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| 31 Weeks! |
Throughout the last half of my pregnancy, I had been having
lots of braxton-hicks contractions. On
Friday, August 31st, they started to hurt--and become regular! I thought that this could be the beginning of
labor, so that evening I called our midwife, Steph, and told her what was going
on. She asked if I had been drinking water,
and I realized that I hadn't been, so I got some water and started hydrating
myself, and my contractions began to slow down.
Even still, they continued even when I got into bed, and I began timing
them and relaxing through them. At
around midnight I got up and went into to Auggie's room to sit in the
glider. After about an hour of sitting
there, I was getting tired and bored--contractions were not becoming stronger
or closer together--so I went back to bed.
I woke up the next morning feeling a little discouraged and moody, but
not too bad.
Saturday we just had a laid-back family day. I was kind of irritable and despite staying
super hydrated, was still getting regular, semi-painful contractions throughout
the day. In the afternoon, we went to
the grocery story for a few items, and then to blockbuster for "pizza and
a movie night" (ie.
"mommy's-having-contractions-and-doesn't-want-to-cook-or-do-anything-else"
night). Lucy picked out Cars, but got bored half-way through and
started climbing on us and being goofy, and I did NOT want to be touched...
ugh! Finally, Greg put her to bed and
gave me a great massage. I headed up to
bed early, because I was super exhausted from staying up until 2am the night
before.
I laid down shortly after nine, and at around 9:30 my
contractions started to intensify. I
began to time them, and called Greg up at around 10, after a particularly
strong one. I said, "I think we
need to call Steph" (our midwife).
He said, "Well, let's work through a few more contractions, just to
make sure this is the real thing."
I agreed, but at the peak of my next contraction, I said, "Actually,
we need to call her now." It was
getting intense so, so fast.
So Greg got to work, calling midwife, doula, mom and sister,
telling them it was time! He also got
the futon downstairs pulled out into a bed and put sheets on it, brought the
pool in from the garage and started filling it up, and made several trips
upstairs to check on me and make sure I was okay.
I stayed lying in bed for awhile, trying my hardest to relax
and get into a groove with my sudden and powerful contractions. Then I felt a little trickle of fluid and
headed into the bathroom to check on it.
Greg came up and I told him I thought my water had broken--he was
talking to Steph on the phone, who told him to make sure it was clear (that the
baby hadn't pooped). I labored on the
toilet for a little bit, and then headed to sit in the glider in Auggie's room
(pretty much the same thing I did while I was in labor with Lucy!). The cushioned seat was really comfortable,
but my contractions were intensifying at a speedy pace.
At some point while I was sitting there, our awesome doula,
Katie, got here, and I remember she and Greg sitting in there with me. Greg said that everything downstairs was
ready, so I could head on down if I wanted to.
I didn't want to move, but I was moaning through the contractions and didn't
want to wake Lucy, so after one contraction, I stood up and walked/ran
downstairs, trying to make it to the futon before my next rush. I crashed on the bed and immediately got
another contraction, which I tried my best to relax through. Greg and Katie sat with me, moaning with me
and helping me to keep my rhythm.
(Side note: having a
doula was AMAZING. We didn't have a
doula through my labor with Lucy, so this was a new experience for me. It was so cool to be on the receiving end of
doula care! Just having her presence there with me was helpful
in a way I can't really put into words.
I remember thinking to myself that just her close proximity and quiet attentiveness
made my contractions literally hurt less.
Knowing that there was someone there who was 100% focused on supporting
me and helping me was a huge burden lifted.)
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Midwife Steph holding my hand,
nurse Karen behind me |
At some point my mom got there, and I called her over to
hold my hand.
It was dark, and there
were candles lit--a perfectly peaceful atmosphere for labor.
(While she was holding my hand I got a really
strong rush, and moaned through it. Afterwards she told me she didn't realize I
was having a contraction, and was shocked that I didn't squeeze her hand.
She thought I was sleeping!)
Next our nurse, Karen, arrived, and I wanted to hold her
hand, too. (During my labor with Lucy, I
did NOT want any type of physical touch... for some reason this time holding
hands was extremely helpful). I love
Karen. She sort of has a motherly
personality, and she LOVES everything about mamas and labor and babies--I have
never met anyone as passionate as she is about what she does! Her presence in our house was also extremely
reassuring.
