Christian UC: Unassisted Childbirth

The Unassisted Birth of Levi

I had been having contractions for days on end but they would always quit. I was so ready to have this baby I tried 5W (herbal blend from Nature's Sunshine) and a tens unit and walking and acupressure and intercourse to try and start labor when the contractions would start up. Nothing seemed to be working. I had thought myself to be very "anti-induction" until I was so uncomfortable I couldn't take it anymore. I woke up for 2 weeks each morning thinking that might be the day. Finally that day came.......

I woke up on Sept. 2nd around 4 am with my water breaking only it wasn't just breaking, it was GUSHING. It was a strange color and at times there were spots of blood in it. I was only half awake and could tell the color of the amniotic fluid was too dark. We thought it was meconium but it wasn't. It must have been the same source from which the mucus plug gets blood tinged, the water was picking up the blood also. I tried to get comfortable but how comfortable can one be in a puddle? Meanwhile, we decided this was a good time to get some waterproofing down under me... (oops on the timing for that one!)

I was a little concerned because I wasn't having any contractions. My heart said everything was ok but my head was spinning out of control. I finally managed to get comfortable and leak less laying on my side. I managed to get a nap for a few hours. I woke up again about 7 and was feeling a little better but still gushing. I had concerns about losing all of the fluid and how that would affect the baby. I was concerned about breech presentation and placenta problems due to the blood. We also just had pretty creme colored carpet laid in the hallway between my room and the bathroom so all of the trips to the bathroom were making me nervous in spite of the towels on the floor. Luckily, no stains!

The contractions started slowly although I don't remember when. That was reassuring. I had my dh running from one end of the house to the other for all kinds of things. He was overwhelmed but he hung in there. I realized that it was about 7 and the two of us were going to be battling a 5 yr. old and an 8 yr. old soon as well. If we were already overwhelmed, we were going to need reinforcements! I was hungry and still gushing so we called my friend, A, and asked her to take her time but please come over today. I then took another nap between 8 or 9 until 10 when she arrived. She started cleaning house and making us breakfast and taking care of the girls for us. When she arrived, Walt was sleeping on the couch with a teddy bear. He didn't even move when she came in because he was so tired.

I called my mom and then waited for the time to come when others near us would be awake to make some more announcements. My other friend, J, had planned to come over with her mom and leave a car at my house. They stopped by and visited for a while. They were here for about 20 minutes and I had about 4 contractions in that time. They left very excited at the news and went shopping.

They went and did their shopping and I sat in my chair and listened to my new favorite cd. The contractions weren't regular but they weren't stopping either. I knew that since I kept having them this was really it. Actually, I knew that when my water broke. I have never had my water break and not had birth very soon after.

I went to lay down and nap again. I just couldn't get comfortable in any position during this labor. It was not fun but I was excited. We never had any prenatal care and so I didn't find out what I was having this time. I didn't find out with my first two children either. I was sure it was a boy but at times I had my doubts.

When I laid down in bed my friend, J, that was shopping came back by. She brought me a cherry limeade from Sonic. I took a sip or two and then lost interest. The contractions seemed to stop so I decided about 3:45 to go to the bathroom and that's when hard labor hit. I didn't even get to the toilet and I was caught in an intense contraction. I called dh who had been studying on the computer for most of the day. I told him "This is it. You cannot leave me anymore. I need you!" For some reason a shower seemed like a good idea. I had to step into the shower between contractions. They were much closer together and I was making some noise.

While I was in the shower, my friend, J, left - again. This time for home. She predicted that Levi would be here around 6 pm. After my shower, I was hungry. I tried the recliner, I tried eating. Nothing was helping. The contractions were on top of each other. I was tense and I caused tension with dh by saying something hurtful to him. He got angry with me and we had a little fight right there in-between contractions.

I couldn't find my "happy place" that I had when laboring with the girls. It was so much different than the last two labors. I went to my bed and thought I'd try the hands and knees position. I ended up getting stuck in the hands and knees position for a couple of contractions and wished I could have died. It hurt so bad and it took everything I had to get through it so changing positions was not an option.

