Savannah Madelyn--third day of life.First day in the room with Mom and Dad
I used the self-hypnosis/relaxation techniques of the Hypnobabies program for my birthing, therefore a few of the terms are different, but I tend to use them interchangeably. Here is a "key" for those of you who haven't been with me much over the last several months. The most important component to Hypnobabies was an informed and positive attitude toward pregnancy and birthing.
Labor = Birthing Time
Contractions = Pressure waves/Birthing waves
Things started on Monday July 13th. I had been planning to make a quilt for our little girl during my early birthing time so I was cutting the pieces to her quilt in preparation--but I guess I triggered something! While cutting the pieces to the quilt at 9:30 pm I felt a bit of wetness and realized that my water may have broke, but I wasn't sure because there wasn't the gush that some people describe. I kept an eye on it as some woman do not experience a gush, but rather a few spurts of wetness over several hours. At 10:30 it was clear that even if my water hadn't broken, my mucus plug had. At this point pressure waves were regular and stronger than my practice pressure waves (Braxton Hicks) had been throughout the previous week. I called my doula and OB/GYN to share the news. We knew we were gearing up for something!
All throughout the night I experienced regular, though quick, pressure waves. They gradually became stronger so I began to use my Hypnobabies tracks to help me relax so that I could get some rest, though sleep wasn't in the cards for me. I rested on and off through the night and felt rather comfortable, but was more anxious to meet our little girl than anything else. I knew that if my water had broke I would be having a baby in the next 24 hrs no matter what!
Come morning (July 14th) contractions were regular at 3-5 mins apart and felt pretty strong so we went into the hospital at 10 am. Upon arrival the nurse checked me and said that I was in "active labor" and was dilated to 3 cm and in fact my water had broke. We were ready!
After a walk around the hospital to see if we couldn't regulate the contractions more, we met with the doctor. At this point I was feeling a bit more comfortable than earlier and the doctor merely checked me and said that I looked too comfortable to be a woman in active labor and I hadn't progressed over the last 3 hours. He also did a physical exam to feel if my water had broken, and it hadn't, even though the earlier pH test had suggested such. The doctor then informed me that I was experiencing "Prodromal Labor." He told me that it could last as short as a few hours or up to 2 weeks. The trick was that though my pressure waves were regular in frequency, they were not long/strong enough to make my body progress at a speedy rate. At this time he gave us the choice of sticking around and waiting it out or going home. We chose to go home thinking that home would be better than sitting at the hospital, especially if I didn't progress for weeks! Needless to say, we were bummed. The doctor then reminded us that active labor would be when I was experiencing pressure waves for about 1 minute that were 3-5 minutes apart.
Regular, but weaker, pressure waves continued throughout the afternoon, evening, and night. They were strong enough that over the several hours I was only able to take "naps" while listening to my relaxation tracks. I was able to come to terms with the fact that we might be doing this for a while. I ended up just telling myself that things would happen when Savannah wanted them to. We had now made it to July 15th.
After coming to terms with the fact that I might be doing this for days I realized that things were getting quite a bit stronger. I had to get in the shower several times in the early morning to be able to have relief for my back. I was also becoming more demanding in asking Skyler to rub my back. If things weren't really progressing I felt like I was getting a little too frustrated to be able to have the unmedicated birth that I had hoped for. At this point (11 am or so) we called the doctor's office and asked the nurse if we might be in real labor now as things were stronger but still just 6-7 mins apart. The nurse said we could come in if we wanted, but that things were still likely a ways off. At this point I was listening to my Hypnobabies tracks in one ear and turning my light switch back and forth from "off" to "the center" and talking with Skyler between pressure waves. We realized it was getting harder and harder for me to carry conversation and that pressure waves were seeming longer.
At 12 pm we started timing pressure waves and realized they were 3-5 mins apart and lasted anywhere from 45 seconds to 1 min 45 seconds. This is the time that we have been using to gauge how long "labor" was---so a total of 8 hrs of "active labor". I decided that whether or not the doctor thought this was real, I thought it was real, and I wanted to go in. We didn't want to get our hopes up though as we had been so bummed the day before, so I continued with my "routine" hoping that things would progress. At this point I took a shower and did my hair--yes, it took a lot longer than normal! All during this time we continued to time pressure waves. They were still consistent and getting stronger and stronger! We called our doula at 2:30 and told her we would be going to the hospital soon (she lives an hour away) and that she should come to our home unless we called to say we are headed to the hospital.
