Nany & Marshall 2

“When parents say that every child is different you better believe them! As I approached the end of the pregnancy I was confident that Lydia’s birth would play out somewhat like Eli’s (our first child), she however had her own plans.

On Sunday I started feeling some tightening in my lower abdomen soon after lunch, as we went through the day the feeling started to come more frequent. Still very irregular in pattern but there all the same. By 11pm they started to get a bit more intense and going to my back as well, that is when I laid down and started listening to my Hypnobirthing tracks. Everybody had gone to bed already and although I wasn’t timing my surges I felt that they were becoming closer together, so I woke Marshall up to ask for his help and support to focus through the surges and to time them that way he could start getting things ready if we determined that I was in active labor and be prepared to leave.

My sister woke up with the commotion and they both alternated helping me trough the surges and getting things ready to go. Ever since getting up I used the birth ball and as the surges came I swayed which felt really nice. I got changed into some comfortable clothes (beach dress and top swim suit) and continued to use the ball with a towel on it. At 12:45am my water released! We were all excited since there had been no other signs that I was in active labor, besides my surges getting closer together and stronger. At that point Marshall called the midwife on call to let her know of our progress.

I was very excited to be reassured of the progress in the labor and I focused on that excitement as I also knew that the surges were about to get intense and sweaty! Marshall was very efficient in getting everything ready quickly and getting a hold of the necessary people. Unlike Eli’s labor, I felt the impression to leave the house pretty soon after my water released. I remember having the distinct feeling during one of the more intense surges in which I felt my body go deeper into labor as I visualized her decent into the birth path. We made it to the Hospital about 1 hour after my water released. Due to some change in the schedule we were unable to reach the midwife on call before getting to the hospital but the nurses were able to reach her on time for her to get to us a few minutes before the birth. It was Jennifer, the same midwife who was in charge at Eli’s birth.

 Ever since getting to the hospital it became uncomfortable to move much but at the same time I didn’t want to sit still. I asked to get in the water but since my water had released I was told that they had to talk to my midwife first but they just gave me the run around and didn’t let me get in. They were probably scared I’d have the baby in the tub (which would have been awesome) because I was already at 8cm when we got there, same exact progress as when we got to the hospital with Eli’s birth.

Things went pretty quick after that. I had assumed a kneeling posting and would lean forward during the surges. Boy, were they sweaty at that time! I didn’t appreciate the distraction in the room but Marshall was wonderful at helping me focus on his voice, eye contact and light touch massage. Just his voice was so reassuring that my whole body would go limp and my mind refocused. Not long after getting checked in I felt her moving down even lower which prompted me to start birth breathing. I could feel my pelvic bones moving to make way and very little “help’ was required of me to “push her out”, I clearly felt the Natural Expel Reflex and let go of any tension, the challenge at that time for me was to continue to relax and not tense up. I opened my mouth relaxing my jaw, I visualize her head’s movements to match what I was feeling was happening and said her name several times. As I let go, weird sounds were coming out of me to which I felt I had little control over and although there was discomfort and a lot of pressure everything was manageable and I drew strength from Marshall’s presence and support.

 I reached down and felt her head as she descended into the birth canal, my goal was to catch her but in the middle of my focus and as I adjusted my legs for a better birth I forgot to reach down but I knew exactly where her head was and her body followed very quickly. My midwife handed her to me right after she came out passing her through under my legs; I then turned around and held her to my stomach.

Her cord was a bit short so I did it all very carefully and a bit awkwardly but soon after I was adjusted into a better position and the cord stopped pulsating, Marshall cut the cord and I could then bring her over to my chest. She was born at 2:24am on Labor Day 🙂

She was alert and even cried loudly but soon after I cradled her into my chest and started warming her up she calmed down. She started thrusting her tongue and attempting to nurse right away and after spending almost 2 hrs with mommy she was actually very quiet throughout the newborn procedures which luckily were performed in the room.  I’m so grateful to have had the wonderful experience and have felt the strength of my body as it worked with my baby girl to bring her out into our arms.”