I was under the impression that very few women had dramatic "oh my god my water broke" moments. One evening, the phone rang and just as I reached over to turn off my CD player, my water broke with a gush and the doorbell rang. I went and answered the door, excused myself to the bathroom, and all I could think was "oh my god, my water broke!"
I called my midwife and was told to wait at home for labor to start. About two hours later it began. My friend Anne and my mother came over to support me. I spent a lot of my early labor in the shower, sitting on the birth ball. The water really helped me, but we soon ran out of hot water. Anne and mom wanted me to walk, and I wanted to be in the water. We compromised, they told me to walk a while, and then we could transfer to the birth center, where I knew hot water was waiting!
Anne called the birth center around 7:30 AM, and they encouraged us to stay at home a little longer. Finally around 9 AM, we were given the okay to come in. Once at the birth center, the only thing I wanted was to be in the water. The water actually slowed down my contractions, and they became irregular and spread out. I was advised to get out of the tub and walk. I didn't want to move at all. I knew it was for the best, but I really didn't want to do anything anybody suggested. Walking did indeed help, and my contractions were coming quickly now.
While walking, when I had a contraction, I leaned on my mom, and she talked me through it, using the visualization of a wave, and Anne stood behind me with her hands on my hips. That is a pretty significant time of my labor that I really hang on to, because I am amazed at how everyone kind of fit together and worked with it. Everything about my labor, looking back, flowed together beautifully.
Contractions were really getting intense, and the midwife checked me. I had just a little cervix left in the front, but it was puffy. I got out of the tub and sat on the toilet. I was only on the toilet for about a half hour, but it was so hard because I needed to bear down and and breathe through it without pushing. Honestly, this was the hardest part of the whole labor process! I think I spent this entire time begging for drugs. Everyone did an amazing job stalling me. They acknowledged me, and diverted me away.
Finally it was okay to push. I could feel the baby's head coming down and out, and I could feel the progress I made. It was very empowering. I remember they told me to reach down and feel him, and feeling his head right there was the most amazing thing I have ever felt. Everyone gave me encouragement. There was just positive force in the room, and I really played off of this power. It was as if nothing else existed, like it was just us, everything else faded away. Thirty minutes of pushing, and Tyler Robert was born into this world.
Looking back at pictures of the birth, I am overwhelmed with emotion. It was such a beautiful experience. I can not imagine having a baby in a hospital setting after something so perfect. It was hard work, and painful, but I would do it again in a heartbeat.
Anne called the birth center around 7:30 AM, and they encouraged us to stay at home a little longer. Finally around 9 AM, we were given the okay to come in. Once at the birth center, the only thing I wanted was to be in the water. The water actually slowed down my contractions, and they became irregular and spread out. I was advised to get out of the tub and walk. I didn't want to move at all. I knew it was for the best, but I really didn't want to do anything anybody suggested. Walking did indeed help, and my contractions were coming quickly now.
Finally it was okay to push. I could feel the baby's head coming down and out, and I could feel the progress I made. It was very empowering. I remember they told me to reach down and feel him, and feeling his head right there was the most amazing thing I have ever felt. Everyone gave me encouragement. There was just positive force in the room, and I really played off of this power. It was as if nothing else existed, like it was just us, everything else faded away. Thirty minutes of pushing, and Tyler Robert was born into this world.