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| Comforted by my sister |
At some point our midwife, Steph, arrived, although I have
no recollection of when that happened!
It
was clear that my labor was nearing the end, and people were suggesting that I
move to the tub
(again, I didn't want to
move!).
I asked if it would make my
labor hurt less , and Karen laughed and said, "Absolutely!"
So I sat up on the bed and got another
rush.
The baby was so low that I had to
use my arms to hold my bottom off of the bed--it felt like I was sitting on
him!
I somehow made it into the water
and felt huge relief.
All that
incredible pressure was immediately relieved.
Being weightless was amazing.
I
had no idea where Greg was, and asked him if he was in the water with me, and he
said, "Yep!"
I was on my
knees, leaning over the edge of the pool.
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| He's coming out! |
My sister got here just in time (she was driving in from
Chicago), and I only half-way remember her arrival.
I did sense her presence, though--she was
rubbing my arm and reassuring me through the most intense contractions of my
entire labor.
It was such a blessing to
have her here.
Shortly after I got in the water I got the urge to
push. This is my least favorite part
about labor. (During Lucy's labor, I
remember breathing through these pushing contractions--I had gotten into such a
good groove with my labor that I didn't want to change things up!) This time I did the same thing, but Auggie
was on his way out with or without my help.
I think I sort of just grunted through a few contractions, felt the burning
"ring of fire" and in my semi-conscious state realized he was almost out. Greg's hand was on my perineum, to help guide
baby out, and once his head was out I felt such relief! I instinctively reached down as I pushed the
rest of his tiny body out, and said,
"Where's my Auggie? Where's my
Auggie?" I pulled him up out of the
water and he immediately began to cry.
When I first saw his face, I remember thinking that he looked
familiar. That somehow I had already
known what he looked like--that this was my son.
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| Catching my baby. |
Greg and I reclined in the pool, and my sister brought Lucy
down to meet Auggie.
She was amazing,
and marveled at meeting her new baby brother.
Shortly after that, they had us move to the bed to deliver the
placenta.
I carried my newborn son over,
still attached to me with the umbilical cord, and cuddled with him while we
waited for the cord to stop pulsing, and Greg and Lucy cut it together.
Then Greg got some male-bonding time with his
new baby while Stephanie stitched up my small tear.
Steph, Karen, and doula Katie wrapped things up, and my mom
took Lucy back upstairs to bed.
Suddenly,
everyone was gone, and it was just Greg, Auggie, and me.
We were told to try and get some sleep, but
it was nearly impossible after having birthed my baby boy!
There was so much love it was keeping me
awake.
I cuddled with Aug while Greg
emptied the pool, then we settled in together.
Lying there, Greg commented on how normal this all seemed, and I
agreed.
What a blessing to have had such a beautiful and peaceful birth, meeting my baby in our home surrounded by the love and support of some amazing people.
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Our team!
Karen, Steph, doula Katie, Me and Auggie,
Greg, Lucy, and sister Katie |
Labor Stats:
Total time from first contraction to birth: 2.5 hours!
Augustine Grant Wheaton was born at 12:02am on Sunday, 9/2
He was 4lbs 15oz and 17 inches long
Though Lucy was born in a hospital in the standard semi-reclined-holding-my-legs-back position, I would still say it was the most amazing experience of my life. I had a drug-free, 10-hour long birth with her, staying at home for seven hours and arriving at the hospital at 7cm dilated. The ways I pushed my body (or my body pushed me), were unlike anything I had ever experienced before, and unlike anything I could have imagined. I conquered that birth, despite the distractions of being in a hospital and being cared for by less-than-sensitive people. The sense of empowerment I felt after birthing her was incredible! I felt so strong, like I could move mountains if I wanted to. 
Auggie's birth was also unreal. I could not have asked for a better birth team or a more peaceful environment... although maybe I would have asked for a longer labor?? :) Seriously, though, with Lucy's labor I enjoyed the challenge of staying in a rhythm with my contractions. Aug's hit me so hard and fast I remember hardly being able to catch my breath! It was awesome, though. The experience of being weightless in a pool in my living room, in the midst of the crazy pressure I felt with those last contractions, was amazing. I will never forget the moment I reached down and felt his tiny body, lifting him up out of the water to meet him for the very first time.
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