A Birth Story...

~...the fruit of the womb is his reward. Psalms 127:3b~ 

Jack Isaac Joseph

May 2, 2009

9:23 pm

8lbs 14oz

21 1/4 in

My labor began Thursday morning at 7am.  I woke up to uncomfortable cramps (felt like menstrual cramps).  I was heading to an appointment with my midwife at 10:30 that morning so I decided to wait and see what she said.  At this point I didn't think I was in labor--for some reason I thought I'd be a week or more late.  I read an e-mail from a friend describing her birth and she said she didn't know she was in labor but was having similar symptoms I was having.  I started to get a little excited thinking that this was it!  When I went to my midwife, she said I was definitely in early labor and also 3-4 cm dilated! I couldn't believe it!  I called my mom and she changed her flight from the next morning to Thursday night.  Little did I know this would be a few day process...Thursday I had contractions every 10-15 minutes and they were very manageable.  I even slept through the night and any discomfort I had.  The next morning I woke up a little perturbed that nothing was really happening.  I started alternating between walking and resting.  Towards the end of the day the contractions were 5-7 minutes apart and happening very much in my lower back.  I tried different positions to get the pressure off my back but nothing was working.  At 11 pm I lost some of my mucus plug which was encouraging because it meant my cervix was changing.  I went to sleep at 11 and woke up at 2:30am.  My contractions were getting pretty painful but they went back to being 10-15 minutes apart whichallowed me to rest in between.  For a few hours I was having the worst heart burn I have ever had.  I looked up natural cures online and it said to eat an apple--this was extremely helpful!  I got up Saturday morning at 8 and was back to more intense 5-7 min contractions.  A few hours later I went to The Birth Place to get checked and I was still only 3-4 cm but my cervix was a little more effaced.  We travelled back home (car rides are NO fun during labor).  When we got home the contractions got so much more intense and were very focused in my back.  I called my doula for some support and she said I should go to my chiropractor to get adjusted because the baby was posterior.  She also reminded me that this was still the early stage of labor because I was not yet a full 4 cm.  That kind of put me over the edge.  I was so mentally tired and in so much pain that once I got off the phone with her and could not get in touch with the chiropractor I started crying really hard.  Brent called our midwife a few minutes later and said he didn't know what to do and any help would be ap

preciated.

  She said I shouldn't be in that much pain and she'd meet me at the birth center in an hour.  The car ride was AWFUL but on the way our chiropractor excitedly said she'd be at the birth center once she found a ride.  My chiropractor is so awesome.  She considers it the biggest honor in the world to be invited to someone's birth.  She never even charges for her services!  (I sent her a big bouquet of flowers today)  We got there at 4:30 pm and I was 5 cm.  Cynthia (the chiropractor) got there about 15 min after we did and started going to work.  She adjusted my pelvis and my lower back so that my pelvis could be in the correct position to deliver the baby. 

 She said my hips were in a position that is not allowing the baby to descend or rotate as he needed to (hence the 3 days of labor).  I will continue to be thankful to God everyday for connecting me with Cynthia because I know I would have ended up at the hospital if she was not there to correct the problem.  Once she started working on my back, I could literally feel the baby rotating in between contractions.  That was so encouraging because I was very frustrated at this point. 

Active labor set in and I was doing anything I could to get through the contractions.  BRENT WAS AMAZING throughout the entire labor.  He never left my side and with every contraction he had me mirror his breathing and would physically relax his body to help me do the same.  I don't even know how he knew to do that because it was not taught in the birth class we took.  He kept quoting me scripture and even sang the song "Peace, Peace" to me at one point.  He was so unbelievably helpful.  Then labor got a little too intense.  I was hitting transition after a couple hours of active labor.  I felt like I was not in control of my mind or body and I hated that feeling.  Not only was I in horrible pain but I was so disappointed in myself that I couldn't gain control.  I kept saying, "I suck at this!!!"  With all my studying of childbirth, nothing really prepared me for that intensity.  I also kept saying that I couldn't handle it anymore.  I always hear women say this right before they start pushing.  My transition period was so long that I felt like I was saying it for hours!  That was extremely discouraging for me.  My midwife was awesome at helping me to focus and try to remain calm.  She checked me again when I was in the tub and didn't tell me but I was only 7 cm!!  She did say I was almost there and that all we needed to do was get my water broken to move it along.  She broke my water and for some reason told me, "Kathryn, I just broke your water and because I did that, you will feel the 

most intense pressure you will ever feel in your whole life."  Why she told me that, I still do not know!  Once the contractions happened I felt my body was out of control!  I shot out of the tub and went into the bedroom again.  I started to feel the urge to push-thank God.  I was standing then would immediately squat then lean on Brent then bounce off the wall.  Once I got into bed I was pushing with all my might.  Everyone started saying they could see the head.  I reached down and felt a large part of his head out.  In my mind I was thinking, "Oh my gosh, this is unbelievable.  He really is about to come out."  I was so used to seeing women push for a very long time (especially first time moms) and taking two steps forward and one step back.  With the next push his head was totally out.  He did have the cord loosely wrapped around his neck but that didn't stop him from letting out cries while his body was still inside.  Robyn (midwife) said she hadn't seen that in 2 years.  I got a little break then pushed again to get his body out.  The midwife brought him directly onto my bare chest and he stared right at me without making a noise.  I stared back at him for a couple seconds then said, "There's something wrong! He's too still!!!" They said he was fine and breathing, he was just really peaceful.  We kept staring at each other until I flipped him over to breastfeed for the first time.  He successfully latched on immediately.  It felt really weird but wonderful at the same time!  They flipped him over after a couple of minutes to cut the cord.  Brent cut it, even though the whole pregnancy he was telling people that he wouldn't.  We flipped the baby back over to feed more and I pushed the placenta out.  RELIEF!!  I was done, thank the Lord.  We left the birth center 4 hours later and went home to have champagne to celebrate!   

I now experientially relate to this verse:

John 16:21 "A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world." 

I remember the pain was terrible but I cannot for the life of me remember how it felt.  It is literally not in my mind.  The godly design of natural childbirth continues to blow my mind!

Robyn said the birth was ideal, especially the pushing.  Once she broke my water he was out in 10 minutes...7 min of pushing.  Even though I would have liked have had a better birth (one where I felt more successful mentally), I am so thankful I had him naturally because I know it is the best for his health and transition into the world.  I just love him so much and every time he's close to me I get a huge rush of the love hormone.  He has made life so much greater.