Zeke's Birth Story (water birth @ birth center)

[Mathmagican]

In the weeks prior to Zeke’s birth I would often wake up in the middle of night full of fear that I wouldn’t be able to handle the birth process drug free. My husband, Sean, would reassure me that it was going to be okay and women had been doing this forever. He would remind me to expect and visualize it has a positive experience. Apparently the all the positive visualize worked, because Zeke’s birth exceeded all my expectations.

Around*7pm on Sunday night*my water broke. We were super excited and expecting contractions to start at anytime. Our midwife, Heike, told me to get some sleep because I likely had a long night of labor ahead. After a restless night and only a few minor contractions, I called our Heike and she recommended we come into the birth center to pick up some verbena oil to help stimulate contractions. We picked up the verbena oil and then headed to the store to get the remaining ingredients needed to make the “labor shake” (or as my husband likes to call it “the witch’s brew”). Sean mixed up the witch’s brew and I drank about half of it before Sean realized that he had forgotten to put the verbena oil in the shake. (Let’s just say this didn’t go over well considering the awful taste of the witch’s brew). After managing the down the shake I took a nap. I woke up around*2:15pm*with intense contractions that were only 15 to 30 seconds long but about 2 minutes apart. We had been instructed to call the midwife when the contractions were 1 minute long, four minutes apart and lasting an hour. Around*2:45pm, I tried to convince Sean that we should call Heike. Sean didn’t want to be the people that call the midwife after just a few contractions. So Sean managed to delay the call until*3:00pm. Heike asked to be on speaker phone during my next contraction. About 5 seconds into the contraction, Heike exclaimed, “You need to come in!” I waddled to the car and we speed off the birth center. All during the car ride I kept trying to convince Sean to go to the hospital (because it was closer and I knew they had drugs there). But Sean ignored my pleading and kept reminding me that I wanted to give birth at the birth center. When we arrived at the birth center*at 3:30pm, I was shrieking that I needed to push. I was quickly ushered in to a birth suite where I was hollering that I needed to push. Heike looked a little surprised but she checked and I was fully dilated. So she said to go ahead and push! I instantly felt relief to be pushing. Heike hurried to get the birthing tub filled. The tub helped me relax, but contractions were frequent 1-2 minutes apart, so the relaxation periods were very brief.

After about 45 minutes of pushing I was exhausted. I demanded that Heike quantify how much longer labor would last. She told me that she couldn’t tell me that for sure, but reminded me that I was in control of my labor. If I was focused and pushed hard with the contractions that labor would be over sooner. With Heike’s empowering speech in my head, I summoned all my mental and physical strength and pushed with new vigor. Before I knew it Heike was saying two more pushes and the baby would be out. Then suddenly Zeke was in the tub with me and resting on my chest. Sean exclaimed, “We’re a family!” and I was so full of joy I thought my heart might burst.

Zeke was born at 4:47pm on Monday April 30th, so my labor was only 3 (very intense) hours. Just one minute of holding Zeke made the 9 months of being uncomfortable and 3 hours of labor totally worth it! Being a mom has been fantastic and Sean and I are thrilled to have Zeke in our lives!

Thanks for reading!
Carmen

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[honeybee2]

congratulations- inspiring story!

 

[strdstkittenx]

love the story huge congrats!!!