Part 2 --- Cole's Birth Story...con't

A few of you have asked about the midwife and why I do natural...

It's from a bad experience the first time at the hospital and drugs....It was horrible...I vowed to NEVER repeat that.   I did my research and I realized it was my body..my baby...and I deserved the best....(to each his own) and so the last 5 babies I have had natural.

I've done 3 hospital births ....2 of those natural....again...vowed I wanted better care....with #3 they wouldn't call the dr....next thing I was a 10 and ready to push and the nurse told me no.  Honestly?  Hello I'm pushing...3 pushes later the nurse caught my daughter.  The nurse had never done that before and I think was more afraid to get in trouble than the fact that a little miracle entered the world.  The dr finally arrived and stitched me up and was gone...I still don't remember what she looked like.  And I can't even remember if she introduced herself....

I researched midwives and realized they were what I needed....

My midwives never left my side during any of my labors (what dr can do that?) and are with me 2 hrs after baby too...(how many dr's can you can too?)  I am truly blessed with the ones I have found....

If you would like more info ....Netflix has a great documentary on instant called the Business of Being Born......

Ok on to Cole...

If you missed Part I here it is..."Cole's Birth Part I"

I left you at 3am and still an 8...

By this point I have been standing at the edge of the bed for 7 hrs refusing to back down....I'm hurting something awful and at the point of exhaustion.  My midwives are terrific....They know as long as the baby and myself aren't in distress then I will do anything to stay there.....Cole's heart rate was perfect the entire time...mine too and blood pressure....

About 45 mins later Jean came to me and said....I know you don't want pain med's, but we need to give you some iv fluids and something to help you sleep for a bit....you need to rest and maybe this is what you will need to finish...

I remember thinking..."heck no...I'm not gonna sleep and be in pain....who's the one delirious now"

But all I can do is hold my arm out .....in goes the med and it hits me quick....They have me lie on my left side....and start the IV fluids.....I'm sooo tired...I just remember moaning...I'm so tired...I just want to sleep...I'm so tired I just want to sleep. 

Hubs comes to my side of the bed and rubs my back and legs up and down....it's sooo soothing. 

I remember shutting my eyes thinking sweet bliss.....my lids would flutter open and I could see Jean sitting on a stool facing me....she was wearing white and I remember thinking she looked like an angel  (grins) 

Just when I was starting to relax a contraction hit.....I remember thinking "OHHH NOOO" and rubbing my legs back and forth on the bed....gripping the headboard of the bed with my hands....moaning.....

The contraction would end...and off I would slip and relax....and just when I thought I was asleep....all over again...

This went on for about 1 hr...and honestly as bad as the contractions felt ...it was nice to rest in between...and lie down....my body was sore from standing...

Not sure of the time....(but close to pushing I assume)  I was hit by a contraction and nausea...I remember looking at hubs begging for something...The pain was unbearable...not like the other ones....I told him I was gonna be sick and he tells Jean...she starts to get something for that...but I'm screaming at this point..

I thought something was wrong....after 5 natural births I had never felt anything like that...

This is when I freaked hubs out.....

I'm screaming at him that I felt like my insides were being ripped from me....(deep sigh)  And I thought I was dying....I kept saying something wasn't right...

Well the midwives KNEW...hubs didn't...

They rolled me over to check me...and sure enough...

I remember Jean looking into my face with the biggest grin saying "Honey he's here...it's time to push"

Problem is when hubs looked he saw blood and me screaming I'm dying and boom.....He assumed I was....He started pacing and I remember seeing this terror on his face....I'd never seen him look like that....

Sadly I was more concentrating on the midwives .....Jean and Betty got up on the bed and the midwife assistant too...

The pain was horrible...I told them I was too tired and couldn't do it....

They said I could and that's what they were there for....to help me do it....all together....

The pain is still ripping through me...I remember thinking I can't do this....Why does it hurt like this...it's never hurt like this before......

With their help I pushed and pushed....

I was so tired...I just didn't want to anymore....

They kept smiling and cheering and telling me how wonderful I was and I was such a warrior...that yes I could do this....

Sweet boy needed a bit of help and Jean and Betty switched spots...Betty helped on my belly and Jean was in there helping turn sweet boy....you see he was Posterior all this time....They knew, but I didn't.....

What does it mean that a baby is in the "posterior position"?

When a baby is head-down but facing your abdomen, she's said to be in the occiput posterior (OP) position – or posterior position, for short. The term refers to the fact that the back of your baby's skull (the occipital bone) is in the back (or posterior) of your pelvis.

You may also hear this position referred to as "face-up" or "sunny-side up."

I have a feeling if I had been in the hospital they wouldn't have tried everything to help my baby come out...my midwives were my heroes!!!

I just kept pushing...(hubs kept pacing)  Next thing I know they are cheering puuuuush here he comes...

I wasn't sure I had it in me....

but Boom..

Out slipped sweet boy!  Time ....4:55 am  on that beautiful Wednesday Morning...

Pure RELIEF hit

I was sooo tired....(I'm laughing at this point...b/c I assume I'm so tired and I can't believe he was actually there)

All I could do was hold my arms on him and close my eyes!  

He came out beautiful!!!!!!!!!!!!  His coloring was probably the best of all my babies so far. 

Here he is just 7 hrs old

If it wasn't for my incredible Midwives I don't know what I would have done.  They are truly incredible and love what they do.  They never gave up on me...and no matter how long it was going on they never once wavered!   Their encouragement and love was what I needed

As for hubs?  He's over it now...and told me THIS WAS MY LAST BABY...he couldn't go through that again.  Ha funny since it was my pain...and secret?  I would do it again.....(grins)

But he's the boss....

Holding Cole I KNEW he was no where near as big as Reid...We all assumed I'd have another 10 lb baby....but nope...sweet cole was just over 8 lbs...even smaller than Lily

I wasn't prepared ....I basically only had size 2 diapers on hand and big outfits...Cole was even tiny with the 0-3...here I was ready for the bigg-un

Each day has been amazing.  Cole is a terrific eater and sleeper....He hasn't gotten to the mixed up days and nights yet...He has really long alert times in the day...and I think that's what helps him sleep so great at night.

As for me?  I feel terrific.  

We left the birth center at around 7am...got home by 7:30am and opened the door to awake kids who had no idea mommy was up all night birthing this sweet bundle...

I really could have fallen asleep for years...but Reid and Lily needed us...

So needless to say I didn't get any sleep that day...and crashed hard at bedtime.  Cole slept on my chest most of the evening...he slept best that way...I was propped up in the corner of the couch by pillows.....

God is good....

I think most women forget our bodies were built for this....this 'birthing' thing and with the right support you can do it....

I'm a ninny when it comes to pain....I stub my toe and I'm dying....but something about birth is incredible....To feel this amazing experience and know you were doing it...and you did do it...

All my experiences were different...and in the end as long as I was holding sweet baby ...it didn't really matter how they got there.  As long as they do