Happy 3rd Birthday Matthew!!!!!!
For your reading pleasure....Matthew's birth story:
I had felt totally fine all day. Slept in, had a very relaxing day, not many contractions at all, and no bloody show. We all went to McDonald's for dinner before Kevan had to go to work for the evening. He was done early, around 9:30. Around 9:00 I had started having contractions and they were coming fairly regularly. But they weren't anything to get excited about, not painful at all.
I went to bed a little before Midnight. Still having the easy contractions so I just tried relaxing so I could sleep. RIGHT at Midnight they changed! I had a contraction that got my attention and I had pressure going down on my cervix (similar to the ones I had a week before). I kept having them but they were 10 minutes apart. I got up to use the restroom after about an hour and saw VERY light pink on the toilet paper!!! That made me slightly hopeful because a week before when I had similar contractions, there was NO bloody show.
I went out in the living room to try sitting up for a while to see if I could get them to keep going or get stronger. Around 2:00am Kevan went to bed. I laid on the couch for a while but they kept coming. Then I tried the tub again but I was too uncomfortable in there. About 2:30am I woke up Kevan when I was getting out of the tub. I told him I thought I wanted him to start filling up the pool because I thought was going to want in soon!
About that time I was REALLY starting to feel pressure with the contractions. The only position I was comfortable in was standing up, my hands on my thighs, bending over. Somehow it took some of the pressure off my cervix. I was having to focus thru them and concentrate on breathing thru them.
I called my midwife around 3:00am. I told her what was going on but I thought something was because of the bloody show this time. She asked me what I wanted her to do and I told her I wasn't sure but that I thought she should come on over. I also told her that it seemed to be progressing rather quickly, had the pressure and I didn't know how dialated I was. After she heard me struggling to talk through a contraction, she said she'd get ready and come on over.
I called my Mom after I talked to her. Of course she couldn't leave in the middle of the night. She just told me to keep her updated.
After that I used the restroom, had a couple contractions on the toilet and decided I would NOT be having any more "on land" contractions!!! The pool wasn't full all the way but I didn't care. It felt SOOOO much better being in the water. I automatically got onto my knees, leaning over the side of the pool (just like I did when I was birthing GraceAnne). The room was so peaceful! I had my little nightstand table lamp turned on and a candle lit behind me on the computer desk. We didn't wake the girls up since things were going SO quickly.
The contractions really picked up after that! I also noticed that I was having small pushing urges with the contractions. I felt up inside me at one point (I was a little apprehensive about another prolapse so I wanted to keep checking to make sure the bag and/or baby were coming down) and thought I felt the water bag bulging about 1 1/2-2" inside. I told Kevan that I thought I was feeling it. It felt like a VERY FULL water balloon. Since *I* couldn't feel anything while poking it, I knew it was the bag.
The pushing urges got stronger and my legs started shaking some. It didn't hurt much when I was pushing, just a lot of pressure. I was in a great position in the pool because I was right by the footboard...so I just grabbed it for resistance. Kevan knelt down in front of me most of the time. I grabbed his hand at one point but it was easier pulling on the bed. I remember feeling up inside again and the bag was maybe 1" from coming out.
I think it was about 3:40am or 3:45am my midwife called. and Kevan answered the phone. I heard him tell her that my contractions were 1-2minutes apart. I was having a contraction but I told him, "And my water bag is bulging....and I'm having to push!" He relayed that information to her. When he got off the phone I asked him where she was, he said she was on her way (she told me later that she was just getting on the highway).
During the next few contractions I could feel him descending with the water bag...so cool! Suddenly I felt "full". At around 3:50am my water broke. I told dh that it did and asked him what color it was. He couldn't tell since it was kinda dark in the room so when I had a break between contractions, I sat back some to look. Nice and clear! I got back onto my knees. Kevan said, "Good...now that will relieve some of the pressure." I told him, "Yeah...but it's also going to HURT now!!!!"
I felt up inside again to see how far his head was from where the water bag had been bulging. I think it was about 1-1 1/2" from crowning. I tried keeping my hand down there as I was pushing to make sure I pushed slowly. Kevan was behind me but because it was a bit dark, I knew he couldn't see much detail thru the water to let me know how I was doing.
I remember during one point when I was pushing and feeling him coming down, I felt nervous! He came down pretty good and it REALLY stung! It was like suddenly I realized how much more it was going to hurt!!! I didn't really want to do it anymore! But I also knew it was almost over!!!!
I just sucked it up and kept pushing! He came down really well with the pushes. It hurt SOOO bad but at the same time it was really awesome feeling myself get full with his head. I told Kevan that he was almost out so he was behind me all ready to catch. Then his head just popped out (at the same time I heard my midwife's car door slam)! I told Kevan, "Check around his neck for the cord." and I reached down too. He did have the cord around his neck. I just looped my finger under it and gently pulled it up. Then I asked dh if he was ready, to just pull him right up out of the water when he was out, lifted up my right leg a little and pushed out his body..and Kevan caught him!! He was born at exactly 4:00am!
I immediately turned around and Kevan was just getting him out of the water. I notice the cord had been around his neck, went under his arm (don't remember which one) and around his body. "Mitch" was a bit limp in the water but the MINUTE he hit the air, he started wailing (Kevan told me later that those seconds right after, when he was getting him out of the water and Mitch was limp...he was a little bit scared)!!! Right then, my midwife walked in! He screeched for a good while and pinked right up! The midwife said later that his Apgar was 10/10!
I told Kevan to go wake up the girls. First he brought in Emily..she had her eyes covered and I told her to look. She giggled. Then he went to get Abby and Gracie. Abby was kind of shy but Gracie was totally excited!!