At 3:40 or so Skyler loaded up the car, again, and I got myself focused on this being my real birthing time. I listened to my Birthing Time Hypnobabies track and walked to the car, geared up and ready to go! During the 12 min drive I was able to keep comfortable but could feel the pressure getting stronger and stronger. When we got to the hospital Skyler parked and asked if I wanted a wheelchair. I said yes and at this point he said that that made him realize that this was really happening. Until then he had thought I was possibly not progressing because I seemed so composed.
We checked in at the front desk at 4:00 and I was able to communicate with the receptionist, but I did keep it short! We went directly upstairs to the labor room. At this point I was in and out of keeping my eyes open to be focused--things were happening quickly. Between pressure waves the nurse checked me. I was at a 5 or a 6 she said and as soon as she checked me my water broke. I was thrilled! I said "That was my water, my water just broke, hallelujah!" Skyler gave a good laugh. I was so glad because I knew that this time I really was going to have a baby in the next 24 hours. I looked at the clock and said "Wow, this baby girl might actually come on her due date!" Everyone laughed and the nurse said "Yeah, maybe if she hurries!" Everything was in place, Skyler was with me and Jenney, our doula, had met us at the hospital! At this point I asked for them to start filling the whirlpool so that I would be able to relieve some of the strong pressure from my back. The nurse got right on it and told me that it would be 25 mins or so until it was full.
During the 25 min wait (though I had no sense of time during all of this) I started to feel like I needed to push--the urge to push was incredibly strong and I knew this meant that I was likely in transition, especially since I was shaky. I told the nurses that I wanted to push and they jumped into action. Suddenly there were at least 5 nurses in the room and all of the delivery equipment was in the room. One of the nurses checked me and said that I was at a 10! We were all shocked so I turned from being on my hands and knees to being on my back to allow another nurse to check me. After changing positions they decided I was not at a 10, but at a 7 0r 8.
During all of this commotion the doctor came in and said "She feels pushy already?!" He checked me and said that I was in fact at a 7 or so and could not push. He said if I pushed I would be having my baby through c-section as it would cause damage and swell and block the birth canal. This made me really want to control the pushing urge. I did not want to have a c-section if I didn't have to. The doctor didn't want me to go in the whirlpool because I was progressing so quickly and there had been meconium in the fluid when my water broke and I needed to have my baby in the labor/delivery room so that he could be ready to clean the baby if there was a lot of meconium. At this point I made it clear that I wanted the tub. I wasn't mean, but said something like, "Can I go in the pool now; I want to go in the pool; I just want to go in the pool; can I get in the pool yet." I knew that this would give me the back relief that I needed so that I could focus on not letting my body push. The doctor then said that I could go in the pool but had to be out in 40 mins.
I was still really feeling the need to push and my Hypnobabies breathing wasn't working for me because it allowed my muscles to feel too relaxed and I had to fight the need to push. My doula and nurse suggested that I breathe and push the energy through my mouth so I took short "Ah, ah, ah, ah" breaths through the contractions. This helped a ton! It took a great deal of energy to focus on not pushing, but the breathing helped me exert my energy through my mouth rather than allowing me to push. At this point the tub was ready!
When I made it to the tub Skyler and my doula were able to sit right outside the tub and talk with me. The jets felt great and my body was much more relaxed. My doula held one hand while Skyler held the other and we all did the "Ah, ah, ah" breathing together! Things had been happening so quickly that Skyler didn't have everything he needed with him so he ran to the car. This was significant in that we had an entire discussion together as to whether or not he could leave me to run to the car. I was feeling very coherent, comfortable and excited between pressure waves and told him he could go if he ran quick! He was quick--only one or two contractions!
