SILAS JOEL'S BIRTH STORY
I started having light contractions on Mon. night, Jul. 23 after I nursed dd to sleep around 7 pm. They weren't very strong, but they weren't like the Braxton-Hicks contractions I'd been having for more than a month. I kept thinking it couldn't be labor because it seemed like it was too early. My EDD wasn't until Aug. 11, and I was very certain of my dates. I thought the baby might come early, but not that early.
When the contractions seemed to be getting farther apart, I figured they were just due to the nursing. So I ate a bowl of ice cream and went to bed around 11 pm. Around 1:30 am the contractions woke me up. They were much stronger and I had to really think about relaxing. I tried to go back to sleep, but couldn't. I was still thinking it was too early to be the real thing.
Around 2:15 am, I got out of bed and went to lay on the floor next to Keith. He was asleep on the couch (sleeping with a pregnant woman and a two-year old was just too much for him). I didn't want to be alone anymore and I was also concerned about waking up Hannah Grace.
Soon, I had woke up Keith. I asked him to pray for me because I was very scared. I'm not sure why I was so frightened, but It was causing me to tense up with each contraction. He prayed, rebuking fear and doubt, while rubbing my back. I could feel my whole body relax, and I soon settled into the rhythm of things.
At about 3 am I moved to the bathroom to empty my bowels and I must have been making too much noise because soon both children were wide awake. They were excited by the thought that the baby would be there soon. The children were so awesome through the whole thing. They stayed quiet and even though they were in and out, they never bothered me. Daniel (5 1/2), made sure his sister had food and stayed entertained.
I must admit that I had my doubts about not asking anyone to watch them during the birth. Now, I'm so glad that I didn't. They were never a problem. Having someone there to watch after them would have interfered with our privacy.
I spent the next several hours moving mostly between the tub, toilet and the bedroom. I walked a bit up and down the hall. We used some accupressure techniques to help with nausea and some pretty intense contractions. Things moved so much faster than my other two births. I think it was because I was able to relax.
The only internal exams were three that I performed on myself, and two that Keith did. I had an anterior cervical lip (just like my last two births), but being able to actually feel that my cervix was dilating and that the lip was softening was empowering. It was very different to be able to feel it myself rather than have someone tell me what was going on.
We hit transition late Tuesday morning. I think it was all Keith could do to keep from laughing at me. I cried. Why couldn't I just be like other women and schedule the stupid epidural. I told him to just reach in and yank the baby out. I even said I'd had enough and wasn't going to do any more. He told me it was almost over but of course I told him it was too early (my other births lasted 24 hrs,and 36 hrs respectively. I figured this one wouldn't be any different).
I was in our large garden tub reclining on my side, trying to sleep between contractions when I started grunting. Keith asked if I was pushing. I told him no. But with the next contraction I had to bear down and my water broke. There were little peices of the sack floating in the water, but the fluid was clear. Keith jumped into the tub with me. It was 1:10 pm. I started crying again. We were both so excited and saying, "We're going to do it. We're really going to do it."
I experienced a hightened state of awareness during this stage that I hadn't with my other two births. It must have been because I didn't have any drugs in my system. It felt amazing.
Keith said he could see the head as I pushed through the next contraction. He called the children, but Hannah Grace was asleep. However, Daniel came running and watched the birth of his brother with his hands over his ears. I screamed as the baby crowned. I really wanted to change positions but was afraid to move. His head was out with the next push. It literally seemed to "pop" out. I looked and could see his purple head under the water. I even got to reach down and touch him as he was half born and half inside. With the next push he came sliding out into Daddy's hands.
Keith gently lifted him out of the water, tears rolling down his cheeks. I was crying too and said, "Hand HER to me" (I don't know why I said this I had felt all through the preg that it was a boy). Keith replied, "I can't. Its a boy!" Keith handed Silas to me. He was all purple and slimy with vernix. Silas opened his eyes and looked at me as he took his first breath. Then he started crying. It was 1:21.
About thirty minutes later we cut the cord. We were going to wait until the placenta came, but the water in the tub was getting cold. I pushed the placenta out into the toilet after another thirty minutes had passed. It was all intact. Hannah Grace was awake at this time andshe was very intrigued by the red squishy blob.
Keith and our now 3 children moved to the living room after rinsing out the tub. I took a quick shower and joined them. We measured him with a sewing tape. He was nineteen inches long and his head was thirteen inches around. We didn't weigh him until the next day when a friend brought over her postage scale. He weighed 7 lb. 4 oz.
It was the most incredible experience of my life. We never timed a contraction. No one ever took my blood pressure. Keith's hands were the only ones to touch me or Silas. And not a wave of ultrasound ever hit Silas' body. Silas has been able to enjoy his first few days without being poked, prodded, or examined. This was definitely the birth of my dreams!
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