Scaaaary Halloween Pumpkin

Pumpkin giving birth:

Fresh from Heaven

My sweet, Nora Elena is here. I've put off typing out her "birth story" as it were, because I want to include every detail.. Then my perfectionism goes and prevents me from typing ANYTHING because I can't type it all. The longer I go without telling the story, the more the story changes as I analyze and internalize this magnificent experience.

Here are the basics.

Stats and pics are on the family website. (sorry- removed the link-- email me if you'd like it!)

MANY details added as of May 2008!!

*Enrichment Night at 6pm - About one week before my estimated date of delivery-- I leave my poor, newly called Enrichment Leader at the park to run the mother-daughter Enrichment Night so I can go home and "rest". Luckily she is a post-partum nurse who is MORE than understanding and encouraged me to go put my feet up in preparation for baby on the way! (She wings it that night and I hear that it turns out great!)

*6:30/7ish Green Burrito spicy veggie-burrito for dinner with fam (two labors now have been preceded by some spicy Mexican food! hahaah I think it's a tradition!) followed by some "O Lime" pomegranate flavored, frozen yogurt. Mom keeps teasing, "Are you SURE you're not gonna have this baby soon??!! You BETTER tell me when you FIRST start labor!!!" I promise.

*9-10pm I start labor. Joe is busy studying in the living room while I'm chillin' in bed. I'd been having "prodromal" labor off and on during the week. It usually died down when I settled in for the night. I was watching The Office and things were getting MORE uncomfortable instead of LESS uncomfortable. All of sudden I realize I'm in full on labor! Sometime close to ten I call out, "Um, honey. I'm pretty sure I'm in active labor. Can you come time me for a sec?" Hubby thinks I'm joking. I am SERIOUS. SERIOUSLY ANNOYED that he is not taking ME seriously and rushing to my side. ;) hehehehe He finishes up his task and stops to get a snack before coming back. By the time he gets to my side I do NOT want to chat or small talk. I'm on all fours on the bedroom floor. (This is how I spent most of my labor.) He decides to call mom and dad to give them a heads up that we will be on our way. They don't believe him. Then they DO believe him.

*11pm head over to mom's house (LOOOONGEST 10 minute car ride ever!!) ;) My cute younger bro comes to our place and stays the night because Heidi is FAST asleep and we want to let her STAY asleep. At this point, I have NO idea how close to birth we are. I remember this bit with Heidi's labor-- but I was strapped to a table waiting to be wheeled into the OR during that labor! (Breech baby!) :)

I couldn't make it from house to car or car to mom's door step without stopping every few steps for a contraction. I would just drop to hands and knees wherever I was. I didn't care WHO was watching out their apartment window or across the street. I was down on the ground rocking. It felt good to do that!! Sweet hubs would catch me (when he wasn't running things to or from the car!) and I hung on his shoulder and around his neck. He rocked with me and we laughed when the contraction ended and I waddled as fast as possible to get to my destination before another contraction!! When I FINALLY made it from my my mom's door step to her bathroom (with the BIG bathtub full of warm water) contractions were so close together that it seemed too much effort to get into the tub. I just stayed on my hands and knees swinging and rocking and NOT wanting to talk. My darling husband and sweet sister were by my side encouraging me and responsive to my slightest request. Ice chips? Pronto! Red raspberry tea ice chips? On the double!! Although I was working hard and in my own world (birthland!) I was WELL aware of their support and it comforted me to have them quietly there.

I wanted to get in the tub SO badly at this point but could NOT leave my hands and knees rocking position or get my pajamas off! Too much work!! I felt stranded at the side of the tub!! All at once I just HAD to get in there and hubs and sis helped me strip down and throw a bra top on. (this was quite a fete considering it took 2-3 contractions/breaks to accomplish this.) ;) I clamored into the tub and sunk my belly below water level. SWEET "aqua-deral" relief! The water was just what I needed. I got in JUST in time as transition came soon after. Also, I think Nora was not quite "in position" and she did some major turning while I was in the water. Even in the water, I felt the urge to go back to hands and knees. I flipped over and hung on the side of the tub while hubs massaged my lower back as HARD as he possibly could during contractions. It felt SO wonderful to have that counter pressure!!! Mom had a cool washcloth and wiped my brow between contractions. Sis set up family pictures around the tub and quietly observed or ran for ice chips and fed them to me. She was also in charge of "documenting" and had her camera by her side. She was careful not to bug me. I don't even remember her taking ANY pictures but somehow we have them. ;) Did I mention there were some pretty smelling Yankee vanilla candles glowing around the tub as well? They were so comforting and yummy smelling to me!! My mom and husband hate the smell but had purchased them previously at my request. hahahahah My family loves me!!! I don't think I could ever thank them enough for all of the love and support they provided during this time! That kind of love and support is life changing! Service and acts of love provided during a time of difficulty or trial are the most endearing, bond cementing deeds.

