Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Finally-my birth story (super long!)
On Sunday evening, 2/5, I was 40w3d and had my ?bloody show? and first Braxton-hicks (BH) contractions that could be timed. I thought this was it, but learned a few days later that the difference between BH and real contractions was quite distinguishable! I fell asleep, but still experienced the BH in the morning, so Dh stayed home with me on Monday. I went to my acupuncturist that afternoon to nudge things along, but she gave me a mild treatment and nothing really happened until the next morning.
Tuesday, I woke up to serious pressure in my lower back, but could still get some sleep in child?s pose. When I got up, I lost my mucous plug. I had pressure waves (contractions) sporadically throughout the day, so when I had my regular midwife appointment that afternoon, I told her to go ahead and sweep my membranes. I also told her not to tell me how dilated I was.
About 30 minutes after we got home (4 pm), my pressure waves (PW) kicked in about 7 minutes apart with intense pressure in my back. Dh would apply counter pressure with the palm of his hand, and I quickly put on my doula?s tens unit (sends electrical stimulation though adhesive pads to your lower back and intensifies with a ?boost? button during PW). I was soooo thankful she?d lent it to me in advance. It helped immensely. I also started using my hypnobabies relaxation techniques and they were also a huge help.
At 9:15, I felt I?d stayed home as long as possible and things were so intense (mostly in my back) that Dh called the midwife and doula to let them know we were headed to the hospital.
We arrived at the hospital around 10 pm and by the time we were settled in the room and everyone was present, I could tell my PW had slowed down. I guess I really don?t like being the center of attention. Once my midwife checked me (and didn?t tell me how dilated I was), she and the nurse left us alone. It took a couple of hours for the PW to get back to the same spacing/intensity they were before.
By 2 am, I wanted to try the Jacuzzi tub and found it helped to put one side of my back against the jet. At some point, I could drift off between contractions and felt so relaxed with my doula reading hypnobabies cues/scripts that I almost fell asleep. At some point, things got way more intense and I remember saying to my doula that I was starting to doubt if I could do this (without drugs). She thinks that was when I was in transformation (transition). I suddenly needed to get up on my knees and started moaning ?aaahhhhh? much louder during each PW. My midwife wanted to check me, so I moved to the bed. I finally said I wanted to know how far I was and was thrilled to hear I was at 8-9 cm!
My midwife offered to break my water to speed things along, but I declined and it wasn?t long after that my water broke during a PW. I also started to feel involuntary pushes. I was facing the back of the bed, so I turned around and the bed was set up for a squat position with the bar. My midwife had to hold the last lip of my cervix aside during a PW (that was pretty uncomfortable), but it allowed baby?s head to move down. At some point, my arms were getting tired because I was holding myself upright instead of leaning back between PW, so they suggested I lie on my side to push. Dh was right in front of me and was such a great coach, getting about a foot in front of my face and telling me I was doing great, etc. I tried to get 3-4 good pushes in for each PW that I experienced. Everyone kept saying how strong I was and I believed them! The only thing that was really tough for me was that I was still experiencing very intense back labor and finally told the doula to just put the tens unit on boost and leave it there! After each PW, I would say ?oh, my back!!!? and am pretty surprised I never dropped the ?F? bomb during my birthing time!
My midwife announcing that she could see the head and was so encouraging! Then, she asked if I?d like to feel my baby?s head. Wow! That was amazing, and then Dh also got to feel the head while she was still inside me! He told me he was able to see the head bulge out while I was pushing, but then retreat back in. I needed to hear that I was ~that~ close. Next PW, I gave it everything I had and realized that the intensity was more than I?d expected and I was yelling loudly! I apologized for being loud and they told me not to worry about it and to keep pushing! The next 2 pushes brought her into the world and they placed her on my chest. I asked Dh ?what is it?? through my tears and was shocked when he said, ?it?s a girl!? He was kissing both of us and we were so blissed out! I needed that bliss because I tore both ways, but not badly, so I got to hold my baby while they stitched me up. It was 5:56 am and the sun was just starting to turn the flatirons a beautiful shade of pink. I will never forget that scene. It was an amazing experience and I felt like my team (Dh, doula and midwife) and hypnobabies techniques were what got me through.
Recovery has been great and she has a great latch and eats like a champ! She had already surpassed her birth weight within one week. We are thrilled and trying to treasure every moment and take lots of naps!!!
Re: Finally-my birth story (super long!)
Ah- that brought tears to my eyes. What a great story and what a beautiful baby you have.
Congrats to the new family.
PHOTOS REMOVED
Congratulations! What a wonderful story.
I'm glad you were able to use the hypnobabies through your labor, I had a hard time focusing on them with mine.
my read shelf:
DD -- 5YO
DS -- 3YO
What a precious birth story with a baby and sunrise at the end! I love that imagery of E so happy, N just born and on your chest, and you gazing at the Flatirons bathed in pink!
Super congrats on donig such an amazing job. Thanks for sharing this with us!
Are you united with the CCOKCs?
Mama's Gonna Buy You A Mockingbird
~Working Mom~Breastfeeding Mom~Cloth Diapering Mom~BLW Mom~
Blog - No Longer on the DL ~ The Man Cave
Shawn and Larissa
LO #1 - Took 2 years and 2 IVFs ~ DX - severe MFI mild PCOS homozygous MTHFR (a1298c)
LO #2 - TTC 7 months, surprise spontaneous BFP!