Saturday, March 19, 2011
My Homebirth Story
Background: It was a long but easy decision that I wanted to have my third baby at home. I knew I wanted no medical intervention and I wanted to be in charge of my birth. With my two previous births I felt like I had no say so in what was happening to me in the hospital. So when I found out I was pregnant with my third baby I dreamed of what it would be like to have my baby at home, the place were I felt the safest and most relaxed. When I found out that the midwife that used to live here had moved back I was so excited. I had prayed daily for the Lord to show me if homebirth was the right choice for us or not. When I found out the the midwife Ellie had moved back to Susanville I felt a peace that was unmistakeable and I knew that homebirth was for us.
Hypnobabies: At first the thought that there was not going to be any option for pain medication this time was a bit scary. I knew that I was going to have to face the fact that there was going to be pain. But after some research on natural pain management during labor I came across a program called Hypnobabies, and after reading all of the reviews of real women proclaiming a pain free childbirth I thought I would give it a try, after all I had nothing to loose! I received my homestudy kit at about 25 weeks pregnant, the kit contained cd's with tracks to listen to which taught me how to put myself into a deep relaxation. It was not the hypnosis that you might see on tv were the people are barking like a dog and have no control over what they are doing, it was a way to teach you how to relax and that if you think positivly that the outcome would be positive. There is also a handbook that goes over all things childbirth and a birth coach guide so your birth coach could help you threw your labor.
December 16, 2010
11:00 am
We were on our way to Chester because Shaun had to make a delivery with his food distribution business. I started to have a few contractions on the way there, they seemed to be very consistanly ten minutes apart. I had not thought much about it because I had been having regular contractions for the last two month of my pregnancy and was even admitted to the hospital once for preterm labor. The contractions were not very painful so while waiting for Shaun in the store I pushed Dalila around the store with wishful thinking that it was true labor. We had lunch there and then headed home. My midwife called around 1:00 and I informed her of the contrations but told her they definatly were not anything to get excited over, so she said to call her if they got more regular. Contractions continued and we talked about how today could be the day. Just as we talked everyother day I had contractions.
When we got home I relaxed on the couch and the contractions seemed to space out a bit more, so I thought that maybe it was not yet time. I went to walmart around 3:00pm and finished up the last of my Christmas shopping, while shopping I got a few more contractions just a bit more uncomfortable. I remember texting Shaun that I needed to get home becouse my contraction were getting more uncomfortable. So I went home, and made a quick dinner because we had to get ready for Rebeka's Christmas program. We went to her program and the contractions continued, a few times I had to realy focus and relax. When we got home it was around 7:30. I called my midwife at this time to tell her things seemed a bit more regulat and she told me she would go to bed early and get her stuff ready just in case and call if they got closer and more intense. We then got the kids ready for bed. My sister Dacie had come over and her and I got in the hot tub while Shaun read books to the girls. At this point I still did not believe I was in true labor. We stayed in the hot tub for about 40 minutes laughing and joking, and trying to time the contracions. Dacie kept asking if we should go inside and set up the birthing tub, and I told her it was not time and these contractions were probably going to stop once I went to bed. Dacie insisted that she thought it WAS time and I continuly disagreed, (silly me!). We got out and Dacie went home but told Shaun we should set up the tub before she left, and I of course told him no it would not be tonight. We got the kids to bed and at 9:30pm the contractions started to come on strong. At this point I knew it would be tonight. I had Shaun make me a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, we had an early dinner and I knew I was going to need the energy. I labored on the floor kneeling over by birth ball on my hands and knees. I was listening to my hypnobabies on the ipod, I had longed for the day when I would be able to listen the tracks dedicated for labor. It was so nice to be so relaxed and able to move and eat as I felt suited! Shaun grabed his birth coach hand book and jumped right in and helped me with my hypnobabies and birthday affirmations. He was the most AMAZING birth coach ever! It was realy a very intimate time for us, just the two of us all the light turned off, the glow of the Christmas tree lights, the calmness of the night. Exactly how I had invisioned and prayed for it to be.
We decided to call my the midwife and my mom at 10:40 as we knew there was defenitly going to be a baby born that night, they were both on there way. I was still handling labor very well and felt very little pain. Both Ellie the midwife, my mom and sister dacie showed up about 20 minutes later. Upon there arival I was very deeply relaxed lounging in the recliner, I remember a feeling of complete contentment knowing everything was perfect, and the baby could be born now. I always remember a verse someone shared with me while pregnant with my first child it was Jonh 16:21, A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. With this in mind I remember thinking hmmmm, im not in a lot of pain and surely not anguish.
