Paisley's birth story

Monday 11/19 I started having some contractions that were 10 minutes apart. I had had these in the past weeks so didn’t think much of it until I had them for several hours. I told DH that he should not stay up too late in case this was it. I continued to have these through the evening along with severe irritability. They continued through the night waking me a few times but they never got closer together or more intense. I had a midwife appt. at 10 a.m. on Tuesday 11/20 which my mom accompanied me to. It was a typical visit and all was well with baby and mom. My mom and I went to Walmart and the hobby shop after to 1)walk and 2)keep busy.

That afternoon/evening I went to work with my father..he was working on my patients but I was there for PR and to once again keep busy. I continued to have those contractions about 10 minutes apart and really all they seemed to be doing were exhausting me. When I got home that night I decided I had had enough and was going to “get this kid out of me”. I hopped on the elliptical machine for 20 minutes after which I had the most severe cramp/pain/contraction of this pregnancy. I wasn’t sure if it was a contraction but it freaking hurt and I was a tad worried I had overdone it on the exercise-ha! I ate dinner and promptly passed out on the couch—the kind of passed out sleep where you drool-ha! I left the couch around 11 p.m. and went to the bedroom. I slept hard until 3 a.m. when I woke up to either pee or because I was having contractions, not sure which. Once I was awake I realized I was having pretty strong contractions and they were coming a little closer together and somewhat more intense. I timed them for a bit and tried to sleep realizing that if this was it I would need to be rested. They were sometimes 10 minutes apart and sometimes 6 minutes apart but they were definitely getting stronger when they did occur.

Around 4:30 a.m. I woke Lee up because I wasn’t sure what was going on and was feeling a little insecure about it all. I just wanted him with me. I ate some food because I was also quite hungry. He came up to the bedroom with me after and we continued to time them until about 6 a.m. It was then that I realized this was probably the day she would arrive. I knew it was still early in the process but I called my parents so they could get over to our house by the time Griffin woke up. I wanted to rest as long as possible and allow Lee to be with me.

They came to the house at 7:15 a.m. and had their camera in tow—ha! They took pictures of us still half comatose in bed. I called the midwife right before they arrived and she and I agreed to check in with one another in about an hour. I slept for another hour or so and then just wasn’t comfortable being still. MW called back around 8:30 a.m. and asked if I thought she should come then or if she could see her 9 a.m. client. I told her I wasn’t sure but I was sure it was happening today…I still thought it was early. The best way I could describe it was that between contractions I almost forgot anything was going on but then a contraction would come and I would say to myself, “oh ok, I’m definitely in labor”. My labor continued to fit that description until close to the end.

MW thought it was best she cancel her appt. and agreed to leave her house around 9 a.m. I told her I would let her know if it got worse. Before she arrived I took a bath, got adjusted, ate a bit more, my two friends arrived, and then we went for a walk---it was a glorious fall day! When MW arrived around 10 a.m. contractions were about 5 minutes apart but quite intense when I had them….the walk was making them increase in frequency and intensity and I had to stop walking when having them. MW set up and monitored baby a few times while I bounced on the birth ball and just hung out with people. DH was blogging the labor on our website and taking pictures so I perused through those as well.

Everyone ate lunch and then MW decided to “clear out” for a bit. I took another hot bath and DS helped me by giving me his tub toys. We got some great pics of this---he was so cute! My friends “cleared out” after that as well and DS went down for a nap. I tried resting for a bit then but the contractions weren’t giving me too long of a break at this point.

Everyone returned back to the house around 2 p.m. and both MW and her apprentice said something was different—it was later noted to me that they said I was entering active labor. I agreed to let her check me so I could gain some perspective as to where I was—I was an easy 6-7 and completely thinned out. The next couple hours were growingly intense as contractions got closer together and lasted longer. I continued to breathe through them and was still able to joke/talk between them. I changed positions a lot from knee chest, bouncing on the birth ball, walking, sitting and rocking. People took turns spending time with me and another dear friend showed up during this time. By 4 p.m. the contractions were so intense and I was starting to lose focus. I got pretty sick to my stomach and also started to sob at one point. I knew these were good signs of transition. I was also having a lot of trouble finding a good position to contract in comfortably…nothing was working. Sitting was no longer comfortable and even though standing was better I was losing strength. I went pee at one point and had a contraction and fell off the toilet. Thank goodness DH was in there with me.

I was working to get into the bed and I felt/heard a pop and said, “my water is breaking get a pad”. I then collapsed to the floor as the next contraction came and my water trickled out. They did get me to the bed and the rest of my water came out in the next few contractions. I could NOT get comfortable-on my back, on my side, on my knees, sitting, everything was uncomfortable and I was really beginning to panic. MW checked me here and said I was nearly complete with just a little posterior lip of cervix. I got the most comfort on my side/back so began pushing like that. Although it felt ok and DH was supporting my back I couldn’t get enough behind the pushes and this kid needed to “GET OUT”! I asked to get on the birth stool which was WONDERFUL! I pushed on the stool with everyone surrounding me in LOVE and felt her head crowning….as soon as I felt that I knew I could do it and just pushed her out.

This labor and birth was so much more intense than my son’s but my mom videoed it for me. After watching the video I realize that although it was much more intense the parts that were that intense were only about 15 minutes in length, compared to 3 hours with DS. I was only on the birth stool for about 6 minutes total and from when I felt her head crowning to when she was born was less than 1 minute. It all felt like an eternity but I did it and I’m glad to have had that perspective.

I felt so much better immediately after this birth than I did with Griffin. I was still tired but not totally wiped. I was more with it too which was good. Nursing was easier, peeing has been easier, getting around easier. I guess my body does know what it’s doing now. The only harder part were those dang after pains—WOW! They were insane!! Thank goodness for ibuprofen. I had been warned of them but those folks weren’t kidding around. They were wicked awful and for several days I kept thinking to myself, “I just had natural childbirth and I want to cry with these pains now.” It was crazy.

Paisley is a great baby. She has her nights and days a little mixed but I think that will resolve. She really only cries when she is hungry or is having her diaper changed. I cannot wait to grow in knowing her over the years. It is soooo exciting!!

In summary, 13 hours 41 minute labor (19 minutes shorter than DS’s)

8 lb. 5 oz. (1 lb. 2 oz. larger than DS)

19.5 in. long (1 in. shorter than DS)

Dark hair and lots of it! (this cannot be my kid ;))