Anna's Birth Story

Born 2/28/04 at 4:40am  9lbs, 7oz, 21 inches, 14.5 inch head,  15 inch chest

Before I begin this, I want to catch up the events of the days which led up to Anna's birth.  On Thursday, the 26th we finished and shipped all orders that I felt were MOST important to go out should I take a few days off.  Mark went to work for the afternoon and the kids and I did their schooling in the afternoon while Samuel slept.  I had the usual amount of contx but nothing major.  I stayed up reading some more birth stories and searching the web for some last minute info since I realized that I had misunderstood Toni regarding what station Anna was in at my last exam.  She told me +1 which for some reason I was thinking was not engaged but in fact was BEYOND engaged and on her way out.  No wonder she was feeling as if she would miss the birth.  So this made me feel even happier and I decided to take the advice of the MW's online whose experiences and advice I had been reading all week and sleep well at night, be active all day and try to nap.  So I went to bed around 11pm rather than 1 or 2am and woke up feeling very rested on Friday. 

On Friday the 27th, we started out the day with sex.  Apparently I was feeling really good, or just ready to get Anna out since I said we weren't dong that anymore, LOL!  It sparked a flood of contx all day that were about 10-15 minutes apart and about a minute long.  These were the type that I could tell were doing something and would do a lot more if they got more close together.  I even brought out some cherry stone pillows that were given to me when I was about 20 weeks along from one of my wonderful customers.  I warmed them and held them to my lower abdomen applying enough heat and pressure to ward off any uncomfortableness.  I told Mark several times that these would do something eventually and he was quite proud of his efforts in the matter.......................LOL!  

The kids were feeling better from their colds that seemed to spring on them from nowhere as well.    I was so sure that something was going to happen that we all madly cleaned up the house, AGAIN, and I even cleaned and disinfected my tub.  I usually save that for the last minute.    After lunch, I went to lay down with Samuel and napped for about three hours.  To my dismay, the contx died off.  I thought then I had my answer about Daniel's birth.  If Toni had not broken my water, the contx would have simply disappeared eventually.  I felt disappointed and told Mark to take us out in the new rig for a drive.  That usually sparked contx at least.  So around dinner time, we headed out and about around the rural countryside.  It was a nice 45 minute drive but I only had 2 contx the entire time.  That night, I put everyone to bed and layed down with Samuel to get him to sleep, the usual way, except I too, fell asleep.  I woke up at 11pm and was annoyed that I missed the one hour of mindless TV I allow myself.  I checked mail and visited a few more birth story sites but after sleeping a little, I felt horrible and decided to cut it short after reading a story about a woman who woke up around 3am in labor after having a similar scenario that happened to me that day happen to her.  I remember thinking that that would be really good, though I really did not want to do it at 3am.  I went down to bed with Mark but Samuel woke up around 1am so I ended up going back to sleep with him.  I am not sure I ever really slept, as it seemed like I was up every five minutes to pee.

