- Pregnancy
- Baby & Toddler
- Parents
- Getting Pregnant
- Baby Names
- Product Reviews
-
Registry
- Community
-
More
Want a personalized experience?
Download the free app
Natural Birth
ateal2490
member
XP: Eden's Water Birth
ateal2490
member
c/p from April 2012 
DH and I welcomed Eden Elizabeth into the world on 04-04-2012 at 11:05 pm after 15 hours of labor and 30 minutes of pushing. She is 6 lbs, 11 oz, and 18.75 inches long with her daddy's green eyes, her mom's chubby cheeks, and a head full of black and light brown highlighted (??) hair (which finally explains all that heartburn!)
I hear some wimpers, so I'm going to try to write this pretty fast.
The Beginning:
8 a.m- I feel a teeny pop while lying in bed....upon standing up, I realize my water has actually broken. After spending a few seconds staring at the floor, I run to the bathroom door and tell DH he won't be going to work today. I have never seen a man hop out of a shower so fast.
For some reason, H automatically thinks we're going to the hospital (did he read the birth plan?!) but I assure him that we're staying home for a bit and he calms down for a moment. We start to pack a bit and clean up and my contractions still aren't bad enough to really slow me down, so I'm optimistic.
I call my midwives who give me the a-ok to labor at home as long as my water was clear, I didn't want the epi, and I felt comfortable doing so...which I do. For some reason, one of my friends shows up thinking its time to go, which sort of slows my labor (she brought her husband, and suddenly I felt like a zoo animal). I started to get frustrated because everyone was pointing toward the hospital and not really understanding why I wasn't rushing to the car. After a few hours, my contractions are about 3 minutes apart, so I call the MW's back and they tell me to start thinking about heading over to the hospital. My friends leave (thank god) and I hang out in the tub for about 2 hours before getting out and getting ready to leave. It takes me about an hour to leave, because at this point, the contractions are starting to get to me.
3:00 p.m-DH and I head to the hospital. Since we are so incredibly good at planning ahead, we think we know the way. It takes an hour to get to the hospital, although its only 20 minutes away. I felt terrible for DH who looked completely panicked but I was still in "happy" labor so I wasn't angry....just ready to go. Apparently I looked ready to go, because I got to skip triage and headed almost directly up to L&D.
The Start of Something....big:
4:30 p.m.-Once I hit L&D, I started to get really uncomfortable. I was no longer able to talk through my contractions but I ok'd an internal check....bad idea. I was only at a 4 and 50% effaced (according to the midwifery student....but she could doubt herself and I could tell).
7:00 p.m-I finally got to move over to the water birthing suite and the Jacuzzi tub was absolute heaven...I had a few friends and DH in the suite so I was distracted from my contractions and it was great.....but I could tell it was stalling labor so I finally got out for a bit and labored between the medicine ball and the bed. DH was wonderful...he was everywhere I needed him to be and he said anything and everything I'd ever want to hear. Don't tell him, but I think I fell in love all over again 
9:00 p.m- I tried returning to the tub only to realize it was no longer working. I booted my friends and tried to get down to business....oh, how unprepared I was for transition.
Transition...and "the wall":
9:20 p.m: I was sure I was dying. I was no longer able to breathe properly and I had started to panic. I probably scared the entire 14th floor because I was literally screaming at the top of my lungs. I was able to look up for 2 seconds to see H's face....broke my heart entirely. He looked so concerned...but I don't blame him. I'm sure I sounded like I was having an unmedicated amputation or something.
I started to break. I asked for an epi twice and recanted. I knew I had gone this far and I couldn't turn back but I was so scared. I was checked and found to be at a 9. Again, I panicked (no idea why) and my MW offered me "something to take the edge off" and I accepted.....turns out she just wanted to help me get past my "psychological block" because she gave me the tiniest dose of fast acting fentanyl in my thigh which lasted for....drumroll please.....6 minutes....I later heard the MW tell H that the dose she gave me was usually not enough to provide any pain relief at all but was sometimes enough to help break through the mental blockage right before it was time to push...which apparently was the case for me.
Pushing:
10:40 p.m- After my 6 minutes of psychological rest (psh) I wanted to go over the the actual birthing tub so H walked me over after it was partially filled. My MW told me I had to pull it together because I was wasting energy with my banchee screams (she was totally right) and I actually got pretty pissed at her and started yelling...which actually got me in the mindset to push. After begging them to just "pull her out" DH helped me out of the blockage and reminded me how close I was to meeting our daughter..
And she's arrived:
Eden Elizabeth was born at 11:05 pm after 25 minutes of pushing. Once her head was out the rest was a blur and suddenly...there she was, whimpering but calm and absolutely beautiful. One more push and the placenta was out, DH cut the cord and I got to drift away in "skin-to-skin" bliss for a bit before DH took her over to be weighed and I got my tears assessed (2nd degree-not too shabby). I got about another hour of skin-to-skin and was able to get her to latch a bit during that time before moving to recovery.
We're finally home,I'm healing, and although I've never done it any other way, I feel much more normal than I expected in terms of pain and recovery and am really proud that I was able to make it (99%) without medication or intervention. She was worth every ear-splitting, cringe-worthy moment of labor (most of which I think I've forgotten) and I'd never do it any other way BF has been a challenge, but we're getting there. She's sweet and alert, but so calm (which I know is just her and not the after-effects of the epi-which is a perk)
Oh, and it really helps seal the deal that H keeps calling me "super-woman". I love that man
Oh, and here's a whole bunch of pictures
Warning
No formatter is installed for the format bbhtml
This discussion has been closed.
Re: XP: Eden's Water Birth
yeah! I'm so happy for you. More so that your Dh was all you needed him to be. ((Hugs)) I'm so proud of you, its weird. I never thought I could feel this way about a complete stranger but I do. Congratulations Mommy. Enjoy your beautiful little girl.
This could be weird too, but this meant so much to me, thank you!!
And thank you to everyone else as well! This board helped me so much in this wondrous adventure....thank you all for your encouragement along the way!
Look at all that hair! She's beautiful.
(p.s.- I'm glad I'm not the only banshee screamer during transition!)