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Birth Stories
MY BIRTH STORY My due date had finally arrived, it was the 14th of October, 2003 and I had been walking around for two days with amniotic fluid leaking as my water had broke at a friends BBQ over the weekend. I was waiting for signs of my labor to begin – it was like the quite before the storm. I had my weekly check up scheduled that day at 1.30 pm at the Hollywood Birth Centre, an old federation home that had been converted into a birthing facility run by fabulous midwives Connie and Tai. I had started having mild contractions the night before but nothing too intense that I couldn’t sleep through them or notice them when I got up for my hundredth pee that night. During my check up, my midwife Connie examined me. I was 3 cm dilated and 90% effaced. She said casually that she would see me sometime later that night. She had also advised that I take Blue Cohosh (a natural herb to induce labor) as my water had been broken for over 48 hours and it increases the risk of infection. So off I went to lunch with some other mothers who had either just given birth or where anxiously waiting like I was. I drank my Blue Cohosh cocktail with my Caesar salad and literally within minutes my contractions got more intense and more regular. They were 5 mins apart and lasting for 60-90 seconds (the rate at which I was advised to got to the Birth Centre) – but they had to remain this way for at least one hour. So there I sat catching my breath and zoning out of the lunch conversation during each contraction until finally I knew it was time. It also helped when another mother said “You’d better go back to the Birth Centre NOW!¨ So off we went, my parents (who had flown in from Australia for the event) and my husband and we drove through the LA traffic to the Birth Centre. Now I realize why the make the overhanging handle grips in cars. Arriving at the Birth Centre I was overwhelmed with a flood of emotion knowing that all the planning, preparations, labor classes and pre-natal vitamins over the last 10 months left me feeling like I had NO idea of what was about to come and “Oh shit this baby has gotta come out where?” My time had finally arrived and for me it was about TRUST, SURRENDER and being in the NOW. I cried with joy and then looked up and see my father (who hadn’t even stuck around to see my head pop out) crying as well. I will never forget that moment. My active labor was spent with me standing, swaying my hips in circular motions and leaning onto a waist high bench for support during contractions. My husband put pressure on my lower back to ease the pain as my pelvis opened. I didn’t lie down as I had heard my mothers birth story many times during my life to know that her doctors where insisting she lie down. Instead she had me on all fours in a cats pose and I slipped straight out in 20 mins” and she protested “There was no way I was going to lie on my back and push against gravity for over 14 bloody hours. That doesn’t make any sense to me” (after all it was the 70´s). All of a sudden I violently vomit my Caesar salad into a nice bowl that had been placed strategically near by just in case while simultaneously peeing down my leg. WOW. After I recover I look down and notice splatters of blood as well. Later I was told that was great to further my labor and I probably had just dilated at least another 2-3 cms with that whole experience. Finally I am 6 cm and able to spend the rest of my labor in a tub big enough for two. Boy did it feel fantastic finally submerging into warm water (10 months is a long time when you’re not allowed to take hot baths). The warmth eased my back pain and I loved feeling light again. I found myself squatting facing one end of the tub using its strength to counter pressure my pain as I pressed my head into a pad and some towels. I do remember one point where the little voice inside my head said “Take me to a hospital, give me drugs and cut this baby out now” but that thought soon left just as quickly as it appeared. There was no going back I had to keep going forward. So inward I went again. It was such an amazing primal place to visit as I verbally expressed with each moan and breathe releasing the pain. Everyone in the room was quietly watching, waiting patiently. Looking back, to be quite honest they were helpless as really nothing they could do or say would take away the job I had to do on my own. Releasing a new life into this world. Connie checked my cervix again and I was 9 ½ cm…not quite able to push. So with my next contraction she told me to push slightly as she tried to push the tiny remaining cervix over the baby’s head. Wolah! After 6 hours was given the green light. I CAN NOW PUSH. I must say it was such a relief to be able to actively do something every time I felt a contraction and to know I was on the home stretch. Connie placed her finger inside and showed me where to push which helped me focus my energy. After a few good pushes she checked again and could feel the baby’s head. I felt for myself and OH MY GOD ALL MY WORK WAS PAYING OFF…I COULD FEEL MY BABY COMING DOWN THE BIRTH CANAL. It raised my spirits and gave me a sudden burst of energy. I can do this. Come on. So I continued pushing continually checking the baby’s´ progress down the birth canal until everyone in the room was getting excited and louder as they told me how they can SEE the head. I even had time to joke that “Oh yeah here’s THE RING OF FIRE” I’ve been hearing about”. I knew I was near the end and I pushed and pushed again and again until the head appeared. Looking back if there was one thing about my labor I could change it would be this very moment. When I have the chance to do this again (which I’m hoping I will) I would wait here and patiently relish in the burning sensation of the “Ring of