I continued my "Ah, ah, ah" breathing. Skyler and Jenney were great about breathing with me and helped me focus wonderfully! When I was experiencing a pressure wave and could tell that the urge to push was getting too strong for me to feel like I might not be able to resist it, I found myself saying "Don't push, don't push" in short spurts while Skyler would say "short breaths" and Jenney would mimic the breathing for me. After 30 mins in the tub the nurse came in and said that the sounds of my breathing were telling her that I was far enough along and would be pushing soon and needed to get out of the tub. I got out of the tub and went back to the room. Before getting in the room I tried to get in the shower to continue to relieve the back pressure, but the shower just wasn't comfortable because I had to sit in it to have the water on my back and sitting on a chair made me want to push too much. So before even fully sitting I said, "That isn't going to work!"
At this point Skyler and I went to the "slow dance" pose. This was great because he continued talking to me in my ear and we swayed together while Jenney put counter pressure on my back. We continued this way for a while and then I went to the bed to use the birthing ball and sit in a child's pose. Shortly after this the doctor came in and checked me and said that I was ready to push! I was stoked! After controlling the desire to push for so long the idea of letting my body push was great! I thanked the doctor and then during pressure waves let my body do what it wanted!
The pushing stage started at about 6:45. I pushed and pushed and pushed for quite a while. I kept thinking that I thought pushing meant that I was crowning and that crowning meant that I should be hearing my baby cry any minute. I kept listening carefully for a cry amidst my deep "mooing" pushing sounds. I asked between pressure waves where my baby was and every one kept saying "She is right here, she has so much hair, you are doing great!" Then I finally said to Skyler "I didn't know this part took so long!" The doctor then informed me that I was pushing her through the birth canal--oh! During all of this I switched from being on my back to being in the child's pose. Skyler kept me cool with wet rags on my forehead and neck and Jenney and Skyler both kept encouraging me and telling me that I was doing a great job. I felt like I had everyone routing for me because I had Skyler, Jenney, the nurse (Janet), and my doctor all telling me that I was doing great.
After a while I apologized for how loud I was being during pressure waves. When I had told my mother-in-law that I wanted to have an unmedicated birth if I could she had mentioned that when she was in the hospital having one of her children she could hear an unmedicated laboring woman screaming at the top of her lungs in the next room and that it scared her. Though I wasn't screaming, I was making a lot of noise, and I really didn't want to scare another laboring woman! I kept thinking of this and then found myself apologizing. The sweet nurse told me a little white lie and said that the rooms were sound proof--I believed her and said "Oh, good" and kept going! Between pushes I felt very comfortable and took lots of deep breaths while gearing up for the next push (Skyler said the breaks were at most 30 seconds long though). It was taking all of my energy to give strong, strong pushes and so I was quite relieved when the nurse started giving me a few breaths of oxygen between pushes. The air felt great!
After about an hour and 15 minutes of pushing (again, Skyler informed me of the time frame later, clocks were the furthest thing from my mind at the time) the doctor said that our baby girl was coming out quick. Everyone was right there and I could sense the excitement! The pediatrician came in to be on hold for the meconium, and then my OB/GYN said to give a good big push. I did my best and then the doctor told me to stop. Her head was out! I could hear her crying! The doctor had me stop so he could clean her face of the meconium to prevent more aspiration of the meconium. After cleaning her up a bit I pushed a tiny bit more and she was here! Our baby girl entered the world at 8:17 pm. Her cry was amazing and I couldn't believe how fantastic I felt! They took her directly to the table to check her vitals because of the meconium. I just lay there in total wonder and awe and love and watched her. Skyler was thrilled, I was thrilled, and it was amazing! After they checked her to make sure the severity of the meconium wasn't too bad they brought her over to us and I held her skin to skin. It was the most beautiful moment! She and I had done it together with the help of Skyler and all of our efforts were right there in our moment of joy!
Things started on Monday July 13th. I had been planning to make a quilt for our little girl during my early birthing time so I was cutting the pieces to her quilt in preparation--but I guess I triggered something! While cutting the pieces to the quilt at 9:30 pm I felt a bit of wetness and realized that my water may have broke, but I wasn't sure because there wasn't the gush that some people describe. I kept an eye on it as some woman do not experience a gush, but rather a few spurts of wetness over several hours. At 10:30 it was clear that even if my water hadn't broken, my mucus plug had. At this point pressure waves were regular and stronger than my practice pressure waves (Braxton Hicks) had been throughout the previous week. I called my doula and OB/GYN to share the news. We knew we were gearing up for something!