I had felt totally fine all day. Slept in, had a very relaxing day, not many contractions at all, and no bloody show. We all went to McDonald's for dinner before Kevan had to go to work for the evening. He was done early, around 9:30. Around 9:00 I had started having contractions and they were coming fairly regularly. But they weren't anything to get excited about, not painful at all.
I went to bed a little before Midnight. Still having the easy contractions so I just tried relaxing so I could sleep. RIGHT at Midnight they changed! I had a contraction that got my attention and I had pressure going down on my cervix (similar to the ones I had a week before). I kept having them but they were 10 minutes apart. I got up to use the restroom after about an hour and saw VERY light pink on the toilet paper!!! That made me slightly hopeful because a week before when I had similar contractions, there was NO bloody show.
I went out in the living room to try sitting up for a while to see if I could get them to keep going or get stronger. Around 2:00am Kevan went to bed. I laid on the couch for a while but they kept coming. Then I tried the tub again but I was too uncomfortable in there. About 2:30am I woke up Kevan when I was getting out of the tub. I told him I thought I wanted him to start filling up the pool because I thought was going to want in soon!
About that time I was REALLY starting to feel pressure with the contractions. The only position I was comfortable in was standing up, my hands on my thighs, bending over. Somehow it took some of the pressure off my cervix. I was having to focus thru them and concentrate on breathing thru them.
I called my midwife around 3:00am. I told her what was going on but I thought something was because of the bloody show this time. She asked me what I wanted her to do and I told her I wasn't sure but that I thought she should come on over. I also told her that it seemed to be progressing rather quickly, had the pressure and I didn't know how dialated I was. After she heard me struggling to talk through a contraction, she said she'd get ready and come on over.
I called my Mom after I talked to her. Of course she couldn't leave in the middle of the night. She just told me to keep her updated.
After that I used the restroom, had a couple contractions on the toilet and decided I would NOT be having any more "on land" contractions!!! The pool wasn't full all the way but I didn't care. It felt SOOOO much better being in the water. I automatically got onto my knees, leaning over the side of the pool (just like I did when I was birthing GraceAnne). The room was so peaceful! I had my little nightstand table lamp turned on and a candle lit behind me on the computer desk. We didn't wake the girls up since things were going SO quickly.
The contractions really picked up after that! I also noticed that I was having small pushing urges with the contractions. I felt up inside me at one point (I was a little apprehensive about another prolapse so I wanted to keep checking to make sure the bag and/or baby were coming down) and thought I felt the water bag bulging about 1 1/2-2" inside. I told Kevan that I thought I was feeling it. It felt like a VERY FULL water balloon. Since *I* couldn't feel anything while poking it, I knew it was the bag.
The pushing urges got stronger and my legs started shaking some. It didn't hurt much when I was pushing, just a lot of pressure. I was in a great position in the pool because I was right by the footboard...so I just grabbed it for resistance. Kevan knelt down in front of me most of the time. I grabbed his hand at one point but it was easier pulling on the bed. I remember feeling up inside again and the bag was maybe 1" from coming out.
I think it was about 3:40am or 3:45am my midwife called. and Kevan answered the phone. I heard him tell her that my contractions were 1-2minutes apart. I was having a contraction but I told him, "And my water bag is bulging....and I'm having to push!" He relayed that information to her. When he got off the phone I asked him where she was, he said she was on her way (she told me later that she was just getting on the highway).
During the next few contractions I could feel him descending with the water bag...so cool! Suddenly I felt "full". At around 3:50am my water broke. I told dh that it did and asked him what color it was. He couldn't tell since it was kinda dark in the room so when I had a break between contractions, I sat back some to look. Nice and clear! I got back onto my knees. Kevan said, "Good...now that will relieve some of the pressure." I told him, "Yeah...but it's also going to HURT now!!!!"
I felt up inside again to see how far his head was from where the water bag had been bulging. I think it was about 1-1 1/2" from crowning. I tried keeping my hand down there as I was pushing to make sure I pushed slowly. Kevan was behind me but because it was a bit dark, I knew he couldn't see much detail thru the water to let me know how I was doing.
I remember during one point when I was pushing and feeling him coming down, I felt nervous! He came down pretty good and it REALLY stung! It was like suddenly I realized how much more it was going to hurt!!! I didn't really want to do it anymore! But I also knew it was almost over!!!!
I just sucked it up and kept pushing! He came down really well with the pushes. It hurt SOOO bad but at the same time it was really awesome feeling myself get full with his head. I told Kevan that he was almost out so he was behind me all ready to catch. Then his head just popped out (at the same time I heard my midwife's car door slam)! I told Kevan, "Check around his neck for the cord." and I reached down too. He did have the cord around his neck. I just looped my finger under it and gently pulled it up. Then I asked dh if he was ready, to just pull him right up out of the water when he was out, lifted up my right leg a little and pushed out his body..and Kevan caught him!! He was born at exactly 4:00am!
I immediately turned around and Kevan was just getting him out of the water. I notice the cord had been around his neck, went under his arm (don't remember which one) and around his body. "Mitch" was a bit limp in the water but the MINUTE he hit the air, he started wailing (Kevan told me later that those seconds right after, when he was getting him out of the water and Mitch was limp...he was a little bit scared)!!! Right then, my midwife walked in! He screeched for a good while and pinked right up! The midwife said later that his Apgar was 10/10!
I told Kevan to go wake up the girls. First he brought in Emily..she had her eyes covered and I told her to look. She giggled. Then he went to get Abby and Gracie. Abby was kind of shy but Gracie was totally excited!!
2 comments:
I love your birth stories! Happy Birthday hugs to you and Matthew. I'm excited for you about the Cox news--we'll be praying!
I remember hearing this the first time, it never gets old! Can we hear again next year?? And he was SOOO perfect looking!! Love his curls now. :-)
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