For those who are interested in the details! (a few may find some details gross, but hey it's life).
April
8th 2012 (our EDD) - I had experienced 3 separate nights in the last 2
weeks of what I believed to be early labor. I falsely assumed it would
turn in to real labor in a matter of hours as the contractions were
strong enough to keep me up and close enough to keep me wondering. By
the time we got to 40 weeks I had decided I would try whatever natural
interventions I could to make her come. I felt like she would come soon
but was grateful to spend Resurrection Sunday with my family at church
and then with a family dinner. That evening I conferred with my midwife
about whether I had dilated anymore than 6cm or effaced any more. She
checked and I appeared to be somewhat more effaced but still about 6cm
dilated and was passing some blood as well as lots of mucus. I asked her
about herbs, and castor oil. She believed the Castor oil would work
well for me so I planned to have myself a castor oil smoothie that
evening and see if it wouldn't get my water to break (I notoriously grow
tough sacs). About 2 hours after finishing my last dose of the oil and
using the breast pump to get things started I was having some regular
contractions (2-3 min apart) that I was needing to breath through. I
called Salli (MW) and my friend April to head over. I did not think
labor would be long and I was feeling the need for help getting through
the contractions. I had Dave set up the birth pool.
Shortly
after Salli had arrived I had her check me to see if the exam might
break my water and get contractions revved up again. I asked April to
pray for that. Sure enough it broke and things got really moving. Less
than 50 min later I was pushing. My friend Holly and photographer friend
Tory arrived some time in there. I moved from tub to shower to tub. I
think I had 4-5 contractions back in the tub before I said I am pushing
and I can't help it. Salli had been on the phone with her assistant and
told her never mind she wouldn't make it. I felt every bit of Avelyn
moving down and could even remember what it would feel like from my
previous births. As I reached down to feel her head then heard someone
say she was crowning I knew it wouldn't be long. Then I heard the words I
had heard at a birth before "Shara you need to get up and squat now."
Quickly I was pulled up by April and Holly and I tried to push though I
didn't feel like I was doing much. In what seemed like an eternity Salli
got Avelyn's shoulder unhooked and she slipped in to the water
supported by her daddy and Salli. I dropped down in to the water and
grabbed my baby. It was an intensely emotional moment but she was ok and
so was I. 3:35AM 8lbs 14oz. 22 3/4in.
Quick, intense and
perfect. I had an amazing birth team. It makes me cry to think of how my
friends physically, emotionally, and spiritually supported me through
her birth. My husband did things for me he didn't want to do (like get
in the pool) but he did it because I asked him to. Salli freshly bruised
her broken arm to intervene and help my baby. My older children have
been amazing helpers doing dishes and bringing me water and there are
many others like my mom and church family who are continuing to help and
lift us up.
So if you were one of those ones that woke up
in the middle of the night and prayed, thank you. We needed those
prayers and God answered many throughout the night!
