This Day, 2 Years Ago/Jack's Birth Story

By: Brianna on 2:54 PM

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{Minutes after Jack was born at 10:15 pm on October 20th, 2011}

Two. Two whole entire years. I can’t believe our sweet, crazy, rambunctious toddler is TWO. Where did those years go?!

I figure, no better time than any to share his birth story. I mean, it has been two years after all.

I had a fairly easy pregnancy and really enjoyed being pregnant. Things went smoothly and at about 34 weeks I surprised Paul telling him (during an appointment with our midwife) that I wanted to have a home birth. Bless his heart. He agreed after much reassurance from Patricia and Carmen that it was essentially the same as a birth center birth.

At my 38 week appointment, I felt a little off and was checked. 1 cm and 75% effaced. Meh. Could have a baby in the next week or in the next five. Lucky us! Time went on and Paul received a call that he got an interview with a full time permanent position at the City of Corvallis where he had been doing temporary/seasonal work for the past few months. He had his interview on my due date (Oct 8^th) and we still had no baby. For the next few weeks, I had contractions every night. I’d sit on that damn exercise ball and bounce and bounce and bounce…hoping THIS was the night. Poor Patricia got the same text message every single night. “Contractions 10-15 mins apart, about 1 min long.” Her response was always the same, “Drink water, take a bath or shower, and get rest. Let me know if it changes.” What a patient woman. Every night I would go to bed without a baby and wake up without a baby. Ha.

11 days after my due date on October 19^th, Paul got a call saying he’d gotten the job! We were so relieved. Stress gone! Mostly at least! We were excited that things were going to be ok on that end that I finally gave in and took the “castor oil bomb” that I had heard of briefly. Texted Patricia, “I took the first dose of castor oil.” Woops. Probably should have talked to her first. Over the next two hours I took the next few doses. Went to bed and then the fun really began.

At 1:30 or so, I woke up with contractions. I made Paul get up and call Patricia since we lived 45 minutes away from her and Carmen. I sent him back to bed knowing that he may have to be up with me until who knows, when things start getting more intense.

Patricia and Carmen showed up around 330-4am.  I remember laboring on the couch and swaying my hips—it felt great to do that. Heat on my lower back was fantastic. They switched off taking naps for a bit, the other staying up with me. Eventually around 830, I felt bad that not much was going on and asked to get checked. I was a 3 and at that moment I realized things would be taking awhile. They said they were going to get food and let Paul and I have some space (Or, maybe I said they could leave…?) Either way, they left and left us to it.

I think around 11, Anna came over and we went on a walk. The contractions were coming stronger and things were starting to pick up.  I remember puking a few times and just laboring while leaning on Paul. It felt good to have rice bags warmed and put on my lower back and low tones were really helping. Thanks Ina May Gaskin. I officially had my primal self all out. And it was helping.

At one point, I had this sudden urge to just go outside and get the mail. I HAD to check the mail. It felt so good to go outside and be in the cool air. On the way back in I puked all over the front yard. That felt SO good. I decided to get in the tub and soon after we called Patricia and Carmen. They showed up around 4. I decided to get checked and was a 7. A 7!! YES! Darcy showed up around the same time as well to help support. Anna, Darcy and Paul all were there helping me through my contractions. I loved being in the tub. I spent 90% of my entire labor there.

Things were picking up. My water still hadn’t broken. I decided on another check later in the evening. 9-almost-a-10. Patricia suggested I squat near the bed while Paul supported me or to sit on the toilet, saying the position could help open up the last bit. I opted for the toilet so I wouldn’t get tired out from squatting as long as my baby wasn’t born into the toilet.  We returned (all 7 of us!) to the tiny bathroom and someone asked if I wanted to listen to my Hypnobirthing tracks I had used during pregnancy. I said no, that lady is annoying. But they encouraged me to relax and try so I agreed. I had forgotten how nice it was to relax to those tracks. As I sat on the toilet, leaning on Paul, I was “falling asleep” between contractions. Couldn’t have asked for a better break.

I reached down and felt something bulging between contractions. I said, “Paul, something is coming out. Feel it.” He did and he said, “Uh, I’ll be right back.”  Off he went to get Patricia with her head amp to see what was going on. (I had high hope it was his head!) She says, “It’s your bag of water bulging! SO cool! Want a picture?!” Of course I did. I’m birth-y like that.

After sitting on the toilet for a bit, I told them I needed to push. “Don’t push until you can’t not push.” Uhh…yea ok. No one had ever told me that if I just did nothing, my body would do push on it’s own. How did I miss this? How come I didn’t know? No matter, it was impressive that I was doing NOTHING and my body was pushing on it’s own. Our bodies are smart.  I had a few of those contractions, sneezed or coughed in between one, and with that my water broke. I was ready to get back in the tub and was happy to be back in the water. Soon after, the pushing my body was doing was getting stronger. I stood up in the tub and would really bear down on the sides of the tub. I didn’t want anyone touching me or helping me. “Paul, don’t touch me. I’ve done this by myself this whole time. I don’t need you now.” (which, of course, is not true at all, but ya know…birth)

Hello Ring of Fire. Thank you for that. At least it was only one contraction. Patricia said, “if you want to try and push a little you can.” So I gave one half ass little push and he was born! Patricia said “Catch your baby! Catch your baby!” as he slipped into the water. It was like his entrance into the world was the way he’d live forever. Fast and with lots of zeal. He came out crying and was chubby to the max.

After an hour and a half we weighed him. 9 lbs 6 ozs. 21.5” long. We cut the cord when it had stopped pulsing completely. About 2 hours after he was born.  He was finally here, in our arms and creating a ruckus already. <3 p="">

{Happy 2nd Birthday Jack Attack!}