{Second baby, first unassisted home birth} Read the story of her first birth here!
Friday, March 1, 2013
4:30 AM: I woke up in early labor, the contractions weren’t very strong, so I chose to go back to sleep. At 6:30 AM, I couldn’t sleep any longer, plus my toddler needed food. At 8 AM, we arrived at the chiropractor so I could get adjusted. Absolutely loved Dr. Keefer cracking me, he really helped me loosen up. We got back home by 9 AM when I started making sure clothes were washed and the house was cleaned.
At 10 AM, my friend Celeste stopped by to paint my belly. I asked if she would paint it and add the quote, “A person’s a person, no matter how small” on it. This quote means a lot to me as I believe in a newborn’s right to NOT be circumcised, that they should have the right to choose what they want to do with their body. As she was painting we had some lovely conversations, and I had a few contractions.
12 PM: I went to our gym to walk, I walked for a while, but wasn’t enjoying it so I relaxed and waited until my husband was done working out.
Around 3 PM my contractions started to become “predictable,” my husband would say, you’re going to have another, right about….now! Sure enough, I would. I became hungry, but only wanted bananas, I ate 4 throughout the day. They helped a lot with energy. I also called my doula to start heading over, since she was allowing me to use her birth pool. At this point I wasn’t paying attention to anything around me besides my contractions, so I believe she arrived at 5 PM.
Once she arrived everyone started moving fast to get the pool up and filled, but they all walked around me with gentle steps. I still enjoyed having conversations while waiting for my next contraction. It was awesome how quiet they would become once they knew I had a contraction. I would either say, “okay,” “yea,” or inhale loudly.
One of the best moments in my labor was when my first born, 21 months old, wanted to nurse. It was so peaceful to cuddle next to him and nurse him. For a moment my contractions stopped, allowing me to enjoy this moment completely. Though once he stopped, they came back full force.
Around 11 PM I wanted to get into the pool, so I waddled my way off my bed, conveniently placed by the pool, and slowly climbed into it. The water was so peaceful, just like it was when I was in labor with my first. It was so peaceful I simply fell asleep in it. I would wake when I had a contraction, then doze back off. Though I wanted to have it be over with at that time, it was greatly appropriate to get a break. It was the calm before the storm, now that I look back. I then got out of the pool, and BAM, they just kept coming, one after another, the waves came so fast.
I suddenly got the chills like I did with my first and I knew, it was only a matter of time. I remember at this time I needed to go pee, horribly, it was probably around 12:30 AM, THE NEXT DAY, March 2nd. I sat on the toilet and I didn’t want to push to pee because I was so scared he was going to come out. Thankfully he didn’t, I wasn’t prepared to catch him on there. I then went onto my bed, and kept telling my husband “Make this stop, I need you to make this stop!” He sat there quiet and then said, “I can’t.” These contractions were NO joke.
I started pushing with the contractions, and nothing was happening, so I started crying, “Frank, make them stop.” My cries were answered at the next contraction when my water broke. Should have had a warning saying “Caution: May get wet beyond this line” like you see at Sea World. 🙂 My poor husband got soaked.
Once my water broke, the most intense pressure happened with him shooting down the birth canal. He started crowning seconds after my water broke. I didn’t feel the “ring of fire” with my first, but I know all too well what it feels like now. I felt like he was coming out too fast, I thought I would tear, so I put my hand over my vagina to put counter pressure on my perineum. I would hold back from pushing when I felt he was going to rip me. To not push with that urge was extremely hard, but me not tearing was more important.
Finally his head was born, it was crazy feeling him twist his body while waiting for another contraction. The next push he was born, into my husband’s arms at 1:06 AM. This was amazing, my husband who sadly missed his first being born because he was deployed, was healed by catching his second born. It was amazing! The only thing that would have made it better would have been my toddler to have seen his brother be born.
1:35 AM: I latch him on. <3 Then at 1:50 AM, my husband cut the cord. I then moved myself into the living room, so I could birth the placenta, and my mother could change the sheets off my bed.
It took two hours until the placenta was born. Once it was born I took a hot bath in some herbs for healing. I checked myself, and I DIDN’T TEAR! My toddler then woke up and sadly I missed the first moments of them meeting each other. What I would have done to catch that moment. My toddler hugged his little brother.
Calvin Angelo weighed 9 pounds 2 ounces, 2 ounces shy of his big brother, and was 21.5 inches long. My labor was 20 hours long like his big brother. He is perfect! He was born on March 2nd, Dr. Seuss’s birthday! If you remember, I had my belly painted while in labor, but had no clue March 2nd was Dr Seuss’s birthday, with a quote saying, “A person’s a person, no matter how small.” This quote was from Dr Seuss’s book, Horton Hears a Who. It is so wonderful he came that day.
I absolutely love that he was born unassisted into my husband’s strong arms. I will never birth any other way, it was perfect.
Comments are closed.