Ethan's Birth Story

On Christmas Eve -aka 1 day over due, my contractions (what I would later discover were "false labor" nothing close to the real thing!) started and were 1 hour apart. This lasted pretty much through Christmas day and tapered off that night. My family, Mom, Scotty, April, AJ, Sadie and Hooch all left for Oklahoma the day after Christmas in order to give me and Eli some relaxing alone time.

On Friday Eli and I went to the movies and I got nachos and a hot dog and added a crazy amount of jalapenos trying to get the labor started. In fact, we did pretty much Everything we knew or had been told to do to get the labor started! Friday night -aka 3 days over the cramping came back about like before. I woke up around 7am on Saturday-aka 4 days over, went to the kitchen to get some water and felt a little dripping down my leg. I got a little excited and a little nervous.

I called the midwife and she said to come in to check if my water had really broken. Because I had a positive strep B test, I had to have antibiotics when my water broke to protect the baby from infection. The news was rather disappointing. No, my water had not broken. I was still only 1 cm dilated and around 70% effaced. And even though I thought I was having contractions the midwife gave me that "poor first time mom" look! It was still not true labor. But my cervix was soft and that's very good.

After we left the birthing center, Eli and I went book shopping and got chili cheese french fries from Sonic- another thing I was told started labor! We spent the rest of the day resting. I slept through the night, waking up every few hours to go to the bathroom. I had dreams of going into labor and how it would feel. To my surprise, when I woke up around 7 Sunday morning-aka 5 days over, I was in labor! I defiantly knew the difference this time! I woke Eli up to time them and they were coming every 6-9 mins.

I knew they had been coming all night so around 9am I called the midwife to give her a heads up. After I made that call I decided to take a bath while Eli called the family. As I was "relaxing" in the warm water the contractions started getting closer and closer together. As soon as Eli got off the phone I had him help me out of the tub. Before I could even get dressed, I was on hands and knees during the contractions! Eli timed them from 1-3 mins apart!

I knew this was going to happen but I was not ready for it to happen so soon! We didn't even have the car seat in the car. Eli started moving things to the car but of course he didn't know what all needed to go. I had all the bags ready in a pile in the baby's room. I was on the floor of our bedroom and Eli is running back and forth asking me "Does this go?" I kept yelling "Yes! Everything in the pile goes!". I guess he didn't realize it takes at least 4 bags full of stuff to have a baby!!!! ***Just in case you are wondering: We didn't use half the stuff that I packed! But if it was on the list I was going to have it!

We called the midwife again and she told us to come in. The trip there went as good as it could have. Eli missed all the major bumps in the road and I stayed in my seat belt even though I wanted to crawl in the back seat. We got to the birthing center around 11:30am and Roswitha ( the midwife on call) checked me and I was 3 to 4 cm dilated. This apparently is the cut off to get to stay at the center. It was a good thing I was to that point because I had already told Eli I was NOT getting back in that car! The room I wanted was still being cleaned after the last birth so we had to wait a few minutes to go in. The way I felt most comfortable was on my hands and knees so there I was, in the waiting room. I then felt the need to throw up and wasn't sure where the closest bathroom was. As I started to vomit I was quickly directed to the nearest one! I know I ate something that morning and at this point I was glad I did.

We were moved from the bathroom where I was on the floor, to the bedroom where they made me get in the bed, the last place I wanted to be. Flat on my back was what I was trying to avoid my whole pregnancy! But I had to have the antibiotics and Rosewita needed to start the IV. I was very dehydrated so the first vain burst but she got it on the second one. After the 15mins it took for the IV, I was able to get up.

I remember very little of the labor. I remember being on the floor of the bathroom for most of the time. Eli will have to fill you in but I don't think anything exciting happened between getting off the bed until I was able to get in the bath tub. I think I got in around 3pm. I do remember having my temp taken and it being a little high. She had me drink some water and wait about 15mins before taking my temp again and giving me the ok to get in.

The water felt great! I was in two different positions off and on: floating on my back and squatting while leaning over the side. At some point Roswitha checked me and I was 9 1/2 cm dilated and I could start pushing!!! I pushed on my back for awhile. Being on my back in the water was much different then on the bed. I was having trouble focusing my pushing to the area it needed to be in so Rosewita suggested I get back in the squatting position. That was not a good idea! As soon as I got in that position my back started to cramp. This wasn't labor. It hurt like the worst cramp in my middle back. She then suggested I get on the birthing chair and I literally jumped at the idea! I got out of the bath with Eli's and who I found out later was the midwife assistant Jess. I didn't even know anyone else was in the room (and didn't care)!

On the birthing chair Eli was able to sit on the bed behind me and hold me up. I think I did 2 really good pushes and he started crowning. Roswitha ask me if I wanted a mirror to see him. My eyes had been closed for about the last hour. I told her "No, I can feel him!" I guess Eli was straining to get a good look so she said "Can I get the mirror because I think Eli really wants to see him!" I think my response was "Whatever!" One more push and we were to that point I was ready for: where the midwife says "Stop Pushing!". I did just what I had been taught. I put my head back and took deep, long breaths and waited for her to tell me to push again. She never did. She did ask me with a smile on her face "How does it feel?" like it was the most exciting thing she had ever seen. I told her it sucked! (My apologies to all the children reading this. Your not allowed to use that word until you have a baby!) So I asked "Can I push?". No one answered. "Can I push?" and before she could get the word "Yes" out I pushed and at 5:40pm he came flying out with a gush of water!

Now here is were Eli loves to tell of his son's first back flip. Apparently as he shot out head first his feet flipped over and Roswitha and Jess barely caught him! He started screaming almost the moment he came out. They placed this screaming yet perfect baby on my chest and all was well in the world. Rosewita gave him a perfect 10 on the apgar test and moved us back on the bed. The cord stopped pulsing and Eli cut it. We then laid there for what seemed like hours just looking at the beautiful new addition to our family.

His skin was a perfect color. His eyes wide open. He was so little yet I had no worries of hurting him. I knew everything and nothing all at once.

Mom and April showed up about 1 hour after he was born. Their story is yet to come in another blog!

We had to stay at the birthing center twice as long as normal because of some bleeding I was having. I had to have 2 bags of fluid before I could go home. If you want to know the gory details ask me the next time I see you but just know all is well! We arrived home the next morning around 7am. The first thing Eli did was cut the cheesecake we had all been waiting so long to eat! It is a tradition in his family. His Dad always made a cheesecake when they would have a baby. I now know why his mom had 9!!!! It is a tradition I will be happy to keep.

I'm sure Eli will want to add in the missing pieces. It was a wonderful experience that I think of longingly now but not so much right after the birth! God willing I will want all my births to go as smoothly. I would not want to do it any different.