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"It all started on a Tuesday night...
I woke up Tuesday night bleeding. I called the nurses' station at St. Joe's (where I was going to birth) to see what to do. They told me to come in. I was still not dilated and they said that this was a normal occurance. At this time I was having very mild contractions that just felt like cramps. After a few hours we were discharged.
Wednesday I worked from home and continued to have contractions that felt like cramps. They picked up in intensity a bit by Wednesday afternoon. My husband Cory and I decided to head to the Fair for a distraction. We had just paid to park ($11) and were walking to the gate when my water broke. I ducked into a port-a-potty to see if it was really my water or just my bladder. I couldn't really tell. So we walked back to the car to find something else I could use to soak up some of the fluids and decide whether to turn around or go into the Fair. Just then, another gush of liquids came and we decided that with that we would head home.
It was a long night with me breathing through my contractions throughout the night. We got some sleep, but not much. Now it was Thursday. I knew I wasn't going into work so I emailed my boss to tell him I wouldn't be in that day. We spent the day breathing through contractions, working with distractions and talking to our fabulous doula, Liz! We watched the movie Yes, Man, walked around Long Lake Regional park, took multiple walks around the block and just enjoyed each others' company (all while breathing through contractions). Around 4 p.m. the contractions picked up again in intensity. I was a bit nervous that we were not at the hospital since the doctor told me to go in immediately if my water broke. I just didn't want to be confined there, but I also didn't want to get an infection. So after talking it through with Liz we decided to wait it out. By that evening the contractions were coming stronger. I was crying for an epidural by 8 p.m. and ready to head out the door as soon as Liz got there. Cory even called the hospital to let them know we were coming in.
But lo and behold Liz came around 9 p.m. We were all stationed in the bedroom with very dim lighting and Liz' peaceful, calming voice encouraging me to work with each contraction. Cory and I would "slow dance" through them—each one lasting about a minute. I was still crying for an epidural. At this point Liz had me jump in the tub.
The contractions came less frequently and I was able to get some rest finally between them. She explained to me what would need to be done in order to get an epidural. I was wanting a quick fix, willing this child out of me right now—no matter what. And that's not what an epidural would have done.
After the tub we were back in the bedroom with me on the birth ball. Cory said that it was here I was a changed person. The contractions weren't as bad. I was much more relaxed and able to handle them by just breathing, hip circling, and imagining how powerfully they were helping to open the cervix. Around 1:30 a.m. I felt a slight urge to use the bathroom (not pee). This was a good sign. It was time to go in to the hospital.
Cory called St. Joe's to make sure they still had a room for us and to let them know we were heading in for real. I climbed in the back seat of the Honda on all fours and did my hip circles with Liz applying pressure on my lower back. In the 15 minutes I only had 2 contractions and was able to breathe through them. I was in my zone now.
When we got to the hospital Cory dropped Liz and I off at the emergency room and parked the truck. We had to wait for a nurse to come escort us up to our room. I had one little pit stop before getting into the elevator for a contraction. But we made it. I was hooked up to the fetal heart monitor and the other monitor for contractions for 20 minutes. They checked me—7 cm dilated!!! We couldn't have been happier!
After my 20 minutes on the fetal monitor were up I was able to get into the awesome tub and work through more contractions. I was getting close. I was now between an 8 and a 9. However, I didn't progress much after this. A shift change occurred and the labor and delivery nurse came into check me. She said either the kid had no hair or I still had a second bag of water in the way of the cervix. We decided to break the water bag. After she did this things progressed very quickly. Within an hour I was ready to push. The doctor had been called and here it was time to push.
They could no longer distinguish between my heartbeat and the baby's so they put a fetal heartbeat monitor in his forehead to pick up his heartbeat. It was low, so they hooked me up to an oxygen tank where I was coached to breathe deeply—once for me, once for baby, and once for my uterus.
It was now time to push. I started pushing around 9:30 a.m. and before long they were were calling the doctor NOW because the baby's head was right there. One more push and it was out. One more push and he was half out. One more push and at 10:01 a.m. on Friday, Sept 4, 2009, Grayson Jeffrey entered the world and was put right up on my chest. All perfect 6 lbs. 2 oz. of him. I couldn't have done it without my AMAZING support team of Cory and Liz and the fabulous nurses at St. Joe's. What a perfect ending to a beautiful pregnancy"
Congratulations, Angela! Thanks so much for sharing your story with all of us.
Love,
Alisa, Sarah & the women of Blooma
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