THE BIRTH

At 2:30am on the 28th, I woke up to a rather rude contx.  I got up to go pee for what seemed like the 50 thousandth time and felt a significant amount of pressure and thought I needed to have a bowel movement.  I tried, and nothing.  Meanwhile another contx, not quite as rude, but still got my attention.  I wondered if this was it, but decided to go back to bed.  Not a few minutes passed and another contx hit so hard I literally thought I would have a bowel movement in the bed so I jumped out and headed downstairs.  My adrenaline was pumping and suddenly I was cold so I got my robe and again sat on the toilet.  I felt my cervix to see if I could tell anything but all I felt was the cervix and a bulging bag of water that hung out about 3 inches.  I decided that this must be the pressure that was making me run to the toilet.  I could not, however, determine how dilated/effaced I was though.  After Toni left on Wed, I felt my cervix to see what 6 felt like, so in comparison to that, it had definitely changed because then, there was NO bag hanging out like that.  I went out the kitchen and found my cherry stone pillows from the day before and began warming them and watching the time.  The contx were 3 minutes apart and 1 minute long.  I prayed to calm myself down a bit but watched the clock and timed contx until 2:45am.    I decided that this was it for sure.  The contx were powerful and though they did not require me to breathe or concentrate through them yet, I was needing to comfort myself with heat and pressure.  I went upstairs, got my camera and brought it back down.  Checked on all kids to be sure they were in beds.  I took all the laundry out of the dryer and tossed it on the floor in my room and brought clean towels from the bath to put in the dryer for later.  I went back to our front room and pondered calling Toni.  I thought of Mark, still in bed, no clue what was up yet.  I thought of checking myself only to determine that I had no clue how far I was.  I figured that the contx that I was having weren't strong enough yet to be near pushing phase and decided I would call Toni.   I really wanted a UC but figured that if it happened so fast that we could not help it, that was one thing, but if I had to think about it, I should call Toni now.  Beyond that, something from within told me to call her and not hesitate.   I paged her at 3am and went to get Mark up.  He was quite unimpressed to be woke up.  He asked me if we could put this off until 2pm or something, LOL.  Sorry dear, the baby is coming.  So he grunted and groaned as I told him to clean the living room and put new batteries in the camera.  Maybe he should put clothes on too??    Perhaps he should make some coffee.   Perhaps I should brush my teeth.

Toni called me back within 10 minutes.  I did not recognize the name on the caller ID but figured it was her.  She asked me what was up and I told her I was just calling to check on her and chat.  She told me she was always happy to talk to me anytime, LOL.  I told her contx stats and wondered if she would think it was serious since I was walking/talking through them.   She was at the local hospital just finishing up volunteering and was thrilled at the timing and would head straight over.  She later told me that she knew me well enough to know that if I was calling it was serious.

