to see different peoples experiences and opinions!!!
My daughter Annaleigh Elizabeth was born Thursday, June 24 at 7:46PM, 7lbs15oz and measuring approx. 21 inches!!! She was 8 days overdue and I had started to wonder if I was going to successfully be able to have a home birth! This is our first child so I didn't know what to expect!
I had been having constant period-like pain, pelvic pressure and backache from the Sunday on. After a midwife appointment on Tuesday, they assessed my cervix which was still quite high and posterior, however it was about 65% effaced and it appeared I was 3+ cm dilated! I opted not to have a stretch and sweep at this visit to see if things could get going a little bit more naturally as I was having the constant aches and pains. After the exam, the cramping got a little bit worse. My DH and I went to our birth and babies class and we left half way through as I could not get into a comfortable position. After leaving and sleeping that night things calmed down a bit but the aches were still there. Wednesday was uneventful!
1AM on Thursday morning, I started to get regular tightenings in my uterus and then realized that they were pretty regular (about 5-7 minutes apart). I wasn't sure if this was things starting or not and called my sister (who is also a doula) to see what she thought. By 5AM they were about 4.5 minutes apart and things continued to progress from there. There was no pain with this but due to all the days of aches I was feeling pretty tired. At 7AM I paged my MW who said she would be in to check on me by about 10AM unless things progressed more quickly. By 9AM my contractions were between 3.5-4 minutes apart but were still not painful. My midwife team decided they would give it a bit more time as I was not having significant pain. By 1PM my contractions were coming anywhere between 2.5 and 4 minutes apart, still painless, but I wanted to know what was going on so I asked my MW to come and assess me. She got to my house by about 2PM and at that point I was starting to have pain in contractions but not regularly. She then gave me the stretch and sweep and thought that things wouldn't get started until 10-11PM that night. She said I was still 3+ dilated and that I was now about 85% effaced.
About 15 minutes after she left the contractions became VERY painful and were between 1.5 and 3.5 minutes apart. My sister made her way to my house and helped my DH with me coping. I had used a bath earlier in the day to help soothe my muscles, but at this point it made things so intense I couldn't do it at all. The bath remained filled with water but I didn't go near it the rest of the evening! By the time my sister got there I insisted she call the MW back and my MW arrived by 4PM. I was begging to go to the hospital as the pain was so bad and regular and I was just so tired. When I was assessed, the MW said I was fully dilated and shortly after that I was beginning to push! It took me 1.5 hours pushing but when she was ready the MWs said my baby came out like a freight train! (one push got her entire head AND body out). Unfortunately this came with a 2nd degree tear but fortunately my DH was there to catch her (we didn't know if he would be able to do this as he's squeamish but it happened so fast I don't think he had time to think!) One of the only things I really heard and remember from that moment was his reaction to catching the baby and just his awe in the whole experience! I wasn't prepared for the blood (as the tear had been significant) but Annaleigh started crying right away and that took all my fear away! In the hours after that I've never felt so much love and support from all of those that were able to share in this experience with us! I would not trade it for the world despite it being a little quicker then I had imagined!!! All in all my active labour was 4hours with 1.5 of that pushing! No gas, no meds, and no water! hehe It was wonderful to be free in my own home and just do what I needed to in the familiarity of my surroundings!
If you've made it this far, thanks for letting me share!!! Just a couple of pictures
My daughter Annaleigh Elizabeth was born Thursday, June 24 at 7:46PM, 7lbs15oz and measuring approx. 21 inches!!! She was 8 days overdue and I had started to wonder if I was going to successfully be able to have a home birth! This is our first child so I didn't know what to expect!
I had been having constant period-like pain, pelvic pressure and backache from the Sunday on. After a midwife appointment on Tuesday, they assessed my cervix which was still quite high and posterior, however it was about 65% effaced and it appeared I was 3+ cm dilated! I opted not to have a stretch and sweep at this visit to see if things could get going a little bit more naturally as I was having the constant aches and pains. After the exam, the cramping got a little bit worse. My DH and I went to our birth and babies class and we left half way through as I could not get into a comfortable position. After leaving and sleeping that night things calmed down a bit but the aches were still there. Wednesday was uneventful!
1AM on Thursday morning, I started to get regular tightenings in my uterus and then realized that they were pretty regular (about 5-7 minutes apart). I wasn't sure if this was things starting or not and called my sister (who is also a doula) to see what she thought. By 5AM they were about 4.5 minutes apart and things continued to progress from there. There was no pain with this but due to all the days of aches I was feeling pretty tired. At 7AM I paged my MW who said she would be in to check on me by about 10AM unless things progressed more quickly. By 9AM my contractions were between 3.5-4 minutes apart but were still not painful. My midwife team decided they would give it a bit more time as I was not having significant pain. By 1PM my contractions were coming anywhere between 2.5 and 4 minutes apart, still painless, but I wanted to know what was going on so I asked my MW to come and assess me. She got to my house by about 2PM and at that point I was starting to have pain in contractions but not regularly. She then gave me the stretch and sweep and thought that things wouldn't get started until 10-11PM that night. She said I was still 3+ dilated and that I was now about 85% effaced.
About 15 minutes after she left the contractions became VERY painful and were between 1.5 and 3.5 minutes apart. My sister made her way to my house and helped my DH with me coping. I had used a bath earlier in the day to help soothe my muscles, but at this point it made things so intense I couldn't do it at all. The bath remained filled with water but I didn't go near it the rest of the evening! By the time my sister got there I insisted she call the MW back and my MW arrived by 4PM. I was begging to go to the hospital as the pain was so bad and regular and I was just so tired. When I was assessed, the MW said I was fully dilated and shortly after that I was beginning to push! It took me 1.5 hours pushing but when she was ready the MWs said my baby came out like a freight train! (one push got her entire head AND body out). Unfortunately this came with a 2nd degree tear but fortunately my DH was there to catch her (we didn't know if he would be able to do this as he's squeamish but it happened so fast I don't think he had time to think!) One of the only things I really heard and remember from that moment was his reaction to catching the baby and just his awe in the whole experience! I wasn't prepared for the blood (as the tear had been significant) but Annaleigh started crying right away and that took all my fear away! In the hours after that I've never felt so much love and support from all of those that were able to share in this experience with us! I would not trade it for the world despite it being a little quicker then I had imagined!!! All in all my active labour was 4hours with 1.5 of that pushing! No gas, no meds, and no water! hehe It was wonderful to be free in my own home and just do what I needed to in the familiarity of my surroundings!
If you've made it this far, thanks for letting me share!!! Just a couple of pictures