All throughout the night I experienced regular, though quick, pressure waves. They gradually became stronger so I began to use my Hypnobabies tracks to help me relax so that I could get some rest, though sleep wasn't in the cards for me. I rested on and off through the night and felt rather comfortable, but was more anxious to meet our little girl than anything else. I knew that if my water had broke I would be having a baby in the next 24 hrs no matter what!
Come morning (July 14th) contractions were regular at 3-5 mins apart and felt pretty strong so we went into the hospital at 10 am. Upon arrival the nurse checked me and said that I was in "active labor" and was dilated to 3 cm and in fact my water had broke. We were ready!
After a walk around the hospital to see if we couldn't regulate the contractions more, we met with the doctor. At this point I was feeling a bit more comfortable than earlier and the doctor merely checked me and said that I looked too comfortable to be a woman in active labor and I hadn't progressed over the last 3 hours. He also did a physical exam to feel if my water had broken, and it hadn't, even though the earlier pH test had suggested such. The doctor then informed me that I was experiencing "Prodromal Labor." He told me that it could last as short as a few hours or up to 2 weeks. The trick was that though my pressure waves were regular in frequency, they were not long/strong enough to make my body progress at a speedy rate. At this time he gave us the choice of sticking around and waiting it out or going home. We chose to go home thinking that home would be better than sitting at the hospital, especially if I didn't progress for weeks! Needless to say, we were bummed. The doctor then reminded us that active labor would be when I was experiencing pressure waves for about 1 minute that were 3-5 minutes apart.
Regular, but weaker, pressure waves continued throughout the afternoon, evening, and night. They were strong enough that over the several hours I was only able to take "naps" while listening to my relaxation tracks. I was able to come to terms with the fact that we might be doing this for a while. I ended up just telling myself that things would happen when Savannah wanted them to. We had now made it to July 15th.
After coming to terms with the fact that I might be doing this for days I realized that things were getting quite a bit stronger. I had to get in the shower several times in the early morning to be able to have relief for my back. I was also becoming more demanding in asking Skyler to rub my back. If things weren't really progressing I felt like I was getting a little too frustrated to be able to have the unmedicated birth that I had hoped for. At this point (11 am or so) we called the doctor's office and asked the nurse if we might be in real labor now as things were stronger but still just 6-7 mins apart. The nurse said we could come in if we wanted, but that things were still likely a ways off. At this point I was listening to my Hypnobabies tracks in one ear and turning my light switch back and forth from "off" to "the center" and talking with Skyler between pressure waves. We realized it was getting harder and harder for me to carry conversation and that pressure waves were seeming longer.
At 12 pm we started timing pressure waves and realized they were 3-5 mins apart and lasted anywhere from 45 seconds to 1 min 45 seconds. This is the time that we have been using to gauge how long "labor" was---so a total of 8 hrs of "active labor". I decided that whether or not the doctor thought this was real, I thought it was real, and I wanted to go in. We didn't want to get our hopes up though as we had been so bummed the day before, so I continued with my "routine" hoping that things would progress. At this point I took a shower and did my hair--yes, it took a lot longer than normal! All during this time we continued to time pressure waves. They were still consistent and getting stronger and stronger! We called our doula at 2:30 and told her we would be going to the hospital soon (she lives an hour away) and that she should come to our home unless we called to say we are headed to the hospital.
At 3:40 or so Skyler loaded up the car, again, and I got myself focused on this being my real birthing time. I listened to my Birthing Time Hypnobabies track and walked to the car, geared up and ready to go! During the 12 min drive I was able to keep comfortable but could feel the pressure getting stronger and stronger. When we got to the hospital Skyler parked and asked if I wanted a wheelchair. I said yes and at this point he said that that made him realize that this was really happening. Until then he had thought I was possibly not progressing because I seemed so composed.