Sometime now, or maybe right after Lori arrived, my water breaks. Lovely (hah!) amniotic fluid is floating around me in the tub. I could care less what is floating around me at this point. The tub is warm and soothing.

*1ish am midwife Lori and her apprentice make it (There was a bit of anxiety over her arrival as she had another mom in labor and came from a DIFFERENT birth right before that!!! A backup midwife had already been called but everyone was unsure about my "status" as I seemed "calm" still. No one could figure out if I had HOURS to go or was indeed getting as close as my contractions seemed to be revealing.) I didn't even notice her slip in! She just quietly came and set up in the room and observed for a bit. I was in "birthland" just doing my thing and concentrating. Around this time is when things were at their peak intensity and I asked everyone in the room to "Please pray for me." As I'd wanted COMPLETE silence through my contractions up to this point, my mom asks, tentatively, "Out loud? Would you like us to pray out loud?" My answer, as another contraction came on? "NO! Just pray!" After the contraction I said, "Sorry. You guys are the best!" hahahahahhahahaha Apparently, I kept saying that in between contractions. I don't even remember!! I do remember feeling surround by love, and although a little overwhelmed by the physical intensity of what my body was doing, safe. It is kind of funny how you just do what needs to be done during contractions. My mom was holding the washcloth close by and at some point I was burying my face into it while humming and wagging my hips side to side. Something about that was SO soothing during that really hard transition time!! It makes me laugh to try and picture myself now! A part of me wishes we'd video taped just to see that funny image!!! ;) I'd peek up at the pictures that I loved, then bury my face in the washcloth, hum, rock and wag while hubs pushed/rubbed my lower back and sis, Lori and the apprentice readied things, charted and observed. I was oblivious to their presence, yet completely buoyed by their support at the same time. How amazing!!!!

During this phase I began involuntarily pushing and grunting a bit. That is a weird feeling!!!!! Your body just starts with this extra OOMPH at the peak of the contraction. How amazing our bodies are!!! "I think I'm pushing!" I exclaimed. "I keep feeling like I'm pushing, and I can't help it! Is it time? Is it ok that I'm pushing??" I had never done this before, and was a bit nervous that I was pushing too early and would have too much swelling later on! I kept thinking, "I've only been in labor a few hours! I'm not ready! Is this what I have to deal with for the next few hours????" Lori asked me if I'd like to be checked. I did. But I didn't want to roll over and lift my hips at all. (So uncooperative, I know.) Between the tub, faucet, me on my knees, in the water I was just not in a good position for her to be able to check. ( i.e. wasn't exactly possible) She just smiled, "That's ok. Just tell me if you want to and we'll try and help you get into a better position so I can check." I'm so glad she didn't force me to be unnecessarily checked or anything lame like that during labor. Sometime during the next few contractions I felt some BIG movement in my belly and the contractions stopped causing such low back ache. I rolled over off of hands and knees and sis, mom and hubs commented on my changed belly shape. A few more contractions. All of sudden I notice they are spacing out a tad. "Ok! Can you please do a quick check before another ones comes!" Lori quickly checks and responds, "You're doing great!!! You are complete and baby is a station 2! Baby is practically here!!" Music to my ears! (I just want to point out that this was the first and last time I had a "check down there" during all of labor and in fact, during all of my time with my wonderful midwife. Let me tell you how cool it is to NOT have someone sticking their fingers in your parts the whole time you are trying to do some serious laboring. It's VERY cool!)