I decided to take a pillow and put it on the edge of the bed and leaned on it. I would also grasp the pillow with my fists when I was in pain. I stood facing my bed and leaning over it and would squat during contractions. Pretty soon, in my mind I was thinking "I don't care if it's not time to push, I'm going to try it." I knew we had to be getting close. I usually wait until my body starts pushing but this time I couldn't. I felt sort of tingly all over and my legs felt like Jell-O so I knew I was getting close. I had dh put warm compresses on my back and perineal area.

I gave one push and felt the baby engage... From there I just kept pushing slowly and steadily. I felt him crowning and paused and took a breath. I remember dh saying something like "hang on". That made me worry. I guess his cord was around his neck and he had to unloop it. It was not a big deal though and I didn't know it had happened until a few days later. He was supporting the perineum and I thought he said that to slow me down a little and make sure we didn't tear... All I wanted to do was birth this baby. I gave another push or two (probably a total of 3 for the pushing stage) and I heard a loud cry before he was totally out of my body.

Now here's a mental picture for ya - Dh was behind me, catching the baby. The umbilical cord was, of course, between my legs and I remember saying "Don't tell me!". I then thought about my positioning and knew I wasn't in any shape to jump over the cord and turn around. I wanted to see for myself what this baby was (boy or girl). I finally had to give in and I asked "OK, what is it?" My dh just laughed and said "what do you think it is?". Ha ha. I said "it's a boy". He gave an affirmative answer.

Dh left the room to get something and I squatted down and the placenta came out immediately. Whew, what a relief! I was now unencumbered and ready to receive my precious little babe. I turned around and threw my nursing night gown off and took him from my friend, who had been quietly observing in the corner. So I settled into bed to nurse. He was crying and I think it was because he was probably cold. I put him on me skin to skin and wrapped a towel around him. He went to town nursing. I didn't have any problems with him nursing. He knew what to do.

This is when I got my first long look at him. He was beautiful. He was so clean. I rubbed the vernix in and just enjoyed him. Dh came back somewhere while all of this was happening and was shocked that in the time that he left and came back I'd delivered the placenta. Levi's umbilical cord was the longest, most perfect cord I had ever seen. It had to be about 5 ft. long and perfect spirals. You could have used it as a jump rope.

My girls were outside playing and all of the sudden they came in with two of the neighbor girls ages 5 and 6. When they came in, I was naked and the placenta was still on the floor where I had delivered it. One of them said "Oh my God." She was completely shocked at all the blood and they ran back outside.

We made a deal beforehand that we wouldn't cut the cord this time until after the placenta was delivered at the very least. Dh cut the cord while I was going to the bathroom. At some point we weighed him. Our best guess was that he was in the 8 lb. range but when we weighed him, we found he was 9 lbs. 14 oz. and 21.5 inches long. He was my 2nd largest baby. The last baby was 10.5 lbs. and 19 inches long.

Meanwhile, my mom wanted to talk to me. She called right at 6 pm as he was born - she knew it had happened. She called back and I didn't have the energy to talk to her. She would be arriving the next day from Florida.

This labor lasted about 14 hours start to finish... My first labor was 6 hrs. total and the baby was 7 lbs. 7 oz. and 21 inches long. These last two labors were both bigger babies and 14 hrs. I wonder if the pelvic pain I had with both of them caused them to be positioned in a way that was difficult for them to come out sooner!?! With both of these children, I had labor for days and then it would stop.

I sat down in my recliner with baby to nurse and my friend who arrived at 10 am and stayed all day was getting ready to leave. She was taking my girls overnight so Walt and I could be alone with our new little one and get some rest. I was nursing Levi and I looked down at him and he was a morbid purple color. I gave him to Walt in a panic and instructed him to massage his back. We also held him up and prayed for him. He came back to pink right away. I believe both of his nostrils were covered by my breast and he wasn't getting any air. He was still nursing which was surprising to me. Anyway, he has been seemingly healthy ever since with the exception of a couple of little things. We met a chiropractor who showed us how to adjust him. That has really helped.

I have probably left out a myriad of things but I wanted to finally get this much out before I forget many more details. Since his birth I have been on cloud nine. He is 7 wks. as of yesterday and he's the coolest baby I've ever had. He's probably 14 lbs. now but I haven't weighed him for a couple of weeks or so. I am in love and keep teasing dh that there's a new man in my life.

He loves to cuddle up to me in the sling and is a very easy baby. When I feel a little more on top of things I am going to try out this EC stuff on him.

Tiffanni

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