On February 20th Derek had plans for the day (helping the neighbor & then meeting with our pastor) so, I spent the morning with friends at Busch Wildlife Sanctuary. After that I came home and Mammy and Bapa came to play with the girls. We decided to go get dessert and went to Chili’s. While there I texted Derek and said “I really would like to have a baby tonight.” while he was at church. We came home and our friend dropped off dinner (stuffed peppers and noodle pudding!) and then right after everyone left I started having cramping and heavy back pain. I texted Derek that, even though it was probably nothing, I really wanted him home and was on my way to get him from church. When I got there he told me that no more than 5 minutes before I had texted him the whole church had prayed for our baby to come that night. I was overwhelmed with love and faith that this could be ‘it’!
As we drove home I started having light contractions. I wasn’t sure it was anything still, as I had been having contractions off and on for a week. But, when we got home they started to get more intense. I texted my midwife to let her know this at 8:17 pm.
The girls were pretty fussy, so I asked Shiloh if she was sleepy and if she wanted me to lay down with her in bed. She agreed, and we laid together until she fell asleep while Derek and Ellyanna watched a movie. Then, I got up and joined them to watch the movie. I alternated between sitting on my birth ball and laying on the couch.
We decided to blow up the birth pool and get my supplies out and ready. Ellyanna loved helping get the pool blown up and was SO excited to meet her baby brother.
Around 9:40 the contractions started hurting more and I texted my midwife again. She asked how long they lasted, so I timed a few. 45 seconds long, and about 7 minutes apart. She told me her car was packed and she was ready when I needed her. She suggested trying to get some rest. I texted my doula and let her know what was going on but said I was coping fine at that point and didn’t need her to come yet.
I laid on the couch for about another hour and then decided to try to get some sleep. I texted my doula and let her know that my plan was to go to bed and try to rest. Lying in bed led to even more intense contractions and by 11:20 Derek and I decided to get back up. We got up and went to the couch, turned on Pandora Radio Casting Crowns Radio. I lay down on my side with pillows between my legs and breathed through contractions. I texted Mary (midwife) and Jen (doula) that I was ready for them to come.
Mary arrived at 12:15 am followed shortly by Hailey and then Jen. Derek and Hailey were trying to get hot water into the birth pool (there was an issue with the hot water heater) and Jen helped with that when she first got there. Mary checked me then and I was 5 cm dilated. I texted our parents and Lynnea that I was in labor and posted a pic on Facebook that I had made it to 40 weeks! My due date!
I labored on my side for a while and then tried to get into other positons for comfort. Hands and knees helped a bit, but I didn’t like staying like that after the contraction ended and often ended up being in an uncomfortable position when the next contraction came.
I wanted to get into the birth pool and Hailey helped me get from the couch into the pool. Derek changed and got in with me. I leaned over the side of the birth pool and Jen held my hands while Derek rubbed my back. Jen would remind me to breathe and say my Birth Affirmations to me during contractions. We were singing praise songs in between contractions and Derek and Jen both reminded me that His power is made perfect in weakness. I would pray that God would be my strength during the contractions and squeeze Jen’s hands. Derek was pushing my hips in during contractions and that helped a lot with the pain.
I began to feel the need to moan during contractions and I remember asking for help at some point. Mary came and was rubbing my back with oil as Derek held my hips and I yelled at him “push damn it” during a particularly strong one. I started to feel the urge to push, but I did not think I had progressed enough. I kept thinking back to Shiloh’s birth and how intense the contractions were during ‘transition’ and I didn’t think I had made it through that yet. Mary suggested I check myself to see if I could feel the baby’s head and I could. She told me that was a good indicator that pushing would be fine. I asked Hailey to check me and she did.
Jen went to wake up Ellyanna and Mary came to hold my hands and put oxygen on me. I heard her tell Hailey to get the resuscitation kit. I felt like I was going to pass out when pushing and told Mary that. She assured me that I was ok and told Derek to pray his baby out! We prayed together and I pushed again.
I felt him move down and then back up and felt SO discouraged! Hailey was behind me with Derek feeling for the baby and I asked her why the baby did that! She told me he was getting past my pelvis and that was what was supposed to happen. I pushed again at the next contraction and felt his head crowning. There was sooo much pressure! His head was born and then his body at the next contraction. I remember thinking he felt really long. His cord was wrapped tightly around his neck and around his shoulder and Hailey unwrapped him before Derek lifted him out of the water. (I found out later that his heart rate had dropped for a short time during pushing which was why Mary & Hailey were preparing for a resuscitation).
I lay back against Derek then and Zane was put on my chest. Ellyanna stripped out of her pajamas and climbed into the birth pool (with Jen’s help) and we bonded with our precious baby together. After a while I birthed the placenta and then we got out of the tub. Hailey held the baby as I dried off and put on my robe, then she lay him on my chest and he latched for the first time 23 minutes after he was born. As he was nursing, Derek and Ellyanna cut the umbilical cord.
After that was done Derek held Zane skin to skin while Mary checked me. I needed a few stitches and tried to go to the bathroom before she sutured me, but was unable to. I lay on the couch and Mary and Hailey sutured me, then I went to bed where we measured and weighed Zane. He was 7lb 4 oz and 20.25 inches long, one ounce smaller than his sister Shiloh but ½ inch longer! After that Shiloh woke up and met him and then Mammy came to get Shiloh (who had slept all night) and we went to sleep.