Mom yells out "WOOHOO! She's here, Ame!! This is it!! You did the hard part!! This is it!!" Hubs is laughing nervously. I am laugh/crying, "I can't believe she's almost here! I'm about to hold my sweet, new baby!!" Lori asks if I want to get out and push or stay in the tub. She starts the hot water running to warm the tub up a bit just in case I decide to stay in.

*2ish am I began earnestly pushing. (and decide, "NO WAY" am I getting out of the tub! It was so soothing, sitting in the water. I am grateful for a midwife who is WELL trained in the modes of water birth as I had not expected this outcome!) This part of labor is so amazing!! You know all those birth books you read that talk about how things space out and it can be kind of "peaceful"? I think I actually "liked" this part of labor! The contractions finally slowed their pace and I was able to sit back, talk and LAUGH in between contractions again. Another would come and I'd let the "crew" know before hunkering down and concentrating on pushing. No screaming, no cussing, no freaking out. While pushing, it took all my concentration to put my last bursts of strength into helping baby into the world. I started to feel a bit of "the ring of fire" and held back a bit on pushing. My midwife helped guide me and I finally got the hang of it. My sis and the apprentice were at the foot of the tub, perched up on the sink counter. I think someone had a flashlight? Lori was at my side guiding the baby and husband and mom were at my shoulder and side. (Dad, aka gramps, had passed out in the living room from nervous exhaustion. What can I say? He was a little freaked that there was a baby being born at his HOUSE! I think someone woke him up to warn him that baby would be here soon and he waited patiently in the hall way for the new arrival.)

Nora is nameless at this point and in between pushes I begin tossing around names. "What's her name?? Is it Naomi??? Is it Claire? Will I finally get my Claire?" (I still love those names, BTW.)

It is such a strange thing to see a baby's head poking out between your legs. Can I just say that? It's all intense and your working hard and then you lean back to take a breather and there is a baby half way out of your body!!! What the??!!! We had a good time laughing at her hair all wavy in the water and floating around like little baby mermaid hair. I reached down to touch her soft head. I can't believe she is here already!!! Oh! Also, during pushing it is discovered that baby girl had a nuchal cord AND nuchal hand. (Turns out to be the hand with the thumb that she favors for sucking later on! :) We thought it was a double cord at first. But Lori slips the cord off of her neck and confirms, "Nope! That's a hand!" Silly girl!

*2:29 am sweet Nora (still, actually nameless at the time) is here!!!!!!! Lori scooped her up and placed her immediately on my chest. mmmmm!!! I nuzzled that baby girl and talked to her and caressed her while Lori rubbed her with a towel to help warm her up a bit. I felt like she and I were the ONLY people on the face of the planet for a sec. Then hubs was right by my shoulder and it was just the three of us on the face of the planet. Nora, having already gone for her first "swim" was pretty clean already and I just wanted to sit there and snuzzle her! Eventually the water started to cool off and baby was taken to be dried and check and eventually dressed by her Grandma. My mom and sis got to help weigh and measure her as well. All this was done right on mom's bed as I lay snuggled up on the coach in mom's room. Fellow homebirthers out there, don't you just love the fish-scale weighing of your new bundle of joy??!! It's that stork image of the baby hanging in a blanket. LOVE IT!!

*By 5am I am snuzzled up in bed all comfy having had a nice steak steak sandwich (courtesy of my loving hubby who can manage to cook anytime, anywhere, with anything!!! My quick labor and early arrival of Nora didn't give the fam enough time to run to the store and stock up in time!!) Hubs headed home to be there when Heidi woke up and bring her up to meet her new sis! I was supposed to catch a few winks but instead I drifted in and out and stared in amazement at our new baby for three hours . :)

sigh....


I just posted those tidbits to get the basics out. I can't even paint the picture yet. Brain still processing. I just have to say this: Having been spoiled by the amazing homebirth, I don't think I could do it any other way!!

More details, possibly, to follow. Or perhaps I'll just keep it as a draft....

Beautiful, peaceful. Did you know birth could be this way??? I didn't.

The WHOLE other side to this story is of course the arrival of my sweet, wonderful daughter Heidi who arrived via emergency c-sec due to breech presentation!!! Can we say, "Complete opposite experience" ?????? It's amazing to me, the variety of ways that babies can enter this world.

Deliver your own baby...by caesarean?

eek! I'll pass on this one.