July 1, 2004 This is the story of my 6th child's birth with midwife, Laurice Dunning, attending.
***NOTE: I was 37 weeks and 6 days pregnant on this day~my grandmother's 96th birthday. The previous day I had been to the midwife and we decided to get things going since I had been in Labor and Delivery about 2 weeks before with premature labor going on and I also had polyhydramnios (excess amniotic fluid) and a "very stretchy" cervix. ~Anne~ 5/06***
6 am-- I wake and start taking red raspberry leaf capsules every hour.
11 am-- We head off to see Laurice as scheduled. She hooks me up to the monitor and I tell her beforehand that nothing is going on.
Morning appt. at m/w
12 pm-- Laurice notes that I am having contractions and wonders why I'm not feeling them--me too! She checks my cervix and I am 3 cm and softer than the day before. She has me start on a homeopathic treatment called caulophyllum and we head home with instructions to return at 4pm or to call if things get going stronger.
1pm--We grab lunch at McD's nearby (I did penance for that later) and head home. By this time I am already having contractions about every 5 minutes. I lay down at home and try to sleep but can't. I sit with Marty and try to watch a movie (Grateful Dawg) but can't get comfortable and contractions are 3-5 minutes apart but vary in intensity.
2:30 pm--Marty calls Laurice to tell her what is going on and she has us come in to the office.
Ready to head back to the m/w--Katie, Meg and Declan saying good-bye
3:05 pm--We arrive at the office and head back to the bed again. Laurice checks and I am almost 4 cm with a lot of show. She tells me my water bag is bulging and isn't as efficient at opening up my cervix because it's softer than the baby's head would be. I continue the caulophyllum and labor on the bed with Marty rubbing my lower back. Once I am at 5 cm Laurice says we can head to the hospital. Next time she checks I am 6 cm.
Laboring on the big bed at the m/w office.
5:30 pm--We all 3 head to the hospital. Laurice rides along with us and tells me the story of how she became a midwife--partly due to a twin pregnancy that she birthed at 24 weeks, losing one of the babies and feeling like her Drs didn't listen to her own feelings about what was going on.
Laurice rubbing my belly as we leave the m/w office
5:45 pm--We arrive at the hospital about and Laurice monitors baby through a few contractions before she breaks my water. There is about a gallon of water and we all laugh about my belly looking smaller. After breaking my water I slip back to 5 cm somehow. I feel a tad disappointed but 5 cm is still halfway there.
6:15 pm--I get into the birthing tub, the lights are dimmed, and I try to relax. Laurice sits on the floor next to the tub and does my paperwork. It's comforting to have her there next to me and not out wandering the halls like the OBs I've had always did.
7 pm--Contractions are suddenly having 3 and 4 peaks with a minute between. I feel like I've never hurt so bad during a labor but try to remember, if it's that bad, baby must be close.
7:35 pm--I get onto my knees with my head on a bath pillow and arms hanging over the side of the tub. Marty scoops water over my lower back steadily and rhytmically. This position hurts worse than before and after several four peak contractions I tell Laurice it hurts too much and I need to move. Another contraction hits and Laurice says she wants me to get up and empty my bladder and she will check me again after that contraction is over. During the last peak I realize I need to push and say to Laurice, "I hate to say this but, I can't get up, I think I need to push." I can't turn over so she checks me as I am and laughs, "You have an anterior lip!" She pushes it aside just in time. I can feel the baby's head crowning and she starts telling me "Slow, slow", but says it so many times I can't figure out what's going on. Then she tells me, "One last big push" ,but here is a lull in contractions and I have no urge to push. I hurt too much to say so and all that comes out is, "I can't!" I push anyway and feel the baby slide out fully.
7:49 pm--Ian Oliver Coleman is here! Laurice has me move back slightly to clamp the cord and she covers Ian with a surgical gown (she says later that the birth was more sudden than she thought it would be) and daddy cuts his cord. I sit on the side of the tub and birth the placenta and then head off for bed and warmed covers. Ian nurses in just a hat and blanket, looking around constantly to see his daddy cooing at him and talking. He doesn't seem as interested in my voice as he is in Marty's and he's just so cute looking around at things and trying to get used to it all. About an hour later they take him to be cleaned up and have all his particulars done besides weight and length, which were already done at birth. Laurice tells me that the "Slow-slow" was because Ian had wrapped an arm up under his neck with his hand resting on the opposite cheek and his cord was around his neck. Lil stinker :)
Laurice and I-- and Ian nursing away
Fascinated by daddy
About 1 hr after birth. Mom, Dad and Ian Oliver
Home with everyone--they just adore Ian!