We continued cleaning a bit and all this while I am still having the contx, and warming my pillows which seemed to stay hot for about one or two contx before needing more heat.  Applying the pressure and heat had worked the day before rather well but was starting to not be as good at this point.  I recalled reading all the stories of painless labor and childbirth and though I believed it could be possible for me, especially with water intact, I was starting to feel like it would not happen at that point.  I was having contx where one was okay, not horribly painful and then the next would require a lot more focus and concentration.    I started having them more closely together and when Toni arrived at 3:30am I was in the midst of a very painful one that even required deep breathing.   She and Mark brought her things in and began to set up.  She told me she just got done helping a 19 year old girl deliver a baby at the hospital and had been up all night.  She had come in wanting a natural birth and Toni was glad she was called in because the girl would have never had one if she wasn't there.  She began timing my contx while visiting with Mark who was busily commenting that he was glad he was a man.....  I was busily warming my pillows every few contx and Toni thought they were so neat.    She was going to listen to the baby's heartrate but realized she had no doppler.  I think she may have been phased by the contx not bowling me over because she mentioned going home, a 20 minute one way drive, to get it and come back.  Probably because I was helping myself and not needing either of them as labor support.  It seemed enough that both of them were there, I could handle my own body and knew what I needed.    She did have her stethoscope with her and chose to use that.  Baby's HR was good, 150's and my BP was 110/70, also good.  She had thought she took a HR when my body was resting but when I let her know that it was during a contx, she was amazed and remarked that babies just do better from the stress of birth when water is intact.  By this time, the pillows were not working as well for pain relief and I began experimenting with putting them on my chest, my neck and finally found that they were perfect if I backed myself up to the kitchen counter and applied HOT pressure to my tailbone.  This almost killed the pain period but probably because I was burning myself instead, LOL!    I had one contx that I leaned forward to see if it was still going because this worked so well.    Around 3:45 she told me she wanted to check my cervix.  I had had a few contx by then that I actually had to breathe through and almost broke a sweat.  Some came really close then and I was afraid that I would not be able to lay down on the bed for the time she would need to check without dying from a contx.  I sat in my rocker for a few and decided that this was a BAD place as well, they were unbearable!   But when I went to my room, the contx seemed to die off, or there was just more time in between, like 5-7 minutes rather than 1-3.  She checked me and found the cervix to be completely thinned and at 9cm with the bag bulging.   She had asked me earlier when I wanted to get in the tub and I told her I did not want to get in until I could push since with Samuel's birth I sat in there an hour and just wanted to drown myself and my butt fell asleep so when it came time to push, I could not feel anything.   So when she found me at 9cm, she told me I could get in the tub.  I told her I wanted to ride out some more contx on land before hitting the tub and went back to my place at the counter with my pillows.  She came out and wanted to take our pics really quick before I was not prego anymore.  They are always kind of fun to have after the fact.  Mark made sure and showed off my stomach well.    Toni again listened to Anna's HR and Mark was kind enough to remark that I had somehow lost my undies..........always the comedian.    When that was done, suddenly from nowhere the next contx made me feel like Anna was going to come out the WRONG hole right then AND I was going to puke.  Oh, it was hideous!  I told Toni I thought I might puke and was immediately glad I did not pig out prior to going to bed like I usually did.  I prayed the feeling would pass but it did not.  She found me a bowl to puke in and went off to start the tub.  The next contx hit and not only did I puke but I peed on the floor.  I am ROFL now about this, but I wasn't at the time.  First I thought my water broke, but realized it did not.  Mark was real impressed that I peed on his clean floor, LOL, but cleaned it up remarking that everyone else has done something on it, why not me?  I felt amazingly better after that.  I went to the bath figuring I was 10cm now since a good puke is worth a cm of dilation according to the MW's.  I told Toni I puked now, must be time.  I told her I hoped there would be no more of that.  I also did not want to ride any more contx out that made me feel like Anna was coming out the wrong way.    I got in the water and it seemed hot.  We had two pillows saved out for the occasion, one for me to sit on and one for me to lay on and I put them in.  The water felt heavenly.  I had Mark bring me some water and he also brought a measuring cup in to dump water on the part of my stomach NOT covered by the bath water.    The contx started again but were still about 5-7 minutes apart.  When I noticed this pattern change earlier in labor, I was almost scared that labor would stop or be stalled.  I had no idea that it changed because I was so close to being able to push.  It must have been about 4ish when I got in the tub.   I had no urge to push so rode out the next contx.  They were easy.  Toni and Mark were both sitting at the edge of the tub and we were conversing about how great it was that the kids were all in bed, and I would ask after every easy contx if the next one would be more difficult.  I had two easy ones and thought the next one would fur sure kill me.  But it did not.  I never had the urge to push.  Toni checked me and said I was complete but still had a bit of a cervical lip in the front.  A few pushing contx and the water would probably break and move it.  Or I could push through it.  I felt my cervix again to see if I could tell anything, and it still felt the same to me.  Big bag of protruding water and cervix.  When I felt inside myself at Samuel's birth, all I could feel was his head and hair.  There was no head to be felt.  I thought I was still way off from delivering.  She had me change positions then from laying semi upright to laying on my side.  She felt I might feel the urge to push more from here.  Next few contx, still nothing.   I layed down on the pillow and told them both goodnight at one point.  Then I drank all my water and had Mark get more.  Finally the contx got more urgent and I actually had to breathe through them. Toni mentioned getting a mirror so I could see the birth but I told her not to bother since I could not see well enough to even know what I was looking at. 

