Birth story

Saturday Sept. 16th, is when it all began.  I've never had my water break first, but this time, it did about 6am.  I had no pain.  With the previous four, I felt contractions and water broke in the midst of labor.  It seemed like I was wet all day, not a big gush, but after an hour or two, with clothing changes, I realized my water broke. I walked with the boys to the neighbors in the morning.  It was a beautiful day, so I picked apples from our trees. My midwife suggested I do the Miles Circuit, so I did that throughout the afternoon. With no signs of labor starting or contractions, the midwife gave me several options and I chose to try castor oil first.  I put 4 Tbsp with vanilla ice cream at 8pm.  Then slept soundly.  

At midnight, I woke and used the bathroom, had diarrhea, about 3 times, which is what castor oil is typically used for, moving bowels, if one is constipated.  Then, contractions started 5-6 min. apart, I wrote notes and after an hour called Kathleen, the midwife.  She arrived at 3am with her assistant, Diana, a doula.  I was leaning over the couch, rocking, and wished for a bath, so got in our tub and the warm water felt great.  I got out and had a towel wrapped around me and on my back.  I drank coconut water. 

I didn't realize I was having back pain until Kathleen began to rub my lower back with a lavender and rosemary oil blend.  I felt a strong urge to push.  The midwife told me to stop pushing, so she could gently move back the "lip" but seriously it was hard, as the urge to push was so strong then.  She suggested I sing, which I did, briefly, "I love you a bushel and a peck."  Probably a bushel of apples on my mind!  And then pushed hard.  

Elijah was born at 4:39am Sunday Sept. 17th.  My husband said, "It's a boy!"  He didn't cry, so I was worried, but the midwife said he's fine, he was making other signs and sounds.  I held him on my chest and noticed was rather purple, slowly he turned pink.  I had chux pads under me and the placenta was delivered.  The midwife was concerned as she thought I was losing too much blood.  I didn't see anything, only felt the happiness of a fresh baby. She asked if she could give me a shot of pitocin and I said yes.  George came and put his finger in Elijah's hand and Rob took a photo.  I didn't tear, with such a quick labor, I was afraid I might.  Elijah was 2 weeks early, weighed 8 lbs 2 oz and if babies gain half a pound weekly until 40 weeks, he would have been 9 lbs, like George.  At 6am, Paul woke up and met Elijah.

I had more after birth pains than I remember having before, but kept a heat pad on my abdomen for about 2 days, during the night, too. I did take Tylenol 200 those first 2 nights. I'm sure it was my uterus contracting, trying to go back to its normal size.  It was all worth it.  I'd rather have pain and know what my body is doing, overall, and have a natural birth.