Surprise! That was it - born in the caul on his due date!

[EmmaRea]

And quite an extraordinary little man he is already! My little Harrison Errol Levi made his appearance yesterday morning around 2am, born with his sac of waters still intact, on his due date, into the loving hands of his father in a truly spectacular water birth, after 22 hours of hard labor, which I struggled through complete unmedicated. I still can't believe I did that as a ftm. What are the odds of all of that happening?!

I don't know his exact birth time. I didn't even know it was Saturday, as I thought time had pretty much stopped and I'd be stuck on Friday at 7 centimeters dilation forever! But he was 7lbs9oz and 19 inches long and soooo stinking cute!

He's asleep right now with his daddy, and I am sitting in a well-earned Epsom salt sitz bath to ease my aching labia, which did require some stitching. But the wonderful little guy deserved the best entrance I could give him, and I'd do it again any day.

If I could skip transition completely, that is!


Thank you to all of you wonderful ladies who made the wait so much easier to bear since those nerve-wracking days in first tri. We made it through!!!

 

[Breezeway]

Congrats!!!

 

[MrsHippo]

Congratulations :O) you enjoy your well earned bath!!! xx

 

[fudgecake251]

Oh wow fantastic! Well done you, and your little boy is going to have a very blessed and lucky life (thats what they say when the waters are intact). Enjoy your bath, hope it eases the pains, as I know by past experience the stitches can be a bit of a pain in the days following the birth. Would you recommend the water birth? I didn't have it with my first but am definately toying with the idea for my second due in 8 weeks time. Did it ease pains, make you feel more relaxed? Well done again!!

 

[mrscitysmith]

brilliant!! COngratulations xx

 

[AdriansMama]

Sounds like a beautiful rewarding experience !! Congrats to you and your husband on your gorgeous little man

 

[jeka]

Congrats! And beautiful name

 

[MummyPony]

How wonderful! Congratulations

 

[Cherrybump]

congrats hun xxx

 

[maybebaby3]

Congrats!

 

[angelandbump]

Congratulations x

 

[EmmaRea]

Oh wow fantastic! Well done you, and your little boy is going to have a very blessed and lucky life (thats what they say when the waters are intact). Enjoy your bath, hope it eases the pains, as I know by past experience the stitches can be a bit of a pain in the days following the birth. Would you recommend the water birth? I didn't have it with my first but am definately toying with the idea for my second due in 8 weeks time. Did it ease pains, make you feel more relaxed? Well done again!!

I would definitely recommend a water birth!! The warm water was the only thing that got me through the very difficult transition. I got "stuck" at about 7 or 8cm with a lip on my cervix. I wasn't making progress, but the contractions were still absolutely, completely unbearable. I did not think I was going to be able to have my little man without help. At that point, I desperately wanted to be put under anethesia and wake up some time later to find my already born baby.
But then I got in the tub. I worked through the last few cms of dilation, and while still agonizing, I made it through. I was comfortable and weightless enough in the water that even the 30 second break between contractions (sometimes they didn't stop, didn't let up, for several minutes... those were the worst!) made me so much more comfortable that I could actually lay my head back and zone out enough to get through the next contraction. And pushing in the water? Oh, my heavenly stars. What a wonderful thing! As a first-timer, I pushed for what the midwives say was only 38 minutes before I had my boy in my arms. The tear that required sutures was a tear to my labia minora. Everything on the inside and my perineum are totally intact, even though I pushed so fast as a first timer. I credit the water for that!

 

[jensha]

Sounds amazing!!!!!!!!!!! Congrats!!!!!
I hope I'll have my water birth too!