Fire” not because it feels good by any means but to let the baby’s head stretch me just a little longer”. At 9.46pm after pushing for only 1 hour my daughter Ilan Lotus was born weighing 8lbs 14oz. My husband removed the cord that was around her neck and placed her up on my belly. What happens next only a mother would know but to see this tiny human being looking so alertly at you and these old soul eyes that so purely know everything staring up at you for the very first time stops time completely. Ilan was covered in Vernix which made her look pale and she didn’t cry she just lay on my stomach waiting for me to birth her placenta 14 mins later. The midwives knew I was choosing to have a Lotus birth so they did not cut the cord. Her arriving into this world was not of a cut cord and screaming and gasping for breath but rather she lay there calmly on my belly easing into the transition from being inside my belly and fed by blood through her cord to independently breathing on her own in her own time. I was amazed at how enormous the placenta was and how cool it was to feel the blood pump to her through a pulsating blue cord. I was just as amazed to see how white and cold the cord turned soon after I birthed the placenta and it was no longer receiving blood. It was like it had been in a refrigerator or something. I had the midwives do placenta prints on some art paper that I had bought with me and later they held the placenta up and showed us all how my little Ilan had been enclosed in the sac and where the bad had broken. It really is the tree of life to see all those thousands of blood vessels intricately doing their amazing life giving job. Much better than her placenta being thrown out in the hospital trash as though it´ some hazardous waste material. Duh! At 4.30am, 7 hours after she was born (which just seemed to fly cause of my natural high) after her assessment, a bath, some recovery time and 10 stitches later we drove home. Over the next few days we remained in the sanctuary of our bedroom. Ilan lay next to her placenta which we treated daily with rock sea salt and fresh rosemary. It’s amazing to see the process of how the placenta shrunk in size and actually started to form the shape of a heart. The cord became dry and thinner every day until 3 days later it fell off leaving only a tiny piece which came off a few days later. Her belly button is a perfect inny and healed so fast compared to the other mothers who complained that their baby’s were still bleeding or infected two weeks later. We then took her placenta to an herbalist who washed it and then dried it out in the oven for two days before capsulating it. I now take the capsules daily to replenish my body of all the hormones and vitamins that I lost after the birth and must say I have so much energy even with the lack of sleep. Ilan is such a calm baby. I’m not exaggerating when I say she doesn’t cry. She lets me know she is hungry by little whimpers but she has never cried uncontrollably. I equate this to her birth process. She slept 7 ½ hours through the night by the time she was 6 weeks old and is such a happy baby. It was a completely exciting feeling to finally hold your baby free of her life giving placenta and know that she had such a healthy spiritual start to this life. Renae
rplant@bumpbabies.co |
Latest page update: made by rplant@bumpbabies.co
, Nov 11 2008, 10:14 PM EST
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- rplant@bumpbabies.co
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| Started By | Thread Subject | Replies | Last Post | |
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| grama30 | Faster labors | 0 | Jul 27 2006, 3:06 AM EDT by grama30 | |
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Thread started: Jul 27 2006, 3:06 AM EDT
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Our daughter took 12 hours of back labor. I survived because of Lamaze breathing and my amazing husband. I had small dose of demerol to take the edge off A HUGE MISTAKE - makes you too tired especially if you're already sleep deprived,, to catch the contractions at the beginning. Once allowed to push, 2 1/2 hrs, I felt much better. I'm SO happy I could see and feel her pop into this world. I will never forget when they handed her to me! It was worth every pain!! Our beautiful angelbaby!
Our 1st son was born on Father's Day! I awoke around 8:00 to contractions, but they were milder than with our daughter; I wasn't sure it was truly labor. They started to get stronger, and by now our daughter was awake, excited, and coaching me to breathe. We arrived at the hospital about 9:30 and I was still using my shallow breathing , even though the contractions were five minutes apart and pretty strong. Having had back labor with our first put TRUE PAIN in perspective - this was manageable. The doctor predicted a baby around lunchtime. I was in shock - could it be true! Well, he arrived at 11:30, and I never used transition breathing! Our golden boy! Our second son arrived on the coldest Jan. day. Once at the hospital my contractions were seven min. apart and fairly mild, but they stopped completely (due to adreneline) for two hours. When they started again they were strong and close but again I never used transition breathing. Like his brother, four pushes and out he came! Our little angel! Our last son arrived very fast. Mild contractions suddenly got very strong. We left for the hospital over my objections. Our 25 min drive took about 15 and contractions got stronger, one at each exit of the parkway. Our son was born minutes after arriving at the hospital; he literally FLEW out of me no pushing required! Our miracle baby! Hang in there and be committed to your breathing; IT WILL WORK but you must PRACTICE believe in it and in yourself! |
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