We checked in at the front desk at 4:00 and I was able to communicate with the receptionist, but I did keep it short! We went directly upstairs to the labor room. At this point I was in and out of keeping my eyes open to be focused--things were happening quickly. Between pressure waves the nurse checked me. I was at a 5 or a 6 she said and as soon as she checked me my water broke. I was thrilled! I said "That was my water, my water just broke, hallelujah!" Skyler gave a good laugh. I was so glad because I knew that this time I really was going to have a baby in the next 24 hours. I looked at the clock and said "Wow, this baby girl might actually come on her due date!" Everyone laughed and the nurse said "Yeah, maybe if she hurries!" Everything was in place, Skyler was with me and Jenney, our doula, had met us at the hospital! At this point I asked for them to start filling the whirlpool so that I would be able to relieve some of the strong pressure from my back. The nurse got right on it and told me that it would be 25 mins or so until it was full.
During the 25 min wait (though I had no sense of time during all of this) I started to feel like I needed to push--the urge to push was incredibly strong and I knew this meant that I was likely in transition, especially since I was shaky. I told the nurses that I wanted to push and they jumped into action. Suddenly there were at least 5 nurses in the room and all of the delivery equipment was in the room. One of the nurses checked me and said that I was at a 10! We were all shocked so I turned from being on my hands and knees to being on my back to allow another nurse to check me. After changing positions they decided I was not at a 10, but at a 7 0r 8.
During all of this commotion the doctor came in and said "She feels pushy already?!" He checked me and said that I was in fact at a 7 or so and could not push. He said if I pushed I would be having my baby through c-section as it would cause damage and swell and block the birth canal. This made me really want to control the pushing urge. I did not want to have a c-section if I didn't have to. The doctor didn't want me to go in the whirlpool because I was progressing so quickly and there had been meconium in the fluid when my water broke and I needed to have my baby in the labor/delivery room so that he could be ready to clean the baby if there was a lot of meconium. At this point I made it clear that I wanted the tub. I wasn't mean, but said something like, "Can I go in the pool now; I want to go in the pool; I just want to go in the pool; can I get in the pool yet." I knew that this would give me the back relief that I needed so that I could focus on not letting my body push. The doctor then said that I could go in the pool but had to be out in 40 mins.
I was still really feeling the need to push and my Hypnobabies breathing wasn't working for me because it allowed my muscles to feel too relaxed and I had to fight the need to push. My doula and nurse suggested that I breathe and push the energy through my mouth so I took short "Ah, ah, ah, ah" breaths through the contractions. This helped a ton! It took a great deal of energy to focus on not pushing, but the breathing helped me exert my energy through my mouth rather than allowing me to push. At this point the tub was ready!
When I made it to the tub Skyler and my doula were able to sit right outside the tub and talk with me. The jets felt great and my body was much more relaxed. My doula held one hand while Skyler held the other and we all did the "Ah, ah, ah" breathing together! Things had been happening so quickly that Skyler didn't have everything he needed with him so he ran to the car. This was significant in that we had an entire discussion together as to whether or not he could leave me to run to the car. I was feeling very coherent, comfortable and excited between pressure waves and told him he could go if he ran quick! He was quick--only one or two contractions!
I continued my "Ah, ah, ah" breathing. Skyler and Jenney were great about breathing with me and helped me focus wonderfully! When I was experiencing a pressure wave and could tell that the urge to push was getting too strong for me to feel like I might not be able to resist it, I found myself saying "Don't push, don't push" in short spurts while Skyler would say "short breaths" and Jenney would mimic the breathing for me. After 30 mins in the tub the nurse came in and said that the sounds of my breathing were telling her that I was far enough along and would be pushing soon and needed to get out of the tub. I got out of the tub and went back to the room. Before getting in the room I tried to get in the shower to continue to relieve the back pressure, but the shower just wasn't comfortable because I had to sit in it to have the water on my back and sitting on a chair made me want to push too much. So before even fully sitting I said, "That isn't going to work!"
At this point Skyler and I went to the "slow dance" pose. This was great because he continued talking to me in my ear and we swayed together while Jenney put counter pressure on my back. We continued this way for a while and then I went to the bed to use the birthing ball and sit in a child's pose. Shortly after this the doctor came in and checked me and said that I was ready to push! I was stoked! After controlling the desire to push for so long the idea of letting my body push was great! I thanked the doctor and then during pressure waves let my body do what it wanted!