We went into the bedroom so Ellie could check to see how fare dialated I was, I was 5 cenimeters at around 11:15 pm. Ellie came back into the living room to help my mom and Dacie finish setting up the birthing tub, she said to hurry. I went to the bathroom. Contracions were coming closer and stronger and I soon found myself throwing up, which for me meant transiotion. I remember thinking to myself, there is no way im in transiotion yet, im not in enough pain. I for some strange reason spent 10 or so minutes sitting on the toilet backward, at this point the contractions were almost continous. Ellie came into the bathroom and told us that there was enough water in the tub for me to get in. We started watking to the living room, I stoped in the hallway right out side Dalila's bedroom door to breath threw a contration. Once I got to the living room i felt the urge to push. As I stood next to the tub trying to figure out how to get in my water broke. Thankfuly it broke on the tarp that was under the tub! I stood there telling Ellie that I could not get in, for some reason it was like my body was frozen and I could not move. My mom and Ellie each took my arms and helped me climb in, but then I could not sit down. I told them the baby was coming, Ellie then firmly said Mandy sit down so you can have the baby in the water. I finaly sat down and started pushing, with only a few pushed Alyssa was born at 12:10am. She started breathing right away all on her own, no suction needed, she was bright and alert. She did not cry but that did not alarm me because she was odviously breathing. My mom then went and got a warm towel from the dryer to put over her, I poured the warm water over her body to keep her warm. She was calm and just took at me, I said out loud I did it! What an empowering moment for me, knowing that my body was capable of birthing a baby without medical intervention.
We let the cord continue to pulsate and once it stoped Shaun cut it with the guidance of Ellie. Shaun then took off his shirt for skin to skin contact to keep the baby warm, while I delivered the placenta. After that I went to the bedroom and climbed into bed for my first nursing session with my new baby. It was so nice to be able to snuggle up in my own bed. Everyone pitched in and get everything all cleaned up and put away. Ellie weighed and checked Alyssa head to toe, she was perfect. Once everone left we settled down amd slept a bit. In the morning it was so sweet too see Rebeka and Dalila meet there new sister. Dalila kept saying how cute she was and could not believe she had slept threw the whole thing.
I will never have another baby in a hospital again, womens bodies were made to birth babies and much of the time medical intervention only interfears with the process. I am still in shock of how fast my labor was. From the start of active labor to delivery was 2 hour and 40 minutes. I had more pain with my two medicated births then I did with my homebirth. It was truly a wonderful experience and I can not wait to do it again.
Hypnobabies: At first the thought that there was not going to be any option for pain medication this time was a bit scary. I knew that I was going to have to face the fact that there was going to be pain. But after some research on natural pain management during labor I came across a program called Hypnobabies, and after reading all of the reviews of real women proclaiming a pain free childbirth I thought I would give it a try, after all I had nothing to loose! I received my homestudy kit at about 25 weeks pregnant, the kit contained cd's with tracks to listen to which taught me how to put myself into a deep relaxation. It was not the hypnosis that you might see on tv were the people are barking like a dog and have no control over what they are doing, it was a way to teach you how to relax and that if you think positivly that the outcome would be positive. There is also a handbook that goes over all things childbirth and a birth coach guide so your birth coach could help you threw your labor.
December 16, 2010
11:00 am
We were on our way to Chester because Shaun had to make a delivery with his food distribution business. I started to have a few contractions on the way there, they seemed to be very consistanly ten minutes apart. I had not thought much about it because I had been having regular contractions for the last two month of my pregnancy and was even admitted to the hospital once for preterm labor. The contractions were not very painful so while waiting for Shaun in the store I pushed Dalila around the store with wishful thinking that it was true labor. We had lunch there and then headed home. My midwife called around 1:00 and I informed her of the contrations but told her they definatly were not anything to get excited over, so she said to call her if they got more regular. Contractions continued and we talked about how today could be the day. Just as we talked everyother day I had contractions.
