Just Our Thoughts

EDD: November 1, 2008
DOB: October 27, 2008

For about a week prior to her birth I had been having crampy, practice labor – an hour here and there, so when I woke Sunday, October 26th with contractions about 20 minutes apart I was not concerned. I got everyone dressed and we went to church. Through the service and visiting afterward, my contractions spread out to 40 minutes and petered out to nothing through the afternoon. Around 4:30 PM the contractions started again – about 40 minutes apart. I went shopping for a few grocery items that we needed; Jason kept the kids. When I got back I got stuff put away and made mac and cheese for supper.

While doing baths and bed routine I had the girls help get their overnight bags ready and Jason and I started timing contractions. They were odd. I never quite knew when one started or stopped or when they peaked. They varied in length and intensity and frequency – anywhere from 1.5 minutes to 2.5 minutes and 3.5 and 6 minutes apart. Between 9 and 10 PM, I called our midwife to get her input and to give her an update. She agreed that the contractions seemed more like practice than the real thing. She advised that we get some rest as best as possible and to keep in touch.

So I went and took a shower and got ready for bed. I slept fitfully on the couch while Jason watched TV. On one of my many trips downstairs to the bathroom we got the bed prepared for me to sleep there and then he did his evening routine. It was around 1AM. At about 20 after 1 I had a tough contraction that gave a kick or a pop. During this contraction Jason suggested that we do something more to cover the bedding in case my water broke. Well, when I stood to allow him to do so, I found myself standing in a puddle. I guess that pop had a purpose – to kick this lagging labor in the butt!

I called our midwife but got her voice mail 2 or 3 times and I got a little concerned that maybe she’d been called out to another birth or something. But I called her pager and she called back around 1:45AM. I told her that my water had broke and that she should come this way. She had a two hour drive ahead of her. The contractions were more intense, more regular and longer. Because she missed our last birth due to inclement weather and the speed of which he came into this world, she asked if I figured she’d make it. I thought she’d have lots of time; the contractions weren’t “that strong”. (I remember her telling me with my very first pregnancy, to call her when “it wasn’t fun anymore”. I wasn’t to that point yet!)

Well, Jason moved me back to the couch. Our little guy (22 months) wouldn’t stay asleep and wanted nothing to do with Daddy. So we decided we had better call the sitter to come and get all the kids. (Earlier we had discussed just letting them sleep and having the sitter run interference in the morning.) When she arrived the little man was sleeping on my tummy and I was well focused on each contraction. So while Jason and our friend did well collecting kids and paraphernalia I did have to direct traffic a little (well, I probably didn’t have to, but I did). They were gone by 2:30AM and it was just Jason and I again.

He positioned himself to help me and I remember saying to him, “I think I’ve stalled.” I had no contractions, no urges to push, nothing. I was just resting, and relaxed. And then all of a sudden a switch seemed to flip and I went full force into push mode. I continued to sit on the couch and got frustrated as it felt like I was preventing the baby from coming out – pushing baby into the couch cushion. I moved to the floor, kneeling on a blanket for warmth. Jason applied counter pressure with each push. I loved how we communicated. No anger or frustration. Just direction here and there. And questions like “Is that good?’ “Need more?” I was amazed at how quickly this seemed to go.

I was worried about tearing. I didn’t seem to be stretching fast or far enough to accommodate baby’s size or speed of delivery. Jason got hot ginger cloths to help soften and soothe, and we gently stretched the skin around her large noggin! I even asked Jason to check that it really was a head and not a butt coming first, but now we see that her butt is smaller than her head. I remember a couple of times changing position to slow her descent. Not that I tried to push her back in, but I just needed some relief and time to stretch a little more.

Finally baby’s head was completely born but the shoulders and body did not follow with the next couple of pushes. Baby was going a little blue. I changed positions a couple of times and still no change. I wasn’t worried but knew that we had to do something soon. Jason got active and right up in there to give a gentle tug. He must have missed the catch because there she was beside me. (We were expecting a boy; just a gut feeling and the way I was carrying her in pregnancy.) I scooped her up and started rubbing and patting to get her crying and breathing. It was 3:30AM.

She was beautiful pink all over in just a few seconds. Clear soft skin. And lungs! The girl has lungs!

Jason moved the two of us to the couch and started covering us with blankets. He had the temperature so high in the house that he was sweating like crazy but baby and I were so cold. Then the contractions for the placenta hit. OUCH! But no sight of it. Normal for me is within the first half hour, but being that this whole delivery was abnormal, I shouldn’t have been surprised.

Our midwife called from the road about 20 minutes after baby was born. She asked if I was going to wait for her and I had to apologize saying, “I just couldn’t. She wanted to come out so badly!” She was another 20 minutes away yet. I still hadn’t delivered the placenta when they (she’d stopped to pick up a support /backup midwife) arrived. Our midwife had time to deal with the cord before the next contraction came. (Jason had gone outside and really had no interest in cutting the cord; he considered himself “off duty” once they arrived.) With that contraction the placenta arrived all in one piece; it was very large, almost like another baby! In fact, earlier while we were waiting and the contractions were so “brutal” I questioned whether there was another baby in there but after some poking Jason and I decided that we were parents again to only one more baby, not two.

I am so pleased to say that that I did not pass out this time. Not when they moved me to a more comfortable position, nor when I got up (was helped up) to pee in a bucket. And I haven’t since! My body “got it right” this time. Oh, I’m feeling the pain of sore muscles and such of the pregnancy and delivery, but nothing like after the last speedy entry.

I did not know the baby’s name. When the midwife was doing her paperwork and asked, I just looked at Jason. He named her and I am so pleased with what he chose. I got to choose the spelling though and I love the letter Y so of course that went in!

Rayna, Jason and I spent the day on the couch – in and out of sleep, watching TV, phoning family and friends. The other children came home late in the afternoon. Another friend brought supper and bathed all the kids. Then at bedtime a third woman and our sitter came by with gifts and to put the older ones to bed. We have been so blessed.

Baby Rayna is well looked after and loved. A new baby always shows me the older children’s personalities. K(7) is a little momma – holding and changing diapers, bossing the other children. CJ(6) thinks baby is just a live doll whose clothes need changing regularly. M(3.5) just loves to talk about her baby sister but can never remember her name. W(22mon and only boy) pokes and pats and hugs; he’s feeling the pinch of not being the baby anymore; this “baby sissa” is always in the way, in his spot beside or on mommy.

I’ve never gone into labor early, so that was a pleasant surprise. I was very glad I had done as much prep work as I had – packing bags, collecting supplies and buying things for the newborn. I had activities planned for the next couple of weeks to keep us occupied and have had to change those plans, but that’s okay. We are loving on this baby and taking the time needed to recover and adjust to her being with us now. And we are welcoming guests; we are far from bored!