The pushing stage started at about 6:45. I pushed and pushed and pushed for quite a while. I kept thinking that I thought pushing meant that I was crowning and that crowning meant that I should be hearing my baby cry any minute. I kept listening carefully for a cry amidst my deep "mooing" pushing sounds. I asked between pressure waves where my baby was and every one kept saying "She is right here, she has so much hair, you are doing great!" Then I finally said to Skyler "I didn't know this part took so long!" The doctor then informed me that I was pushing her through the birth canal--oh! During all of this I switched from being on my back to being in the child's pose. Skyler kept me cool with wet rags on my forehead and neck and Jenney and Skyler both kept encouraging me and telling me that I was doing a great job. I felt like I had everyone routing for me because I had Skyler, Jenney, the nurse (Janet), and my doctor all telling me that I was doing great.
After a while I apologized for how loud I was being during pressure waves. When I had told my mother-in-law that I wanted to have an unmedicated birth if I could she had mentioned that when she was in the hospital having one of her children she could hear an unmedicated laboring woman screaming at the top of her lungs in the next room and that it scared her. Though I wasn't screaming, I was making a lot of noise, and I really didn't want to scare another laboring woman! I kept thinking of this and then found myself apologizing. The sweet nurse told me a little white lie and said that the rooms were sound proof--I believed her and said "Oh, good" and kept going! Between pushes I felt very comfortable and took lots of deep breaths while gearing up for the next push (Skyler said the breaks were at most 30 seconds long though). It was taking all of my energy to give strong, strong pushes and so I was quite relieved when the nurse started giving me a few breaths of oxygen between pushes. The air felt great!
After about an hour and 15 minutes of pushing (again, Skyler informed me of the time frame later, clocks were the furthest thing from my mind at the time) the doctor said that our baby girl was coming out quick. Everyone was right there and I could sense the excitement! The pediatrician came in to be on hold for the meconium, and then my OB/GYN said to give a good big push. I did my best and then the doctor told me to stop. Her head was out! I could hear her crying! The doctor had me stop so he could clean her face of the meconium to prevent more aspiration of the meconium. After cleaning her up a bit I pushed a tiny bit more and she was here! Our baby girl entered the world at 8:17 pm. Her cry was amazing and I couldn't believe how fantastic I felt! They took her directly to the table to check her vitals because of the meconium. I just lay there in total wonder and awe and love and watched her. Skyler was thrilled, I was thrilled, and it was amazing! After they checked her to make sure the severity of the meconium wasn't too bad they brought her over to us and I held her skin to skin. It was the most beautiful moment! She and I had done it together with the help of Skyler and all of our efforts were right there in our moment of joy!
With Mommy at just a few minutes old
The happy family of three!
Mom and Savannah taking a nap in the afternoon, July 17th, after they let her leave the nursery NICU
8 comments:
Shanna, I'm so glad you shared your beautiful birth story! It sounds like you did fabulously! I remember being really loud during pushing, too. Nadene was in the room and I think she thought I was crazy, but I was so focused that I really didn't care. Anyway, congratulations, I'm so happy for you guys.
Way to go Shannah!!! I have to say that I am slightly envious for your unmedicated birth experience. I was in way too much back pain to do it without an epidural and I know I made the right decision and I was satisfied and happy with my experience but I do hope to really experience the whole birth one day. I might come to you in few years for some tips!
I'm so glad everything is well with both of you. Much love!!
Congrats Shannah- What an amazing experience! Little Savannah is so cute.
Great story Shannah and Skyler. I'm so proud of you Shannah!
What an amazing story! You are so on the ball getting this written out already, but I shouldn't be surprised, I guess. :)
You are incredible! Wow, I am seriously in awe of your ability to go unmedicated. Uh, not that I have experienced childbirth, but I hear it's painful... haha. Can't wait to meet little Savannah. She is an absolute doll. That hair!! What a sweet little treasure.
I can't believe you did that all unmedicated! Maybe I should have been more open-minded about the hypnobirthing thing. I just decided to use the elements I liked and make up my own technique- seven hours later I got an epidural. haha. Savannah is so pretty! I'm so glad you guys are all home together now. Isn't it wonderful?
oh yay, loved reading that. Having had 4 natural births it all made me smile. Way to go Shannah! You are awesome!
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