When we got home I relaxed on the couch and the contractions seemed to space out a bit more, so I thought that maybe it was not yet time. I went to walmart around 3:00pm and finished up the last of my Christmas shopping, while shopping I got a few more contractions just a bit more uncomfortable. I remember texting Shaun that I needed to get home becouse my contraction were getting more uncomfortable. So I went home, and made a quick dinner because we had to get ready for Rebeka's Christmas program. We went to her program and the contractions continued, a few times I had to realy focus and relax. When we got home it was around 7:30. I called my midwife at this time to tell her things seemed a bit more regulat and she told me she would go to bed early and get her stuff ready just in case and call if they got closer and more intense. We then got the kids ready for bed. My sister Dacie had come over and her and I got in the hot tub while Shaun read books to the girls. At this point I still did not believe I was in true labor. We stayed in the hot tub for about 40 minutes laughing and joking, and trying to time the contracions. Dacie kept asking if we should go inside and set up the birthing tub, and I told her it was not time and these contractions were probably going to stop once I went to bed. Dacie insisted that she thought it WAS time and I continuly disagreed, (silly me!). We got out and Dacie went home but told Shaun we should set up the tub before she left, and I of course told him no it would not be tonight. We got the kids to bed and at 9:30pm the contractions started to come on strong. At this point I knew it would be tonight. I had Shaun make me a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, we had an early dinner and I knew I was going to need the energy. I labored on the floor kneeling over by birth ball on my hands and knees. I was listening to my hypnobabies on the ipod, I had longed for the day when I would be able to listen the tracks dedicated for labor. It was so nice to be so relaxed and able to move and eat as I felt suited! Shaun grabed his birth coach hand book and jumped right in and helped me with my hypnobabies and birthday affirmations. He was the most AMAZING birth coach ever! It was realy a very intimate time for us, just the two of us all the light turned off, the glow of the Christmas tree lights, the calmness of the night. Exactly how I had invisioned and prayed for it to be.
We decided to call my the midwife and my mom at 10:40 as we knew there was defenitly going to be a baby born that night, they were both on there way. I was still handling labor very well and felt very little pain. Both Ellie the midwife, my mom and sister dacie showed up about 20 minutes later. Upon there arival I was very deeply relaxed lounging in the recliner, I remember a feeling of complete contentment knowing everything was perfect, and the baby could be born now. I always remember a verse someone shared with me while pregnant with my first child it was Jonh 16:21, A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. With this in mind I remember thinking hmmmm, im not in a lot of pain and surely not anguish.
We went into the bedroom so Ellie could check to see how fare dialated I was, I was 5 cenimeters at around 11:15 pm. Ellie came back into the living room to help my mom and Dacie finish setting up the birthing tub, she said to hurry. I went to the bathroom. Contracions were coming closer and stronger and I soon found myself throwing up, which for me meant transiotion. I remember thinking to myself, there is no way im in transiotion yet, im not in enough pain. I for some strange reason spent 10 or so minutes sitting on the toilet backward, at this point the contractions were almost continous. Ellie came into the bathroom and told us that there was enough water in the tub for me to get in. We started watking to the living room, I stoped in the hallway right out side Dalila's bedroom door to breath threw a contration. Once I got to the living room i felt the urge to push. As I stood next to the tub trying to figure out how to get in my water broke. Thankfuly it broke on the tarp that was under the tub! I stood there telling Ellie that I could not get in, for some reason it was like my body was frozen and I could not move. My mom and Ellie each took my arms and helped me climb in, but then I could not sit down. I told them the baby was coming, Ellie then firmly said Mandy sit down so you can have the baby in the water. I finaly sat down and started pushing, with only a few pushed Alyssa was born at 12:10am. She started breathing right away all on her own, no suction needed, she was bright and alert. She did not cry but that did not alarm me because she was odviously breathing. My mom then went and got a warm towel from the dryer to put over her, I poured the warm water over her body to keep her warm. She was calm and just took at me, I said out loud I did it! What an empowering moment for me, knowing that my body was capable of birthing a baby without medical intervention.
We let the cord continue to pulsate and once it stoped Shaun cut it with the guidance of Ellie. Shaun then took off his shirt for skin to skin contact to keep the baby warm, while I delivered the placenta. After that I went to the bedroom and climbed into bed for my first nursing session with my new baby. It was so nice to be able to snuggle up in my own bed. Everyone pitched in and get everything all cleaned up and put away. Ellie weighed and checked Alyssa head to toe, she was perfect. Once everone left we settled down amd slept a bit. In the morning it was so sweet too see Rebeka and Dalila meet there new sister. Dalila kept saying how cute she was and could not believe she had slept threw the whole thing.
I will never have another baby in a hospital again, womens bodies were made to birth babies and much of the time medical intervention only interfears with the process. I am still in shock of how fast my labor was. From the start of active labor to delivery was 2 hour and 40 minutes. I had more pain with my two medicated births then I did with my homebirth. It was truly a wonderful experience and I can not wait to do it again.
Alyssa Taylor 8lbs 20in long
December 17, 2010
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