Mark would dump the water on my belly during a contx and occasionally I would do the breathing techniques to get through.  I never felt the urge to push but began to try.  I told Toni that pushing hurt and was it because of the lip.  She thought it might be but also reminded me I could push through it if it was comfortable enough to do so.  After the next contx, she again checked my cervix and that was when the water broke.   "Uh, oh"  Toni says.  I say what, and she tells me that there is merconium in the water.  This is something I have not even planned for, thought about or figured would be an issue at all and it momentarily scared me.  I was immediately glad she was there.  If we had been on our own, I would have freaked out for sure and then Mark would have lost it.  I asked her if this was going to be a big problem and she told me no.  But I thought of other people's horror stories of this and felt the adrenaline rush.  Toni said she just needed to get a different suction to clean her out really good, that was all.   The next contx I pushed enough to get to the point where you need to vocalize.  I told them both I felt her move.  Toni must have thought she had a few minutes between contx then because she went out to her car to get the other suction.  But the next contx came fast and I don't know if it was the subliminal desire to have a UC or just the fact that I knew my baby was in poop water, but I decided that she was coming out NOW.  I am not sure how a person can have so many thoughts in just a few seconds time, as well as scream their head off AND still hear exactly what is happening in the room, AND get your baby out, but I did all these things.  I pushed until her head crowned, which I immediately grabbed with my hand feeling the ring of fire and thought about pushing it back in.  Mark was saying "Toni, Toni, Toni" and reaching for Anna.  I could sense the contx fading and did not want to wait the few minutes in between for another so pushed again and felt her body coming.  It was so big all I wanted to do then was pull it to get her out.  I felt every inch of her come out with my hand.  Mark scooped her up and layed her on my chest and Toni had returned by this time and unwrapped the cord from her neck.  I asked Mark after the fact how long this actually took and he said it seemed like forever because Toni was not there, but in reality it had to be only a matter of seconds.  Toni told me she got to the front door and hear the screaming and rushed back in to help catch at the end but Mark caught his own baby.  I was the very first to touch her as she crowned.  It was the most amazing powerful experience ever and I was so happy to finally get her out.  Anna came out and bellowed once and then rested on me trying to suck her thumb. I remember reaching down to "feel" for what sex she was, LOL!    Mark asked if we looked and I said that I had FELT and she was a girl.

Toni did get her suction and cleared her out but she appeared to be absolutely fine.  We all just kind of laughed at her entry to the world while enjoying her.  Once the cord had stopped pulsing, Mark cut it.  About that time, Samuel came to the top of the stairs crying and Mark went up to try to get him back to bed.  Toni could see the placenta presenting at that time and asked me to push it out.  I really hate pushing and this birth was NO exception but I pushed it out and strangely expected it to hurt.  Of course, it did not.   We marveled at the size of it.  I ended up weighing 2lbs 14oz.  It was huge.  I felt it and really got a good look this time before we froze it.    I also managed to NOT tear with this delivery which astounded me.

I decided that since Anna was sucking her thumb, she must be hungry so latched her on and she began nursing immediately.  Probably within 10 minutes of being born.  She never cried.  We let the water out of the tub then and I finished nursing her and decided to get out.  Mark was back by then, successfully getting Samuel back to bed.  We went to our room and everyone was busily trying to figure out exactly where I put my clothes, LOL!  I could not remember.   Mark and Toni finally found them and I got dressed while we looked at Anna.  They put her on the scale and Toni wanted to know if we wanted to guess her weight.  I told them both she was DEFINITELY bigger than Samuel was.  Mark watched and told me the scale was over 9lbs.  Then it hit 9lbs 7oz.  No wonder I felt like she was so incredibly huge.  Our biggest baby yet.  We put her new Woolly Dream on her since we knew she was able to poop and I nursed her again while Toni cleaned up a bit leaving us alone.  We were still marveling about her entry.  I teased Mark a bit about calling "Toni, Toni, Toni."  We got her dressed and took a few quick pics before heading out to the front room to sit and visit.  Toni had cleaned up the bathroom and had started on the kitchen. Mark told her not to worry about it but she did all my dishes from the night before.  We all then sat in the front room visiting for what seemed like a small amount of time but when she was getting ready to go, it was already 6:30am.   I had nursed Anna about 4-5 times and she finally passed out from the ordeal.    Our kids were not even up yet.  Mark ran out to get himself a latte and Toni and I visited more.  We talked about this being my dream birth and at the time it really had not sunk in yet.  Toni left around 7am and Mark and I watched some morning news and waited for the kids to get out of bed.  Around 8ish, Kaysha and Daniel came down to meet Anna.  They were immediately in love and glued to Anna.  A little while later, Samuel came down and I swear you would have thought he KNEW he was getting a sister because he was so happy and loving to her.  The transition from three to four children was tremendously easy.

In conclusion to this after having a few days to let it sink in, I did get my dream birth.  Not in the way I had imagined of course but all my desires for Anna's birth were realized.  I was able to go into labor on my own and with water intact thus clearing up the "what if's" from Daniel's birth.   I was able to cope well enough with the contx that I really only remember 4-5 being truly hard.   Being in the tub at the end was like a strange gathering where I bathed and had two people to visit with.   The most painful part of the birth was pushing Anna out and that only lasted a matter of seconds and when you pair the fact that I was basically able to catch my own baby, one of my innermost desires, it really stamps out any pain that was involved.  Mark was forced to participate in the birth of his own child, I am sure if Toni had been there, he would have never thought to touch his baby during her arrival.  That is a moment that will be forever in my mind.    I did things as I wished the entire time and things were never out of control or awkward.  I was and am so glad that Toni was there.  I realize now that if we were to ever have more children, that if a UC happened, it would be entirely by accident and though I would welcome the opportunity, I will probably not seek it out at this point.  Having the intimate setting of Mark, Toni and I was enough for me to get the job done effectively while feeling totally comfortable and at ease to do what came naturally.  I was able to participate in my own care by checking my own progress and will forever remember what a bulging bag at 10cm feels like.     Toni was awesome and totally respected my wants and desires the entire time.   I know I was just a hormonal prego in the last few days feeling annoyed with her.   I suppose most of this lies in the fact that I am a very independent person and enjoy taking charge of my own life and all that goes with it.  Having a UC would have only sealed the deal that I can do it myself.  But, in retrospect, God showed me that we can ALL use a little help and choosing a caregiver who respects you is so very important.  After having 3 subsequent births with Toni, I would say she knows me well.   She usually travels to births with an assistant whom I asked her to leave at home and she told me after the fact that she was really happy to have been there with us, alone.  It was inherently intimate, calm and relaxed.  I could not have asked for more.  After Anna was born, I remember pointing to the ceiling and telling Toni, Thank God!  And I do thank God, He heard my prayers, desires and gave me enough patience to wait it out to get the birth of my dreams and made me learn a few things along the way.  Toni told me once after Samuel was born that God hears our desires, but KNOWS what we need.  He truly does.  Now in regard to feeling "done" with wanting more babies......who wouldn't want to relive this?  But then I look at my Costco bill and reality sinks in.

Now I have beautiful baby Anna Delma, and maybe even felt the silent assurance of my Grandma, Delma watching from Heaven helping me.  Toni told me she was sure Delma was there helping us along.  I have waited for almost 7 years now for a baby to name after Del.  She is here.  She is so special, my BIG BIG girl.

If you are reading this preparing for your own birth, please do not give up on your dreams and desires.  Educate yourself and surround yourself with people who know you intimately so when your time arrives, you will not be hindered in fulfilling your own dream birth.  And remember, sometimes you have to have a few other births first to "get it right."

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

Marks Note:

Tap, Tap.... This thing on?

Hello to all interested readers, This note is to clear up one slight bit of misinformation listed above.

Mark was never in danger of "losing it". Mark has been, shot, stabbed, run over , fallen out of trees and roofs and has never "lost it". Just wanted to be clear on that....... Also Mark did not cry out Toni, Toni, Toni,.... It was more like Toni......................................Toni........................................................................Toni

I'm glad we all see the difference :>)

At this point i'd like  say someting i'm sure you all know, I married the smartest, strongest, most devoted and loving woman ever born.....

I try to be worthy.......

Warmest Regards,

Mark